Mickey Mouse arm/wand removed from Epcot

[cherbear]

Oh!!! I can't believe they are taking it down! I like the arm..... It looks kind of boring without it. I will be happy with a refurbishing.....does anyone know when they will be doing that? I hope SE is open durning August.

When you planned your trip did you check the WDW Calendar (disneyworld.com) ? You have to check the calendar and you would see that SE is going to be down starting this coming up Monday and isn't scheduled to open back up until November 14th. They might have it done sooner, but not in August, sorry

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wd...alendarParkHoursMonthlyViewPage&date=20071101

Also, the Haunted Mansion will be under refurbishment, so they can make it more like the one in DisneyLand--which had an overhaul a while back. It is not scheduled to open up until September 13th. So if you're going late August maybe you'll get lucky and they'll be finished early.

Here's the MK's August calendar:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wd...alendarParkHoursMonthlyViewPage&date=20070801

Hate to throw all the disappoinments at ya, but it's best to know now than to find out when you get there. I purposefully made my trip in mid-September (instead of early Sept.) so that the HM would be open when I arrive.

 

[MissMet]

Honestly, I think if they were replacing the wand with something else, that would have been announced. Like when a ride's replaced with another one, you get: "Hey look! A new Pooh ride! It'll be great! oh and we're ripping out Mr. Toad to put it in"

I'm surprised they're announcing the removal of the wand, rather than just quietly taking it down. It's kind of like acknowledging it sucked.

 

[DJR]

posted this pic on the community board, if you think it fits in so well with Epcot, why not the castle?:

Wow, pair that with the pink castle and you've REALLY got something!

 

[daisax]

Maybe they'll put the Sorcerer's hat on Spaceship Earth and we'll get a two-fer!

 

[Nicole786]

I wonder if the construciton being done to the exterior will be blatantly obvious in pictures...like a giant CRANE with a construction worker standing at the top banging hammers on the thing....

I'll be there September 4-12...I'd be so excited to see the old SE! My cousin remarked last time we were there how much he hated it! Cant wait!

 

[Pinkdiamond816]

(well it was asked, but I still would like some input )Sorry if this has been asked I didn't scroll through all of the pages yet but....
Does this mean they'll be big tarps or walls or something blocking the view of SE? I'm glad to see it go but I really hope I can get nice pictures of the ball!Does anyone remember what the construction looked like when it was going up? I heard that there will be work done on the hat too, now I would LOVE to see that thing go, but if I can't get good pictures with 2 park icons I will be very upset
It would be great if anyone could keep a current status report flowing....

 

[disneyfanUSA]

nooo i lov the epcot arm thingy!!

 

[disneyfanUSA]

I actually like the Epcot wand myself, but from a purist sense.....

Now, if they could only remove the Sorcerer Mickey's hat from MGM studios, one could have a classic view of the main entrance (Hollywood Blvd?) to MGM without the commercial clutter.....

Noo i love the hat too lol!!

 

[VW_Guy]

I wonder if the construciton being done to the exterior will be blatantly obvious in pictures...like a giant CRANE with a construction worker standing at the top banging hammers on the thing....

I have been there in the past when they are doing construction (they were doing something to the castle at the time, but I can't remember which eyesore it was), and it looked like they were limiting construction time to overnight when no guests would be able to see the workers. The only construction equipment that was left in view during the day was the big stuff that they couldn't move (ie: the crane).

[Architecture Rant ON]
I was honestly surprised so many people have said that they LIKED that monstrosity. The whole point of EPCOT (the original) was to showcase futuristic, utopian technology and the architecture was meant to enrobe you in that future world. The wide open expanses of landscaping and peach-colored walkways featuring clean lines and soft, flowing arcs were designed in stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the Character-mobbed Magic Kingdom. Of the original buildings that are left, they continue to convey a sense of future and high-technology, but at the same time are quiet and serene, surrounded by reflecting pools, gentle sloping grassy hills, and beautifully arranged flower beds. The encroachment of frenetic design can be witnessed most clearly in the facade of the newer Test Track pavilion. Fronted by what appears to be a painter's scaffolding, it might as well be a blinking neon "CHEAP CARZ HERE" sign on a used car lot that is surrounded by quietly restrained Luxury Car Dealerships.

