Leave a Legacy On It's Way Out?

[WDW Monorail]

I never liked those stripes on the support legs but I really like the LaL granite blocks. They look absolutely incredible at night.
If you stand right at the entrance of the park, the illusion is created that the blocks are actually supporting SSE. That's pretty amazing to me and I can understand why the legs had those stripes on them. I believe that the illusion still works without those stripes.

 

[mightynine]

After all these years, I never made the connection those were supposed to be continuing the LAL stone patterns.

Anywho, certainly looks better without them. Nice and clean.

 

[DaGoof00]

I'm glad to see the SSE pillars finally cleaned up. I've always liked the LoL pillars in front, and have a couple squares that I purchased. The defacing of SSE, I was never a fan of!

:sohappy:

 

[SoupBone]

I only hope that if they take down leave a legacy, they offer the tiles to the families that purchased them. You would essentially be giving them a piece of something that's been in the park. Pretty cool consolation...

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I think I saw the same subtitles on the MK guidemap below the description of Alien Encounter. :ROFLOL:

Hmmm, so maybe Disney "played it safe" by not promising a specific duration of time? I wonder how much revenue this LaL project actually generated? Can anyone calculate the cost and number of "legacies" currently inscribed for a ballpark figure...?

There was a specified amount of time, 20 years, in the contract. I remember seeing it when we purchased our sons' tile in '04.

Also, there was additional revenue generated by the little keepsakes they offered for a pretty short length of time either at the end of the sales of tiles or shortly after it stopped. 3 members of my extended family went in on the purchase of 4 sets of 4 etched granite coasters each set featuring a different image from the LaL walls. Each set was $60 if memory serves. We took the 4 sets, mixed-n-matched so each of the 4 sets were then comprised of 4 different family LaL images. The 3 of us who paid for the sets each got a set & we all gifted a set to my grandmother. Here's a pic I snapped with my iPhone just now:

We purchased one many years ago, and if I remember correctly, according to the contract we signed, we were guaranteed 20 years of showing from the date of installation, but the tiles could be relocated elsewhere. So they must be shown for 20 years someplace on WDW property, and could be shown longer if WDW so desires, but not shorter than the 20 years. I guess if they decide to take them down before the 20 years and not show them someplace esle, then we could get some sort of prorated refund on the amount we paid.

CoasterKing :king:

Yep. 20 years is what I remember. I wouldn't want a refund. I'd rather have the tile itself. They'll find somewhere to put the walls if they move them. We'll just have to wait & see.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

I never liked those stripes on the support legs but I really like the LaL granite blocks. They look absolutely incredible at night.
If you stand right at the entrance of the park, the illusion is created that the blocks are actually supporting SSE. That's pretty amazing to me and I can understand why the legs had those stripes on them. I believe that the illusion still works without those stripes.

While LaL certainly does look better at night, and yes, there was some thought put in to the overall design of the sculpture, the illusion that you speak of is actually the full 180 of the one that SSE is supposed to have.

When SSE was designed, the goal was to have it look like it was "floating" in midair. As a result, just about every part of the support structure was designed to be minimalist and blend in with the surroundings as much as possible. From the angled support legs (that move away from the sphere) and their original powder blue color (to match the sky) to covering the center column in mirror panels (to reflect what is around it and minimize its solid appearence), as much as possible was done to sort of hide the supports when viewed from the park entrance. So, while LaL does an admirabe job in contouring itself to the shape of the sphere and giving the appearence of "support," it actually goes against the original intention of having the sphere look like its floating and supported by nothing at all.

 

[NYwdwfan]

I think I saw the same subtitles on the MK guidemap below the description of Alien Encounter. :ROFLOL:

Hmmm, so maybe Disney "played it safe" by not promising a specific duration of time? I wonder how much revenue this LaL project actually generated? Can anyone calculate the cost and number of "legacies" currently inscribed for a ballpark figure...?

