The Hat will not be going away any time soon!!!

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
First step: Remove its status as the Icon. Redo the Chinese Theater as I've mentioned before to make it an opulent, "generic" 20s/30s Hollywood style theater, and make THAT the Icon.
Second step: Move the Hat to the front of the entrance to the Animation Courtyard. Right now the Disney-MGM sign is there. Since that name is going the way of the dodo, take the whole thing out, eliminate the Mickey hand tipping the Hat, set the Hat down on the ground, carve out a walkway through it (they might even be able to still have a dippy pin store in it), and the Hat can survive. Heck, they could even leave the hand in it still tipping the Hat. It just won't look quite as balanced...like now. With the Hat over there it will not so easily mess with the 20s/30s Hollywood look the "main street" was originally supposed to have.
Third step: Enjoy.
Why would you want the hat in place of the arch? All they have to do is put a new sign on the arch.

ed: As for Icon "continuity," one only has to look at California Adventure to see that the so-called rule that it be the first thing you see when you enter is not true. The Icon is the Bear head of Grizzly River Rapids. But when you first enter you see two things - The Golden Gate Bridge, and the Sun sculpture at the end of Sunshine Plaza. You have to veer right before you really see the Bear.
Yes, but DCA isn't at WDW. With the hat, there is continuity between all four WDW park icons.
 

CThaddeus

New Member
Why would you want the hat in place of the arch? All they have to do is put a new sign on the arch.

Yes, but DCA isn't at WDW. With the hat, there is continuity between all four WDW park icons.

The arch is easily removable and I doubt holds the kind of emotional attachment this Hat unfortunately seems to have developed. There's nothing exciting about the arch, so to lose it wouldn't be a big deal to anyone. Also, since the Hat is cartoony, it would make a perfect entranceway to an area dedicated to toons and animation.

Granted, DCA isn't at WDW, but IT IS a Disney Park...proof it doesn't have to be that way everywhere. Now, if we really want to get literal here, I could point out that in truth, your statement about "the first big thing you see when you enter the Parks" isn't true. When you enter the Magic Kingdom, you can't see the Castle. The first big things you see are the Mickey planter and the Railroad. Neither are the Icon for the Park, though certainly Mickey is an icon for Disney. Similarly, you cannot see the Tree of Life when you enter Animal Kingdom. In fact, you really can't see much of anything except two diverging paths and a lot of big plants. It's a good three minutes or so before you ever even SEE the Tree. Finally, the first big thing you actually see when you enter Disney-MGM is not the Hat, but is in fact The Crossroads of the World. But it is not the Icon. So, placement is not as cut and dry as you say. Yes, most of them are at the end of some kind of "main street," except for Epcot, whose Icon is only a few steps away, just beyond a small graveyard.
I get what you're saying. I just disagree with the choice of the Hat as the Icon. I also disagree that it MUST be the first big thing you see when you come in the park. There was nothing wrong with the Earful Tower being the Icon in my mind, as it was the first thing I saw as I drove to the entrance on my way to the Park. And of course, I disagree that the theater cannot be cosmetically altered to make it the Icon and the first big thing you see. It holds the best attraction in Disney-MGM within it; I think it deserves Icon status. It does not deserve to continue to be hidden behind a pin shop.
 

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
I've always viewed the arch as somewhat of a landmark. At least, back in the day, it was. It also one of the touches that still gives the park a "studios" feel. The design of the arch fits in with the park much better than the hat does.

I don't think anyone has an emotional attachment to the hat or anything, rather they just don't think its that bad. Like me - I like the hat. but I wouldn't care if it left, either.
 

tirian

Well-Known Member
I don't think anyone has an emotional attachment to the hat or anything, rather they just don't think its that bad. Like me - I like the hat. but I wouldn't care if it left, either.

I agree. I don't hate the hat like I despised the wand, but it has no emotional attachment for me, either. It's just a big plastic hat over a pin shop.
 

JLW11Hi

Well-Known Member
I also think it's odd that we lament the hat's destruction of the old Hollywood ambience that it faces, yet we don't mind a French castle dominating the view as we look down what is supposed to be quintessential small town America. We simply prefer what was originally there I believe.

Haha! Great point.

Though I find it hard to compare the Castle at the end of Main Street to the more recent Hat at DHS, simply because the castle at the end of Main Street is so magnificent itself, and the view of the castle from Main Street is probably one of the more prominent images in our emotional connection to Disney itself. I am not saying that something like the hat couldn't become a staple of the image of DHS, but perhaps we are looking for something more practical from the start, and at least make it more than a pin trading stand.
 

DonaldD23

New Member
Not that anyone will believe me, but I just spoke with a CM in the Marketing Department of WDW and he confirmed that the hat will be removed within a year. He has never been wrong in the past...he told me about the Hollywood Studios name change a week before they announced it...so I don't doubt him now.

But, I know that about a billion of you will respond with "never believe anything a CM tells you".

So, we'll see in about a year (or even less) who was right or wrong.
 

CThaddeus

New Member
Not that anyone will believe me, but I just spoke with a CM in the Marketing Department of WDW and he confirmed that the hat will be removed within a year. He has never been wrong in the past...he told me about the Hollywood Studios name change a week before they announced it...so I don't doubt him now.

But, I know that about a billion of you will respond with "never believe anything a CM tells you".

So, we'll see in about a year (or even less) who was right or wrong.

I'm crossing my fingers this is true. If so, it ranks right up there with the removal of The Wand for best Disney Park news this year.
 

goofyfan13

Well-Known Member
Not that anyone will believe me, but I just spoke with a CM in the Marketing Department of WDW and he confirmed that the hat will be removed within a year. He has never been wrong in the past...he told me about the Hollywood Studios name change a week before they announced it...so I don't doubt him now.

But, I know that about a billion of you will respond with "never believe anything a CM tells you".

So, we'll see in about a year (or even less) who was right or wrong.

Hmmm, very interesting. Not that I'll really care if it stays or if it goes, but it is interesting none-the-less.
 

jt04

Well-Known Member
I believe it simply because it is coming from marketing. Sounds like they finally realize how poor the placement of the hat is. Only question is, do they relocate it or get rid of it altogether. GREAT NEWS!! Thanks:)
 

WDWBro

New Member
I just hope it happens because the Chinese Theater is a great icon for Hollywood Studios, it may just need a little face lift.
 

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
I find it highly unlikely that the hat will be going away within a year or two, if its currently being upgraded.

Sorry - and I know you said we'd say this - but even though random things you hear from cast members can be true, anyone can say "a cast member told me yadda yadda yadda..."
 

gsimpson

Well-Known Member
You can copyright and trademark a building's or facade's appearance if it is conspicuous and unique. Most of the national chains that operate in shopping malls tend to protect their "look" with great diligence to make sure other retailers don't benefit from their reputation or worse still, damage their reputation.
 

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