Wand coming down in the fall?

[Jose Eber]

Oh you guys are clueless.

Everyone knows Siemens has not been happy with their arrangement and to save face Disney has been pleading with AT&T to come back on as a sponsor, as it looks like Siemens will back out by the end of the year. They've even (to their embarrassment) used board member Steve Jobs to bolster relations, as Apple (Steve's company) has a new product coming out with AT&T.

So yes, the wand is coming down, but, guess what is going on up (shudder).

its true!

 

[WeLComeHomE OKW]

Oh you guys are clueless.

Everyone knows Siemens has not been happy with their arrangement and to save face Disney has been pleading with AT&T to come back on as a sponsor, as it looks like Siemens will back out by the end of the year. They've even (to their embarrassment) used board member Steve Jobs to bolster relations, as Apple (Steve's company) has a new product coming out with AT&T.

So yes, the wand is coming down, but, guess what is going on up (shudder).

its true!

lol.

i think it is inevitable that the wand will eventually come down. i would like to see it be sooner then later just cuz, EPCOTs 25 is coming up!

 

[Fun2BFree]

Oh you guys are clueless.

Everyone knows Siemens has not been happy with their arrangement and to save face Disney has been pleading with AT&T to come back on as a sponsor, as it looks like Siemens will back out by the end of the year. They've even (to their embarrassment) used board member Steve Jobs to bolster relations, as Apple (Steve's company) has a new product coming out with AT&T.

So yes, the wand is coming down, but, guess what is going on up (shudder).

its true!

At least it has more to do with communication than Mickey's severed arm. :lookaroun

 

[wickedfan07]

I stand corrected... I should have known that the Champster is really Michael Eisner posting incognito, and that he knows everything there is to know about all things Disney.

This wouldn't surprise me in the least.

As for Siemens trying to get the wand down...if you were a company paying a ton of money to refurbish an attraction, and that attraction was meant to present hope for the future and showcase technology (not to mention advertise your product), would you really want a magic wand, a cartoon character, and pixie dust all over it?

 

[WDWFigment]

Does anyone know if Siemens was behind the removal of Leave a Legacy? That might be a pretty good indication of whether Disney is willing to succumb to their demands. I would think Disney would be willing, it seems this company has brought a fresh presence to EPCOT Center, and a presence that's willing to drop some serious cash.

 

[Figment4Ever]

these threads are always so controversial, it's almost funny to read :ROFLOL:

I went to Disney in 1996, and not again until 2003, and when I first saw the wand, I thought it was pretty and brought more attention to the icon. I've been down three more times since then, and I've grown to hate it for ruining the elegance of SSE. So I'm in the "tear it down" camp.

But then again, I'm going with my mom in September, who has never seen it, and the thought hit me that if they tear it down fast enough, she might not get to, and that made me suddenly sad - I think SHE would LOVE it.

*shrugs*

It seems to me like Siemens is doing a lot of good for the parks, but to say that they wouldn't fight to get their logo onto something is a little offbase - at the end of RoE, they project Siemens onto the globe in the center of the lagoon and up onto SSE as it is, so maybe they just don't want the "EPCOT" signage interfering with that.

 

[SDav10495]

Does anyone know if Siemens was behind the removal of Leave a Legacy? That might be a pretty good indication of whether Disney is willing to succumb to their demands. I would think Disney would be willing, it seems this company has brought a fresh presence to EPCOT Center, and a presence that's willing to drop some serious cash.

I'm not so sure Siemens behind that--we may hate the what the stones do to our views of Spaceship Earth, but I don't think they'd fall under the SSE deal so I don't know how much say Siemens would have had in their possible removal. I'm sure the decision to stop tile sales was Disney's just because they haven't been so successful.

However, I do believe that Siemens likely does care more than we know about the exterior of Spaceship Earth. And I would think that if there was any talk of "undressing" the sphere when the deal was negotiated, there must have also been an implication that the entire entrance didn't reflect well on the park or on Spaceship Earth...so perhaps Siemens didn't have a direct hand in the LaL affair, but I wouldn't have a hard time believing that something was mentioned about it if they were at all discussing exterior aesthetics.

