Upcoming DHS closings ...

[FLYbyNITE]

Sorry to your children's aesthetic sensibilities, but they're not a factor in how parks are designed.

The hat wAs there for an 18-month marketing event in 2001-02. That's it. And I am not going to argue why placing it there destroys the whole sense of place that the designers intended. That is fact, no matter now many rubes enjoy the tacky piece of Disney crap.

When you create themed environments huge visual intrusions (like a giant toon hat) at the end of a art deco Hollywood Blvd doesn't belong. Period. End of discussion (not that it will be, but a Spirit can hope).

First, I never once said I enjoy looking at the hat, what I said is that if money was going to be spent, I'd prefer to see it spent on attractions, rather than just taking something down to enhance a view. I don't care if it was supposed to be a temporary attraction, that just reflects negatively on the cheapness or ineptitude of those in charge.

Secondly, lets not kid ourselves here, I know that my “children's aesthetic sensibilities, are not a factor in how parks are designed“, but the $10,000 I (and others) spend certainly is! And I don’t believe for one second that someone is going to make a decision on whether they are going to go to Hollywood Studios (or Disney in General) based on whether that hat is there or not.

 

[asianway]

First, I never once said I enjoy looking at the hat, what I said is that if money was going to be spent, I'd prefer to see it spent on attractions, rather than just taking something down to enhance a view. I don't care if it was supposed to be a temporary attraction, that just reflects negatively on the cheapness or ineptitude of those in charge.

Secondly, lets not kid ourselves here, I know that my “children's aesthetic sensibilities, are not a factor in how parks are designed“, but the $10,000 I (and others) spend certainly is! And I don’t believe for one second that someone is going to make a decision on whether they are going to go to Hollywood Studios (or Disney in General) based on whether that hat is there or not.

Then I guess you wouldn't believe me if I said I skipped DHS for 5 years because of that atrocity?

 

[Timothy_Q]

And I don’t believe for one second that someone is going to make a decision on whether they are going to go to Hollywood Studios (or Disney in General) based on whether that hat is there or not.

Exactly. Then why have it at all?

 

[rioriz]

Exactly. Then why have it at all?

or not...

As a purist the Hat doesnt bother me and i take pics with it every time i visit

 

[Cardinals314]

I feel like Disney placed the hat in front of the Chinese Theater because Disney wanted to have a park symbol that is easily more identifiable with Disney. There is the Mickey Mouse water tower in the back that many people declare is the park symbol, but you can't see it when you enter the park. Disney wanted a park symbol that everyone can easily see that contains an identifiable Disney aspect. Disney had this idea for Spaceship Earth by placing the obnoxious Mickey wand with the words Epcot on the side. Thankfully that has been removed. Since the Chinese Theater doesn't contain any Disney-esque characteristics, Disney placed the hat in front of it. It's sad that many of the guests can't even name the building that sits behind the hat.

 

[JohnD]

I feel like Disney placed the hat in front of the Chinese Theater because Disney wanted to have a park symbol that is easily more identifiable with Disney. There is the Mickey Mouse water tower in the back that many people declare is the park symbol, but you can't see it when you enter the park. Disney wanted a park symbol that everyone can easily see that contains an identifiable Disney aspect. Disney had this idea for Spaceship Earth by placing the obnoxious Mickey wand with the words Epcot on the side. Thankfully that has been removed. Since the Chinese Theater doesn't contain any Disney-esque characteristics, Disney placed the hat in front of it. It's sad that many of the guests can't even name the building that sits behind the hat.

Just take a look at printed maps or MDE. Each park is symbolized by a larger than everything else icon: MK (Cinderella's Castle), Epcot (Spaceship Earth), AK (Tree of Life), HS (Mickey's Hat).

I'm guessing the hat isn't going anywhere any time soon.

 

[AEfx]

Just take a look at printed maps or MDE. Each park is symbolized by a larger than everything else icon: MK (Cinderella's Castle), Epcot (Spaceship Earth), AK (Tree of Life), HS (Mickey's Hat).

I'm guessing the hat isn't going anywhere any time soon.

You'd be guessing wrong.

The new in-room feed has eliminated the hat from any video of the studios, and now uses the actual official park icon, the Water Tower.


