Shouldn't Grauman's Theater be the Centerpiece again ?

CheriBibi

CheriBibi

New Member
Original Poster
Now that MGM is gone and Hollywood tends to take back the theme, is Disney gonna keep the hat ? I'm not trying to create another bashing thread now that the wand is gone, and that bashing needs to come back toward something ;)
What I mean is : I dislike the HAT ok, but as Hollywood becomes once again the main theming of the park, wouldn't it be logical to takeaway the Hat (which has nothing to do with Disney's Hollywood Studio) and free up the view of the Chinese Theater which IS the real Hollywood main sightseeing and overall graphical reference.

I can't possibly think that they intend to publicise the changing of the name without publicising a new logo for the park (which is presently the hat), that would then make it logical to definitely loose the hat.

What you people think ?
 
haveyoumetmark

haveyoumetmark

Well-Known Member
The hat is staying. 100%. It's not temporary, it was put there for a reason. Legally, Grauman's Chinese Theater is not allowed to be centerpiece of the park. Disney is not allowed to sell any Merchandise with the theater on it. It's copyrighted. People kept thinking the theater was the icon. The hat was specifically put in place to obstruct the view of the theater and to make the park's new icon more obvious to guests. It will stay that way, and I don't mind since it serves its purpose and makes a great picture. The hat might even be improved a little, but it will remain the symbol no doubt.

Disney's Hollywood Studios will be more so about the mindset Hollywood, not the actual geographical location. The park will focus on more of a Hollywood state of mind. The hat represents the true magic of Disney music, animation, and show business. It works even better as a symbol of DHS than it did for MGM.

EDIT: This quote better explains the representation of the hat and the new name more than I would ever be able to. It is from the "Studios Name Changed Confirmed" Thread.
JPVonDrake said:
To better understand the reasoning for the change, here are some excerpts from the Cast message...

The Disney-MGM Studios has always been "dedicated to Hollywood, not a place on a map, but a state of mind that exists wherever people dream and wonder and imagine."

Disney’s Hollywood Studios truly represents the best of Hollywood – from movies (Star Wars, Indiana Jones) to TV (Playhouse Disney) to music (Rock-n-Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith) to theater (Beauty and the Beast).

The Sorcerer Mickey Hat truly represents the magic of show business and the entertainment wizardry of Disney. This imaginative icon falls in line with the tradition of Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom, Spaceship Earth at Epcot and the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Click to expand...
 
CheriBibi

CheriBibi

New Member
Original Poster
Gee you cut my thread right there :( ... :)
I didn't know about the copyrighted Grauman... You think they couldn't have thought about it before buidling it hehe... and yet back in the 90's they still planned to put it in MGM Europe... Funny how Disney can be...

Anyway, thanks for the input. But even though it might associate in some way with the Disney spirit marketing wise... It's still the ugliest, cheapest centerpiece ever "build" in a Disney Park. Wouldn't mind see it replaced by something more... worthy of the name.
 
frankd1962

frankd1962

Member
MHO, back before the Hat any shot up the street twith the theater looked nice but it was never the Park's icon. It was the Earful Tower and you really couldn't get a nice shot of you and your party with just the legs of the Tower behind you.

As for the Hat, if I'm not mistaken but isn't there a version of the had at the Ca. studios (where they make the animated movies)? Why not here? The hat is a much better icon, you can get in front and have your picture taken with it and it is more "Disney" than the theater.

I hope the Hat stays even if it ruin then largest hidden Mickey in the Resort.
 
jmvd20

jmvd20

Well-Known Member
Maybe they will re-build the wand over the hat telling everyone what exactly MGM or DHS icon really is. I think it would clear up a lot of the confusion and lead to more magical vacations for everyone.
 
JCBarbie

JCBarbie

New Member
I personally don't mind the hat but I do like the earful tower as the icon of the park since Hollywood is full of them and I think it's more general Hollywood versus the hat which is more Disney Hollywood. Either way I think the name change/re branding is good. I hope the get rid of sounds dangerous now and put something interesting there ^_^
 
SDav10495

SDav10495

Member
Well...yes the Chinese Theater is copyrighted, and yes I'm sure the photographers on Hollywood Blvd. were originally part of the problem--so I'd say that's partially the reason it was there in the first place. I wouldn't, however, say it's the biggest reason it's still there now. If Disney really wanted the hat removed (most likely placed in another prominent location in the park where it could still serve as the icon) they would do it, and just place Photopass people wherever they couldn't get a shot of the Theater.

