DHS Sorcerer's Hat to be removed

[ConnieB]

The earful tower was the original icon of DHS

And been slowly creeping back into merchandise....seen a couple of items recently with it and wondered why...even wondered if they'd discovered a warehouse of old stuff, lol.

I hope they come up with something else.....the tower was up for about a dozen years, but never quite looked right with the other park icons.....the hat was better as the icon next to the other park icons, but never quite fit in the park.

 

[ConnieB]

If you watch the demolation does that use one of your FP+????

Please do not give them any ideas! I'm already in a panic that someday very soon there will be a FP for the bathrooms....and I'm gonna need more than 3, lol.

 

[ConnieB]

Haven't been on here in few months. Jumped in to see reaction to the hat news. And now I'm so glad I did. I lol'd so loud at that. It looks pretty good!

I was thinking maybe they'd put it outside the park entrance where the fantasia brooms topiary set up is. Would it be way too big for that area? It could still be the icon there. But it seems they're moving away from that.

To me HS is Fantasmic! and Sorcerer Mickey so I'll be sad to see the hat go. That's the only way I know the park.

I just bought a hat charm for my bracelet last May on my trip. Was working on getting charm for each icon. Didn't think it'd be last time id see it there!

Where did you find a charm for the hat? My daughter has a castle and the EPCOT ball, but we haven't found the Tree of Life or the Hat as a charm.

 

[ConnieB]

We visited twice during that time. The pepto pink cake actually started to grow on me.

Like a fungus....

 

[Brad Bishop]

I'll join the minority ranks of people who like the hat. Sorcerer Mickey has always been my favorite and I love my pics in front of his hat.

However if this is all in the name of a major DHS overhaul, I'll take it.

I think the main problem with the hat is the location. Imagine them putting up something similar directly in front of the castle at the MK and you looking at it thinking, "Wait - it's just a pin station!"

If you left the hat for nearly 15 years in front of the castle people would have much the same reaction:
- We hate the hat! Take it away! It blocks the castle!
- We love the hat! Make it stay! It's how we think of the MK!

The Chinese Theater was the thing that was supposed to be the end of that street. The hat is just in the way.

I think if the hat were placed somewhere else, like DTD, it'd be fine.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

The hat is not Hollywood, so fine by me.
I will miss if as a matter of habit. And if the Theater/photo payment thing so accurate, I hope they come up with a thematically appropriate replacement for the hat.

I didn't like Cakegate: when they converted the Castle into a cake.

 

[Grand Admiral]

i bet the same people who have complained about the hat for years will start complaining about the hat leaving soon

I've always hated the hat. Not because of what it is, but because of where it is. It's completely jarring to the theme of Hollywood Boulevard. Imagine walking down Main Street in MK and they've put up a big tacky pin shop blocking the view of the castle.

As others have suggested, I wouldn't have a problem with it if they maybe moved it over to Fantasmic. That would make sense. Sorceror Mickey's hat at a show about Sorceror Mickey. Context!

The hat spoils the view toward the theater, as well as being completely inappropriate for the theming of the area. It sticks out like a sore thumb because of where it's placed.

I'm looking forward to having the original view back, as designed.

 

[dizzyinwdw]

Wow! Now that I see the picture without the hat I agree that it is much better without. I've never been there without the hat and was a little sad when I heard it was being removed, but now I think it will look awesome when it is gone.

 

[dizzyinwdw]

OMG! Just saw Picts of the cake makeover of Cindy's castle-- what were they thinking????

 

[cgattis]

I agree with several posters--I've only ever known the park with the hat, and I think it's size and symbolism match up well with the other three icons. Maybe they will find a place for it some where else.

I see that the Theater would definitely be the icon for the original intent of the park. But it just doesn't seem quite prominent enough. I wonder why the didn't build up the center of the park some like MK--where it still appears flat, but would've given the theater a little more height. Plus maybe over sizing it by 15-20%--not enough that it would be immediately obvious, but jut to give it more weight.

And (I duck as I say this, but..) if it's going to return as the centerpiece, please rehab the GMR!!!!! We've never seen the alien move.

 

[tjevans]

OMG! Just saw Picts of the cake makeover of Cindy's castle-- what were they thinking????

Apparently, we found a past decision of the person responsible for getting rid of Off Kilter and closing Maelstrom.

