When did they stop calling it "MGM"?

[Divamomto3]

I got my Disney vacation planning video today and I noticed that they did not ONCE call MGM Studios "MGM"...they just referred to it as "Disney Studios." I also looked quite hard and didn't see the word MGM anywhere on a building in the video while they were showing that theme park. What's the scoop on that?

 

[Geoff_M]

I believe the licensing agreement expired with MGM.

 

[wdwguide]

Yup, they've been doing this for a few years now. I am surprised they haven't renamed the park ABC Studios yet anyway... There certainly isn't much MGM that's left in it.

 

[UKDEB]

And yet it's still referred to as Disney-MGM Studios on the official website.

 

[BrianD]

Originally posted by wdwguide
...I am surprised they haven't renamed the park ABC Studios yet anyway...

First, they need to turn ABC into something other than a crappy network before they name Disney Studios after it.

 

[Grumpy92]

This started about seven years ago. CM's were instructed to refer to it as the Studios or Disney Studios. AT the time tough negotiations were taking place as to whether the mgm licensing would continue. Except for some licensing of the name & use of some of the movies they really had nothing to do with the park therefore should not be given the credit. Disney not MGM owns the actual studio lot and buildings used for filming.

 

[Disney Fool]

If you look up at the arch going toward the Animation building, the MGM is still up there. I wonder when that will come down?

 

[WDWalways]

Originally posted by Disney Fool
If you look up at the arch going toward the Animation building, the MGM is still up there. I wonder when that will come down?

You know what's really funny about this?? When I went in Dec '01 I could have sworn on a stack of Bibles that the MGM was NOT there and I had heard from a Disney rep that they were slowly fazing out the MGM part of the Disney-MGM Studios so was not surprised when the MGM was not on the arch - when I went Oct '02 it was definitely there and I was confused - BUT if you watch the planning video that started this discussion and they show the arch it is NOT there - it has Disney to the left hand side (your left hand while facing arch) of the Mickey logo and Studios underneath but the MGM that is usually to the right hand side of Mickey is not there - someone watch it and tell me if I'm crazy!!

 

[MrNonacho]

MGM's removal is a rumor that has been flying around for years. I don't know why they make sure not to mention it in promotional videos (probably something to do with licensing), but the park is still Disney-MGM Studios. It's still written all over the park, on the maps, and in ads & commercials.

 

[idontknow]

I heard that MGM was being fased out for a while, too. A couple of weeks ago I was at a scrappbook store and they had the lazer cut "MGM Studios" page header and I grabbed the last one they had, just incase.

 

[pintrader]

As a pin collector I know we all started finding and collecting pins that said Disney-MGM Studios. (It was about the same time as the Dixie Landings thing.) Those have bee gone for WELL over a year now and some have been gone for more than that.

 

[raidermatt]

WDWalways, you are correct. In the planning videos, they have either been showing a shot where they took down the MGM, or simply digitized it out. Doesn't the water tower also say MGM? I know it doesn't in the video/DVD.

The videos have been this way for at least a few years.

I've heard that its just part of the contract/agreement that Disney cannot or will not use MGM in certain promotional materials, and apparently that includes the planning videos.

 

[Dznefreek]

And yet it's still referred to as Disney-MGM Studios on the official website.

It was 5 minutes ago when I checked the website.