WCW Disney tapings
Encyclopedia
The WCW Disney tapings were a series of television
tapings of professional wrestling
matches conducted by World Championship Wrestling
at the Disney-MGM Studios (Now Disney's Hollywood Studios
) in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
.
, WCW began taping in-ring footage for their syndicated
television shows (such as WCW WorldWide
, WCW Pro
, and WCW Prime) at the Disney/MGM Studios. The ring in the studios was on top of a rotating platform that expanded the ringside area and increased the distance between the ring and the seats.
Because the footage recorded would often be shown on television months later, the tapings often exposed bookings and storylines well in advance. WCW was usually forced to have wrestlers appear with title belts before they had won them in regards to the current storyline. This was regarded as a major breach of kayfabe
at the time, and ultimately led to WCW's departure from the National Wrestling Alliance
in September 1993.
merchandise seen during the beginning of his tenure in WCW was handed out by WCW staffers, and wearing the merchandise was often a requirement to be allowed to occupy a seat within view of the cameras.
However, many of the fans that did manage to get in promptly reported what they saw to the insider sheets and the relatively unknown internet discussion forums, including rec.sport.pro-wrestling. The results of the tapings laid out most of WCW's booking plans months in advance, effectively removing the suspense in title matches for fans who were aware of the taping results, and discouraging workers from putting in more of an effort to earn title reigns, since most of the title reigns were set in stone due to the shows that were already in the can.
, WCW Monday Nitro
broadcast a few shows live from Disney/MGM while WCW Saturday Night
was taped at WCW Pro
s set due to all of Turner's mobile production units being used by other broadcasters for the 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlanta
.
, when the format of WCW WorldWide Wrestling was changed to a highlight show. However, WCW had moved the WorldWide Wrestling tapings to Universal Studios Florida a few years before that. They would continue to tape matches for WorldWide during the WCW Monday Nitro
and WCW Thunder
TV tapings. Eventually, it was turned into a recap show for Nitro and Thunder shows, and this was its format up until WorldWides eventual demise.
and Steve Austin
, as The Hollywood Blonds, were WCW/NWA World Tag Team Champions for a good portion of 1993, but were scheduled to drop the tag title sometime before footage of Arn Anderson
and Paul Roma
with the title belts was due to start appearing on WCW syndicated television. Pillman suffered a legitimate injury shortly before the Clash of the Champions
show in August 1993, and WCW was forced to replace him with Lord Steven Regal so that the scheduled title change could take place.
Also in 1993, several weeks of syndicated programming was taped with Sid Vicious
as WCW World Heavyweight Champion
. Sid was scheduled to defeat Vader at Starrcade '93
, and the material taped would have begun airing in early 1994
. However, Sid was fired several weeks before the PPV for engaging in a hotel room brawl with Arn Anderson during a tour of the United Kingdom
. In choosing to have Ric Flair
win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship instead, WCW was forced to post-produce or scrap the material taped with Sid as champion.
In order to prevent these errors from occurring, in the late 1990s, there were no title belts worn during WorldWide TV tapings.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
tapings of professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
matches conducted by World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
at the Disney-MGM Studios (Now Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
) in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being home to the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of two Florida municipalities controlled by The Walt Disney Company, the other being Bay Lake....
.
History
In 19931993 in television
The year 1993 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1993.For the American TV schedule, see: 1993-94 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
, WCW began taping in-ring footage for their syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
television shows (such as WCW WorldWide
WCW WorldWide
WCW WorldWide was a syndicated TV show produced by World Championship Wrestling.-Wide World Wrestling:The show began in 1975 , a syndicated one-hour program produced by Charlotte, North Carolina-based Jim Crockett Promotions...
, WCW Pro
WCW Pro
WCW Pro was a televised wrestling show presented by World Championship Wrestling. Along with WCW WorldWide, it was part of the WCW Disney tapings...
, and WCW Prime) at the Disney/MGM Studios. The ring in the studios was on top of a rotating platform that expanded the ringside area and increased the distance between the ring and the seats.
Because the footage recorded would often be shown on television months later, the tapings often exposed bookings and storylines well in advance. WCW was usually forced to have wrestlers appear with title belts before they had won them in regards to the current storyline. This was regarded as a major breach of kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
at the time, and ultimately led to WCW's departure from the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
in September 1993.
