Crossroads of the World at Disney's Hollywood Studios

POSTED: Mon, 08/05/2013 - 10:00 | POSTED BY: Kristen Kirk

Disney's Hollywood Studios was designed to celebrate the magic of a place where everyday dreams really could come true - Hollywood. At this homage to the wonders of movie making, it's only fitting that walking into the Park guests find themselves on a set that transports them back to the golden age of film in Los Angeles, California.

Disney's Hollywood Studios Crossroads of the World

As guests first enter Disney's Hollywood Studios they find themselves at the "Crossroads of the World." For all practical purposes, this is the first and last gift shop that guests encounter to spend their hard earned Disney dollars at. Its towering art deco spire is topped with the main mouse himself traversing the spinning globe. According to the Disney Parks Blog "Mickey is 5'3" tall while the globe he stands on is 6 feet in diameter. His right ear is made out of copper in order to serve as a lightning rod. Both Mickey and the globe were created by former Disney master sculptor Perry Russ."

The cynical might think that it's a fantastic tribute to Disney's world domination in its capitalist ventures. What most guests don't realize is that they are visiting Disney's recreation of a true Los Angeles landmark in one of the most authentic ways possible.

Mickey Traverses the Globe

Built in 1936 the "Crossroads of the World" was America's first outdoor shopping mall, a collection of cottages and bungalows designed to specifically showcase products in a myriad of window displays and walkways that took the shopper through a delightful range of architecture and experiences. Sounds a lot like a Disney Park, doesn't it? The crossroads at Disney's Hollywood Studios is a recreation of the first building that visitors to the original crossroads shopping center would encounter, complete with its globe topped spire.

Los Angeles Crossroads of the World

Disney's Crossroads of the World is not only a gift shop, but a creative an authentic tribute to Los Angeles during the golden age of Hollywood. As guests continue on past that iconic Crossroads building they are led down Hollywood Boulevard and treated to creative window displays, art deco architecture, neon signs just like at the original Crossroads. Step back in time on this Boulevard of dreams and you just might run into young starlets or intrepid reports that have come to Los Angeles with the hopes of making their dreams come true.

Have you ever stopped to consider the art and architecture of Disney's Hollywood Studios? Leave a comment and let us know what your favorite homage to old Hollywood is at Disney.

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Mike Keith wrote on Thu, 08/08/2013 - 16:20:

Hi everyone , I'm new to the 'grown up' site but not new to Disney . From here in the UK we have immersed ourselves in WDW virtually every year since 1989 and my Son worked as a cast member for a year . This topic is close to the heart in that our first trip was in 1989 just 3 weeks after MGM Studios opened and it's still MGM to me . If you go down the bottom of Hollywood Bvd , you'll find the statue of a 1930's style movie Director propping up an early Technicolor camera . The plaque there was the original one with Michael Eisner's .....'Hollywood that never was etc' ...opening speech . There is a new plaque now with the new Studio name but you can still see MGM on the plaque itself - the name MGM seems to have been obliterated otherwise. I have brochures with artists' impressions of attractions - could scan some sometime . Star Tours was a 'coming attractions ' Wow , now been rehabbed !
Mike