The Sorcerer's Hat - Hollywood Studios

[mousemommamegan]

I heard something the other day and nearly fell off my chair!

On a recent trip to the world, my friend who is an avid pin collector was told to collect any pins she could find that had the hat and/or any "MGM" wording on it as the hat was going to be coming down! PLEASE say it isn't so! Hollywood studios is our first stop on our trips (even though I always try to pull everyone to Magic Kingdom - the kids always want to go to HS) and I can't imagine what they might replace it with?

Has anyone else heard this, or know what the story might be?

 

[rocketriter]

Don't know the truth of this. But the hat wasn't part of the original park design, which had a long boulevard culminating in the replica of the Chinese theater. The sweep of the design was beautiful, and was broken when the hat was added later. So many of us have been hoping the hat would go. To my mind, it was of a piece with the glittering Epcot trash that was attached to that park's ball for many years: a junky attempt to sell the "magic" theme that has gotten so tired. The Epcot sign is gone. Perhaps the hat is next. I do appreciate that you and your children love the hat. But it breaks the design of an important part of this park.

 

[mousemommamegan]

I knew that the hat was not there originally, but never saw the park without it as we first took the kids after it was put in - I can envision what that must have looked like and can see that would have been beautiful, and more realistic. Unfortunately, I would think that they would probably replace it with some other very large structure, as each park has it's own "trademark" icon and I don't think they'd change that? The castle, the tree, the earth, the hat soon perhaps replaced with something new? I suppose it would be really nice if they used the Chinese Theatre as the landmark - was it originally, or did they not have one?

I guess times always change, and time will tell! I'd be sad to see it go only because it is something my kids really love and associate with their favorite park. I would love to hear whatever plans might be in store though!

 

[troynkasey]

The park was very different without the hat. Very open feeling. We don't have an opinion one way or another about the hat. I almost wonder if this is true then will they attempt to market the Chinese Theater better? Or update it and give it a new look and give the park a new look. We always like the fact that when you entered the park, you could take 3 different routes. Straight up to the Chinese Theater, right to ToT or left to Indiana Jones and Star Tours. The hat kind of breaks it up.

It has to be a major undertaking to remove the hat though...I've heard and read many posts of people hoping it will be removed. I almost wonder if this rumor is something developed from one of those people who don't like the hat?

 

[Scurvy]

The original icon for MGM was the water tower - the "Earful Tower". It's one of the first things you can see as you come onto Disney property by MGM. I don't think you can see it well from within the park now. They used to put a giant Santa hat on it at Christmas, but I don't remember seeing that the last few years.

I would love to see the Sorcerer's Hat be removed and the tower used as the icon again. I don't really dislike the Sorcerer's Hat, but I hate the placement of it. I miss the old view of the theater.

 

[jheigl]

The original icon for MGM was the water tower - the "Earful Tower". It's one of the first things you can see as you come onto Disney property by MGM. I don't think you can see it well from within the park now. They used to put a giant Santa hat on it at Christmas, but I don't remember seeing that the last few years.

I would love to see the Sorcerer's Hat be removed and the tower used as the icon again. I don't really dislike the Sorcerer's Hat, but I hate the placement of it. I miss the old view of the theater.

Agree...I would love to see the Earful Tower used again as their icon. I don't like the hat, at least the placement of it. I don't mind the hat as long as it is not in the middle of the park.

 

[rebecca06261]

The avid pin collector was right- collect anything that says "MGM." Why? Not because of the hat- but because it's no longer called "MGM." The pins that refer to the park as "MGM" will be very valuable one day indeed.

 

[MJMcBride]

The avid pin collector was right- collect anything that says "MGM." Why? Not because of the hat- but because it's no longer called "MGM." The pins that refer to the park as "MGM" will be very valuable one day indeed.

I'm thinking that was what was meant too

 

[mousemommamegan]

The avid pin collector was right- collect anything that says "MGM." Why? Not because of the hat- but because it's no longer called "MGM." The pins that refer to the park as "MGM" will be very valuable one day indeed.

Indeed - all the MGM stuff is hard to come by already (my guess as that CM are told to tuck them away), she was looking/trading for "mgm" things when she was told to look for hat pins in addition to MGM and to gather what she could as the hat, like MGM was soon to become a thing of the past.

 

[OKW Lover]

One can only hope that they are finally taking down the BAH.

