By: D-Team Member Adam

The Infamous Mickey Hat Blocking the Classic Iconic Chinese Theater

The Infamous Mickey Hat Blocking the Classic Iconic Chinese Theater

There’s a rumor going around the web that Disney will soon be announcing another name change for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The rumor is that Disney will shorten the name to simply “Disney Studios“. This will be the second time Disney has changed the name of the Park.

The Original 1989 Disney-MGM Studios Logo

The Original 1989 Disney-MGM Studios Logo

If true, it would be a strange move.  Disney Studios is an incredibly forgettable name that doesn’t follow with other Park and Property names.  Then again, it never has. When it opened in 1989 it was called the Disney-MGM Studios.  However, due to a cultural/ human need to abbreviate things, guests commonly referred to it as “MGM” or “the Studios”.  Since MGM is a specific brand, Park employees were instructed to respond to guests asking “Where do I find MGM?” with “in California.  Branding is extremely important in Disney.

The problem is that unlike the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, Disney-MGM Studios is phonetically more akin to the hotel branding.  Think Disney’s Boardwalk or Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.  It sounds more like Disney’s MGM Studios than Disney-MGM. And if fact, when it was renamed in 2008, it became Disney’s Hollywood Studios, joining Disney’s Animal Kingdom in a Disney-specific branding.  Guests, however, still shorten it to Hollywood Studios or just “the Studios”.  Like the hotels, the Disney is apparently silent.

Should the rumor prove true, Disney Studios seems like an unnecessary and ultimately counter-productive rebranding.

Leave a comment on our Facebook page telling us what you think about the possible new name.

The Newly Named Disney Hollywood Studios

The Newly Named Disney Hollywood Studios