“They’re here! They’re live! They’re close enough to touch!”
One of the more unusual offerings at the original Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park was the “Star Today” promotion. Also known as “Star a Day” and “Star of the Day,” the program guaranteed that guests at the Hollywood-themed park would see a bona fide celebrity during their visit. Each week, two different celebrities were scheduled for specific appearances in the park. Initially, this consisted of a 1pm “Star Conversation” at the Theater of the Stars, followed by a ride down Hollywood Boulevard in an open convertible at 2pm, culminating in a public Handprint Ceremony in front of the Chinese Theatre. Fans could commemorate their star sighting by stopping by Guest Relations and receiving a complimentary mini-still of that day’s celebrity.
The first official Star Today guest was Annette Funicello, on opening day, May 1, 1989. Other stars had left their handprints for the Chinese Theatre’s forecourt, but Annette’s was the first to be witnessed by the public. She was followed by a bevy of celebrities from many areas of entertainment, with an emphasis on film and television. By the end of 1990 the group had included: Jane Powell, Howard Duff, Phyllis Diller, Wil Shriner, Peter Marshall, Lee Meriwether, John Astin, Vicki Lawrence, Howie Mandel, Greg Louganis, Tom Wopat, Mark Hamill, Paul Sorvino, Charlene Tilton, Jerry Van Dyke, Mike Conners, Brenda Vaccaro, Marcus Allen, Wil Wheaton, Tom Poston, E.G. Marshall, Sally Struthers, Jason Hervey, John Schneider, Bob McGrath and Alaina Reed Hall, Mary Frann, 1991 Miss America Marjorie Judith Vincent, Bert Parks, Eddie Albert, Robert Klein, Dorothy Lamour, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., George Wendt, Susan Ruttan, Charlotte Rae, Gary Burghoff, Larry Linville, Jamie Farr, Lou Ferrigno, Christopher Hewett, and Rob Stone.
In 1990 Sean Wheeler, a publicist for Walt Disney World described the program in an interview with the Sun-Sentinel. “Every three to four days a new celebrity comes in under contract to do certain activities while at the park,” he said. “They go into different attractions and talk with guests.” They might make a surprise appearance at SuperStar Television, turn up on the soundstages of the Backlot Tour, or even provide star sightings in the shops and restaurants. On June 21 of 1989 comedian Harvey Korman was on hand to greet Walt Disney World’s 300 millionth guest at the gates of Disney-MGM. In 1990 Disney touted the program in a double page print ad that was part of a larger advertising supplement.
The Star Today program seems to have ended with little fanfare. Stars were still listed in studio guidebooks as late as 1992. That year they greeted Melissa Gilbert, Raven Simone, Della Reese, David Ogden Stiers, John Ratzenberger, Barry Corbin and Cynthia Geary, Neil Patrick Harris, Hugh O’Brian, Gabrielle Carteris, Martin Mull, Don Knotts, Joe Regalbuto and Pat Corley, Sherman Hemsley, Jane Russell, Florence Henderson, William Ragsdale, Dick Van Patten, Kimberly Russell, Max Casella, Nichelle Nichols, Stephanie Powers, Ginger Rogers, Alex Trebek, Sally Struthers, Valerie Harper, Pierce Brosnan, Howie Mandel, and Mareen O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan’s handprints can still be spotted in the forecourt, and Maureen herself appears in the Great Movie Ride as “Jane” in the Tarzan scene.
By 1992 plans were set to expand the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park with the addition of Sunset Boulevard and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The original Theater of the Stars was demolished, losing one link to the original program. But the name, at least, lived on. Even as late as June of 1996 Kate Mulgrew of Star Trek: Voyager participated in a handprint ceremony, and was billed as the “Star of the Day.” And one big reminder of the program can be found in a location that didn’t even exist during its heyday. Back in Mama Melrose’s Italian restaurant there are a number of signed photos of celebrities of the past. These small-scaled black and white prints carry authentic signatures. They are a set of the mini-stills that were once offered at Guest Relations. They have been carefully cropped, however, to remove the original Disney-MGM Studios logo that appeared in the lower left corner of each print.
