Hand and Wand to come down?

[mousermerf]

You misunderstand what she meant. She meant that you won't see "Siemens" plastered all over the outside of the attraction (on signs, walls, and such), not that you won't see any changes from the outside, like railings painted.

Well, if that's what she meant, she obviously missed the memo that they were putting up new signage all over Epcot directing people toward SSE that clearly says "Siemens" and unveiling the new Project Tomorrow signs which say Siemens a day later.

The number of signs in Epcot that say Siemens which are not located within SSE is astounding.

 

[ASilmser]

It seems that what you (and a lot of others) are missing is that it wasn't meant as a temporary decoration. It was meant to be there for the long term, and was built as such. If they were building it to only be there for an 18 month celebration, they would have just attached it to the geosphere's structure, and not built an elaborate substructure for the wand.

To put it another way: You don't build a foundation that is meant to last in the extremely long term (decades) for something you are only putting up for a couple of years.

I agree--My gut tells me that it will stay, but there are some compelling arguments for thinking it MIGHT come down. First, there is a major management shift, both high-up and at the park level. The changes that we have seen recently (project tomorrow, SSE referb, WS restaurant referb/remodels, possible new Canada movie) point to a new direction for EPCOT--a sort of return to its original concept. You can bet that if Lassiter says "take it down," it will be done.

Also, the wand has not been up for "a few years"--more like eight. I am almost certain was put up BEFORE the year 2000. While this is not the decades you mention, there have been many so-called "permanent" attractions/structures that have not lasted as long at WDW. The people responsible for the decision were the same people who put up the birthday cake castle--and they originally said that the wand would be temporary, just like the pepto-cake castle.

Lastly, I would seriously doubt that it would be possible to attach anything substantial to the structure of the sphere, even if they wanted to. Without an engineering degree, I am not really qualified to say too much about this, but I am pretty sure that most of the main structural support of SE is internal--the outer layer can only support itself.

Besides, what would we post on these rumor boards if we all resolved that it would stay for a long time?

Oh, I forgot, we would probably have more threads about monorail expansion.:hammer:

 

[ToTBellHop]

I can now confirm that the Hand will come down this week. The Wand, however, will stay. It will be converted into the Scalpel in celebration of tonight's very special two-hour Grey's Anatomy.

 

[ASilmser]

You know my first visit to WDW was in 2000. I have never seen EPCOT in person without the wand......I want to, but never have.

You poor, poor thing. I feel terrible that there is an entire generation growing up only knowing a Post-Wand EPCOT.

It's a darn shame.

 

[ToTBellHop]

You poor, poor thing. I feel terrible that there is an entire generation growing up only knowing a Post-Wand EPCOT.

It's a darn shame.

geez...the wand going up was not World War III lol...somehow I doubt that encyclopedias will refer to the 2000s as the Post-Wand Era lol

 

[XS-Spence]

It seems that what you (and a lot of others) are missing is that it wasn't meant as a temporary decoration. It was meant to be there for the long term, and was built as such. If they were building it to only be there for an 18 month celebration, they would have just attached it to the geosphere's structure, and not built an elaborate substructure for the wand.

To put it another way: You don't build a foundation that is meant to last in the extremely long term (decades) for something you are only putting up for a couple of years.

If you look at old photos, it used to be attached to the geosphere (right under the big 2000) it was strengthened and made an independent structure when the "Epcot" was added.

 

[ToTBellHop]

um...no. It definitely was not attached.

 

[jmvd20]

The wand was not attached to SSE for any type of structural support.

Champion is correct in saying that the wand was built as a permanent structure and not a temporary decoration.

No matter what a bus driver or CM told you I can guarantee you that the wand was built to last. If you know steel column and beam construction it is very evident that the wand was over-built and designed above and beyond minimum requirements - even for hurricane areas.

 

[jmvd20]

um...no. It definitely was not attached.

They painted the supports to look like clouds, and the massive concrete footing at the base of the wand is just for show. Disney wanted to fool people into thinking that the wand was supported on it's own while they secretly attached it to SSE. They did it this way so that there would never be a way to remove the wand without removing SSE itself.

 

[marni1971]

If you look at old photos, it used to be attached to the geosphere (right under the big 2000) it was strengthened and made an independent structure when the "Epcot" was added.

Nope. It`d be a Geo-egg is they did that.

Have I said down with the wand recently??

Down with the wand!

 

[ArchiDanDisney]

It seems that what you (and a lot of others) are missing is that it wasn't meant as a temporary decoration. It was meant to be there for the long term, and was built as such. If they were building it to only be there for an 18 month celebration, they would have just attached it to the geosphere's structure, and not built an elaborate substructure for the wand.

