Is Dino Gertie leaving Hollywood Studios?

[H.Lipps]

This thread perfectly illustrates the point that the Studios has slowly but surely list its identity over the years. It had a definite theme when it opened, but it's been so diluted that these days that no one really knows WHAT it's supposed to be. I don't think even the powers-that-be have a cohesive endgame in mind.

I think this sums things up perfectly!

I always thought that Gertie was cute, but she became more meaningful to me once I learned the story behind her appearance in the park. I think that Gertie and the other Old Hollywood movie references were a great learning opportunity about the origins of filmmaking. Albeit, the everyday park guest probably does not get too bogged down in details.

 

[Captain_stevEO]

I always thought Gertie was an homage to the California crazy architecture. The old crazy buildings that were around California such as the shell gas stations shaped like a seashell or the huge doughnut that sits atop Randys doughnuts.

 

[Marshypooh]

Maybe I'm just a sentimentalist, but I love Dino Gertie! Does she make any sense to the themeing? Not, not really. Is she out of place? Yes. Could something cooler be put in place of her? Possibly. But there's just something about her being there that I like. I think it's because DHS is changing so much. And I'm so nostalgic of that park, I get nervous the more and more they want to remove. I love the retro, old Hollywood vibe.... and it hurts to feel it dwindling! Keep moving forward, I know, but that doesn't make changes any easier!

I share your sentiment, Stacey. I just really enjoy the view of the lake and Gertie. Can't really explain why. There is a very nice view of Gertie also in one of the back sections of 50's Primetime. I took a photo once of my family sitting at a table in front of a window and you can see Gertie in the background. It was so cute!

 

[fishermouse]

Hope it's not true, I would hate to see her go. For those that don't know here is a little history of Gerti.

Gertie is a tribute to one of the earliest popular animated cartoon characters – and that character wasn’t created by Disney.

It was Gertie the Trained Dinosaur who was developed by Winsor McCay. Windsor was a pioneer in early animation. There were animated features before Gertie, but Gertie was considered to be the first animated character to have a personality – a development beyond the simple “tricks on film” that made up most early animation.
Back in 1914 Winsor created a film that included animation on the screen together with his personal, live performance in front of the screen where he interacted with the on-screen Gertie character. He would scold Gertie and she would cry. At the end McCay walked behind the screen and then appeared on-screen in animated form where he rode off on Gertie’s back.

That film was created when Walt Disney was just a boy. As an adult, Walt later acknowledged that McCay’s pioneering work helped create the animation industry.