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

[Fox&Hound]

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.

Totally agree. I hope a new SW land and Toy Story area/Cars (or whatever we end up getting) will provide some open space, foliage, and maybe even some water features. This park is too much concrete and too many square buildings. Not too mention tight alleyways. Open up the park and let it breathe a bit =)

 

[Phil12]

how would you end up with less when they are taking an area with little to no traffic save the 2 restaurants and dockside cafe? You'd end up with a massive amount of real estate for a new ride or experience of some kind, its one of the least walked areas of the park, when you walk around by indy and the restaurants its almost always dead quiet over there, and the dinosaur ice cream stand is almost always closed, itd be great if they trashed all of that and gave us a cantina or deathstar something awesome like that

I agree. They most likely need the extra room for a new and more massive icon that will take up most of the space between Echo Lake and the Animation Courtyard.

 

[spacemt354]

how would you end up with less when they are taking an area with little to no traffic save the 2 restaurants and dockside cafe? You'd end up with a massive amount of real estate for a new ride or experience of some kind, its one of the least walked areas of the park, when you walk around by indy and the restaurants its almost always dead quiet over there, and the dinosaur ice cream stand is almost always closed, itd be great if they trashed all of that and gave us a cantina or deathstar something awesome like that

Aquatic scenery in theme parks is very aesthetically appealing. Much more appealing than simply a concrete park. Disney has always had a knack for offering incredible aquatic vistas.

The fact that Echo Lake (pictured above) is the only source of water in DHS is the reason why people are against its removal. It's what separates DHS from being completely concrete.

 

[spacemt354]

DHS was originally built as a working studio not a theme park, they are now having to work around that and convert it into a total theme park, this may take sacrifices, namely a tiny lake that has served no purpose that the general public will not miss...

The theme park is entirely concrete already, the only way you barely notice this excuse for pond you guys like calling a lake, is if you go see Indiana jones or star tours. The thing is pointless and will serve the park better as space to build.

Pointless?
Why would imagineers build a pointless lake in the middle of a park? Hmm...

Maybe because it is a tribute to the "California Crazy" architecture popular in the 1930s, which was meant to draw attention to people. Hence why the dinosaur is huge. The Dinosaur, Gertie, starred in the 1914 film Gertie the Dinosaur which was the first animated film to use animation loops, keyframes, and tracing paper. The creator, Winsor McCay, influenced Walt Disney.

While demolishing it may open up pathways for expansion, to dismiss the lake and suggest it serves no purpose is just plain ignorant.

 

[spacemt354]

And how often is that sad excuse for an ice cream stand open? and how often do you even see people over there? Disney measures success by foot traffic and if you ever look at echo pond on a busy day, its not very busy save for Indiana and dockside cafe.

Your dismissive rhetoric doesn't change facts.

The facts are Echo Lake and the surrounding area are there for a reason and serves a purpose. Not sure what you have against it, but your negative attitude towards it doesn't magically make it worthless.

 

[note2001]

Pointless?
Why would imagineers build a pointless lake in the middle of a park? Hmm...

Maybe because it is a tribute to the "California Crazy" architecture popular in the 1930s, which was meant to draw attention to people. Hence why the dinosaur is huge. The Dinosaur, Gertie, starred in the 1914 film Gertie the Dinosaur which was the first animated film to use animation loops, keyframes, and tracing paper. The creator, Winsor McCay, influenced Walt Disney.

While demolishing it may open up pathways for expansion, to dismiss the lake and suggest it serves no purpose is just plain ignorant.

Let's not forget this is Florida we're talking about. Water issues abound in this environment, including the corrosion of the limestone well below the surface which in turn causes sink holes. I'm not saying it is, but there is a remote possibility Echo lake is more than just a pond and paving it over is just a rumor. Epcot knows its share of sinkhole turned into waterway. Wouldn't surprise me if some of the other parks do too.

 

[Adam N]

I'm all for the idea of water in such a vast concrete-y park, but I wish the "hub" was laid out better. I know the Imagineers thought they were being clever when they came up with a massive Hidden Mickey, and while I applaud them from a fan perspective, the whole area of the hidden Mickey is just hard to maneuver around for no reason. I'm not saying it's difficult, but I wish the actual traffic patterns of people had been thought about instead of "Oh, aren't we clever?"

 

[jdmdisney99]

This thread needs to be required reading.

 

[NearTheEars]

Let's not forget this is Florida we're talking about. Water issues abound in this environment, including the corrosion of the limestone well below the surface which in turn causes sink holes. I'm not saying it is, but there is a remote possibility Echo lake is more than just a pond and paving it over is just a rumor. Epcot knows its share of sinkhole turned into waterway. Wouldn't surprise me if some of the other parks do too.

I could be wrong, but isn't Echo Lake more of a giant, cement floored fountain?

ETA: Not defending it's hypothetical removal. Just asking.

 

[dhall]

Sunset didn't touch it. The hat destroying the planters did.

