Rumor no more(well...kinda) WAND COMING DOWN!!

[jmvd20]

The wand can most definitely last double - triple - even quadrouple the alleged 10-15 year design life. The actual steel structure of it, as long as it is maintained could last indefinitely. The materials the hand sections are made out of may wear much faster but even that is doubtful. Typical exterior coatings on regular homes (vinyl siding, asphalt shingles etc..) have warranted life spans of 50 plus years.

Design life and actual life span are completely different. It also depends upon the criteria used in calculating the expected "life" of a structure. The paint on it may have been what was determined to have a 15 year design life.

 

[marni1971]

Wand. See ya. Finally!

Seriously, the reason a monorail shutdown may be warranted is the actual crane position. If it`s of a Bronto type (comes on a huge truck and the arm goes up at an angle) it may be safety clearence either from the base of the boom arm or from the counterweight. This is assuming the crane would go just inside the track, in the clearing due north of Computer Central. The only other locations would be behind Energy, at the head of the Utilidor ramp (a very long reach for a crane) or on the backstage path behind Services East. Or in the park itself. Either would involve the crane rotating very near the track, or reaching over the track. Better be safe than sorry.

Regarding driving into the station backwards, this was the norm during mid 1982 park previews - though the train did carry on back to the T&TC, running anti clockwise.

Lets wait and see. Or is it wishful thinking?

 

[Wilt Dasney]

That being said, I speak Spanish and I have heard more than a few people at various locations saying things like, "I didn't know that was EPCOT-we are close maybe we should go there" or "I would not have known that was EPCOT without the sign" (I had a conversation with someone about this at a bus stop.)

The wand is good advertisement for the park. Sure--all of us Disney nuts know that what everyone calls "the ball" <yuck> is EPCOT, but many people who don't do a lot of research or are from another country do not know.

That's an interesting point. I had never thought about that.

 

[Vernonpush]

The wand can most definitely last double - triple - even quadrouple the alleged 10-15 year design life. The actual steel structure of it, as long as it is maintained could last indefinitely. The materials the hand sections are made out of may wear much faster but even that is doubtful. Typical exterior coatings on regular homes (vinyl siding, asphalt shingles etc..) have warranted life spans of 50 plus years.

Design life and actual life span are completely different. It also depends upon the criteria used in calculating the expected "life" of a structure. The paint on it may have been what was determined to have a 15 year design life.

So, we can expect a refub. of the wand in the next 6.5 years (if not before) if it's not taken down before then.:lookaroun

 

[JimboJones123]

See, I kinda disagree with you there. My parents are far from being fans (even casual ones) yet even they slipped in a "this looks tacky for such a cool park" comment.


Oh, hi everyone! Long time no chat! My Disney park enthusiasm is up and running again so I've made a quiet comeback! Hope to stay here for a while this time...

So fans and your parents will be pleased?

 

[Master Yoda]

The wand can most definitely last double - triple - even quadrouple the alleged 10-15 year design life. The actual steel structure of it, as long as it is maintained could last indefinitely. The materials the hand sections are made out of may wear much faster but even that is doubtful. Typical exterior coatings on regular homes (vinyl siding, asphalt shingles etc..) have warranted life spans of 50 plus years.

Design life and actual life span are completely different. It also depends upon the criteria used in calculating the expected "life" of a structure. The paint on it may have been what was determined to have a 15 year design life.

I seriously doubt the materials construction or coatings had anything to do with the wands reported life expectancy. More than likely a group of accountants put that number on it to justify the expense.

 

[DisneyFan 2000]

So fans and your parents will be pleased?

Possibly? :veryconfu
Just saying that the somewhat negative reactions aren't only among fans. I know quite a few people who came back from visits and made less-than-fantastic comments about the wand. If it goes to show the classiness of Epcot as a park or the lame quality of the wand, I do not know.

 

[jmvd20]

So, we can expect a refub. of the wand in the next 6.5 years (if not before) if it's not taken down before then.:lookaroun

:lol:

Possibly... Perhaps the crane that has yet to be ordered will be used for painting the wand...

Maybe it will be used for what I have been saying all along and the wand will be transformed into a new Deluxe DVC resort...

Who knows, anything is possible :veryconfu

 

[hauntdmansion79]

It's a very exciting time to be a Disney fan :lol:

And an even more exciting time to be a anti-wand Disney fan!

Any volunteers? I am sure we could put together a Wand Removal Crew.