That middle finger of a wand was only one of the steps of a long march from clean, classic tranquility to blatant consumerism (lookin' right at you, Nemo). The wand may have been Disney, but it certainly wasn't EPCOT, and I am overjoyed to see it go. My only hope is that as they are tearing it down, it will topple over and take out whatever the heck that purple canopy thing is behind Spaceship Earth. Looking to the design of the newest pavilion, Misson: SPACE; my sincere hope is that they keep the sphere unadorned and let its amazing architecture stand for itself, as it had previously for 18 glorious years.
[/Architecture Rant OFF]



Thanks and have a nice day.

 

[Poly Pal]

Yippee!

I do not like the wand and am glad to see it go. Now as others have said, get rid of the "tombstones" and bring back the fantastic laser lighting that makes Spaceship Earth appear to be a spinning globe after Illuminations and I'll be REALLY happy!

 

[Cricketmint]

I liked it alot too! It added some nice color to it. I wish they'd AT LEAST leave the red Epcot up there. Oh well- it's going to make alot of people happy.

I agree!! I loved it!! I will be sad too see it go but, I do with theyd leave the Epcot letters and the slaphed stars. It looks so beautiful at night and it makes me sad that after this trip we wont see it again!!

I wonder what they are planning for the 25th anniversary bash???? I cant wait too see!!

 

[edcrbnsoul]

It looks great at night without it. What its supposed to like a celestial body on the horizon.

 

[sanapunk]

I read this news on allearsnet and started dancing in my chair! Bring back my glorious, futuristic, non tacky EPCOT!

 

[MissMet]

Hey sanapunk,

I noticed your sig & thought this pic may bring a smile to your face.

It's a little blurry, but that is figment on the end...the REAL figment. I also have a MGM one with Mickey on it.

 

[goofyernmost]

I was honestly surprised so many people have said that they LIKED that monstrosity. The whole point of EPCOT (the original) was to showcase futuristic, utopian technology and the architecture was meant to enrobe you in that future world. The wide open expanses of landscaping and peach-colored walkways featuring clean lines and soft, flowing arcs were designed in stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the Character-mobbed Magic Kingdom.

In principle, I agree but every once in a while reality raises it's ugly head and compromises have to be made. The fact is that EPCOT was dying on the vine. People had the opinion that EPCOT was an educational place and it's pristine formality backed that up. Who wanted to go to school during their vacation? How many, non-disneyphiles, didn't even associate EPCOT with WDW? You and I can talk about the purity of the old EPCOT but it was not very popular. The hand, however tacky, helped connect Epcot with the rest of the property. It made it look like fun and connected it to the mouse. Symbolically and in Reality, EPCOT Center or Epcot would not exist if it hadn't been for the mouse, so why is it so out of the question to link the two.

Does SSE look great without the Wand, of course it does. Is it that bad with it in place, of course it doesn't. It does cramp the memory of the old timers but many, many never have seen it any other way. The entrance grave yard is far more disturbing then the Wand. I'm OK without the wand but I feel that way to much has been made of it. If it did only a portion of it's job to help save Epcot then we should be thankful it was there. I won't lament it's passing but I kind of thought it was pretty clever. You know that some other thing is going to be put up to identify Epcot, let's hope it isn't worse than what we had.

 

[jess20k]

I am looking forward to the nostalgic look of Epcot! Although, I don't hate the arm, I still think it is great that the original look of Epcot will be returning!

 

[ChrisFL]

In principle, I agree but every once in a while reality raises it's ugly head and compromises have to be made. The fact is that EPCOT was dying on the vine. People had the opinion that EPCOT was an educational place and it's pristine formality backed that up. Who wanted to go to school during their vacation? How many, non-disneyphiles, didn't even associate EPCOT with WDW? You and I can talk about the purity of the old EPCOT but it was not very popular. The hand, however tacky, helped connect Epcot with the rest of the property. It made it look like fun and connected it to the mouse. Symbolically and in Reality, EPCOT Center or Epcot would not exist if it hadn't been for the mouse, so why is it so out of the question to link the two.

