Reason the Wand may come down?

[Champion]

That's only ONE movie. Isn't MGM a tribute to a bunch of other movies? Like the ones in the great movie ride, Star Tours, and Indiana Jones?

Cinderella is only one movie. (And yes, I know about the direct to DVD sequels. The castle was obviously far before them.)

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

My feeling is that, in general people who have been going to WDW for many years dislike the wand - namely because it has a negative effect on SSE. However I know many people that were not at WDW prior to the wand and in general they either like it or have no opinion either way.

It seems to me that most people who can't stand the wand are upset about what has happened to EPCOT Center and view the wand as the icon of it's transformation into Epcot.

That is one of the reasons I hated it at first, I wasn't at Epcot in about ten years. I tell my wife how great it is and then we get there - no Horizons, no World of Motion, a farce of Figment, a closed WoL, Communicore gutted and nothing like it once was, and to top it all off a blasted wand over the only unchanged part of EPCOT Center - SSE

I think you hit the nail right on the head, buddy!

 

[Champion]

That is one of the reasons I hated it at first, I wasn't at Epcot in about ten years. I tell my wife how great it is and then we get there -

It still is. In fact, its hardly an argument that the park NOW is a far better one then it was 10 years ago, its pretty much fact.

no Horizons,

The building was unsafe, and had to go. There was no other option.

no World of Motion,

Unpopular attraction replaced with a popular one. I hate Test Track, I completely hate it. To me, it is a terrible excuse for an attraction. But it is popular, and always crowded. So this was a good move by Disney. Don't forget that this was also done by the urging of the sponsor who was not going to renew if they kept WoM.

a farce of Figment,

Yes, the original was the best of the three.

a closed WoL,

Unpopular pavilion, with nothing exciting inside it. Yes, it would be better open to experience then closed with nothing going in, but there is really nothing to see there.

Communicore gutted and nothing like it once was,

By the time Communicore switched, everything inside was outdated and/or already available on the market. The very idea of Communicore/Innoventions means that it will constantly change.

and to top it all off a blasted wand over the only unchanged part of EPCOT Center - SSE

And the only thing that does not effect anything. You have the exact same experience whether or not the wand is there. If it identifies Epcot as a Disney property to the casual guest, then its done its job. But to those who already know its a Disney property ... well, just ignore it. Its not they changed the actual SSE ride to incorporate the wand into it.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

A poor impersonation? How so?

Its themed on an interpretation of a Chinese building, or am I wrong in saying the "original" is an interpretation, a sort of Hollywood look at Chinese architecture? Your bound to know.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

wht do they need an icon in the front? The fact is, the only "icon" in the front is SSE. So you're saying if people can't have a photo with a wand they'll go to Universal Studios?:shrug:

Most people dont give a fig about the wand, its just greetin faced hardcore keyboard bashers who seem to be that bothered. FACT!

 

[Legacy]

It still is. In fact, its hardly an argument that the park NOW is a far better one then it was 10 years ago, its pretty much fact.

The building was unsafe, and had to go. There was no other option.

Unpopular attraction replaced with a popular one. I hate Test Track, I completely hate it. To me, it is a terrible excuse for an attraction. But it is popular, and always crowded. So this was a good move by Disney. Don't forget that this was also done by the urging of the sponsor who was not going to renew if they kept WoM.

Yes, the original was the best of the three.

Unpopular pavilion, with nothing exciting inside it. Yes, it would be better open to experience then closed with nothing going in, but there is really nothing to see there.

By the time Communicore switched, everything inside was outdated and/or already available on the market. The very idea of Communicore/Innoventions means that it will constantly change.

And the only thing that does not effect anything. You have the exact same experience whether or not the wand is there. If it identifies Epcot as a Disney property to the casual guest, then its done its job. But to those who already know its a Disney property ... well, just ignore it. Its not they changed the actual SSE ride to incorporate the wand into it.

If we still had rep, you would so get a green square from me!

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Isn't the Magic Kingdom a tribute to the American frontier, the future, a small town in America around 1900, new england around 1776, and a jumbled look at "adventure", in addition to fantasy? Cinderella Castle fits in the fantasy part, only.

Most kingdoms, magical or otherwise, have castles at least symbolically at their centre, so I figure a castle is a good unifying symbol.

The Sorcerer Mickey hat has nothing to do with MGM? I beg to differ. Fantasia was certainly a movie...

Well, if you want to make the park the 'All Star Movies' theme park then a random icon from a random movie placed at random is a fine symbol for the place. It doesn't fit with its surroundings, however, and doesn't symbolise movies or Hollywood in general at all. It's just a giant blue hat from one movie that Disney uses all over the place (such as at Downtown Disney at Disneyland) as a generic motif.

Its themed on an interpretation of a Chinese building, or am I wrong in saying the "original" is an interpretation, a sort of Hollywood look at Chinese architecture? Your bound to know.

