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

[NormC]

The restaurants and everything else in that area are themed together with the pond. There is a nice atmosphere in front of H&V or 50's Prime time. Removing it means altering that theme. Leaving it allows a gentle transition or visual break from Hollywood to Star Wars. Filling it in is not needed as they have the space behind and including Backlot Express and the ABC Sound Studio to flesh out the Star Wars area. It is not really nostalgia or memories for me. I just feel there is not a need to remove the pond.

 

[ABQ]

This post hits it. It truly does seem that every change is seen as a negative or this board finds something negative to focus on.

No they don't.


See, that was me just being sarcastic and intentionally responding in the negative.

 

[Communicore]

That pond did not do anything for me, so I'm all for it's paving, and that dinosaur and boat can be moved too. The dinosaur should move in with Chester and Hester, and that boat can be moved to Disney Springs.

 

[flynnibus]

That pond did not do anything for me, so I'm all for it's paving, and that dinosaur and boat can be moved too. The dinosaur should move in with Chester and Hester, and that boat can be moved to Disney Springs.

I surely hope you are trying to be as sarcastic as your last post... and aren't that obtuse over why those features are here and not there...

 

[flynnibus]

The restaurants and everything else in that area are themed together with the pond. There is a nice atmosphere in front of H&V or 50's Prime time. Removing it means altering that theme.

Maybe that's the plan Prime time to Cantina

I figure if you block the street connecting to Hollywood blvd and just left the Gertie side to the hub open.. you could insulate Hollywood from Star Wars enough.

But no matter how you cut it.. three, four, or even 5! major dining locations are in the areas of question. So they really have to play their cards right to keep those money printing machines working as much as possible.

 

[Skippy]

If Echo Lake is taken out to make the way for a lush, landscaped entrance to a Star Wars land I'll take it. I wouldn't complain with a re-theme for H&V / Prime Time either.

If they pave the lake and replace it with mostly concrete save a planter here and there I will be upset that they took away one of the only places in DHS that sneaks some nature into the park instead of utilizing some of the area further back.

 

[Brad Bishop]

Its kind of hilarious seeing that theatre to the top left .

The other things to remember about DHS, and when this shot was taken:
- it was a VERY small park.
- No Sunset Blvd. with Tower of Terror / Rock 'n Roller Coaster
- It tried to be a working studio so everything stopped before you hit Avenue of Americas
- I think it opened with literally one ride: Great Movie Ride. I suppose two if you count backlot tour.

I worked at a Florida amusement park at the time and we made fun of Disney-MGM. We all thought, and remember, we all generally liked Disney, "What are they thinking??"

DHS is an example of management thinking that it's more important for some arbitrary date (beating Universal) to be met than to have a good product.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Echo Lake? I think that is an area of extraordinary beauty.

Would be a shame if they removed it, rather than working with it. There is a reason why all parks have a large body of water in them!

 

[Blairnicol]

I don't dislike the pond/dino/boat situation. It breaks up the mass of concrete that is DHS. It would be a very concrete heavy park, compared to the others at WDW (actually, compared to the other Disney properties in the US) if they ditched it.

 

[Blairnicol]

Echo Lake? I think that is an area of extraordinary beauty.

Would be a shame if they removed it, rather than working with it. There is a reason why all parks have a large body of water in them!

Yes to this concept art (assuming that's what it is). Love.

 

[Brad Bishop]

I don't dislike the pond/dino/boat situation. It breaks up the mass of concrete that is DHS. It would be a very concrete heavy park, compared to the others at WDW (actually, compared to the other Disney properties in the US) if they ditched it.

I'd argue that the biggest problem with DHS is that studio buildings abound for a theme park that is no longer a studio.

Studio buildings in a functioning studio make perfect sense. In a non-studio environment they just become large concrete blocks.

 

[FigmentJedi]

I surely hope you are trying to be as sarcastic as your last post... and aren't that obtuse over why those features are here and not there...

Indeed. That dinosaur that @Communicore dismissed as Dinoland fodder is pretty much the original fully-realized animated cartoon character (there was animated stuff before this but those were mostly just drawings in motion for the sheer gimmickry of it). In fact, Gertie just turned 100 years old last year.

 

[Gator]

Besides being the worst idea ever thought of since hair-in-a-can hit the market, what purpose would building a new one serve?

Oh, gee, don't rebuild the Hat where Echo Lake now resides! Then it would block the view of...of...well, it's just not a very Disney icon. And the park has nothing to do with Sorcerer....Mickey....at Fantas....mic..... Bring back Off Kilter!

 

[RSoxNo1]

no, the paint on the roofs made the other ear

That's the original theater of the stars, right? That theater was relocate when Sunset was built?

 

[dstrawn9889]

theatre was demolish. they named another structure the same though

 

[dstrawn9889]

 

[Rescue Ranger]

Re-theming the lake? Sure! But removing it would be bad. Not in favor. I love echo lake and it would be a horrible travesty to see it paved over.

 

[note2001]

Maybe they'll just round Echo Lake out more and make it a hidden death star.

 

[FigmentJedi]

Maybe they'll just round Echo Lake out more and make it a hidden death star.

Or add a few forks and make it a hidden Millennium Falcon

 

[Cosmic Commando]

I wouldn't really miss Echo Lake the area, but I would miss Echo Lake the lake. Take it out, and the biggest body of water in a guest area would be... the Muppets fountain?!? DHS needs more water, not less. Taking out the lake makes me worry we'll end up with less.