The Sorcerer's Hat Comes Down Tomorrow. Why Was it There, Anyway?

     Disney announced earlier this year that 2015 would bring the removal of the Sorcerer Mickey hat that has  long adorned the end of Hollywood Boulevard at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It has functioned as a pin station, a hub of different shows and events, and a merchandise shop. Many don't know, however, that the hat came for a reason, served a function, and will now leave for a reason.

http://insightsandsounds.blogspot.com/2010/04/disneys-hollywood-studios-time-to.html

     In 2001, Disney World celebrated (17 months of) its "100 Years of Magic" promotion, counting 100 years since the birth of Walt Disney. The World brought in several attractions from around the rest of the Disney world to accompany this celebration. These included Soarin' from Disney's California Adventure and the Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt Show from Disneyland Paris. Along with the celebration in Florida came a name and sponsorship change in the then called Disney MGM Studios. Disney no longer had a partnership with MGM, and was working on retooling the park so as not to infringe on legal rights of MGM. One of the issues that came up at this time was the Chinese Theater at the end of Hollywood Boulevard. Since the Park's opening in 1989, the Theater had been the dubbed "weenie" of the park. It was all over signs, advertisements, postcards, trash cans, and everything they sold at the Studios. Those of you with better memories will remember that Disney very suddenly removed that facade from all of its merchandise, and stuck a giant sorcerer hat in front of the Theater. This happened as a deal between Disney and MGM, in response to a claim by MGM that Disney remove the theater from the park completely, because it owned the original Chinese Theater in California. As a compromise, Disney essentially covered up the Theater, and removed it from all of its merchandise and signs.
     Thirteen years later, Disney will tomorrow remove the Sorcerer's hat, and allow the theater to once again shine as the center Hollywood Studios. This change comes in front of major upheavals coming to the Studios, and is a sign that Disney is not completely abandoning its roots in its Studios park. What changed between Disney and MGM you ask? The new deal between Disney and Turner Classic Movies allowed Disney to upgrade the Great Movie Ride, and purchase the rights to the beautiful building that was once so iconic in the park. However you feel about the hat, big and exciting things are happening here!

Thank you for reading!

-William (www.facebook.com/wdwforthetaking)

Great Movie Ride Updates to Come, and What This Means for Hollywood Studios

     Disney recently announced an agreement with Turner Classic Movies. The movie giant will be airing Disney programming on their television channel on special occasions. These "event programs" will be centered around the history of the Disney company, in an attempt to bring back and reignite the current generation about older Disney films. I am really looking forward to these shows, and will surely be tuning in.
     In addition to these programs, TCM will be sponsoring an update for Disney's Great Movie Ride attraction at Hollywood Studios. Disney has hinted that the changes will come in stages, and will begin with an update to the movie montage at the end of the ride, as well as the one in the waiting queue. The change will also eventually include updated ride scenes, and a new introductory/loading area. This is big news for those of us who have been waiting around for a decade for Disney to do something with this space. However, the implications of this news are wide-spread!
     Some have been wondering if Disney is going to drop the movie-making theme from the Studios park all together. They have been subtly hinting at this idea by closing the Studios Backlot Tour, and the promise of Star Wars Land. This update, however, seems to indicate that Disney is in fact investing in that aspect of the park. It also indicates that while the giant sorcerer's hat is finally leaving, the Chinese Theater will remain there, and will most likely re-establish itself as the focal point of the park. It means that the main stretch of Hollywood Boulevard will still act as the key welcoming feature and as an aesthetic introduction to the rest of the park.
     Looks like The Great Movie Ride is here to stay!
   

