Hollywood Boulevard placemaking (Construction & History) - 15th Anniversary - Disneyland Resort Paris

Project Timeline

Bringing Hollywood to Paris...

16th March 2002
Walt Disney Studios Park opens.

11th January 2005
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror officially announced for the park.

5th January 2007
Rumours circulate that Hollywood Boulevard is coming, construction to begin within days!

10th January 2007
Entire project confirmed with Imagineer talks, concept art and plans at the 15th Anniversary cast Rendez-Vous event.

22nd January 2007
First construction walls appear.

9th May 2007
First steel frames constructed.

14th July 2007
First theme elements appear on buildings.
Steel structures for horizon sets go vertical.

28th July 2007
Prefab details begin arriving on the 'Sweet Success' building.

25th August 2007
First National Bank is "topped out" and soon completed, Sweet Success is first to receive colours. Off the Page begins prefab detailing, La Brea Carpets gets doors and window frames, Gone Hollywood is covered in drywall ready for theming.

27th August 2007
Second concept art released.

31st August 2007
El Capitan theater makes a surprise appearance on the horizon behind First National Bank. Completed with signage and radio tower in following weeks.

22nd September 2007
Broadway building grows to completion on the horizon, Gone Hollywood begins to receive art deco prefab sections.

History

Despite Disney Studio 1 being originally planned as the park's traditional "Main Street" from the earliest blueprints for Disney-MGM Studios Europe, rumours of a Hollywood-themed street stretching out from Disney Bros. Plaza circulated ever since Walt Disney Studios Park first opened on 16th March 2002.

Whilst it was generally presumed a Hollywood Boulevard would only arrive once the park was ready to expand beyond its current boundaries and the Studio Tram Tour station be moved, 2006 brought rumours of a new "Hollywood Studio" project to transform Production Courtyard and expand the popular theme of the under-construction Tower of Terror. Sets and façades for the "Place des Stars" area of Production Courtyard were rumoured, but no mention was made of the long-awaited outdoor boulevard.

The first weeks of 2007 finally brought confirmation of the Hollywood Studio project, at the annual Cast Member Rendez-Vous event. The event spans several days to allow all Cast Members to be given a preview of upcoming events and attractions, with the major news being the surprise confirmation of the entire Hollywood Boulevard project!

The 'placemaking' project was announced to the press (and subsequently confirmed once again to the public and fans) at the 1st April 2007 press conference, an event previewing all the new attractions due to debut during the 15th Anniversary. The presentation included the first showing of a new piece of concept art for the boulevard, featuring a square Hollywood Hills backdrop and a "Bank of Hollywood" at its centre. It later emerged that this was an initial concept for the Walt Disney Studios Park development, but that ideas has subsequently changed into the project and line-up of sets we see under construction today.