Mickey Hand in Epcot and Hat in MGM - Permanent???

[maui2k5]

I have been going to WDW since I was 3 yrs old in 1974 and have seen many many changes over the years - most of them very good (not getting into Stich on this thread). However, the two that glare out at me each time I go back to WDW are the Mickey Hand on Spaceship Earth in Epcot and the Sorcerers Hat in MGM. I recall when they added the Mickey Hand to Spaceship Earth for the year 2000 celebration which would have been ok for that celebration only, but then they kept it there... Was it just cheaper to keep it there and replace 2000 with the word Epcot on the top of the sphere than to remove it? I hope they get rid of it, but by the looks of things, it is not going anywhere any time soon unfortunately...

Then there is the Hat in MGM. I still have yet to understand why they wanted to put that thing right in front of the Chinese Theater and ruin (in my opinion) the view one gets when they enter the park. My wife never saw Epcot or MGM minus the Mickey Hand and Hat so she does not have a problem with them. However, I remember the way the parks used to look and these two additions did not improve the parks in my view...

Any others agree or disagree???

 

[WickedWench]

I have been going to WDW since I was 3 yrs old in 1974 and have seen many many changes over the years - most of them very good (not getting into Stich on this thread). However, the two that glare out at me each time I go back to WDW are the Mickey Hand on Spaceship Earth in Epcot and the Sorcerers Hat in MGM. I recall when they added the Mickey Hand to Spaceship Earth for the year 2000 celebration which would have been ok for that celebration only, but then they kept it there... Was it just cheaper to keep it there and replace 2000 with the word Epcot on the top of the sphere than to remove it? I hope they get rid of it, but by the looks of things, it is not going anywhere any time soon unfortunately...

Then there is the Hat in MGM. I still have yet to understand why they wanted to put that thing right in front of the Chinese Theater and ruin (in my opinion) the view one gets when they enter the park. My wife never saw Epcot or MGM minus the Mickey Hand and Hat so she does not have a problem with them. However, I remember the way the parks used to look and these two additions did not improve the parks in my view...

Any others agree or disagree???

I agree on both, although more so on Spaceship Earth. It isn't even related to the ride. It's completely out of place in Future World. I don't like the Hat in MGM either, but to me that park isn't really about aesthetics anyway, so it doesn't bother me as much. I don't remember what the view was like before... isn't the Chinese theatre a little small to see it when you enter the park?

 

[Hobbes]

I like the hand on SE, its the Mickey hat that annoys me-it looks like it was just dropped and left there! Although there no space, it would have been more in keeping being placed near the Fantasmic arena. It ruins the look of the chinese theatre

 

[bicker]

I love them both. They each add a good bit of Disney Magic to the parks. In the case of the hand over Spaceship Earth, it really needed it, and the result is a great improvement. In the case of the sorceror's hat, it didn't necessarily need to be where it was placed; I'd love to have seen it put about 100 feet off to the right, just over the entry to the animation court, but where it is is fine too.

 

[Stitch626-55]

i actually like both of them there..
it gives the park their symbol.. a thing of uniqueness..
each park has it's own big thing..
magic kingdom- castle
epcot- globe thingy
mgm- hat
ak- tree of life..

its the symbols that represent each park.. i like it!

 

[doodle]

I completely agree about the hat. MGM is my favorite park and the themeing is so great I used to feel - before the hat - like I was in Hollywood walking up to the Chinese Theatre.

To me the hat destroys the "illusion" the park is trying to create. I WISH they would get rid of it but since it is a shop I don't think they will.

 

[Hopefully]

I like the Mickey hand on Spaceship Earth. I think it adds to it.
But I HATE the hat in MGM. A agree that it destroys the illusion of walking down a street in Hollywood in the 40"s I wish they would get rid of the hat.

 

[agotta]

I hate both hands.

And can someone please tell me where they are coming from? Is Mickey buried in the ground and his giant hand is reaching up?

I used to work at the Great Movie Ride and it was truly sad watching the hat being built. I believe it has something to do with the rights to the Chinese Theatre, but someone can correct me if I am wrong.