Crowds
The crowds present for the tapings were most often tourists that were given free passes to the tapings, handed free souvenirs and merchandise, and coached to cheer and boo on cue. Much of the Hulk HoganHulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
merchandise seen during the beginning of his tenure in WCW was handed out by WCW staffers, and wearing the merchandise was often a requirement to be allowed to occupy a seat within view of the cameras.
However, many of the fans that did manage to get in promptly reported what they saw to the insider sheets and the relatively unknown internet discussion forums, including rec.sport.pro-wrestling. The results of the tapings laid out most of WCW's booking plans months in advance, effectively removing the suspense in title matches for fans who were aware of the taping results, and discouraging workers from putting in more of an effort to earn title reigns, since most of the title reigns were set in stone due to the shows that were already in the can.
1996 Monday Nitro broadcasts
In the summer of 19961996 in television
The year 1996 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1996.For the American TV schedule, see: 1996-97 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
, WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
broadcast a few shows live from Disney/MGM while WCW Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night was a weekly Saturday night TV show on TBS produced by World Championship Wrestling. The program existed through various incarnations under different names before becoming WCW Saturday Night in 1992...
was taped at WCW Pro
WCW Pro
WCW Pro was a televised wrestling show presented by World Championship Wrestling. Along with WCW WorldWide, it was part of the WCW Disney tapings...
s set due to all of Turner's mobile production units being used by other broadcasters for the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
.
The end of the Disney tapings
Due to budget cuts, WCW discontinued the Disney tapings in 20002000 in television
The year 2000 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2000.For the American TV schedule, see: 2000-01 United States network television schedule.-Event:-Debuts:-1940s:...
, when the format of WCW WorldWide Wrestling was changed to a highlight show. However, WCW had moved the WorldWide Wrestling tapings to Universal Studios Florida a few years before that. They would continue to tape matches for WorldWide during the WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
and WCW Thunder
WCW Thunder
WCW Thunder was a professional wrestling show produced by World Championship Wrestling which aired on TBS from January 8, 1998 to March 21, 2001...
TV tapings. Eventually, it was turned into a recap show for Nitro and Thunder shows, and this was its format up until WorldWides eventual demise.
Logistical errors
Brian PillmanBrian Pillman
Brian William Pillman was an American football player and professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling....
and Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
, as The Hollywood Blonds, were WCW/NWA World Tag Team Champions for a good portion of 1993, but were scheduled to drop the tag title sometime before footage of Arn Anderson
Arn Anderson
Martin Anthony Lunde better known by his ring name Arn Anderson, is a former American professional wrestler and author. His career has been highlighted by his alliances with Ric Flair and various members of the wrestling stable, The Four Horsemen, in the NWA/WCW...
and Paul Roma
Paul Roma
Paul Roma is a professional wrestler who is known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling primarily as a tag-team wrestler alongside such partners as Jim Powers, Hercules, Arn Anderson and Paul Orndorff.-World Wrestling Federation :Paul Roma entered...
with the title belts was due to start appearing on WCW syndicated television. Pillman suffered a legitimate injury shortly before the Clash of the Champions
Clash of the Champions
The Clash of the Champions were a series of professional wrestling television specials aired by World Championship Wrestling. The specials were supercards intended to feature pay-per-view caliber matches, similar to World Wrestling Federation's Saturday Night's Main Event.The first Clash of the...
show in August 1993, and WCW was forced to replace him with Lord Steven Regal so that the scheduled title change could take place.
Also in 1993, several weeks of syndicated programming was taped with Sid Vicious
Sid Eudy
Sidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
as WCW World Heavyweight Champion
WCW World Heavyweight Championship
The World Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation . It existed within WCW between 1991 and 2001. Following the acquisition of WCW by World Wrestling...
. Sid was scheduled to defeat Vader at Starrcade '93
Starrcade (1993)
Starrcade '93: 10th Anniversary was the eleventh annual Starrcade professional wrestling pay-per-view event. It was the sixth Starrcade event produced by World Championship Wrestling , and it took place on December 27, 1993 from the Independence Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, and the material taped would have begun airing in early 1994
1994 in television
The year 1994 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1994.For the American TV schedule, see: 1994-95 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
. However, Sid was fired several weeks before the PPV for engaging in a hotel room brawl with Arn Anderson during a tour of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In choosing to have Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship instead, WCW was forced to post-produce or scrap the material taped with Sid as champion.
In order to prevent these errors from occurring, in the late 1990s, there were no title belts worn during WorldWide TV tapings.