In the 2010s, the park began to distance itself from the original studio backlot intention and entered a new direction of immersive theming and attraction development inspired by imagined worlds from Hollywood storytellers.

In 2001, the Sorcerer's Hat—a stylized version of the magical hat from Fantasia—was erected in the park's central hub and served as the icon until its removal in January 2015.

The Hollywood Tower Hotel has since been the official icon, with the park's replica of Grauman's Chinese Theatre serving as the visual centerpiece.

We welcome you to a Hollywood that never was—and always will be.A team of Walt Disney Imagineers led by Marty Sklar and Randy Bright had been given the assignment to create two new pavilions for Epcot's Future World section.

[9] In 1988, MGM/UA responded by filing a lawsuit that claimed Disney violated the agreement by operating a working movie and television studio at the resort.

On October 23, 1992, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Curtis B. Rappe ruled that Disney had the right to continue using the Disney-MGM Studios name on film product produced at the Florida facility, and that MGM Grand had the right to build a Las Vegas theme park using the MGM name and logo as long as it did not share the same studio backlot theme as Disney's property.

This included the closure of the park's Studio Backlot Tour, American Idol Experience, and the Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow attractions in 2014.

[15] The following year, the Sorcerer's Hat was removed and the original sightlines from Hollywood Boulevard to the park's Chinese Theatre were restored.

Extreme Stunt Show, the Earffel Tower, and the remaining backstage areas—was closed and demolished in preparation for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land.

[19][20] In 2017, the Great Movie Ride closed as the final remaining opening-day attraction and was replaced by Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway.

Echo Lake features two major attractions based on characters and films created by George Lucas and produced by Lucasfilm.

re-enacts various scenes from Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark, while illustrating how professional film stunts are performed in the open-air Epic Theater.

Behind this building lies a subsection named Commissary Lane, that connects Hollywood Boulevard directly to Grand Avenue and bypasses Echo Lake altogether.

Grand Avenue is themed as a gentrified historic district inspired by the real location of the same name in downtown Los Angeles.

Grand Avenue is also home to PizzeRizzo[27]—a pizzeria owned by Rizzo the Rat—Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano,[28] and BaseLine Tap House, a modern California-styled pub.

[30] Grand Avenue was originally planned in the 1980s as a themed area called Muppet Studios, following Disney's intended acquisition of the Jim Henson Company.

[33][34] The Muppet-themed areas and a single remaining New York block of the Streets of America facades were repurposed into Muppets Courtyard, which served as a placeholder designation until Grand Avenue was completed in September 2017.

Attractions include Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, a dark ride that places guests in a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance; and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, a flying simulator attraction that allows guests to pilot the Millennium Falcon through a customized secret mission on behalf of Hondo Ohnaka and Chewbacca.

The larger open-air Hollywood Hills Amphitheater is the home of Fantasmic!, a nighttime show featuring Mickey Mouse and many other Disney characters in a story with fireworks, lasers and water effects.

In August 2024, it was announced that the park will receive a land themed to Pixar's Monsters, Inc. franchise, with construction scheduled to start in 2025.

The celebrity would often be featured in a motorcade along Hollywood Boulevard or would take part in a handprint ceremony at the Great Movie Ride's entrance, or participate in an interview session.

At other times, Disney has imported characters and intellectual properties that were not part of its own original library of films and television shows.

[42] Live musical acts, such as the cover band Mulch, Sweat and Shears and the a cappella quartet Four For a Dollar, used to perform on the park streets or as pre-show entertainment at the larger shows.

The Walt Disney Company's original concept of the Disney-MGM Studios was to operate it as a television and motion picture production facility, as well as a theme park.

In 1988, among the first feature-length movies filmed at the facility, prior to its completion and opening as a theme park, were Ernest Saves Christmas[51] and Newsies.

Several third party productions also used the Studios, including Superboy (first season only, from 1988–1989), the 1988–89 season of MTV's Remote Control, Thunder in Paradise, a revival of Let's Make a Deal, special broadcasts of Wheel of Fortune, airplane interior sequences for the feature film Passenger 57, and The Dooley and Pals Show.