 

[cakebaker]

OMG! Just saw Picts of the cake makeover of Cindy's castle-- what were they thinking????

I'd like to say it looked better back then, but I'd be lying.

So glad we didn't visit during that time so it's not seared into my memory.

 

[Lee Matthews]

So glad it's going. I'd maybe just drop it at the entrance to Fantastic. I think it would look lovely

 

[johde]

While I've said before I'm happy to see the had go I wonder if it's the end of an era when Disney World would do something big and supposedly temporary "just to celebrate".

The Pink cake was for the Magic Kingdoms 25th birthday. The Giant wand over the ball for the Millennium. Sorcerer Mickey's Hat for 100 anniversary of Disney's birth. Then there was the Gold Guilded Castle for Disneyland's 50th (50 years of Disney parks). Is that kind of thinking around anymore?

Looking back, for Disney's 20th Birthday the theme was "Surprise Celebration" The Magic Kingdom got a "New" parade the Partygra parade with the Giant Baloons. (Yes I just recently found out it was a Disneyland retread but in the days before the internet most people didn't know that). Roger Rabbit was making "surprise" appearances all over the parks. It was a celebration.

For Disney's 25th Birthday, we had the infamous Birthday Castle, Another new Parade "Remember the Magic". (By the way the Mickey Mania parade was between these 2 parades) They handed out "buttons" to all guests with years in honor of the year of your first visit.

Disney's 30th, Walt Disney 100th, and Millennium combined MGM hat, Another New Parade for MK. Epcot Wand.

By Disney's 35 we had "Year of a Million Dreams". and revamped parade, castle suite finished. But otherwise the "celebration" had turned into "contest"

Disney's 40th Just a couple of year ago. I can't for the life of me think of anything "special". To be honest, my trip that year was to Disneyland and not WDW so that doesn't help with the memory. I'm guessing there was a pin event. There was a theme for the year, but there's now a theme for every year.

The question still stands, love them or hate them, is the Disney that put up the hat, or painted the castle pink, or put a giant wand on spaceship earth gone? Are they replace a Disney's who's big dreams are MB and FP+. I for one am glad to be around when Disney had big dreamers and in a way I'd be sad if we never saw another "pink castle" (just don't keep it for 14 years like the hat).

 

[jsebsirois]

I would miss the hat because I have always visited HS with the hat, but I find the park very cool with the theater at the end of the boulevard! At night, it would be so nice!

 

[vetrik]

I've made 4 trips to Disney so far, and half of them featured special treatments of an icon. I was there in 1997 for the pink castle, and in January of 2000 for the millennium. Looking forward to some normal pictures this upcoming trip! I did just pull out my pictures of the pink castle to show DD the other day, she thought it was hilarious.

I'll kind of miss the hat, but it doesn't really make sense there when you think about it.

 

[PoohsFan1]

I'm looking forward to having the original view back, as designed.

I'm looking forward to this as well

The only thing I am concerned about, my 2 DDs and I are planning a trip to WDW at the end of January. With all of the supposed construction walls that will be going up by then, I am wondering if I should forgo our DHS day and do something else ....what to do, what to do!!

 

[crazy4wdw]

I for one am ecstatic that the hat is finally going away. Maybe it can be relocated outside of the park at the front entrance. It will be great to see the original view down Hollywood Blvd.

WDW's 50th anniversary will be coming up in 2021. I hope the pink castle cake does not return for this celebration. I believe that the castle cake was extended an extra year after the 25th anniversary concluded.

My favorite celebration was the 20th when there were gigantic balloons for the afternoon parade.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

DH and I both LIKE the hat and will miss it!

 

[aribelle]

I'm looking forward to this as well

The only thing I am concerned about, my 2 DDs and I are planning a trip to WDW at the end of January. With all of the supposed construction walls that will be going up by then, I am wondering if I should forgo our DHS day and do something else ....what to do, what to do!!

There are construction walls up all over MK's hub.....and I believe they are scheduled through mid 2015. AK has walls up building Avatar and some other things. I can't think off hand of any in EPCOT, but if your goal it to miss all construction, I'd choose a different vacation spot, lol.

Disney does a decent job of putting up walls and then putting enough decor on them to "almost" make them fade into the landscape. Except for those of us that turn a corner and screech to a halt saying "where did _____ go", lol.