If The DHS Hat Comes Down...Will The Chinese Theater Still Have To Be Blocked?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Bob Saget

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
There are dozens of different rumors on this, but can anyone confirm/deny the myth that if the DHS Hat eventually comes down, the Chinese Theater will still have to be blocked with some sort of structure, or altered completely to keep it from being a park focal point?

I know it's a long shot, and the Hat may (sadly) remain forever. But if the day comes and that iconic eyesore is no more...will the beautiful theater get to reclaim it's throne as the masterful structure we see as we enter the park and stroll down Hollywood Blvd?

Reading various discussions on the subject, I'm getting the hunch that something would in fact take the place of the Hat if it were removed. If not, then the Chinese Theater would have to be altered to not resemble the Hollywood original, given it's place as a centerpiece on the park grounds. (Maybe changed to a Hyperion Theater in the likes of DCA's, or the Disney animation building at the Paris Studios) (?)

Back in the day when (then) Disney/MGM Studios used the Earful Tower as the park's "icon", it was still the Chinese Theater which took center stage as the focal point in TV specials, commercials, and other forms of media. Rumors surfaced that the owners of the Grauman's original out west were not happy about this, as the initial agreement was that the park could clone their signature structure as an outer shell for the GMR attraction...but had no idea it would evolve into such an iconic feature of the entire park. (Imagine if the Eiffel Tower of World Showcase's French pavilion gradually became the icon of Epcot). So rumors came about that Disney was forced one way or another to keep their Chinese Theater as a façade to an attraction only...but NOT as a symbol of an entire park. Then other rumors began to surface claiming those rumors were completely false, and Disney chose to hide the Theater at will, and has done so for this many years because they wanted to...not because they were forced to.

So which rumor(s) are correct? Does anyone have insider knowledge as to why the Hat remained so much longer than it's original purpose, and why Disney didn't see the Hat as much of an eyesore as the majority of it's public?

(Cover to an old WDW vacation planning VHS. This was from back when the Earful Tower was labeled as the park's icon. Rumor has it that things like this ticked-off the owners of Grauman's in Hollywood, as they felt Disney was using the structure to represent the entire park, rather than just house an attraction like intended.)
3222013_zpse4e4d816.jpg
 

G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
Myth. Do you actually believe that Disney would put something up like the GMR without the permission of the owner? The other silly myth is the 12 year deal. That was made up by the people who had the glaring reality staring them in the face that the copyright issue was ridiculous. No. Disney would not build this attraction without the permission by the owner of the property. It used to make me laugh when I would see someone who actually believed this.
 

Spikerdink

Well-Known Member
I don't know if I believe the story....the reason for my stance is based on the idea that 'there is no bad publicity'...People who visit Hollywood Studios and see the theater might become inquisitive about the 'original' and try to find out more about it. When they find out more about it, they may be inclined to visit it someday if/when they are out in California/LA.

Grauman's Theater is an entire continent away from Hollywood Studios....it's not like Disney built this homage 15 miles down the road and people were confused and didn't want to visit the original.

If Disney and Grauman had a feud over this, it would be easier for Disney to do a refurb on the exterior and alter it enough to stop the comparisons. That would take an infusion of cash, but it would stop the threat of lawsuit (if any) and would keep the focus on 'a' theater since this is supposed to be about 'Hollywood' and the movies.

The hat was put there as a temporary structure for the millenium celebration, and much like our politicians who want a 'temporary' surcharge [like the one on our phone bills that financed the Spanish American war and then lasted another 100 years] but it never leaves.
 

AndyS2992

Well-Known Member
The hat was put there as a temporary structure for the millenium celebration, and much like our politicians who want a 'temporary' surcharge [like the one on our phone bills that financed the Spanish American war and then lasted another 100 years] but it never leaves.

It was built to celebrate Walt Disney's 100th Birthday :)

WDW_100_cake.jpg
 

cowanfamily

Well-Known Member
People have been saying for years that the hat is leaving. I don't see it happening anytime soon. That eyesore of a hat is plastered all over the place in WDW. They would have to do a lot of changes to remove it.
 

Mad Stitch

Well-Known Member
This is a theory I read behind the hat that makes the most sense to me. When Disney used the theater as the center piece of the park in their literature, or a family takes their picture in front of it and then shows it to their family and friends, those images do not convey upon the person viewing them “come visit/see me at WDW” because the Chinese Theater is known for being in Hollywood, CA, not WDW. Something that could be associated with Disney needed to fill that role for the park, and the hat was chosen as that object.


I doubt that the hat was ever meant to be temporary. You wouldn’t spend that much money and build something that big for it to be used for only 18 months. Walt’s birthday was just a convenient tie in.
 

NormC

Well-Known Member
People have been saying for years that the hat is leaving. I don't see it happening anytime soon. That eyesore of a hat is plastered all over the place in WDW. They would have to do a lot of changes to remove it.
They wouldn't have to remove it from anywhere else as it is still a part of WDW and Mickey/Fantasia etc. They only need to remove the big hat from infront of the GMR.
 

cowanfamily

Well-Known Member
They wouldn't have to remove it from anywhere else as it is still a part of WDW and Mickey/Fantasia etc. They only need to remove the big hat from infront of the GMR.

I understand what your saying. It's not going anywhere. I don't like it either. The casual fan that goes to WDW once in their life, loves the hat. That's why it will stay.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom