Is the clock ticking on the Sorcerer Mickey Hat icon at the Studios? YES!

[cjk0318]

What is the structure in front of the hat around the bushes and white things? Looks new

 

[RAXIP]

What is the structure in front of the hat around the bushes and white things? Looks new

from the pervios page:

After hours event tonight for Sherwin [Williams] paint.

 

[note2001]

Then I can only assume MSUSA is just a walkway to the real fun?

Not at all. Main Street USA has all the sounds, smells and charm of an old small town. I do miss some portions they updated such as the flower market, the magic shop and ironically, the theater they used to have there, which now sells paintings. It has things to stop and do: watch the glass blowers, children getting their first hair cuts at the barber shop, or the candy makers (I am aware they have a miniature version of this kitchen at DHS). Main Street also holds memories for me from when I was very young. So there is no comparison between the two parks.

 

[Seabasealpha1]

I *love* the effects shot at 18 seconds in on this video:

I had a look at this on Youtube. He seems to think they'll park something new there in the future...

I'd like to think that that isn't the case...otherwise they might have just left it there...a new icon would be kinda dumb when there is so much else to do... not to mention, I'd think they'd have realized by now that the hub in relation to the theatre is just too darn crowded... in the location the hat sat in...i would think that the hub would need a complete overhaul including the removal of the theater...which...apparently isn't happening...

Thanks for the post by the way...nice to get an inside view of what's going on!

so...yeah...just my anxious thought at the moment...

 

[BrerJon]

I had a look at this on Youtube. He seems to think they'll park something new there in the future...
so...yeah...just my anxious thought at the moment...

Don't worry I'm sure they'll leave the area with a clear view of the theater - my guess is it will become a Fastpass+ fireworks viewing pen. Sorcery in the Sky used to draw huge crowds, and the Frozen and Star Wars fireworks have been real hits this year, so I think regular 'above theater' fireworks are going to be a sure thing in the new DHS, with the former site of the hat being a prime spot to view them from.

 

[Sage of Time]

Holy "Escape from Tomorrow", Batman!

There are permanent platforms and what looks like a fan inside the thing. No wonder there was ventilation.

Wonder what nefarious business was being covered up by the hat? This was more than merely a pin shop. The plot thickens...

It's very important that you get to the Buzz Lightyear.

 

[ChrisFL]

Not at all. Main Street USA has all the sounds, smells and charm of an old small town. I do miss some portions they updated such as the flower market, the magic shop and ironically, the theater they used to have there, which now sells paintings. It has things to stop and do: watch the glass blowers, children getting their first hair cuts at the barber shop, or the candy makers (I am aware they have a miniature version of this kitchen at DHS). Main Street also holds memories for me from when I was very young. So there is no comparison between the two parks.

Do they still have the theater out in the back of the Expo Hall? I know it was there when I was a CM back in 2008

 

[note2001]

Do they still have the theater out in the back of the Expo Hall? I know it was there when I was a CM back in 2008

There is a screen there still, yes, but it's not even close to being the Cinema those of us who visited back when the park was young would recall. I believe Disneyland has retained the cinema attraction.

 

[danlb_2000]

How long did this hat take to install?

Based on the photo updates here at least 6 months.

 

[pumpkin7]

I wonder how many FB fanbois we could get one over on, by posting the construction photos and putting 'oh hey looks like they were just refurbing!'. I bet they'd lap it up.

But it's interesting how fast something can be torn down, when it took almost, what, 9 months to build from ground breaking. Obviously it would come down a lot faster if they'd just nuke it from space.

 

[DC0703]

And I think that right there is the thing I and others who loved the hat really don't get. I've never been a fan of Hollywood, and even though I'd have given my left arm to be a director back when I was in college, the 'glamour' thing and self-celebration of all things Hollywood just makes me sick. So, the story of the street really just passes me by.

Though I didn't love the hat, I can see why they put it in. They wanted a simple icon for the park. MK had the castle, Epcot the ball and AK the tree. The water tower is buried in the back of the park and the Chinese Theater isn't the type of icon that fits on a logo. Hence, the hat. My biggest issue with the hat was the placement. I would say the Chinese Theater facade is one of the more intricately themed buildings in the park, so blocking it wasn't the ideal way to go. I would have liked it more if the hat was say, outside the main gates by the courtyard or something like that.

