hauntdmansion79
Active Member
I was young when the Berlin Wall came down and did not get to fully appreciate the significance of it all.
I now understand.
I now understand.
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It's not Epcot anymore.. (wand demo pics)
- Thread starter mousermerf
- Start date
hauntdmansion79
Active Member
It being half dismantled in full daylight is sort of like the days of old when people were publicly humiliated by having their head in a stock or being flogged in public. It would have been more respectful to the wand if it could have disappeared overnight, but the job is too big, and the structure is too large to have a wall around it (although the spinning planets in Tomorrow Land, while not as tall, had a tarp wall around it during refurbishment). So there is no choice but to have its day of destruction for all of us to see.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
So is the sign still lighting up at night?
Like, are the "Epc" lighting up still? I'm too lazy to go see for myself.
Like, are the "Epc" lighting up still? I'm too lazy to go see for myself.
jmvd20
Well-Known Member
The wand isn't lit up now and from what people have said it did not light up at all last night. I would guess that the wand was lit up for the last time a few nights ago.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Not if you are just trashing it. Your problem is structural support as you rip it down.. you need it to retain its own rigidity and be able to handle the bulk.
Given it's a free standing structure.. just support the weight.. and cut the steel near the bottom.. and lay it down! The issue is where to put it.. But they have the advantage that they do it during the off hours.. and they have a MASSIVE flat parking lot they could put it on to tear apart
brkgnews
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the boards! :wave:
Epcot82Guy
Well-Known Member
I'm sure alot of the electrical elements have been cut or at least dismantled. So, lighting isn't really an option.
DisneySaint
Well-Known Member
The wand did not light up tonight. All guest traffic out of the park was being directed out of the West side of SSE. The wall is up just after Gateway Gifts and on the other side just after Guest Relations.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Cranes can lift thousands of tons in a single lift. Just get the right tool for the job.
Obviously it looks like Disney is going for the 'disassembly in place' to save crane costs.. at the expense of longer 'onsite' work
Probably cheaper, but not as dramatic
Epcot82Guy
Well-Known Member
Not if you are just trashing it. Your problem is structural support as you rip it down.. you need it to retain its own rigidity and be able to handle the bulk.
Given it's a free standing structure.. just support the weight.. and cut the steel near the bottom.. and lay it down! The issue is where to put it.. But they have the advantage that they do it during the off hours.. and they have a MASSIVE flat parking lot they could put it on to tear apart
No. I wasn't talking about the wand. I was talking about what lies around the wand. Like an implosion, you have a cantilevered element here that can't fall or lean anywhere. It really has no option but to come down in pieces. There isn't space to place a large enough crane, let alone to place it elsewhere. I don't know how familiar with that area of the park you are, but there really isn't room for much more than that if you want to keep everything else standing. Furthermore, it is "cantilevered" over SSE itself. Therefore, it is delicate as to not damage THAT structure, even if the wand is getting scrapped.
jmvd20
Well-Known Member
Cranes can lift thousands of tons in a single lift. Just get the right tool for the job.
Obviously it looks like Disney is going for the 'disassembly in place' to save crane costs.. at the expense of longer 'onsite' work
Whoa there... The wand in the position that it is in will not come down in one piece simply by cutting it at the bottom and lowering it to the ground.
The safest, easiest, and most cost effective method of removal is exactly what they are doing, piece by piece.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
Aww man... I know most of you hate it, and I DO like SSE without it more, but I will miss the wand. It looked kinda tacky in the daytime, but the color scheme on SSE combined with the wand's lights looked pretty awesome, IMO. I'm now kind of sad knowing I'll never see it lit up again
sillyspook13
Well-Known Member
Welcome to Epc!
At least they didn't start at the beginning, or else it would say ______!:lol:
At least they didn't start at the beginning, or else it would say ______!:lol:
I hope someone goes and get pics
I've got a summer class tomorrow and i can't skip out.
I've got a summer class tomorrow and i can't skip out.
jmicro59
Member
Minor stuff.. some equipment visible up on the wand...
Liquid oxygen and acetylene, the tools of our saviors. :sohappy:
Figment82
Well-Known Member
I hope someone goes and get pics
I've got a summer class tomorrow and i can't skip out.
Once again, I'll be there and will take pics, but I won't be able to post them until 11pm or later. Although I'm sure there's about 10 people on here who will be able to get pics up before then.
Dizknee_Phreek
Well-Known Member
Aww man... I know most of you hate it, and I DO like SSE without it more, but I will miss the wand. It looked kinda tacky in the daytime, but the color scheme on SSE combined with the wand's lights looked pretty awesome, IMO. I'm now kind of sad knowing I'll never see it lit up again
There's a teeny tiny part of me that's just a little bit sad to see it go, too...I guess it's just something I love to hate. But there's no doubt about it...I will be MUCH happier to see it gone.
TestTrack
Active Member
Cranes can lift thousands of tons in a single lift. Just get the right tool for the job.
Obviously it looks like Disney is going for the 'disassembly in place' to save crane costs.. at the expense of longer 'onsite' work
That idea might work in a fairy tale land of a disney movie. But in the real world if you were to take it apart as one piece there are other concerns.
#1. Every weld on the structure must be able to support the weight of the structure underneath it. Without the earth pushing back on the wand...that's a lot of weight pulling down.
#2. You have to lift from the fulcrum of the structure. If you lifted from even a little bit to one side, the structure will tilt once removed and possible....BAM....into SSE.
#3. Imagine you get steps 1 and 2 covered just fine and you get the wand lifted into the air. Then a gust of wind comes through. That outer covering is going to act like a kite and who knows where that wand will sway to. Again, possibly into SSE.
The way Disney is doing it is the correct way and also the safest.