The Latest on Disney's Hollywood Studios

     I updated you last week on the possible themed areas that might being coming to replace the property that was once taken by the Hollywood Backlot Tour. Today, I have a bit of updated information about what is (or might be) coming to Hollywood Studios.
     I ended my last post by hinting that Frozen would likely be making an appearance at the Studios in the coming months or years. I would like to recant that prediction, and replace it with the following possible situations coming to the studios:

• A name change is in order: Since the park is no longer a functioning studio, there is word going around that the park's name will change to "Hollywood Adventure". That's kind of fun!
• Pixar is coming: It is now looking pretty certain that the area behind Pixar Place, where the Backlot Tour used to be, is going to be largely taken by a huge expansion of Pixar Place. Rather than a studio theme, the area will be more fantasy-themed, and will be a more immersive experience into the world of Pixar movies. This could include a Monsters Inc. Roller-Coaster, and other fun rides themed around the Pixar movies.
• Lucas-land is coming: It appears that Disney has plans to turn most of the west side of the park into a land completely themed around Lucas films. This includes Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and other little Lucas-related things. It does NOT seem to include Marvel in its plans (thank God). 

    I will keep you updated as I learn more about what will be changing at the Studios!

Hollywood Backlot Tour is Closed... Now What?

     Disney recently announced that Disney's Hollywood Studios would be closing its longest and most theme-centric ride in the park: The Backlot Tour. They also gave guests only one week's notice that the attraction would be closing. The ride, an hour-long tour of the backlot of a once-functional movie studio, had begun to groan of old age by the time it was fated to end its life, but it will be sorely missed by Disney World fans everywhere, who grew up enjoying the ride and show with their friends and families. Now however, it is time to think of what is coming next! It's my philosophy, especially in rapidly changing Disney times such as this, to trust the company to put forth meaningful and excellent material that will match and exceed what it has created in the past. So what will replace the Backlot Tour??
     First, we know that Disney applied for permits on a major attraction, or several, to be created in the space that will be left behind by the exit of this attraction. Second, we know that Disney has made several acquisitions and created much new material that is needing a home in the theme parks (Star Wars, Frozen, Tangled, Upcoming Pixar Movies, Marvel). Thirdly, we know that the Studios are in need of some new drawing power. Many agree with me when I say that the Studios are the last park I tell my friends to visit when they are going to the World. To me, it seems like the park is largely missing a certain... Disneyness. It doesn't have quite the same magnitude, charm, and magic that the other three parks have. I believe Disney is aware of this, and is here working to change that. Fourthly, we know that the Studios is headed in a new direction. Disney is no longer pretending that this park is actually a studio... Nothing here has anything to do with move-making any more.  Perhaps this new land will help to define the essence of the park. Knowing these things, here are some speculative ideas floating around regarding what Disney may do with the land:

• Marvel Land!!! I sure hope not. To me, the Marvel characters are the exact opposite of what Disney creates. They are violent, self-indulgent, and unromantic. Aside from personal thoughts, Disney does not yet have the rights to create park attractions based on the Marvel characters. Also, many complain that the Studios has nothing for children to come and see, and this would certainly not help that issue.
• Star Wars Land!!! I don't think so. Star Wars Land is coming to the Studios! And I am excited, but it would make no sense to me to build it this far from the wildly successful Star Tours, or to move Star Tours closer to it. 
• Cars Land!!! This one seems a bit more plausible to me. However, I have a hard time seeing Disney directly copying a land from another park, and placing it smack in the middle of a place it doesn't belong (although one could argue that most of California Adventure is exactly that). This would be more child-friendly, and would immediately have a huge draw.
• Frozen-land!!! This one seems, to me, more likely than the previous options. Disney is making an obscene amount of money on Frozen, and the ride that is coming to Epcot will only ignite more Frozen fever as the next several months come and go. I might start looking for some ice in this area.

     Whatever comes to this area, I believe we can count on it being child-friendly (as ALL of Disney aught to be), and it will probably strongly push the park toward a new theme and feel, which is mostly undefined as of yet. It will be related to something hugely popular right now, and will completely redefine the park as a place that is child-friendly, and a magical Disney destination that you MUST visit on your vacation.