You'll see. ;-)

 

[HMF]

I feel like Disney placed the hat in front of the Chinese Theater because Disney wanted to have a park symbol that is easily more identifiable with Disney. There is the Mickey Mouse water tower in the back that many people declare is the park symbol, but you can't see it when you enter the park. Disney wanted a park symbol that everyone can easily see that contains an identifiable Disney aspect. Disney had this idea for Spaceship Earth by placing the obnoxious Mickey wand with the words Epcot on the side. Thankfully that has been removed. Since the Chinese Theater doesn't contain any Disney-esque characteristics, Disney placed the hat in front of it. It's sad that many of the guests can't even name the building that sits behind the hat.

Some of us consider Quality and attention to detail to be what makes something Disney. you can't simply slap Disney-owned IP like Mouse ears, Princesses etc. on something and say it's Disney and Disney used to know that and Universal gets that with WWoHP.

 

[HMF]

Those last few months before the wand was removed were brutal. Constant back and forth between those in the know and Fanbois who constantly insisted the wand was going nowhere. Today the wand is gone and fading from memory Spaceship Earth looks splendid (Wish I could say the same about the inside) and you would never know it was there unless you were there when it was up. In a few years time the hat will just be a bad memory occasionally joked about and the timeless view up Hollywood Boulevard will be restored and future visitors will never realize there was ever a giant hat there.

 

[matt9112]

I will be there next month, I will make a point of it to do what you mention above. I will also check out Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards (in conection with the "hat") to try and understand what Jed012788 see's also.

nice..

 

[matt9112]

You'd be guessing wrong.

The new in-room feed has eliminated the hat from any video of the studios, and now uses the actual official park icon, the Water Tower.



You'll see. ;-)

in his defense the water tower was marketed alot less lately...

 

[JohnD]

You'd be guessing wrong.

The new in-room feed has eliminated the hat from any video of the studios, and now uses the actual official park icon, the Water Tower.



You'll see. ;-)

You're inferring I want the hat. You're wrong. Just making an observation about what Disney is doing and my impression of the likely result. You could very well be right. You could very well be wrong. You'll see. Doesn't matter to me either way. My interest is in enjoying the parks later this fall.

 

[George]

The hat was placed there for an 18-month marketing event in 2001-02. That's it.

Whatever, "Mr. Needs to Buy a Calendar"....If your math was correct the hat would've been removed a decade ago.

Then I guess you wouldn't believe me if I said I skipped DHS for 5 years because of that atrocity?

Depends...Would you believe that I spend entire weeks in the greater O-town area and my entertainment will usually consist of nothing but admiring the BAH from different angles? Typically, I will admonish all the passers by to come back in the evening for twinkling BAH, will take pictures of people in front of the BAH, peruse the beautiful assortment of pins under the BAH, and set up an easel to make oil paintings of the BAH. I will occasionally take breaks to ask CMs questions about the BAH (fact finding missions is how I think of these) and am using these facts in my book, "BAH: Finally a Reason to Live." Further, I have written the management of Grauman's a ton of letters with enclosed artwork in an attempt to get them to install the BAH in front of the theatre proper thus ending this debate in my mind.

 

[HMF]

Whatever, "Mr. Needs to Buy a Calendar"....If your math was correct the hat would've been removed a decade ago.

.

The hat was indeed designed under the expectation that it would only be there for the duration of the "100 Years of Magic" Campaign in 2001-02. The reason it is still there is because like the wand before it is shortsighted management and marketing decisions combined with a lack of proper demolition funds.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I don't mind the hat, but the location of it is really bad. I wouldn't mind if they placed it in front of the Magic of Disney Animation building

They did just that in Paris! Not my thing, but better than in DHS.


To me, the Hat belongs to the kind of aestethics and design sense that gives you WDSP, whereas anti-hat sensibilities leave you with Sunset/Hollywood Boulevard area. Two different mindsets, two different park experiences.

Disney magic by way of oversized colourful objects derived from cartoon IP franchises:

Disney magic by way of classic Disney values about thematic design, placemaking and quality (and no cartoon or IP in sight!):

The bottom picture is 'Disney'. The top picture is 'Clueless management catering to clueless audience because neither can articulate what makes Disney 'Disney', beyond 'big, colourful, known cartoon celebrity'.

 

[maxairmike]

I am sorry but I have to respectfully disagree with this. Yes, I’d prefer a park that looks nice and is finely maintained but it’s “aesthetic” appearance is not what drives it’s success. Maybe as adult’s we appreciate it more, but my kids have never asked to stop and take in the aesthetics’ when I ask them what they want to do next.

If aesthetics were the number one reason for a successful theme park, than Legoland would still be Cyprus Gardens, and Seaworld would not be cluttered with Roller Coasters. Do you really think that Universal Studios Florida has any aesthetic properties at all?