Sunset Blvd clips a bit off the top of mickey's right ear, maybe about the top third. The bottom was painted on the roof of the soundstage building...
http://everythingwdisneyworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/dmgm-hm-aerial.jpg

... and the rest was (I think) ground level decoration between that building and the original stage. I'm reasonably certain the paint on the soundstage roof vanished once they had to add facades with street facing roofs along Sunset.

http://www.doctordisney.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/mgmHM.jpg

 

[JohnD]

Aquatic scenery in theme parks is very aesthetically appealing. Much more appealing than simply a concrete park. Disney has always had a knack for offering incredible aquatic vistas.

The fact that Echo Lake (pictured above) is the only source of water in DHS is the reason why people are against its removal. It's what separates DHS from being completely concrete.

Look at all that wasted space. It doesn't do anything for me. Move that steamboat to Disney Springs ASAP. Fill it all in. Can you imagine all the wasted attraction potential???!!! (Sarcasm)

 

[WDWFan_Boston]

i forgot the exact date i just knew it was used for a short time in between the 70s and 80's and im no troll i just don't give respect to those who don't deserve it.

Wow. That's like saying that Snow White was made sometime between 1910 and 1970.

 

[note2001]

you are an idiot, those 3 are actual functioning waterways, the 4th is cement fountain with no function.

(AK will be functional for Rivers of Light when avatar opens...technically...lol im reaching i know)

Before you name call you should know that Disney created the 7 seas lagoon not to serve as a waterway, but as an aesthetic barrier between the real world and the Magic Kingdom. Walt Disney was brilliant with design and understanding how the human brain worked... how to transport us mentally to another place and let us leave those real world troubles behind. He could have very well said, leave it as dry ground, allow parking right up to the gates, but he went the extra light year and dug a body of water, then connected it up with an existing one and bought boats to transport folk from that real world to his fantasy one. The ponds, rivers and larger bodies of water we see around the parks were all either crafted or left there for a reason: to help create the illusion they're trying to portray. Echo Lake was not created by mistake, or simply because they needed an ear for the hidden mickey, it serves an aesthetic purpose too.

 

[JohnD]

Before you name call you should know that Disney created the 7 seas lagoon not to serve as a waterway, but as an aesthetic barrier between the real world and the Magic Kingdom. Walt Disney was brilliant with design and understanding how the human brain worked... how to transport us mentally to another place and let us leave those real world troubles behind. The ponds, rivers and larger bodies of water we see around the parks were all either crafted or left there for a reason: to help create the illusion they're trying to portray. Echo Lake was not created by mistake, or simply because they needed an ear for the hidden mickey, it serves an aesthetic purpose too.

Also, the dirt dug out for the Seven Seas Lagoon allowed MK to be on the second floor with the utilidors on the first.

 

[JohnD]

And what was one of the 2 original ways you were transported through this aesthetic barrier? a ferry?..

Something can serve 2 purposes right, isnt that what a dual purpose is?

Yes. Echo Lake serves as Mickey's right ear and landscape. Or does landscaping not serve a purpose for you if you can't get across it?

 

[JohnD]

No landscaping and themeing is a purpose, but if you look at my original arguement, there is such little foot traffic in the area that it serves no use in themeing or landscaping to the average guest, and if it disappeared it would not be missed by the average guest.

Oh, if little foot traffic, then the pond doesn't need to be filled in, then.

 

[Phil12]

Before you name call you should know that Disney created the 7 seas lagoon not to serve as a waterway, but as an aesthetic barrier between the real world and the Magic Kingdom. Walt Disney was brilliant with design and understanding how the human brain worked... how to transport us mentally to another place and let us leave those real world troubles behind. He could have very well said, leave it as dry ground, allow parking right up to the gates, but he went the extra light year and dug a body of water, then connected it up with an existing one and bought boats to transport folk from that real world to his fantasy one. The ponds, rivers and larger bodies of water we see around the parks were all either crafted or left there for a reason: to help create the illusion they're trying to portray. Echo Lake was not created by mistake, or simply because they needed an ear for the hidden mickey, it serves an aesthetic purpose too.

Walt Disney had nothing to do with the design of the water hazard in front of the MK.

 

[spectromagic04]

No landscaping and themeing is a purpose, but if you look at my original argument, there is such little foot traffic in the area that it serves no use in themeing or landscaping to the average guest, and if it disappeared it would not be missed by the average guest.

Everyone runs right by it you don't have anyone sitting around it for any shows, you dont have any water features, you dont have any transportation, theres a faux dinosaur and a faux boat that people pretty much avoid except on the busiest of days.. and the themeing in that area is non existent now. it isn't popular or necessary was the original point I was trying to drive at.

It will be necessary once Star Wars Land is built if they decide to keep Echo Lake. It will act as a barrier from Stars Wars to the park entrance

 

[JohnD]

Since I'm on East Coast, I'm turning in. I'm ready for more, er, less hat tomorrow. I think we have plunged the depths of Echo Lake for one night.

 

[note2001]

Walt Disney had nothing to do with the design of the water hazard in front of the MK.

Obviously he's not around to refute or give a nod to the claim, but I'm standing by my belief that he had everything to do with Seven Seas Lagoon. He died in December of 1966, they broke ground in 1967. He was very involved in the planning for the project... "Let's dig a lake" is not the sort of thing that pops into one's head and is acted upon overnight.