Photos: Echo Lake Drained at Disney's Hollywood Studios

A recent visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World treated us to a rarely seen view at the park – the draining of Echo Lake.

What’s Happening:

While on a stroll through Disney’s Hollywood Studios last evening, we happened upon a draining Echo Lake, where the waters are receding near the Dockside Diner and Dinosaur Gertie.
The area of the park (which makes up the right ear of Mickey Mouse for those in the know) plays home to several dining locations and theaters at the park.
In fact, Echo Lake is one of the few areas of the park that has remained relatively unchanged since the park opened in 1989. Shows and theater names have changed over time, including presentations of Superstar Television, Sounds Dangerous starring Drew Carey, Disney’s Doug Live!, the American Idol Experience, and the Monster Sound Show just to name a few.
A stalwart since the early days of the park, Echo Lake is also home to the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, and the ultra-popular 50’s Prime Time Cafe dining location.
Fans can also look above the region at billboards and windows, which reference the blockbuster classic, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The nearby snack location, Peevy’s Polar Pipeline, is also a reference to the cult-classic Disney adaptation of The Rocketeer.
At this time, we can only speculate that the lake is being drained simply for refurbishment work. During the holiday season, which typically starts being installed in late October at the park, Echo Lake plays host to the park’s Christmas tree, with numerous lighting effects installed in floating ornaments that populate the man-made lake.
The refurbishment of the lake might also be due to the attention that the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular is about to see, as experts expect a boost in attendance at the long-running show as the new film, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is set to arrive in theaters in just a few weeks.