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2. Double Dare (And all of the live-action Nickelodeon TV shows)

Not to go all Buzzfeed on you, but that image is forever seared into the brains of anyone who self-identifies as a “90s kid.” For those of you who do not know or have never visited the internet, what you are looking at is the Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios Florida, and from 1990 to 2005, it was one of the coolest places on earth.

The first show ever filmed at the Studios was also arguably its most iconic: the Japanese-game-show-influenced Double Dare, in which two teams competed for catch and prizes with trivia questions and physical challenges settling the score. It was already a successful show before coming to Orlando to shoot, but its placement in the middle of the new theme park helped make the Orlando-based Nickelodeon game shows and sitcoms into appointment viewing for kids and pre-teens.

Double Dare's success spawned countless other game shows and sitcoms in Orlando, including Clarissa Explains it All, Kenan & Kel, Legends of the Hidden Temple, and Nickelodeon GUTS.

Sure, Nickelodeon's works don't quite have the same artistic merit as some of the other films and television shows on this list, nor did they launch the same caliber of celebrity from their ranks, but they did manage to stick with an entire generation of people – so much so, that Nickelodeon even began showing reruns of some of the most iconic shows during its late-night time slots.

Yes, even Double Dare.

1. Mulan

Believe it or not, there was once a time when you could walk into Disney-MGM Studios and see animators hard at work on the next beloved Disney animated masterpiece. I remember seeing painted cells from Mulan left on artists' tables and character concept art from films like Hercules and The Lion King posted up on the walls. It was amazing to watch these people work on something and then, months or years later, see it come to life on screen.

All of this took place at The Magic of Disney Animation: a walkthrough attraction that taught guests about the process of making a Disney animated film, as well as allowed guests access behind the scenes while animators did their work.

When Mulan went into production in 1994, it was the first Disney animated film to be primarily created in the Disney-MGM Studios, but it wasn't the only thing ever produced there. Scenes like the Be Our Guest number from Beauty and the Beast and I Just Can't Wait to Be King from The Lion King were all created in front of Walt Disney World visitors' eyes – something you couldn't see with most of the live-action productions happening across the park. The effect of the experience was that the guest felt connected to the films in an even more immediate way, knowing that they saw the creation of one piece of that film. 

And, ultimately, that's what this whole crazy idea was about to begin with – giving Orlando tourists the opportunity to connect with movies in a way they'd never experienced before, and see them come to life in both fantastical ways (Star Tours) and in very real ways (The Studio Backlot Tour). Eventually, the large-scale film productions stopped coming, and it became more cost effective to keep all animation work out in California, leaving just the headliner attractions in the rebranded Disney's Hollywood Studios. But for a brief time, Orlando was truly realizing its “Hollywood East” dream and giving its guests memories they'd hold onto forever.

But, like Hollywood, in the end, it's always about the bottom line.

 
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Comments

What about Newsies? It was filmed at Hollywood Studios before it even opened as MGM.

When I visited Disney MGM Studios in June 1998, they were making Tarzan in the Magic of Disney Animation. It was incredible to watch the animators working on next year's big release.
It must have been strange to work in a goldfish bowl with thousands of people walking through every day.

Star Search with Ed McMahan was filmed at MGM- and park goers got to be in the audience!

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