When did they add the giant Mickey hand/wand/Epcot sign to Spaceship Earth?

[HappyMommy2]

Hi--

Silly question, I know, but ever since our WDW trip last month (our first visit to Epcot since the early 80s), DH and I have been trying to remember if Spaceship Earth has always had that huge Mickey Mouse-hand-holding-a-magic-wand "Epcot" sign on it. I don't remember seeing it there as a child. Could be wrong, though.

To me that sign just looks a little too Las Vegas for the austere SE sphere.

 

[FriendsOfEeyore]

It appeared after the millenium celebration. For the millenium celebration, they had placed a "2000" logo up there. After that they replaced the 2000, with the hand and wand.

 

[DC7800]

It was added for the Millenium Celebration, with originally the year "2000" spelled out. "Epcot" replaced the year after the celebration ended.

It would have been far better to just tear the ugly thing down.

 

[WDWHound]

Originally posted by DC7800
It would have been far better to just tear the ugly thing down.

Amen to that! They took one of the most beautiful creations they ever built and made it tacky.

I took the Hidden Treasures tour of the world showcase a couple of years back and asked our guide why they left that eyesore up. She said that there Spaceship Earth was supposed to be an easily recognizible icon for the park (like the castle in MK), but their studies showed that a lot of people didn't recognize the sphere when it was shown to them out of context. The Mickey hand, wand and "Epcot" were designed to make it easier recognize as part of WDW. Who knows if she was right, but its an interesting theory.

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

AH!!! One of my favorite subjects!!

Amen to that! They took one of the most beautiful creations they ever build and made it tacky.

A double amen!!

Giant icons, primary colors and don’t forget – BRANDING!!!!

Thank you Disney®!! The last time I was there I almost forgot where I was!!! Whew!!! That was a close one!! I looked up and saw a giant icon (I’d call it a geosphere, but I’m not sure how to spell it and Word doesn’t recognize the way I did it!!).

Anyway, let me tell you!!! I was CONFUSED!!!! But, luckily I caught sight of the hand & wand and instantly thanked Ei$ner for “Getting It”. Without that… that… that… THING, I would have been lost for sure!!!

Who needs subtly or theme!! Let’s mix every venue with cartoons!! BIG cartoons!!! And everyone LOVES primary colors!!! OH!!! And another idea!! Make it a “magic” wand!!! Get it?? Magic, Disney!! Disney, magic!! It’s great!!

After all, it all started with a mouse. Yeah! That’s right!! What’s-his-name Mouse. You know, the mouse the dead guy drew on some train somewhere!!

So again:

THANKS DISNEY®!!!!

THANKS EI$NER!!!!

Now I know what Disney is supposed to be!! The HELL with everything before 1984!!! This is all that counts!!!

 

[HappyMommy2]

Thanks everyone; that answers our question!
Some interesting insights there. I imagine there were a lot of people who weren't too happy when the big sign stayed up after 2000.

Thanks again!

 

[hucifer]

Make that a triple amen.

I think that cheesy hand and wand junk up the globe. I really, really hate it and keep hoping they'll tear it down one day.

 

[donald@home]

I agree.

Yesterday I was reading "Walt Disney's EPCOT" (the book that was printed before the park opened, showing the immense scope of the original plans and the building of the park). It is so sad that the original plans for the park have been so polluted and cheapened, and nothing shows this as clearly as that tacky wand. I guess the wand is a fitting symbol of the "new Epcot".

But it was interesting to read about the future plans of the park. Even in 1981 they were talking about a simulated Space Shuttle attraction (but they were planning on simulating re-entering the earths atmosphere, not blast-off).

 

[davandflav]

I just couldn't resist adding one more "YUCK!!!!" in response to this ugly and garish thing... I think the comment about Las Vegas was exceedingly fitting!!

Chrissy

 

[mitros]

Kind of like cinderellas birthday cak......ER... I mean castle. Remember that one? Pepto Bismo pink! But at least they had enough sense to take that one down.

 

[Banzai]

I liked the castle cake!

 

[Laura]

Originally posted by DVC-Landbaron
AH!!! One of my favorite subjects!!



A double amen!!

Make that triple for me. It's definitely not as bad as when they turned Cinderella Castle into that cake, but it seems kind of silly to me. Duh, I know I'm in Epcot.

 

[wdw4us2]

Add my name to the list of those who want that thing torn down.

I had no problem figuring out that I was in EPCOT before 2000 and I don't think it would be a problem now, either.

 

[sters]

Yes, tear it down! It's cheap and tacky. Like that stupid Pop Century idea. YUCK!

 

[primax]

I personally love seeing the hand and wand. What I am surprised to read is that no one has mentioned the true purpose of the wand.

The wand has become a permanent fixture on the globe for safety reasons. When the Tower of Terror was built it was designed to be above 200 feet in the air, however due to building restriction in the area of disney any building over 200 feet is required to have a blinking red light as a structure indicator for air traffic. This light allows planes to see the structure at night and thus not crash into it. Disney did not feel the blinking red light would fit into the theming of TOT so the build the attraction at 199 feet in the air to avoid the restriction. At the time the TOT was the tallest structure on Disney property but Disney recognized their own ignorance with saftey so the imagineers thought up the hand and wand. The hand and wand is exactly 200 feet in the air with the blinking red light at the top of the wand. The wand is now the tallest structure on Disney property and also acts as the center piece for air traffic to locate Disney property if needed. The air space is restricted however this did not exempt Disney from following the same restriction as any other building near MCO. If any structures exceeds the current 200 feet high point in Disney that structure will need the indicator unless the wand grows!!!

PMX

 

[mitros]

Isn't that air space restriction new since 9/11? As I understand it, Disney asked for and got the restriction over their air space after 9/11 . I also understand that Disney used this as an excuse to keep advertising planes from flying over their property and advertise other venues in the area. There is another thread about this somewhere on these boards.

 

[Testtrack321]

I liked the hand when it was for the millennium celebration, now I hate it.

BRING BACK SPACESHIP EARTH, NOT BALL WITH WAND ON TOP TO SELL MERCHANDISE!!!!!

 

[DemoBri1]

This board really amazes me that some people pick the dumbest things to complain about. I guess we should all stop going to Epcot because SSE has been "de-faced" with a magic wand and hand.

I'm surprised that we're still not hearing about the sorcerer's hat blocking the Chinese Theater @ MGM.

Last I checked this was a Rumors and News board not a complaint board.

 

[WDWHound]

Originally posted by DemoBri1
This board really amazes me that some people pick the dumbest things to complain about. I guess we should all stop going to Epcot because SSE has been "de-faced" with a magic wand and hand.

Nobody is saying we should not go back, we are saying we don't like what they have done. I see it as a continuation the "any oversized icon is good" philospohy that Eisner and co seem to have fallen in love with.

I'm surprised that we're still not hearing about the sorcerer's hat blocking the Chinese Theater @ MGM.

This aspect of the hat has been brought up here several times before.

Last I checked this was a Rumors and News board not a complaint board.

The title of this board used to include the word "Business". It has long been a tradition on this board to discuss the decisions management makes regarding the parks, and that includes things like changing Spaceship Earth, the possible reasons for such a change and whether or not we approve of them. These discussions do lend something of a complaint element to this board, but that is nothing new.

 

[DemoBri1]

Just venting I guess. Everytime I see a bunch of negativity here it bugs the heck out of me. I realize we need both sides of the coin here to make this true board of opinion. It just seems like I see more negative than positive comments.