To put it another way: You don't build a foundation that is meant to last in the extremely long term (decades) for something you are only putting up for a couple of years.

Um...even as a temporary structure, something that big needs a footing that big to resist lateral wind loads as well as structural dead loads and live loads. The actual structure itself, is nothing more complex than your run of the mill cell tower or power tower. The only reason the members are so big, is because that big arm with the sleeve...acts like a sail and catches the wind rather than dissipating it.

if they attatched it to the actual structure of the sphere...ANY shift in loads would result in a catastrophic failure of the geosphere...which...we all know would be kinda...well, bad...

nice thought though.

 

[Disneyfan2000]

look no one knows what Disney has up there sleave so no one has say if it is or isnt comming down

 

[ArchiDanDisney]

look no one knows what Disney has up there sleave so no one has say if it is or isnt comming down

Which is why it was posted in the RUMORS section...with a RUMOR sticky

 

[Champion]

Um...even as a temporary structure, something that big needs a footing that big to resist lateral wind loads as well as structural dead loads and live loads. The actual structure itself, is nothing more complex than your run of the mill cell tower or power tower. The only reason the members are so big, is because that big arm with the sleeve...acts like a sail and catches the wind rather than dissipating it.

if they attatched it to the actual structure of the sphere...ANY shift in loads would result in a catastrophic failure of the geosphere...which...we all know would be kinda...well, bad...

nice thought though.

Exactly. They built it as a permanent structure. If they wanted a temporary 2 year at max thing, they would have built it smaller and put it on the geosphere. That was my point.

 

[Champion]

look no one knows what Disney has up there sleave so no one has say if it is or isnt comming down

A lot of people know. Most don't. However, just because YOU don't know doesn't mean that no one does.

 

[ArchiDanDisney]

Exactly. They built it as a permanent structure. If they wanted a temporary 2 year at max thing, they would have built it smaller and put it on the geosphere. That was my point.

...did you not read my entire post? temporary or not...any structure attached to the sphere itself would be statically unstable...in laymens terms... NOT GOOD... Its a Cell tower with larger members do to the impermeable cladding used for the cartoon like hand and sleeve...

someone said an engineering opinion...when someone gives you one...you take it out of context. 8 years qualifies as a semi-permanent structure...removing it is not as difficult as you might believe. An expert demo crew with the right equipment could have the structure removed in 5-6 nights, and finish the footing off in another 4... its not as inconceivable as you might think. Heck...to be honest...it is most likely built in segments...probably 3 or 4...get a crane and a flatbed hauler...and you could have the structure down in 2-3 nights.

 

[PKD]

No matter what happens to the wand, it will not quickly be forgotten because that darn thing has become a living legend on these boards.

Speaking of board legends, I havn't seen the Ladder recently. I think the Wand kidnapped him and stole his spotlight!!

 

[imagineer boy]

...did you not read my entire post? temporary or not...any structure attached to the sphere itself would be statically unstable...in laymens terms... NOT GOOD... Its a Cell tower with larger members do to the impermeable cladding used for the cartoon like hand and sleeve...

It is most certainly not attatched to SSE. It stands on its own. I have been up close to the wand, I have looked up at it, and there are NO beams attatched to SSE. The wand stands freely, but is built well enough so that it doesn't fall over.

 

[Champion]

...did you not read my entire post? temporary or not...any structure attached to the sphere itself would be statically unstable...in laymens terms... NOT GOOD... Its a Cell tower with larger members do to the impermeable cladding used for the cartoon like hand and sleeve...

someone said an engineering opinion...when someone gives you one...you take it out of context. 8 years qualifies as a semi-permanent structure...removing it is not as difficult as you might believe. An expert demo crew with the right equipment could have the structure removed in 5-6 nights, and finish the footing off in another 4... its not as inconceivable as you might think. Heck...to be honest...it is most likely built in segments...probably 3 or 4...get a crane and a flatbed hauler...and you could have the structure down in 2-3 nights.

I'm not saying attach the same structure to the geosphere. Obviously. And don't say they can't attach *anything* when there are stars all over it. I'm sure the '2000' or the 'Epcot' with the same materials as the stars and just scaled up some (not necessarily the same size as the ones on the wand) would not cause it become 'statically unstable'.

 

[ArchiDanDisney]

I'm not saying attach the same structure to the geosphere. Obviously. And don't say they can't attach *anything* when there are stars all over it. I'm sure the '2000' or the 'Epcot' with the same materials as the stars and just scaled up some (not necessarily the same size as the ones on the wand) would not cause it become 'statically unstable'.

Anything of determinate structural mass...there...did I clarify? You can slap some 3 pound glass and metal flake stars on there without disrupting the subsystem balance of the geosphere.