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The Closing of Streets of America.

I stared at my dresser, trying to decide which camera I should pack. This was the last chance I was ever going to get to capture the magic of Streets of America. It had to be perfect. While the Instax camera would give me cute little Polaroids and the GoPro would undoubtedly give me nice wide perspective shots, I decided to go with my trusty DSLR. I threw it in my plastic see-through backpack and headed to Hollywood Studios with Dana and Jo.

When we got to Hollywood Studios, we walked right past everything else and straight to the Streets of America. As soon as we got near, I felt the emotions hit me like a ton of bricks. I had seen things come and go at Disneyland. Things that were important to me were torn down and replaced by new and improved areas. Parades and shows that I would remember forever were taken out and updated with all new bells and whistles. I had yet to experience the same at Walt Disney World. I didn’t imagine I would ever get attached enough to something to be devastated by its departure. Despite this, the news of Streets of America closing for Star Wars Land was hard to swallow. After the first few days of April, walls would go up around the streets and slowly things would be taken down.

We walked past Sci-Fi Dine-In, around Writer’s Stop, and paused at the entrance of the streets. Right at that corner was where Jackie and I stood in the rain, and I told her that I was in love with her. We had then raced in to Writer’s Stop, laughing and soaking wet, for discounted hot chocolate.

We walked along the blue barricades that were preventing guests from approaching the building facades, and stared down the street of New York. Right there was where my fall co-workers and I had taken hundreds of pictures as we danced under the Osborne lights. Fake snow landed on us and we laughed as children tried to eat it.

We walked to the end of the street and stopped at Mr. Gold’s Pawnshop, admiring all the homages to ABC’s Once Upon a Time in the window. We rounded a corner and took our final pictures at the Singin’ in the Rain umbrella, a popular photo op despite it being a modest umbrella. We sat on the stoops of the houses in San Francisco, joking about how we could just live in these houses instead of our apartment a few minutes off property. We covered every inch of the Streets of America that day, laughing and sharing memories.

Even on their last day, the streets were fairly empty. A few guests, clueless about the fate of the streets, meandered up and down, pausing for a picture here and there. Dana, Jo, and I, walked around with our cameras pressed to our faces, each of us attempting to capture the last bit of magic in the streets. Each of us with our own memories to preserve.

The Streets of America may have been old and tired, but they had become familiar territory for us. We had all spent quite a few nights on the streets, and were sad to know that we’d never sit on those steps again. We relied heavily on our cameras to help us capture the beauty of the streets, carefully cropping out the chipped paint and fading facades.

When our hearts were satisfied with the number of pictures we got, we took a break. Our last day on the streets couldn’t just be about taking pictures of it. We had the entire afternoon to create more memories. We had one last chance to dance in the streets that had become our home. While the three of us all had very different attachments and memories there, we understood that we all would miss it greatly. The advertisements for Star Wars Land looked cool, and would undoubtedly have a greater entertainment to space ratio than Streets of America ever could, but at that moment we didn’t care about any of that. We resented Star Wars Land for taking out a place that was home to so many fond moments. In the short amount of time we had to spare before the next Lights, Motors, Action show took place, we skipped down the streets and laughed on the stoops of San Fran homes, joking about what our lives would be like if we truly lived there. We picked out houses for ourselves and each picked a shop to own and run. We talked about how we would still be neighbors, and joked about how we would have late nights eating at the Chinese restaurant across the street while our clothes tumbled in the coin laundry next door. We laughed about the street signs listing all the times it was inappropriate to park along the street and made up stories of who would probably get towed the most. For a second it really felt like we were sitting on our own front porch.

It was almost time for Lights, Motors, Action. We walked up to the stadium, excited for the show. Even after seeing the same stunts time and time again, it was always impressive. It was never a “must see every single time” type of show for me, but whenever I found the time, I always really enjoyed it. It was hard to believe this would be the last time I’d ever see the show, or hear the cars revving up as I drove past the area.

We walked up the metal stairs lining the bleachers, and I laughed as I remembered the time I made the hike in heels. It was my first Walt Disney World Dapper Day and it was being held in Hollywood Studios. The idea was to fill the stands of LMA with dapper guests, which meant we all had to climb about 3 flights of metal stairs in heels and large dresses. When we finally found our perfect seat, we looked out at the horizon. Directly in front of us was a modest stunt set, set in France. Beyond it was the Muppets hot air balloon. To the left, the top of Tower of Terror could be seen. Further back was the top of Spaceship Earth. It then occurred to us that it was the last time we’d ever get that particular view. We started pointing out everything we could see to each other, including the parking structure that had destroyed my navigational skills the morning I worked at Hollywood Studios Strollers. There were so many things we weren’t ready to say goodbye to.