The biggest problem I'd say is the actual construction/deconstruction logistics and money--there's no motivation to spend the time and the $$ to take it down, especially given that it's more well-loved than the now-extinct wand and it gives a single, visible icon to a confused park (even I can understand that it works in that respect).

But if Disney really did want to spend the money to remove it, for whatever reason? Sure, they'd take it down, and the Photopass photographers would be a minor point after that--something they could easily relocate. Disney has replicas of a number of copyrighted buildings without a problem (the Eiffel Tower in Epcot for instance, or the Empire State Building right there in MGM) and while I understand the Chinese Theater is a little more unavoidable than those, I still believe that the copyright wouldn't stop Disney from moving the hat. Again, if they wanted to. Big A** "If" for a BAH.
 
kcnole

kcnole

Well-Known Member
The hat is staying. 100%. It's not temporary, it was put there for a reason. Legally, Grauman's Chinese Theater is not allowed to be centerpiece of the park. There are photographers up and down Hollywood Blvd and Disney cannot charge people for the sale of photos with Grauman's Chinese Theater in the background. It's copyrighted. The hat was specifically put in place to obstruct the view of the theater and will stay that way. The hat might even be improved a little, but it will remain the symbol no doubt.
Click to expand...

According to some of our insiders on here, this story is only a myth.
 
Lee

Lee

Adventurer
And it doesn't have to do with legality.
Click to expand...
Well...not entirely.

Briefly and very over-simplified.
The park needs an icon. Due to it's location, guests were assuming the theatre was it, when in reality it was Earful Tower, which was not a good choice for a number of reasons.
So, the BAH arrives to serve multiple purposes. To give the park an icon that can be easily photographed, to block the view of the theatre and prevent it from being mistaken as the park icon, and to give marketing something to put on shirts and such that they actually own. (Legal issue: Can't use the theatre on a shirt.)

There's more to it than that...but suffice to say, as I said in the other thread, the hat will be there long after the theatre is gone....if it ever goes anywhere.
 
Shaman

Shaman

Well-Known Member
Lee said:
There's more to it than that...but suffice to say, as I said in the other thread, the hat will be there long after the theatre is gone....if it ever goes anywhere.
Click to expand...

Which one hopes will...at the very least the attraction within it. :lookaroun

:lol:
 
C

Craig & Lisa

Active Member
I too like the hat, at night when the park is closing and you wait, you can get a great picture of the hat with the spot lights behind it. Very nice to say the least, and even before the hat I never thought the icon was the theater. In fact I didn't think the tower was. I thought (breifly) the icon for the park was the TOT. Think about it it's the first thing you see when you enter the parking lot, whether your on the bus or in your car.
 
WDWFigment

WDWFigment

Well-Known Member
To me, the hat is totally different than the wand. It might obstruct the view of the theatre, but it isn't something looming over the theatre meant to "plus" it. I think the hat looks better than the wand, and I think it actually provided a solution to the ambiguous icon problem MGM had (is it earful or is it the theatre?).
 
Jerm

Jerm

Well-Known Member
haveyoumetmark said:
The hat is staying. 100%. It's not temporary, it was put there for a reason. Legally, Grauman's Chinese Theater is not allowed to be centerpiece of the park. There are photographers up and down Hollywood Blvd and Disney cannot charge people for the sale of photos with Grauman's Chinese Theater in the background. It's copyrighted. The hat was specifically put in place to obstruct the view of the theater and will stay that way. The hat might even be improved a little, but it will remain the symbol no doubt.
Click to expand...

Yes and no. It has nothing to do with the sale of the pictures, it has to do with Disney useing it as its icon. Everytime Disney used it in any adds or merch they have to pay X ammount to the company that now owns the theater. It is kinda like the probelm with the MGM name and what they could and couldn't do with it.

J
 
GymLeaderPhil

GymLeaderPhil

Well-Known Member
Seeing as how they are installing a new lighting package for the Hat, I assume for the immediate future that it will not be going anywhere.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom