Disney's Backlot Movies Resort

One of the largest updates to the resorts will take place over at the All-Stars complex. Long a popular pick for families and competition groups alike, the All-Stars resorts will go through a rebranding effort removing the All-Star moniker. The removal of the All-Star name does not remove the value in these resorts and in fact, brings a bit more value to this fantastic complex to its guests. The 50th anniversary aligns with the opening and re-imagining of the first of these, Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort reopening as Disney’s Backlot Movies Resort. The Backlot Movies resort will be followed in later years as part of a 5-year plan by the Music and Sports Resorts.

The inspiration for the Backlot Movies Resort goes back to an original theme of Disney’s MGM Studios (now Disney’s Hollywood Studios) and its Streets of America, and the major studio lots in California during the 50’s and 60’s. While largely a distant memory in today’s studio world, the old studio backlots housed multiple city sized sets where cast and crew could find themselves in a whole new world with every turn of a street corner. The update coming to the Movies resort tries to capture a bit of that magic, and still honor the theme from which it started.

Guests arriving at the entry will immediately notice the changes with the removal of the star hedge and star fixture on the face of the covered entry. In their place will be a large fountain with several old movie cameras as the fixtures and at the entry a large arch reminiscent of Paramount Studios arch. Inside, the red carpet is rolled out, literally, as inset in the updated flooring from doorway to the other end of the building is what is meant to resemble the red carpet welcoming the newest stars to the resort. Throughout the space, headshots of Disney stars past and present replace all the star décor along with several large-scale pieces of various movie sets. Walt Disney Studios in large letters hangs over the check in area.

Just off the main lobby, the World Premier Food Court has been updated to the Backlot Commissary. Long the lifeblood of the major studios, on any given day, iconic stars of yesterday could be seen conversing over a meal between scenes. The open ceiling will be closed in hiding the ductwork with color and furnishings updated, but the fun and excitement of the space will remain. At busier periods of the day, guests may even spot a “celebrity”, a Disney entertainer in period attire, taking a break from a busy shooting schedule to grab a bite and share a few words.

Elsewhere, Donald’s Double Feature has been renamed Storyboard Gifts. The expected gifts and small food provisions remain for guests needing a present or quick snack for later. All available wall space in the shop though shows old storyboards from some of Walt’s earliest films in Steamboat Willie and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. 50th anniversary merchandise will of course be on hand during the yearlong celebration.

Exiting the studios building onto the “backlot”, the changes to the resort décor makes a major shift in the west facing buildings of Fantasia and Herbie. In their place are street scenes from two grand locales in Agrabah and Arendelle, the A wing if you will. The sheer size of Agrabah is on display as the distinct architectural elements from the Aladdin film adorn the buildings in this main square, with an updated pool space between them. The buildings stairwells are encased in turrets resembling those from the Sultan’s Palace.

Silver Screen Spirits has been updated to Marketplace Spirits and all the surrounding landscape has been refreshed with numerous palms added. The pool has been slightly reshaped to evoke a more palace vibe and still provide the same fun atmosphere. A kid sized magic lamp for playing and a life-size version of the genie will be added to the kids splash pad completing the transformation of the space.

The rooms take on a bit more flare with color updates to golds and reds. Magic lamp lamps will be a big hit with guests as an inclusion in the room. Additional updates to the artwork and curtains match the vibrancy of the exterior updates to this part of the complex.

Leaving Agrabah, a drastic change in scenery leads to the kingdom of Arendelle in springtime. Gone are the sultan’s white palace walls with red and gold topped accents, replaced by Norwegian inspired multicolored flats representing wood buildings with stone accents. While you will not find the Ice Palace or snow here, Frozen fans will enjoy the stroll through Arendelle and the many great photo spots reminiscent of village scenes from the film. In between the two newly decorated buildings, a new Olaf themed playground has been added to the courtyard providing a great new addition for kids visiting the resort.

The Arendelle rooms maintain the same high-quality updates previously made resort wide. Deep purple and light blue highlight some of the color choices in the room. Artwork features some of the early sketches of Anna, Elsa, and crew during film pre-production. Bed runners include an icy design to provide the subtle reference to the ice and snow.

Taking over the 101 Dalmatians and Might Ducks (later to be found in the updated Sports resort) end of the resort comes updated streets scenes from London & the more natural environs of Neverland. Guests first traversing paths in the north end of the resort will notice right away the distinct look of old London. With scenes from 101 Dalmatians and Peter Pan providing inspiration for the sets used to retheme the buildings, including a small-scale version of Big Ben covering one of the stairwells, it will be easy to forget you are not a world away in Florida.

Streetlamps and tidy, park like landscaping with benches and the outline of bricks in the walkway complete the look. Looking closely, it will not be hard to spot a few smaller scale dalmatians ready for a photo op. The London rooms include artwork of the island of Neverland the Darling home and nursery in some, with Cruella de Vil sheet music, a few of the dalmatian puppies and spotted bed runners in others.

Leaving London behind, the building sets have now turned into a much more natural element as the Island of Neverland has taken over. With mammoth tree like elements taking over the stairwells, and vines and growth weaving around the railings and building entries, the resort buildings will look to be a part of the island. The pool space here sees a major update with a small Lost Boys slide added and the shape of the pool updated to a more natural flow. The walkways of the Neverland building are full of many more plants and trees than the London area completing the overall retheme of the area. Room updates include a few natural wood elements, with Tinkerbell, Lost Boy and Jolly Roger art pieces accentuating the updates.

On the south side of the resort, the former Toy Story buildings have been transformed into the streets of San Fransokyo. With a mixture of San Francisco residential and the unmistakable downtown Tokyo, this city street is sure to be a big hit with Big Hero 6 and Baymax fans alike. While the area will have a bit of that Tokyo flair, guests will not have to worry about the lights and noise at night. The muted neon like tones on a few design pieces only emit a similar amount of light to the streetlamps throughout the complex and are even lowered a bit as bedtime hour approaches.

The courtyard between the two building remains largely the same albeit with a slight landscaping update. Several cherry blossom trees in perpetual bloom, provided by WDI, are mixed with the other natural trees and fauna. Those looking for a photo op with everyone’s favorite healthcare robot can do so in the main courtyard of the two-building complex. Various art pieces have been added to the room included local references to the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology and travel posters.