What's up with the Socerer's hat at MGM?

[Shardiva]

Maybe I'm crazy (OK. I am, but hear me out), but doesn't the Socerer's hat from Fantasia look out of place in front of Gruman's (I know, wrong spelling) in MGM? I just came back and I found that it looked tacky. Was it put up for a special celebration like the "Epcot" on the Ecosphere in Epcot ( I know that that replaced the "2000" sign)? I think it really detracts from the theme of Hollywood that MGM had when you would walk in and see the Theater. It was one of my highlights and now all I see is a big hat. Any answers to my query would be appreciated.

Shardiva

 

[RamseyTrio]

I agree that it looks completely out of place and, to me, it ruins the architecture and flow of the park. The hat itself is nice but does it have to be right there??? Outside the entrance to Fantastmic would be a much better spot in my opinion.

I can't answer your questions for you - I don't know why or when it was put there. It wasn't there when we went in May 2000 but was there in may 2003.

I also think those Leave a Legacy walls at Epcot are eyesores and hinder the entrance/exit to the park. Not a bad idea, just bad placement.

 

[SnackyStacky]

The hat was put there for the 100 Years of Magic Celebration in 2001. I THINK it was supposed to be temporary, but they decided to keep it as the new icon for the studios.

I TOTALLY agree that it's out of place. It's too difficult now to get a good shot of Grauman's!

 

[MizlurksaLot]

Originally posted by SnackyStacky
The hat was put there for the 100 Years of Magic Celebration in 2001. I THINK it was supposed to be temporary, but they decided to keep it as the new icon for the studios.

Was there an old icon for MGM?

 

[candykisses]

The hat was for the 100 Years Of Magic. It was to be the new icon replacing the Earful Tower.

I like the hat , but I wish it would have been placed somewhere else.

 

[Stepharoonie!]

I personally really like the hat. I thought the icon was the theater. The hat is MUCH better than that.

 

[TheBellhop]

I think the hat is cool... ! Course my friends tell me I'm a dweeb so...hmmm...

Yes. The old icon was the Earful Tower...did it ever serve any purpose?

---Ryan

 

[SnackyStacky]

Originally posted by TheBellhop
I think the hat is cool... ! Course my friends tell me I'm a dweeb so...hmmm...

Yes. The old icon was the Earful Tower...did it ever serve any purpose?

---Ryan

Nope. It served not a single purpose - other than to be a recreation of the water tower that's on the Disney lot in Burbank.

It is not, nor was it ever a functioning water tower.

 

[meeko_33785]

I don't really like the Hat either. I liked looking down Hollywood Boulevard and seeing the Chinese Theater much more. Now I look down and see a big, blue plastic hat. It's just looks like something I'd more expect to see at All Stars or Pop Centuries, but not in the glamorous 1930s/ 40s setting of Hollywood Boulevard.

 

[Shardiva]

All of the Disney icons are in the park and are the focal point when you look down the main throughfare. Examples: Cindy's Castle in MK, The Tree of Life in AK and The Ecosphere in Epcot. The Gruman's Chinese Theater was the original icon and it was to invoke the feeling of "old" Hollywood. Outside of the Fantasmic theater would be a wonderful spot for the hat. I wonder if there is anyway that we could petition it's removal from the front of the Theater. It looks so out of place. Yet, this is only my humble opinion. I guess I'm a traditionalist.

Shardiva

 

[txdznydude]

I also do not like the hat where it is at. The hat itself is cool enough but please, why is it sitting in the middle of 1930's Hollywood? It needs to go! I do not like the mickey hand and wand over spaceship earth ether. Did they not learn the
lesson when they turned Cinderella's castle into a big pink monstrosity of a cake?

 

[Wenda]

I vote for tacky, tacky, tacky.

So is the Mickey Hand. IMHO they should have gone the way of the pink frosting that turned the castle into an ugly mess. We actually put off our trip for a year because of that cake.

I do agree with the idea of moving the Hat to the entrance to the Fantasmic theater.

 

[Terry S]

Shardiva... I don't beleive the Chinese Theatre was ever the icon of MGM. If you look at any piece of merchandise that had all 4 parks on it along with thier icons before the hat the MGM icon was the earful tower.

 

[Stitch's Greatest Fa]

I LOVE THE HAT!!!!!!!!!

 

[hipporina]

I too love the hat. It is so perfectly Disney!

 

[disneysteve]

I like the hat, but totally agree that it doesn't belong where it is. It wrecked the theme of the park. It wrecked the sight lines down the street. But, of course, it added a gift shop and we know Disney was seriously lacking in that department.

I don't think by Fantasmic would be a better place either because the hat still wouldn't fit in the art deco theme of the park.

However, I happen to love the Mickey's hand on Spaceship Earth. I thought that was a nice addition but I know I'm in the minority on that issue.

As for the pink castle, I've got mixed feelings there. Being a frequent visitor, I actually thought it was kind of neat. But I felt sorry for all the people making their first visit or their once in lifetime visit who didn't get to see the castle the regular way. The one good thing was that the castle got a total overhaul after the birthday and it looked great when they were done.

 

[JMD]

Originally posted by RamseyTrio

I also think those Leave a Legacy walls at Epcot are eyesores and hinder the entrance/exit to the park. Not a bad idea, just bad placement.

I agree, the Leave a Legacy walls are absolutely hideous. IMO, they completely ruined the front of Epcot. They took out the nice grassy garden areas and put up those monstosities just so they can over-charge people to put there name on them.

I also think the hat at MGM is tacky. Part on of the original philospohy behind the parks was "No contradictions". Everything was supposed to fit in the theme of the area. The Design, decorations, CM costumes....everything. You can easily see it when you walk down Main Street at the MK or while you're waiting in line for the Tower of Terror. So can anyone explain why there is a giant sorcerer's hat in front of the Chinese Theater? Seems like a huge contradiction to me....

 

[PatriciaH]

The BAH! I do not like where it is either. I also do not like the hand on Spaceship Earth or the toombstone looking Leave a Legacy things either. Of course I think Chester and Hesters looks tacky too.

 

[dixiegirl]

I think the hat is okay but the location is terrible - it is impossible to get a good photo of the theater. Thankfully I have some shots prior to the construction of the hat

 

[goofyernmost]

I'm OK with the hand and wand at Epcot. I like the looks of Spaceship Earth either way. My feeling is that the wand is just a way to carry over the "Magic" from MK to Epcot. With or without I am fine.

Now for the Hat. What a major mistake it was to place it there. Earfull Tower was the Icon and it was alright. It didn't really need to be visable from the park entrance because it was visable, at least for awhile from the entrance road. If the Hat was just as you pass into the gates that would be fine. It's nothing but an information booth there now anyway. Another good place, in fact, excellent place would have been in the animation courtyard. It was born to be there.

Blocking the view of the theater was nothing short of stupid, myopic leadership.