It's just a gut feeling, but I'm guessing that the revamping of Epcot's entrance is something some Imagineers have been wanting to do since the Millennium Celebration...and with reports of new signage, ground restoration, Siemens' SSE sponsorship, and the removal of the LaL kiosk, it's not hard to imagine something bigger on the way. I don't know how much stock I put in this particular wand rumor just because there have been so many, but with the gradual work being done on the entrance there would seem to be more reason to expect something in the next year than there has been in the past.

 

[Nemo14]

So........where's Corrrus? :shrug:

 

[WDWFigment]

This wouldn't surprise me in the least.

As for Siemens trying to get the wand down...if you were a company paying a ton of money to refurbish an attraction, and that attraction was meant to present hope for the future and showcase technology (not to mention advertise your product), would you really want a magic wand, a cartoon character, and pixie dust all over it?

I think this is a really good point. The wand adds a cartoonish quality to the attraction, detracting from the more serious tone of the attraction.

I also wonder if they might think that as of now, it looks like a park icon (think MGM's hat) as opposed to an actual attraction, and by taking that down, more people will be inquisitive as to what is inside (if anything)? Maybe that's reading too much into it, but I'll throw it out there for discussion's sake.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

So........where's Corrrus? :shrug:

Picketing in front of the park to keep his work in place. :lookaroun

:lol: j/k, Corrus.

 

[mousermerf]

It's worth noting that both Lee and Corrus have posted in other threads since this one was created and have apparently steered clear of it purposely.

 

[Lee]

It's worth noting that both Lee and Corrus have posted in other threads since this one was created and have apparently steered clear of it purposely.

Nope...actually I just now saw it.:wave:
Spent last week in the parks. Did hear talk about the wand. Waiting for the OK to give specifics.

 

[unkadug]

Are you sure about that?



Thank you for the completely irrelevant picture.



They've had far less experience in the process than Disney has.

Does EVERTHING you post HAVE to be antagonistic?

I really think you are an A$$.

 

[erasure fan1]

I heard that the wands not coming down but they are adding a 2nd one on the other side that says Center. This just in time for the 25th aniv.:lookaroun

 

[imagineer boy]

Does EVERTHING you post HAVE to be antagonistic?

I really think you are an A$$.

Does he remind anyone else of one special person?

:lookaroun

 

[Lee]

I'll toss this out there....nobody I spoke with gave me the impression that Siemens was loosing any sleep over the wand.
I may have read them wrong, but I gathered that Siemens is involved only with the inside of the sphere, not with the wand or Leave a Legacy.

I welcome any better info.....

 

[JWG]

:hammer: :brick:

I actually like the Wand threads. Its the only 7 year old topic I can think of... the staying power is amazing.

I think Disney leaves it up for the sole purpose of generating conversation around Epcot. How do we get people to realize Epcot is part of Disney? Oh, leave that want arm up... people can't get enough of talking abouit it!

 

[Wilt Dasney]

:hammer: :brick:

I actually like the Wand threads. Its the only 7 year old topic I can think of... the staying power is amazing.

I think Disney leaves it up for the sole purpose of generating conversation around Epcot. How do we get people to realize Epcot is part of Disney? Oh, leave that want arm up... people can't get enough of talking abouit it!

Good point. So what happens when the wand comes down?!

It would be like when Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd did the deed on Moonlighting. Nobody would care anymore!

 

[jmvd20]

I'll toss this out there....nobody I spoke with gave me the impression that Siemens was loosing any sleep over the wand.
I may have read them wrong, but I gathered that Siemens is involved only with the inside of the sphere, not with the wand or Leave a Legacy.

Thanks for sharing that information!

Just like I said before I am wondering why people think Siemens wants the wand down? I would be willing to bet that the majority of WDW visitors are either indifferent or like the wand. Based upon that why in world would Siemens raise a fit about it and want, or demand that it come down?

If the wand does indeed come down I doubt it would be because of Siemens asking for or demanding it.

 

[JML42691]

Does he remind anyone else of one special person?

:lookaroun

I wasn't actually a member when Thrawn existed, but heard the stories.. I think Champion is Thrawn under a new name. Champion hasn't even been here for 4 months and he is acting like he owns the place, telling members to get over it, and that their posts are completely pointless. This guy just seems way too much like Thrawn.