No, but you said the MGM version of perhaps Hollywood's most iconic building was a poor impersonation ("the theater is a poor impersonation of a theater pretending to be a building in Imperial China"). You seem to have a problem with the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood itself, but that doesn't mean that the Disney version is a poor interpretation of it. Or is there more to your critique?

 

[mkt]

This thread has become a really big ing contest

Who can ______ the farthest?

 

[Hakunamatata]

It's just a giant blue hat from one movie that Disney uses all over the place (such as at Downtown Disney at Disneyland) as a generic motif.

Well, Cindy’s Castle is just one castle, from one movie line, and its recognized as one of the biggest Icons in the world.

When you think about it, Sorcerer Mickey could be the epitome of what Disney World is. First, he is Mickey. Second, he is magical. Third, he is from one of the most successful and, at the time, cutting edge animation classics of all time. I think the hat pretty much is an Icon, and not just a hat.

 

[mousermerf]

But, you can see Cinderella reigning over a kingdom - in this case, the Magic Kingdom. That's how it all ties together.

For Sorcerer Mickey you'd be sort of saying that the magic and such of the hat brings about all the attractions at MGM. If you wanted to go with Fantasmic's take on the subject, you could even say it's all in Mickey's imagination. But I just don't see MGM's attractions like Star Tour, Indy, or the GMR fitting into that category. Disney stuff, yes, but the non-Disney items (which the park is full of) I don't think fit under the magic hat.

There's a reason they're not represented in Fantasmic.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

This thread has become a really big ing contest

Who can ______ the farthest?

well I think we have a winner in the who talks the most ________ category

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Or is there more to your critique?

Yes absolutely, thanks for asking.

the most iconic building in Hollywood, it is not as if there are any great architectural masterpieces to beat are there. Isnt Tower Records building an icon too?

Mmmmmmmm

The Great Movie Ride now with Dobber Vision.

 

[Iakona]

Yes absolutely, thanks for asking.

the most iconic building in Hollywood, it is not as if there are any great architectural masterpieces to beat are there. Isnt Tower Records building an icon too?

Mmmmmmmm

The Great Movie Ride now with Dobber Vision.

What about that great icon the Hollywood sign?

 

[mousermerf]

The Hollywood sign isn't available for use.

 

[Hakunamatata]

They could use this....

 

[SirNim]

They could use this....

Speaking of which, they should add some Gehry-inspired architecture to the Parks!

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

I remember one of the early rumors for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster was that it would be built to look like the Hollywood hill/mountain. You would load/unload outside, and launch up the side of the mountain, and then into it through one of the 'O's in the HOLLYWOOD sign, and once you went through the roller coaster inside, back out one of the other 'O's. Of course, this was back when people were also saying that it would loop over and under World Drive.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

But, you can see Cinderella reigning over a kingdom - in this case, the Magic Kingdom. That's how it all ties together.

For Sorcerer Mickey you'd be sort of saying that the magic and such of the hat brings about all the attractions at MGM. If you wanted to go with Fantasmic's take on the subject, you could even say it's all in Mickey's imagination. But I just don't see MGM's attractions like Star Tour, Indy, or the GMR fitting into that category. Disney stuff, yes, but the non-Disney items (which the park is full of) I don't think fit under the magic hat.

There's a reason they're not represented in Fantasmic.

Exactly! And, in all honesty, neither Cinderella's Castle at MK nor Sleeping Beauty's at DL or DLP have a particularly strong connection to the castles in the movies other than the name. The castle-kingdom connection is by far the most important aspect of those icons and the princes and princesses from the movies also fill that role. I still fail to see the over-arching significance of the hat from The Sorcerer's Apprentice section of Fantasia (I don't really find "it's in a movie" or "magic" as strong reasons), but you all know and have been ed off by my opinion already!

In terms of the Chinese theatre, it also fit perfectly the time period and scale of the surrounding architecture and so was a good choice in my view.

This is certainly the most hostile and generally angry board I've been on that I can remember!

 

[Iakona]

At any rate, the wand will probably stay until Disney gets a CEO with some taste.

Of course that would be a CEO that has good taste as judged by what you consider quality.

but you all know and have been ed off by my opinion already!

If you think that what you post on an INTERNET board rises to the the level of ing me off, then you have greatly over estimated your importance. I feel confident that most of the other posters have thicker skins as well.

This is certainly the most hostile and generally angry board I've been on that I can remember!

I heartily disagree. This board is excellent. Passionate, but fun. In fact, for the most part I thought this discussion was very civil especially considering your opening salvo on this thread (see below). When you start of that aggressive then expect the same in return.

That is one of the most stupid things I've ever heard! Says who?

 

[hooters dude]

While I don't particularly like the wand it certainly doesn't wind me up like it seems to do some people on the boards. I think as somebody else pointed out that if you had never seen SSE without it you probably wouldn't think much of it! My wife for instance who had never been before the wand, thinks it's great. She has a picture of SSE as a desktop and thinks it would be boring without the wand an is amazed when I tell her of the number of people on here who dislike (or hate) it.

I found the castle turned into a giant birthday cake a number of years ago far more hideous, but it didn't ruin my vacation!