Does SSE look great without the Wand, of course it does. Is it that bad with it in place, of course it doesn't. It does cramp the memory of the old timers but many, many never have seen it any other way. The entrance grave yard is far more disturbing then the Wand. I'm OK without the wand but I feel that way to much has been made of it. If it did only a portion of it's job to help save Epcot then we should be thankful it was there. I won't lament it's passing but I kind of thought it was pretty clever. You know that some other thing is going to be put up to identify Epcot, let's hope it isn't worse than what we had.

Epcot wasn't "dying"....attendance numbers both post MGM opening and AK opening prove that. The problem is that it was not updated for so long that by the time they did get around to it, they were so old they decided to just replace them.

I really seriously doubt that after 17 years of successful operation they HAD to slap a 2000/Epcot sign on the building to get people to realize it's part of Disney.

 

[DisneyWorldWisher]

2 days till the wand begins to fall

 

[goofyernmost]

Epcot wasn't "dying"....attendance numbers both post MGM opening and AK opening prove that. The problem is that it was not updated for so long that by the time they did get around to it, they were so old they decided to just replace them.

I really seriously doubt that after 17 years of successful operation they HAD to slap a 2000/Epcot sign on the building to get people to realize it's part of Disney.

Nothing bad intended here but I don't understand that first sentence. I don't know if a word was left out or what but I just don't have a clue as to what that means.

I don't have numbers available to me but it wasn't difficult to tell that Epcot was suffering. I had been at rope drop when there were no more than 100 people waiting on a beautiful Sunday morning. So, I would have to challenge the 17 successful years viewpoint.

Even with the sign many do not really connect WDW with Epcot. As veterans and Disney lovers we, in our own limited sense, cannot figure out how that is possible but first timers or infrequent visitors sometimes do not make that association. How many times has it been mentioned on this board alone, that they have overheard many people say, "We are at Epcot today but tomorrow we are going to Walt Disney World."

Once again it isn't necessary to defend the end of the Wand to me. Epcot has revived and is really healthy due in no small part to the massive changes that have been made there. Ellen's Energy Show, Mission Space, Test Track, Nemo at the Seas, Soarin' at the Land and Honey I shrunk the audience, gave Epcot a face lift and took away some of the "I don't want to learn anything" thoughts. The Wand may or may not have helped bring that association about. I think to some degree it did but I also agree that it may now have outlived it's usefulness. I'm just saying....

 

[goofy4tink]

Nothing bad intended here but I don't understand that first sentence. I don't know if a word was left out or what but I just don't have a clue as to what that means.

I don't have numbers available to me but it wasn't difficult to tell that Epcot was suffering. I had been at rope drop when there were no more than 100 people waiting on a beautiful Sunday morning. So, I would have to challenge the 17 successful years viewpoint.

Even with the sign many do not really connect WDW with Epcot. As veterans and Disney lovers we, in our own limited sense, cannot figure out how that is possible but first timers or infrequent visitors sometimes do not make that association. How many times has it been mentioned on this board alone, that they have overheard many people say, "We are at Epcot today but tomorrow we are going to Walt Disney World."

Once again it isn't necessary to defend the end of the Wand to me. Epcot has revived and is really healthy due in no small part to the massive changes that have been made there. Ellen's Energy Show, Mission Space, Test Track, Nemo at the Seas, Soarin' at the Land and Honey I shrunk the audience, gave Epcot a face lift and took away some of the "I don't want to learn anything" thoughts. The Wand may or may not have helped bring that association about. I think to some degree it did but I also agree that it may now have outlived it's usefulness. I'm just saying....

It's funny, but I hadn't really thought of it that way, but you could be right. I can't tell you how many times, pre-2000, that I heard people saying they went to Epcot on such and such day, and then spent the rest of their time at WDW. For whatever reason, people just didn't get that Epcot is part of WDW, not a different entity!