 

[ToddS]

I'm with jheigl -- it's not the hat that bothers me so much as its placement. Completely ruins the sight lines of the park as it was designed -- not to mention the hidden Mickey that is formed by the main plaza when viewed from the air (for any that might not know, Echo Lake is one of Mickey's ears! There were two large dark areas in the pavement, I think, on the main plaza that formed the eyes -- not sure if they're still there.) Monstrosities like the hat, as well as the Mickey hand and wand at Epcot, seem to have been just smacked into place without any consideration for the planning that originally went into the areas that they occupy.

And I'm not saying you can't put new "weenies" into a Disney park without spoiling the original design -- it just needs to be done carefully and with a good deal of understanding of the overall park planning process. IMO, Expedition Everest at AK is a great example.

I don't mind if the hat goes completely, but I also wouldn't hate it if they moved it to the plaza outside the turnstiles, right there on the water near the boat dock. That would let them keep the hat icon without it spoiling the view down Hollywood Boulevard to the Chinese Theater.

I never thought the Epcot wand would go away, and I was thrilled when it actually did. Hopefully the BAH goes too. (BTW, I can't help but think that John Lasseter is somehow involved in getting these theme park eyesores removed.)

 

[Sorahana]

I thought they put the hat there because of the GMR theatre and they had to block it for some reason (I forget I had heard it was contract related? I don't know).

I like the big hat. It's cool to look at at night, maybe they should move it near where Fantasmic is instead (although realistically it's too big for that, maybe on the lake out front behind Fantasmic?), would go better considering the show=Sorcerer Mickey.

 

[mitros]

My apologies to those who like it, but we will be SOOO glad to see that monstrosity go. About as glad as we were when they dismantled that other horror {the wand} on Spaceship Earth!
Speaking of SSE, those tombstones out front, they also need to be moved elsewhere in the park. Looks like your entering a mausoleum......

 

[jheigl]

On a side note and not to change the subject of the thread, but since it was brought up, I thought I heard last year that they are planning on moving the Leave a Legacy "tombstones" that are in front of SSE. That's my next prayer for the world....the hat can wait in my opinion..move the "tombstones"! As you can probably tell from my signature, I am a huge SSE fan and would love noting more than a clear run from the turnstyles to the entrance of the ride!!!!!!!

 

[Sorahana]

On a side note and not to change the subject of the thread, but since it was brought up, I thought I heard last year that they are planning on moving the Leave a Legacy "tombstones" that are in front of SSE. That's my next prayer for the world....the hat can wait in my opinion..move the "tombstones"! As you can probably tell from my signature, I am a huge SSE fan and would love noting more than a clear run from the turnstyles to the entrance of the ride!!!!!!!

Also off topic but your comment made me envision this, if they also moved those...

*guests enter the turnstiles*

"HURRY KIDS STRAIGHT TO SPACESHIP EARTH TO HEAR THE TALES OF OUR PLANET'S BIRTH TOLD BY JUDY DENCH!"

(I'm sorry....I had to. I also LOVE Spaceship Earth....LOVE IT. And I only rode it for the first time this year actually and I've been going to Disney since I was a baby! My friend made me ride it one time around in Spanish for fun, she's from Puerto Rico, and I kept asking her to translate since I don't really know Spanish and she got so annoyed she finally said "...We should have just rode in english" ). It would be nice if they moved the tiles as well.

 

[daber]

On a side note and not to change the subject of the thread, but since it was brought up, I thought I heard last year that they are planning on moving the Leave a Legacy "tombstones" that are in front of SSE.

Contractually, I don't think they can move the EPCOT graveyard until whatever it said on what those who bought it signed.

I can't wait for that day however.

 

[DC7800]

They can't move the Leave a Legacy monuments, or they just have to remain on display (presumably still within Epcot somewhere) for the contractually specified period? I was actually thinking it was the latter, though I don't actually know.

Getting them away from entrance plaza would be an improvement; If the contracts are precise enough they cannot be displayed in an alternate location, then someone in Disney's legal department (you know, the guys who often appear to have way too much time on their hands) was asleep at the wheel on this one.

 

[randomDisneyFan3000]

Yeah, if disney didn't think of that, pretty stupid.

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

On a side note and not to change the subject of the thread, but since it was brought up, I thought I heard last year that they are planning on moving the Leave a Legacy "tombstones" that are in front of SSE.

I was thinking that the bottom of Bay Lake would be much better!!

 

[mitros]

I was thinking that the bottom of Bay Lake would be much better!!

Yea, Yea!