Allears says there are more than 550,000 tiles.
Passporter says they cost $33 for one face and $38 for 2 (plus tax), with 10% discount for passholders.
If we arbitrarily use $35 for per tile it's over $19,250,000.
Zowie.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Allears says there are more than 550,000 tiles.
Passporter says they cost $33 for one face and $38 for 2 (plus tax), with 10% discount for passholders.
If we arbitrarily use $35 for per tile it's over $19,250,000.
Zowie.

I wonder if that means 550,000 tiles sold or that 550,000 were available, because, obviously, they did not sell all available tiles (and they thought they would sell out by the end of 2000!).

 

[NYwdwfan]

I wonder if that means 550,000 tiles sold or that 550,000 were available, because, obviously, they did not sell all available tiles (and they thought they would sell out by the end of 2000!).

It says the current display is approx. 550,000 tiles. Total capacity was around 750,000.

 

[marni1971]

Someone in a recent thread (Raven, maybe?) mentioned that plans have been floated for a new entrance plaza sans LaL, but that they're not necessarily...good ones. Is there any more info out there about this?

Certainly one set I`m told are very very nice...

 

[WDWFan13]

when we purchased ours they said that they were going to be there for at least 50 years on the thing we had to sign

 

[zooey]

I'd prefer these be outside the gate somewhere, and then return the entrance to the trees and planters.

 

[The JRT]

I am the guy that took the original picture. More pictures of EPCOT changes and more here: http://jrt.me/epcot

 

[Atomicmickey]

I've always thought that's where they put the bodies of the Animatronics from Horizons and World of Motion.

Where will they put the bodies, now?

Wow, can hardly wait for that plaza to be bright and welcoming again . . . please, please, let it be so.

 

[NewfieFan]

LaL never really bothered me... but I never liked the paint job on SSEs legs! I knew what they were going for but it just looked "off" to me! I like the clean look myself!

 

[SirNim]

What a nice photographic update! The SSE exterior is (almost) back to normal.

I think I remember some threads from a few years back where I (and some co-conspirators) plotted to break into the park at night with extra-long paint rollers and a couple gallons of sky blue paint, to paint the LaL design off the two support legs.

 

[DisneyWorldDork]

I love LaL, my family got two tiles, one of me and my brother, and one of my parents. It is cool to know that there is a picture of me hanging in Disney World that everyone can see for years.

I do agree though that the ones on the legs need to be taken down. I get that they thought they would eventually put tiles on the legs as well but clearly that never happened so get rid of them. but they needs to keep the actually LaL tiles, maybe if they built a new LaL wall on one side of the entry plaza and put all of the tiles on them. But I will be really upset if they are taken out for good.

 

[JustInTime]

Not any more...

No, they still are.

 

[Phonedave]

Allears says there are more than 550,000 tiles.
Passporter says they cost $33 for one face and $38 for 2 (plus tax), with 10% discount for passholders.
If we arbitrarily use $35 for per tile it's over $19,250,000.
Zowie.

The thing to remember, is back in they day, they were giving them away.

When you booked a package you had a choice of

1) A $25 gift certificate to Planet Hollywood
2) A Leave a Legacy Tile
3) Something else that I did not take advantage of.

We used the $25 gift certificate the first time - bleah

We put my kids on LAL the next time

After that, the promo was over.

I am *guessing* this was back somtime in 2003 - 2005

I still have the LAL 'original' (the slide photo they took to make the etching). I'll have to see if there is a date on it.



-dave



-dave

 

[71jason]

We purchased one many years ago, and if I remember correctly, according to the contract we signed, we were guaranteed 20 years of showing from the date of installation, but the tiles could be relocated elsewhere. So they must be shown for 20 years someplace on WDW property, and could be shown longer if WDW so desires, but not shorter than the 20 years. I guess if they decide to take them down before the 20 years and not show them someplace esle, then we could get some sort of prorated refund on the amount we paid.

CoasterKing :king:

As I recall, Disney also kept the right to choose what "media" they are displayed in. So theoretically a wall of electronic images tucked away in Innoventions or what-have-you would satisfy the contract.