Park Icons- How would you improve DHS?

[jheigl]

As sort of a sub-thread for the "How would you improve Hollywood Studios" thread, I thought it would be fun and interesting to see what people think on the park icon "the hat". Seems like the other three have icons that sort of symbolize what the park is, or at least the icons have something to do with the park or it's theme. For instance, Cinderella castle fits the idea of the Magic Kingdom (Castle's are associated with Kingdoms), Epcot is a sort of scientific/ futuristic park with the design of Spaceship Earth to fit that bill, and Animal Kingdom has the Tree of Life with the animals carved in it to signify life on the planet (flora and fauna). I can't really see a connection between the hat and Hollywood Studios except for the fact that it is the sorcerer's hat in Fantasia. The previous icon, the Earful Tower, sort of signifies the towers that were on the movie lots (I guess), so, can you think of an icon that sort of signifies the theme of Hollywood Studios, or fits it better?

 

[MJMcBride]

a giant dollar sign. Its perfect for Hollywood

 

[Metro West]

a giant dollar sign. Its perfect for Hollywood

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

Sorry but it will always be the Disney-MGM Studios. That lame, unimaginative moniker they have saddled the park with, while appropriate for the actual quality of the Park I suppose, is just awful. Awful!! Don't fall for it guys, it'll always be DISNEY-MGM STUDIOS!!

Sorry, had to vent.

 

[dronein7g]

please get rid of the stupid hat!! even as a pin collector i cant stand it! It is just completely out of place and we cant see the Chinese theater well anymore so just nuke it lol maybe have stitch eat it a big movie camera with hidden mickeys all over it would look much better then the darned hat! ohh look now this has me almost cussing! I HATE THE HAT DONT BUY FROM THE HAT AND IT WILL BE GONE!!!!

 

[redrosesix]

I like the hat, but I personally don't see the connection to the park other than that the F! shows are there. I think a tophat would be a better fit.

 

[NMW]

I really like the hat. I love how it looks lit up at night. I think it's perfect. I don't understand what was so great about the Chinese theater. It's not big enough to be the park's icon. They really needed something there and I think the hat is perfect.

 

[StuZioCardyni]

As sort of a sub-thread for the "How would you improve Hollywood Studios" thread, I thought it would be fun and interesting to see what people think on the park icon "the hat". Seems like the other three have icons that sort of symbolize what the park is, or at least the icons have something to do with the park or it's theme. For instance, Cinderella castle fits the idea of the Magic Kingdom (Castle's are associated with Kingdoms), Epcot is a sort of scientific/ futuristic park with the design of Spaceship Earth to fit that bill, and Animal Kingdom has the Tree of Life with the animals carved in it to signify life on the planet (flora and fauna). I can't really see a connection between the hat and Hollywood Studios except for the fact that it is the sorcerer's hat in Fantasia. The previous icon, the Earful Tower, sort of signifies the towers that were on the movie lots (I guess), so, can you think of an icon that sort of signifies the theme of Hollywood Studios, or fits it better?

Wow a thread I started has a sub thread I'm genuinely amazed...Every other thread I've posted gets 2 or 3 replies then dies a very quick death, thank you guys!

Now on to the hat! I have to say I love it at night but other than that it does tend to ruin the scene down to the Chinese Theater and makes everything a little bit confused. But isn't that the case with HS/MGM in general...Lots of potential but very confused as to what it's actually trying to achieve

 

[Viper4194]

If DHS stayed true to its purpose, the exciting aspect of movies/Hollywood meeting Disney, I'd prefer to see a) the original water tower logo returned or b) Maybe an old-fashioned camera with the reel to reel circles forming Mickey ears. Maybe have Mickey even holding the camera? I wish DHS was better. Stinks that its not.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I would like to see another outdoor stage in place of the hat, it is useless. At best could be part of a kids playground somewhere, but it is no brand anchor- that's for sure. So much of WDW's entertainment is mind numbingly repetitive, I would love it if they had an ever revolving show on the hat's spot, right in the middle of everything. The street performers at EPCOT & the African acrobats at AK are 2 of my favorite draws.

I don't know what could be done to replace the hat.

What I don't get about the place is that it was based on MGM right. Well now that Disney does have its own studio why isn't the park stuffed with Disney movie stuff? Why isn't it filled with stuff that can revolve and relates to CURRENT hits, new releases etc ...and I don't mean on the same teeny scale as that Narnia catastrophe... That was a mess and could have been done by my HS stage crew.


The brand SHOULD be current hits, maybe a combination of various NEW characters.

 

[Meg13]

Quite frankly, I have no idea what to do about the hat. I think it looks okay, and it looks magnificent when illuminated at night, but it really doesn't carry over the theme. The camera with the reels making a Mickey head (Viper4194) sounds good, and I've heard lots of mentions about replacing it with a stage, but I just don't know how well those will work as the icons. Certainly a stage won't really be all that impressive next to Cinderella's Castle, SSE, or the Tree of Life. If they're going to replace the hat, it should be with something equally impressive and symbolic. I just don't know what would do it.

 

[Padrepride]

They should restore the Grumman theater as the symbol for the Studios. It has some relevance to Hollywood which would fit now since the name change. Also, the hat makes even less sense now that Fantasmic has been cut back.

 

[Hathaway Browne]

^I agree, the Chinese Theater is supposed to take on the role of the Castle to the Hollywood Blvd.'s Main Street.

If you wan the best of both worlds, move the hat and somehow make it part of the entrance area to the Fantasmic bowl. Not going to happen, I know, but if I could I would.

 

[disneyfan67]

Remove the giant Sorcerers hat from where it's currently at and reconfigure the Fantasmic area to accommodate it. Make this new area a official photo op and or part of a package deal and Disney will make money off of this. Why they haven't done this and capitalized on the Fantasmic theme of the existing theater, is beyond me. The hat belongs in that area and no where else.

Make the past and present Disney characters more of a fixture in a section of the park. Disney has a goldmine in characters that they invented and they should capitalize on this as well. People love Mickey Mouse and all of his friends and the older films are American classics. Put something like that in there instead of that American Idol crap and the lame Sounds dangerous attraction.

Expand the Indiana Jones area by getting rid of the stunt show and adding the IJ ride from Disneyland and the IJ coaster from Disneyland Paris and put them in it's place. Re theme them to fit the new land and update them of course, but you're saving money by adding two existing attractions. You save by not having to design and build something from scratch. Plus you're adding two E ticket attractions at the same time, in the same area which will really boost attendance numbers for that park. Put in a restaurant themed to fit the IJ land with artifacts and props from all 4 movies and of course a big souvenir shop as well. By doing this you will make DHS the place to be with extra magic hours, grad night, etc.


Expand the Star Wars area and put in another SW themed ride along with updating Star Tours. Star Wars is huge name and is a fan favorite among Sci Fi fanatics. This would bring those fans out in droves and make Star Wars week at DHS really something to see. I was 10 when SW came out in 1977 and it holds a special place in the hearts of people from my generation. Then of course you have the newer films that came out a few years ago and they have a legion of fans also. I would love to see a SW land and I'm not really a Sci Fi fan either.

You do these 4 changes I propose, and I guarantee you, it will make DHS one the most visited parks in all of America. Doing these changes might even affect MK attendance numbers.