Mickey's hat leaving MGM??

[ChampDisney]

There has been many rumors about the Great Movie Ride leaving & a new ride to take its place. So by doing that they could easily remodel the Chinese Theater & That would solve the copyright problem. And this was only a rumor about the Great Movie Ride being taking out, something about the park name change.

[MickeyspalJim]

The Movie ride was fun. and We still do it every time there, but something new could be a nice change. Last time out, the tram kept stopping with problems. The line was very long, the air was off and like I said, too many stops and slowdowns. The thrill went out of the castmembers lines. She just sat and waited for it to resume.

[ChampDisney]

I know what your talking about it happen to me as well. The ride stopped when our tour was at the very end, it was the Wizard of Oz room & we waited seven minutes to return to the ride. But I have noticed alot of things wrong with the attraction like some of the AA's don't work half the time like in the gangster part of the ride, also things have been taking out like once I saw that the car full of the gangsters weren't there which made it harder for the Cast Member, & the effects look really bad. Something needs to be done, hopefully that rumored Muppets Movie Ride will come on in. Just something for a change.

[MickeyspalJim]

Yes, Us too. Some cowboy eating an apple took the place of the gangsters shooting it out. The castmember just went along with it till the time came to shoot the traffice light.

[nicks10]

I was just on it about 2 months ago and didnt notice anything wrong. I reallllllly hope they keep GMR. Probably my 2nd or 3rd favorite attraction at the Studios and one of the few opening attractions left there.

[ohiodisneydad]

I wish the hat would go away and the earful tower was made the icon of MGM again

Anyone have a pic of the Earful Tower?

[MickeyspalJim]

I'll send one sometime tonight.

[MickeyspalJim]

Anyone have a pic of the Earful Tower?

This is the best one I could find.

[ohiodisneydad]

This is the best one I could find.

Thanks! Is this still on MGM property somewhere?

[MickeyspalJim]

Thanks! Is this still on MGM property somewhere?

Yes, just take the backlot tour, and You will pass right by it.

[tomorrowland]

Other than pictures, I don't remember SSE w/o the wand or MGM w/o the hat. It'd be weird for me not to seem them there.

[BamaJenn]

It seems that since it's opening there has been continuous red tape around so much of what Disney got permission to do in this park. The whole copyright thing of the theater is just ridiculous to me. They shouldn't have let them build it in the first place. I didn't believe this was a reason for the hat's placement until a few months back when someone pointed out this paragraph in Wiki's entry on the actual Theatre:

An exact replica of the Chinese Theatre acted as the centerpiece and architectural icon of the Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida from its opening in 1989 until 2001. At that time a giant Sorcerer's Hat was erected in front of the theatre, effectively blocking the view of the theatre from the street, and replacing it as the park's official icon. This is apparently due to a licencing and copyright disagreement between the theater's current owners and Disney. It is still there, however, and continues to serve as the entrance to the park's centerpiece attraction, The Great Movie Ride.

Between that, the whole "naming issues" when time was up on the MGM/Disney contract and a host of other things (such as the rumor that one of the main factors in killing the back lot tour houses was also copyright issues) it just seems there wasn't a whole lot of smart thinking behind the Studios being built.

But... it seems even if the hat DID come down (which Lou has already confirmed there are no plans to do, at least not yet) it'd have to be replaced by something else so what's the point.

To answer the question of "why the hat anyway"... Sorcerer Mickey has long been the icon of Disney Movie making (for some reason).

[Mickey's#1Fan]

well when i was on the GMR in late june early july things ran smoothly but the fact that they see this a copyright problem is ridiculous!! why now do they say this shouldnt it have been thought of in 1989?? lol

[redheadbrown]

The hat is one of the logos for the imagineers. Along with sorcerer Mickey.

[Smack81]

I like the hat, and I liked the wand, too. But at any rate, I also heard it was built for some sort of copyright problem.