The reason Epcot is so praised is because it is more unique than any other park. The World Show case has a tremendous appeal for adults and young adults. If it did not have the “Ellen ride” and Soarin’, I couldn’t drag my daughter there.

I think that we sometimes forget that Disney’s main appeal is meant towards children, and the reason I spend over $10,000 a year to come to Disney is to make them happy. While I would prefer to go to Europe or take a cruise with my vacation, I choose this because we ALL enjoy it, and none of us are going to worry about what kind of view we have or where the hat is placed.

Hollywood Studios needs new attractions and that is the bottom line. If they so desperately feel that they need to remove the hat, or come up with a new icon. Than build a big mountain in the back (where Catastrophe Canyon is) put a replica of the Hollywood Sign on top, with Mouse Ears on the O’s, and stick a nice dark coaster (preferably Monster’s Inc.) inside and that should make everyone happy!!!!!

While Spirit already covered most of this, I'll take issue with the bolded.

You obviously haven't spent any time observing many of the finer details in that park. The New York area in particular is amazingly detailed and beautiful (yes, run down alley sets are beautiful in their own right), and is a much better area than DHS' Streets of America. Just across the lagoon is a great Hollywood section, and Mel's is the star there, along with the Gardens of Allah Villas and Cafe La Bamba. Look back across the lagoon and you have a very nice industrial dockside setting all the way down through San Francisco.

And do you know why EPCOT is unique? A large part of that is the layout and architecture, all very key parts of aesthetics. Even though it replaced an amazing building and ride, Mission Space also contributes to the architectural uniqueness. Unfortunately a fair bit of this has been lost (the giant tent in front of Test Track, the loss of the water features in the central plaza, etc.), but the aesthetics are still a very important part of what makes EPCOT unique.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Aesthetics are a crucial -- if not the single most important -- part of a theme park. Why has Epcot been spared the criticism that Hollywood Studios so often receives? It's certainly not because of attraction quality. I'd argue that the Studios has more worthwhile attractions than Epcot at this point.

Yet people still find a reason to praise Epcot, and that is because of its aesthetic qualities. Removing the hat would take what I consider to be the single best themed area in any Disney park -- Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards -- and make them practically perfect. That will go a long way in improving the perception of the park.

Gah, why do posters like you only have 52 posts!

Yes, people always appreciate other posters when they agree with them. A human frialty.
EPCOT is spared because it still looks divine, even if its attraction roster is a bore nowadays. And the Holly/Sun blvs / Echo Lake area is one of the seven shrines of WDW, one of the best themed areas in any Disney park. So very pleasant, pretty, uplifting. Sheer genius.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

If the hat is removed, will the stage be removed also?

I sometimes fear the stage is part of what keeps the hat. WDW feels it needs a stage there.

In a twist of great irony, the view of the big ugly hat is often obstructed by the even bigger and uglier rent-a-stage.

 

[WDWFanDave]

Whatever, "Mr. Needs to Buy a Calendar"....If your math was correct the hat would've been removed a decade ago.

Depends...Would you believe that I spend entire weeks in the greater O-town area and my entertainment will usually consist of nothing but admiring the BAH from different angles? Typically, I will admonish all the passers by to come back in the evening for twinkling BAH, will take pictures of people in front of the BAH, peruse the beautiful assortment of pins under the BAH, and set up an easel to make oil paintings of the BAH. I will occasionally take breaks to ask CMs questions about the BAH (fact finding missions is how I think of these) and am using these facts in my book, "BAH: Finally a Reason to Live." Further, I have written the management of Grauman's a ton of letters with enclosed artwork in an attempt to get them to install the BAH in front of the theatre proper thus ending this debate in my mind.

Can I pre-order it on Amazon? Or, can I just get a FP+ reservation to pick up an autographed copy at its debut under the BAH?

 

[ToTBellHop]

I sometimes fear the stage is part of what keeps the hat. WDW feels it needs a stage there.

In a twist of great irony, the view of the big ugly hat is often obstructed by the even bigger and uglier rent-a-stage.

Maybe the addition of the stage from time to time is a psychological game b/t TDO and us--they add the hideous stage so that we can be happy when it disappears in a "well, at least this is an improvement" kind of way. Similarly, my cat hates car rides, but he hates his carrier more. So we put him in the carrier before car rides and then take him out when we get in the car. He views that as such an improvement that he tolerates the car ride.