The show began. We ooh’d and ahh’d at all the right places, clapping when the vans tipped over to the side, laughing when the red car nailed a jump “backwards” and fooled all the first timers around us, and snapping pictures of the man catching fire. After the final jump, the car flying through a wall of fire, the crowd gave a standing ovation. Then, the narrators of the show went off script to thank the cast of LMA, specifically one of the stunt men who had just finished his very last show after years and years with the team. It was an unexpectedly emotional end.

As we exited the stadium for the final time, we took a look back towards Studio Backlot Tour. The route for the tram of the classic attraction used to wind right behind the LMA stadium, and even though it closed shortly after my visit in 2013, some of the attraction route was still in place and visible from the LMA stadium stairs. Walt Disney’s private airplane in its white and blue glory stood facing the old tram route. Far off to the right, Catastrophe Canyon was all dried up. It was always a little sad to see bits and pieces of the attraction from LMA, but it was comforting to know some of it was still back there. Soon it would all be taken over by Toy Story and Star Wars.

We walked out of the stadium, got our final pictures with the LMA signage, and said our goodbyes.

Shortly after LMA, Dana said goodbye and headed off to work. Jo didn’t have much longer either before her shift at Casey’s. My plan was to leave Streets of America with Jo, otherwise I probably would’ve sat on a curb admiring the streets until closing time by myself. We spent our remaining time saying goodbye to Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure. It was a play place for kids, tucked in the streets of New York. It was going to be another casualty of the upcoming lands. Despite it being a kid’s play place, I had several fond memories there as well.

The small pathway leading up to the play place was divided in two: a small walkway for incoming guests and a walkway lined with benches at the exit. At the front of the entrance was a movie clapperboard, inviting kids to come start their adventure. As we walked in, the stalks of grass grew taller, creating the illusion that we were smaller than we were.

Giant stalks of grass, massive containers of play-doh, spiderwebs and ants only slightly larger than ourselves, and a dog’s nose sniffing through the grass were scattered throughout the play place creating slides and things to climb on for kids. Kids screamed as they were hit with flying water, some purposefully standing directly in the line of fire and some completely surprised by the splash. The area was full and kids were having a blast. It was hard to believe it would soon be ripped out and it would only be a distant memory to all the kids inside.

I refused the urge to look back as I walked through the exit. I shouldn’t have been that sad about a kid’s play area closing, but I was. Like everywhere else in Walt Disney World, I had made memories there. And like every other goodbye I’ve said in my life, it wasn’t easy. The exit path had its own movie clapperboard that seemed fitting for the occasion. Exhausted adults waited in benches alongside the exit, resting while another family member chased the kids around inside. I climbed over their things to get next to the clapperboard.

The streets of New York welcomed us again, and we were ready to officially say goodbye. I had a few more pictures I wanted to take, half-knowing that I’d never have enough pictures.

I handed Jo my phone and stood in the middle of the street for one last shot. I jumped when the sound of running feet got closer and I could all of a sudden feel a ton of people around me. Cast Members from LMA were roaming the Streets of America one last time, photobombing guests.

It took the edge off the sad goodbyes for a moment, but eventually they had to happen. Jo had to get to work and I was determined to leave with her. Besides, along with the closing of Streets of America, Magic Kingdom was ending their Dream Along With Mickey castle show the very next day. I had never gotten particularly attached to it, but I thought that it might be nice to go and see it one last time. My plan was to head to Magic Kingdom next, catch the show, and hang out in the hub grass for a little bit.

Actually leaving was easier said than done. I didn’t want to step foot off the streets and leave it behind. I didn’t want it to become a construction site. I didn’t want Star Wars to take it all over. I didn’t want to lose the corner where I told Jackie I was in love with her. I didn’t want to come back in the Christmas time and not see it sparkling in lights. I didn’t want any of it. I knew it was outdated and that Hollywood Studios deserved better, but I also didn’t want the place that made me fall in love with the park to be torn down. I know it sounds silly to be so sentimental about a few old streets, but I really didn’t want it to go.

Sadly though, the goodbye had to come eventually. I took one last walk through the streets, one last look around the best street corner to ever exist, and left Streets of America behind.

I’m so sad that Streets of America closed, but I’m so thankful I got to be part of the magic they made.

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