Sign me up. That would be a fun "Year of a Million Dreams" contest to win. Although we would have to be careful to not damage Spaceship Earth during our crazed demoltion rampage!

IF this rumor is true...
I'll never understand the wand hate.:brick:

...just a question, did you ever visit Epcot before the wand was built?

 

[JimboJones123]

IF this happens, it must happen after Labor Day before the F & W fest begins. Traffic is the lightest of the year then and they could make a shuttle service work. But as soon as people start hopping to Epcot for the fest, they need to be running full up I'd think. So, IF it happens I'd say 2nd-3rd week of September.

 

[psuchad]

I really don't see why they couldn't take it down in one night. Even if they had to cut it in half and take it in two or more pieces it should not take that long. How long did it take to build anyway?

 

[ToTBellHop]

I really don't see why they couldn't take it down in one night. Even if they had to cut it in half and take it in two or more pieces it should not take that long. How long did it take to build anyway?

cut it in two pieces? That could be an absolute disaster. Recall that the top half is built over a massive ride building. They would need to take it down piece-by-piece, just like they built it piece-by-piece. It took a few months to construct.

 

[jmvd20]

I seriously doubt the materials construction or coatings had anything to do with the wands reported life expectancy. More than likely a group of accountants put that number on it to justify the expense.

Back in the 2001 thread that was linked from this page someone stated that the design life of the wand was 10-15 years. I see structure design life numbers all the time for bridges, towers, etc... However all of them usually have different criteria that was used in determining it. That is the question I posed, if the wand does indeed have a 15 year design life what is that calculation based on?

Most of the time design life is calculated by how long the actual materials are expected to last. A 100 year bridge should last more than 100 years before the concrete, steel etc... starts to fail.

 

[Vernonpush]

:lol:

Possibly... Perhaps the crane that has yet to be ordered will be used for painting the wand...

Maybe it will be used for what I have been saying all along and the wand will be transformed into a new Deluxe DVC resort...

Who knows, anything is possible :veryconfu

:ROFLOL:

 

[ToTBellHop]

So how expensive do you think it will be to buy into Disney's Spaceship Earth Villas? I'd pay a fortune for that IllumiNations view...I can see it now, "Excuse me...can we stay in Mickey's middle finger tonight?" "Um......"

 

[Master Yoda]

Back in the 2001 thread that was linked from this page someone stated that the design life of the wand was 10-15 years. I see structure design life numbers all the time for bridges, towers, etc... However all of them usually have different criteria that was used in determining it. That is the question I posed, if the wand does indeed have a 15 year design life what is that calculation based on?

Most of the time design life is calculated by how long the actual materials are expected to last. A 100 year bridge should last more than 100 years before the concrete, steel etc... starts to fail.

In this case I think it was more than likely something like...

"That thing is going to cost how much and we have to take it down after New Years?!"

"Well we can replace the "2000" with "Epcot" and leave it up for 10 to 15 years"

"OK, go ahead and build it"

As you pointed out earlier the thing is built quite well and if properly maintained it could last nearly indefinitely.

 

[jmvd20]

In this case I think it was more than likely something like...

"That thing is going to cost how much and we have to take it down after New Years?!"

"Well we can replace the "2000" with "Epcot" and leave it up for 10 to 15 years"

"OK, go ahead and build it"

Good point, I wasn't thinking of it that way before. I seem to always forget that you have to justify everything to the accounting department!!

 

[erasure fan1]

As you pointed out earlier the thing is built quite well and if properly maintained it could last nearly indefinitely.

:hurl:
That just makes me sick to think about.:lol: I do think its going to be later and not sooner before it comes down, unfortunately.

 

[psuchad]

cut it in two pieces? That could be an absolute disaster. Recall that the top half is built over a massive ride building. They would need to take it down piece-by-piece, just like they built it piece-by-piece. It took a few months to construct.

If they attach it top portion to a crane and cut it in half or into more pieces, it should not take long. Given they should know how much the thing weighs they could figure out where to make the cuts to get the thing down quickly.

 

[ToTBellHop]

If they attach it top portion to a crane and cut it in half or into more pieces, it should not take long. Given they should know how much the thing weighs they could figure out where to make the cuts to get the thing down quickly.

where would they then put their 150-foot top half monstrosity afterwards (I realize it's about 230-feet tall, but probably 300-feet long w/ the curve)? Store it on top of the Universe of Energy? Don't forget that any piece they have must fit under the monorail beam unless you are advocating driving the crane, with the 150-foot monstrosity attached, up I-4 to drop it off in the ocean.