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

[OG Runner]

Honestly not just being contrary, but I actually like the hat. It is a better "icon" for the park than the "earful" tower or the theater. It is a symbol of one of Walt's favorite movies. (Fantasia) When the took the wand off of Spaceship Earth I cheered. The hat, not as much of a big deal or eyesore.

 

[ImagineerToBeZB]

I tend to agree, Edward. The park needed a central icon that would be obvious. Yes, the Theater was an iconic building, but it really didn't stand out as an icon worth the title. The Earful tower was a type of icon, (see the video I posted above) but it really was not in the prime location worthy of an icon. I personally like the hat. It is an engineering marvel! But I would like to see the park- in person- how it would have looked before the hat.

 

[roj2323]

I've probably said it a dozen times but: Keep the hat, just move it outside the gates of the park into that circular flowerbed by the lake.

 

[DisneyGentleman]

I've probably said it a dozen times but: Keep the hat, just move it outside the gates of the park into that circular flowerbed by the lake.

Or invert it and plug a sinkhole.

 

[aladdin2007]

Or invert it and plug a sinkhole.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Honestly not just being contrary, but I actually like the hat. It is a better "icon" for the park than the "earful" tower or the theater. It is a symbol of one of Walt's favorite movies. (Fantasia) When the took the wand off of Spaceship Earth I cheered. The hat, not as much of a big deal or eyesore.

Hollywood Boulevard is not about Walt's favorite movies.

 

[Kuzcotopia]

Honestly not just being contrary, but I actually like the hat. It is a better "icon" for the park than the "earful" tower or the theater. It is a symbol of one of Walt's favorite movies. (Fantasia) When the took the wand off of Spaceship Earth I cheered. The hat, not as much of a big deal or eyesore.

To me, the hat is a symbol of the movie Fantasia, and it's always reminding me that movie making is a risk, especially when you do something innovative and special.

Snow White and the 7 Dwarves had a colossal payoff, but Fantasia (which was even riskier) did not, not for a long, long time.

If there was ever an icon that show the faith and persistence that comes from making movies that double as art, it is that hat.

 

[Matt_Black]

Hollywood Boulevard is not about Walt's favorite movies.

Indeed. It's about celebrating the Golden Age of Hollywood, which is a period in dispute, but generally is considered to span at least the 1930s through the 1940s. Fantasia was released during that time, and it's regarded as one of the finest films from that period.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Indeed. It's about celebrating the Golden Age of Hollywood, which is a period in dispute, but generally is considered to span at least the 1930s through the 1940s. Fantasia was released during that time, and it's regarded as one of the finest films from that period.

It is clearly not a self-referential celebration of abstracted iconography. The building is not at all indicative of the period's aesthetic, even when accounting for California Crazy, the basis of Hollywood and Sunset Boulvards' built environment and experiential theme.

 

[WDWResort]

I hope it goes. Re-reading the thread and it seems it's never gonna be removed until someone with some sense steps into Igers role. I liked the Theatre as the main thing you see when you walk in. The Ear Water Tower was a great icon.

 

[Phil12]

I hope it goes. Re-reading the thread and it seems it's never gonna be removed until someone with some sense steps into Igers role. I liked the Theatre as the main thing you see when you walk in. The Ear Water Tower was a great icon.

Prior to the BAH, the main thing you saw when you walked into MGM was not the Chinese theater. The old photos you see of the Chinese theater were taken with telephoto lenses that compress the foreground and the background making the Chinese theater appear to be bigger than in a normal (i.e. naked eye) view from the front of the park. In a naked eye view the Chinese theater was rather tiny and almost indistinguishable and a first time visitor would be hard pressed to identify the theater from the park entrance.

 

[aladdin2007]

According the Jim Hill (I know take with a grain of salt usually) but the new plan is to keep the hat and the oh so precious stage. I hope hes wrong, but have a feeling hes not.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Prior to the BAH, the main thing you saw when you walked into MGM was not the Chinese theater. The old photos you see of the Chinese theater were taken with telephoto lenses that compress the foreground and the background making the Chinese theater appear to be bigger than in a normal (i.e. naked eye) view from the front of the park. In a naked eye view the Chinese theater was rather tiny and almost indistinguishable and a first time visitor would be hard pressed to identify the theater from the park entrance.

So? A well designed processional sequence unveils itself over time, not all at once.

 

[Rob562]

Prior to the BAH, the main thing you saw when you walked into MGM was not the Chinese theater. The old photos you see of the Chinese theater were taken with telephoto lenses that compress the foreground and the background making the Chinese theater appear to be bigger than in a normal (i.e. naked eye) view from the front of the park. In a naked eye view the Chinese theater was rather tiny and almost indistinguishable and a first time visitor would be hard pressed to identify the theater from the park entrance.

Even in a non-zoomed in photo with a lot of foreground, the Theater still dominates the far end of the street.

-Rob

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I strongly suggest watching this....See how the Park looked on Opening day....

 

[Phil12]

Even in a non-zoomed in photo with a lot of foreground, the Theater still dominates the far end of the street.

-Rob

The theater in these shots is not dominate at all. In fact it is rather tiny. Attention is drawn to this location because it is the vanishing point of the scene. These photos are examples of one point perspective as exemplified by the vanishing point theorem.

As lazyboy97o points out the theater is revealed over time as one walks down the street. It was not designed to be readily seen from the entrance. The BAH was designed to be easily recognizable from the park entrance (and other points as well).

 

[G00fyDad]

Even in a non-zoomed in photo with a lot of foreground, the Theater still dominates the far end of the street.

-Rob

Where's the theater? Is it that teeny tiny point in the background? Well that's so small that they shouldn't have bothered.

I agree with you. As others have mentioned, the theater is a progressive view. Not all icons are meant to be visible as soon as you enter the park. Can you see the Tree of Life as soon as you enter AK? No.

 

[Daannzzz]

Looks about the same size as Sleeping Beauty castle at Disneyland, particularly from town square. I guess they shouldn't have bothered with that as well.

 

[marni1971]

In that case it was a beautiful teeny tiny vista.

As opposed to the big blue lump of a store that's there now.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Looks about the same size as Sleeping Beauty castle at Disneyland, particularly from town square. I guess they shouldn't have bothered with that as well.

Hollywood Blvd was designed with a Disneyland-ish scale. Probably no accident.