 

[wdwlvr629]

I actually never thought about either one in great detail. I guess that i'm always just so excited to be there, that I don't even notice anymore. As long as they don't mess w/ the castle, i'm happy!

 

[CarolA]

I am with Stich on this. I like both of them.

I think a lot of the dislike goes back to the "don't change anything" mentality people have about Disney. It seems to me that almost ALL changes are greeted as "bad"

The only thing I don't really like are the Leave a Legacy tombstones, but I don't really let them bother me.

 

[Jobie]

I agree with you, I do not think that either are needed.

Spaceship Earth looks a lot better without the hand. I personnally think that it looks more impressive without it.

The hat in my opinion, is ugly and ruins the themeing of MGM.

 

[Skylarr29]

I cant stand the hand on spaceship earth. Its just a floating hand?? very bizarre... oh well! I still love to go.

 

[TXTink]

I like the wand over SE at Epcot. I don't know why, because it really doesn't "fit" there, but I like it anyway!

As for the Hat at MGM, I don't like it. But, I thought it was put there to take the focus off of the "MGM" themed The Great Movie Ride in preparation for MGM pulling it's sponsorship/partnership with Disney and "The Disney - MGM Studios" at some point in the future.

 

[JRawkSteady]

In terms of the hat, it is the worst idea Disney ever had, but yes, they were forced to. All the professional photos of the Chinese Theatre were a huge rights issue. Finally Disney lost... So they built a giant ugly hat (merch stand) in the middle of it.

As for the Epcot wand...I do like that.

 

[cdpa4d]

As far as the EPCOT sign on Spaceship Earth; Disney is just trying to get their return on investment. I'm sure it wasn't cheap to put that sign on Spaceship Earth. It will be there until Disney gets it monies worth out of it. When you look at the sign up close it looks very well built and perminant.

As for the hat at MGM I'm sure that had to do with the fact that the park needed a central icon. All of the other parks have a central icon and MGM really didn't have that until the hat was placed right in the middle. The powers to be probably felt it help give the park an identity. I persoally like the hat symbol, but I wasn't crazy about it covering the Chinese Theatre either. I'm sure it is perminant; probably more perminant than the EPCOT sign over Spaceship Earth.

 

[Kitka]

Not a fan of the hand/want at EPCOT at all. I think Spaceship Earth on its own has and would stand on its own as the perfect symbol of EPCOT. Sigh.

The hat? I guess I just don't "get" it... but since MGM isn't quite as sentimental to me, I don't mind as much.

 

[Mecha Figment]

I would just like to point out that in the Epcot comercials here in florida for Soarn' Spaceshipearth does not have the wand. hmmmmm.


take that as you will.

 

[rgf207]

I love them both and I dont want to see them go at all.

 

[SnackyStacky]

When the top positions at Disney were restaffed after Eisner left, imagineering began a blog looking for ideas FROM the imagineers on how to improve the Disney parks.

One of the things mentioned was the Spaceship Earth/wand situation.

http://imagineerebirth.blogspot.com/

For anyone who may have missed it.

I'm with those who don't like it. It simply doesn't fit within the aesthetics of Future World.

Likewise with the MGM hat. I'm not sure I buy the rights issue simply because if I were to go to LA, I could very easily photograph the thing there.

 

[maui2k5]

Thanks for the link to http://imagineerebirth.blogspot.com/

The blog about the Hat in MGM and Hand in Epcot are eactly my thoughts. I am fine with Disney enhancing attractions or icons (I like the castle with gold for example - did not like the castle as a pink cake), but these two additions in my view did not add to the parks. I think I like the hat even less than the want at Epcot. I still love to go to WDW and will continue to go there, but those two things still stand out to me as mistakes that should be taken down (even before fixing stitch - at least I can walk past Stitch and not really notice that mistake)... Disney does a lot right, but every now and then someone up in management gets in the way of the imagineers and things like the Hand and Hat happen to save money or for some marketing reason...