Do you remember Residential Street? The nice, quaint neighborhood in the heart of Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Of course, this neighborhood was actually a line of facades. Used in various TV shows and commercials as well as movies, some of the homes on Residential Street looked familiar to guests when they drove by on the Studio Backlot Tour.
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Homes made appearances in such films as “Splash Too” and “Ernest Saves Christmas,” but the most recognizable ones from Residential Street belonged the family from “Empty Nest” and the ladies from the “Golden Girls.”
Below is an aerial view of Residential Street in October 1988 prior to the opening of the park.
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When was Residential Street taken out?
My husband and I remember taking this tour on our Honeymoon in May of 2001. We still have non-digital photos of the Golden Girls house. We never realized until now that it wasn’t there when we came back to Hollywood Studios for our tenth wedding anniversary and we even took our son to the Extreme Stunt Show! Thanks for this article.
Is the Golden Girls house still around at Disney Studios, or was it torn down? I have been to the real one is LA! Its worth the visit to GG fans!!
Kimberly, they’re all gone – the Lights, Motors, Action! stunt show arena was built on the same site. If you look at Google Maps today and zoom in on that area of the park, Google still shows the ‘Residential Street’ line where it used to run.
We wish they would bring this back, we experienced this street during the Christmas season, walking down that the street, with the houses all lit up for Christmas, and looking in the windows at the cozy, comfy homes was so amazing. We were carrying cups of hot chocolate and watching the snow fall, it was pure magic!! It’s time for the stunt show to go, and get back to a more peaceful and simpler time.
Can you you still visit theses houses or all they all torn down ??? I would love to see The Golden Girls house !!!
I agree with Deanna, it was a favorite part for me also. Taking a leisurely stroll down the street was a nice restful time at the park. The street served as she pointed out as the very beginning of the Osborne Light Family Light Show and was something magical at that time. I still have several pairs of the “Angel” glasses(I drag them out we people visit me at Christmas) in my collection of Disney Memorabilia that I gather on my yearly visits. So thanks for those memories. also those thanks go to you Deanna for reminding me about the glasses.
I miss this street so much. It was one of my favorite parts of the studios. I loved the way they decorated it for the Osborne lights and gave you those special “angel” glasses. Oh the good old days.
And don’t forget the Bulldog Cafe from The Rocketeer.
🙂
I was so sad when the Golden Girls house was gone. My grandmother, cousin and I all love the show and missed it terribly on the Backlot Tour.
@ Jeff – I don’t actually know the answer to your question but I never saw the façade on the show in anything more than a single panned shot. Once they have that shot, do they ever re-shoot it?
Jeff, from what I’ve read the actual Golden Girl’s house (located in Los Angeles) was used in the beginning of the show for exterior shots. After that they built a facade and used that for exterior shots.
I love the Golden Girls and miss getting to see this house. I’d also be interested if someone can answer Jeff’s question above.
I have fond memories of Residential St. The Osbourne Lights were set up here and you could walk through with your hot chocolate and enjoy the lights and the snow falling down. Being from PA this was so much fun.
I miss Residential Street. This was one of my favorite parts of the Studio Backlot Tour. So many amazing facades, vehicles and movie props were a part of the original Studio Backlot Tour. Thanks for sharing another fond memory with us, Nate.
I miss Residential street!! I always thought that was the most fun part. I wish they would bring that back with more recent shows!
My sister and I were huge fans of the Disney Channel show, Adventures in Wonderland, so we always got a kick out of seeing the facade of Alice’s house on that street. We definitely miss those houses. 🙂
I have been trying to get the answer to this question for YEARS. I remember seeing the home of “The Golden Girls” on residential street, but the TV series premiered in 1985. Disney-MGM Studios opened in 1989. So does that mean that this house facade was not the actual one used for the show? Is it just a replica? Was it ever used for shooting?
Hi Jeff-
My friends at the Walt Disney World Library and Research Center are helping me answer this question. The house was indeed used for the show’s filming. The original exterior house shots were of a real house in California which is what was used on the show in 1985, but after they build the one at the Studios (which was finished at least a year before the park opened) they used it for additional exterior shots.
We were there during Christmastime 1995. I remember the Osborne lights were strung on Residential Street.
I love these posts on the early days of the Studios, eliciting fond memories of visiting the park its first year. Does anyone else remember Herbie, the Love Bug, parked in a Residential Street driveway? He would drive toward the tram, toot his horn, and open his trunk to say hello. So fun!
I so totally remember Residential Street!
Thanks for all of these pictures. I never got to see the Studios before the late 1990s, so this is interesting and fun.
You’re welcome. Glad you enjoyed them!
I loved the Golden Girls house and would always get happy when the tram would drive past it.
Although I very much like the Extreme Stunt Show, I really enjoyed the backstage tour which included the homes. Fortunately we visited before the change. Change is good.
Now the location of Lights, Motors, Action!® Extreme Stunt Show®
I love the Golden Girls house!
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