I agree about the glamour/self-celebration thing. It's one of the reasons I avoid the awards shows.

 

[Bing Bong]

Though I didn't love the hat, I can see why they put it in. They wanted a simple icon for the park. MK had the castle, Epcot the ball and AK the tree. The water tower is buried in the back of the park and the Chinese Theater isn't the type of icon that fits on a logo. Hence, the hat. My biggest issue with the hat was the placement. I would say the Chinese Theater facade is one of the more intricately themed buildings in the park, so blocking it wasn't the ideal way to go. I would have liked it more if the hat was say, outside the main gates by the courtyard or something like that.

I agree about the glamour/self-celebration thing. It's one of the reasons I avoid the awards shows.

The hat wasn't added to become an Icon for the park... it was added to be an icon for the 100 Years of Magic celebration which ended over a decade ago.

 

[erclvrb18]

The hat wasn't added to become an Icon for the park... it was added to be an icon for the 100 Years of Magic celebration which ended over a decade ago.

EXACTLY....... !

 

[PeterMarcus]

[...] Obviously it would come down a lot faster if they'd just nuke it from space.

It's the only way to be sure...

 

[SnarkyMonkey]

So because you don't like the theme we should ruin it for others is what you're saying?

What a bizarre question! I'm pretty sure that's not what he was saying.

Of course he does!

http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/sorcerer-hat-icon/gallery.htm

Scroll down to mid 2001. I believe there are a few showing the fans / blowers / ductwork / etc.

Thank you for that. I wasn't able to find the shot we are looking for but I only glanced through. If someone sees a photo of the innards during construction while they are browsing, could they post it here?

I wonder how many FB fanbois we could get one over on, by posting the construction photos and putting 'oh hey looks like they were just refurbing!'. I bet they'd lap it up.

Ok. You know you have got to do this now. Don't tease.

Though I didn't love the hat, I can see why they put it in. They wanted a simple icon for the park. MK had the castle, Epcot the ball and AK the tree.

Did you just call Spaceship Earth "the ball"?

 

[NearTheEars]

My guess is the area in front of the theater will get MK hub-like planters, a retractable stage and, with the open view restored, the return of a nightly fireworks show.

*All 100% speculation. I may be inside the parks a lot, but no where near being an insider.

 

[DC0703]

Did you just call Spaceship Earth "the ball"?

I did, didn't I? Oops! (ducks head in embarrassment)

Old habits die hard - back in the 80s when I was growing up, our family called it the "golf ball." LOL

 

[Mike S]

I did, didn't I? Oops! (ducks head in embarrassment)

Old habits die hard - back in the 80s when I was growing up, our family called it the "golf ball." LOL

I just called it "the ball" when I was a kid.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I do value story, and agree with your point, but they could've "plussed" the theatre a little more in the original designing process.

The whole of Hollywood Blvd is plussed beyond what is/was actually out in California. Unnecessary additional ornamentation would be an anti-detail, something that is foreign to the theme and chips away at the immersion of the experience.

And I think that right there is the thing I and others who loved the hat really don't get. I've never been a fan of Hollywood, and even though I'd have given my left arm to be a director back when I was in college, the 'glamour' thing and self-celebration of all things Hollywood just makes me sick. So, the story of the street really just passes me by.

No knowledge of the story of Hollywood Blvd, which is not very intricate, is necessary. As someone to draw and or describe 1930s/1940s Hollywood and they will not describe a giant hat. Even if it is broadened to just 1930s/1940s California or anywhere in the US, the aesthetic of the hat is never going to fit into the picture. Even if you get someone who knows California Crazy (represented by Gertie's Ice Cream of Extinction at Disney's Hollywood Studios and the Brown Derby at Universal Studios Florida), the Hat is completely wrong in terms of materiality, scale and siting.

 

[JenniferS]

Then I can only assume MSUSA is just a walkway to the real fun?

It sure isn't what it used to be.
Gone are all the unique shops.
Gone are the trees and the benches, and the opportunity to sit for 10 minutes and enjoy the ambiance while sharing a treat from the bakery.

I, for one, do not linger on MSUSA as long as I used to 25 years ago.