Favorite Park Icon / Weenie

[MrPeetrie]

I'm curious what is your favorite Park Icon. I assume it's Cinderella Castle, but each has its own unique qualities. Picking my least favorite is easy: it's the Sorcerer's Hat at Disney Hollywood Studios. For one, I liked the view of Mann's Chinese Theatre and that's been destroyed. But my favorite Icon is a bit trickier. I think I slightly lean toward the Tree of Life. Mainly, I think it's because my DS3 gets SOOOO excited when he sees it. (We have to watch YouTube videos all the time.)

What's Yours?

[ASweetLov]

As much as I love all the icons my favorite has to be Cinderella's Castle. Brings tears to my eyes every time I see it! It's that magical :magic:

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I don't feel like I've been to Disney until I see that castle.....

[ANG]

Yep gotta be the Castle, but the Epcot globe always makes me smile too.

[crazygoalie39]

I do love the SE Globe and the Tree of Life is very awesome and intricate, but the first thing I have to do is go to MK and see the castle. I think DHS needs a new icon because the hat does not impress me at all.

[Cheshire_Girl]

I voted for the Castle because, well...its THE CASTLE!!

I will say Spaceship earth is a close second-It's like some giant mystical Golf Ball :)

My least favorite is the hat...I refuse to acknowledge that it is the park's "icon"...To me ToT will be the park Icon until they move that hideous hat and let me see the theater!!!

[PopPhan]

I had to say Cinderella Castle because it IS Disney...It has become THE symbol of the company and all that it stands for.

Ranking the four:

Cinderella Castle
Tree of Life
Spaceship Earth
Sorcerer Mickey Hat

The problem I have with 'the hat' is that it just doesn't fit the aesthetic of that part of the park. If it were outside the gates and was used as the entrance, then it might work, but it just kills the 'feeling' of the park where it is placed.

[DisneyDINK]

Gotta go wiith SSE. My first day at WDW was at Epcot Center.

[EJS-Houston]

...I LOVE the hat!

[MrPeetrie]

...If it were outside the gates and was used as the entrance, then it might work, but it just kills the 'feeling' of the park where it is placed.

I whole-heartedly agree!

[TheHD]

Although Hollywood Studios is my favorite park, Cinderella Castle has to be the most iconic park symbol, with Spaceship Earth a close second.

[Awesome_guy]

I like the ranking system. I, too, have to go with Cinderella Castle. There is something mystical about the Epcot's Spaceship Earth that really captivates me, though. Someone mentioned "mystical" ... it has that presence, and reminds me of world's fair architecture. Seeing it each trip really makes me feel "there" at WDW as much as the castle.

The other two are a bit too whimsical and lack story/history for me maybe. I like the idea of the carvings in the Tree of Life but feel it could be even more grand somehow. The hat just has that afterthought feel. So.

Castle
Spaceship Earth
Tree of Life
Sorcerer Hat

[villavic]

I had to say Cinderella Castle because it IS Disney...It has become THE symbol of the company and all that it stands for.

Right!

My second favorite is the Epcot globe. I think it really symbolyze what Walt Disney tried to transmit when he thought about the Community of Tomorrow.

[DisneyGiant]

The sorcerers hat reminds me of the nickname it had in the beginning days of the usenet newsgroups.

It was BAH. In fact, I still call it that on occasion.

Anyone want to guess what BAH stands for before I reveal it? :smickey:

Btw- to me this is no contest - has to be the breathtaking castle. :tink:

[darthmacho]

The Castle is certainly the most iconic, and probably the most important one, but the "Ball" is the only one that both fascinates and contains a great attraction. The Tree does too, I suppose, but it's tough to compare that attraction with Spaceship Earth, which is one of my favorites.

[indytraveler]

Favorite Icon(ic) would be Cinderella's Castle. Hands down favorite. Would even pick this over Sleeping Beauty Castle in DL.

Close 2nd is the Ball at Epcot. You know exactly where you're at when you see it. Plus it houses a pretty good attraction.

3rd Tree of Life at AK.

last is the Sorcerer's Hat. My problem is they should have thought about the icon part of the park when they built it. Its obviously an after thought. Yes it blocks the view of the Manns Chinese Theater which was suppose to be the center piece. I don't have a problem with the hat just that it wasn't originally in the park.

[GottaLvDisney]

Had to vote for the castle. I'm another one who gets teary eyed whenever we first get there & I see the it. I grew up going to DL and was amazed by the castle the first time we went to WDW.

[JerseyDad]

.....the Spaceship Earth 'globe' at Epcot just gets me into the Disney mood the best. You can walk beneath it and be amazed by its size ...all while hearing the inviting theme music around you ....and it's also the "gateway" to Epcot.

[PrincessJadesMom]

Definitely the castle. I still remember the first time I stepped around the corner & saw the castle.... I was in awe!

[The Horned King]

That's a tough one! I do like the castle, it's the first icon I see on every trip. Apart from the tower of terror on our journey to the hotel. And of course the arch way you pass under as you enter property! :P

Spaceship earth is an engineering marvel and I do like futuristic buildings alot so I like that one aswell, but I had to vote tree of life as it is not only an amazing park icon for the Animal Kingdom but it is insanely detailed. Could stand and look at it all day.

[MrPeetrie]

...but I had to vote tree of life as it is not only an amazing park icon for the Animal Kingdom but it is insanely detailed. Could stand and look at it all day.

I totally agree!

[Gator]

...I LOVE the hat!

I'm with you on this one. Sure, the Castle is incredible to see and makes good photos. And yes, SSE is magnificent and represents my favorite place in the world. But when I see the Sorcerer's Hat, I feel like I've been welcomed to WDW. It probably stems from DHS being my favorite park on our first trip in 2002 - and even though Epcot is my fav now, that Hat calls to me. I wish I could see it right now.

[bruin1344]

.....the Spaceship Earth 'globe' at Epcot just gets me into the Disney mood the best. You can walk beneath it and be amazed by its size ...all while hearing the inviting theme music around you ....and it's also the "gateway" to Epcot.

I agree 100% although it was tough choice between Castle, Ball and Tree.

[The Horned King]

I totally agree!

Glad I am not the only one! :D

[DNS]

The Tree of Life for me.

[MouseHouser]

No doubt, the castle, but much more so after dark. Disney magic at its finest.

However, the EPCOT Ball to me represents imagination. Kudos to the Imagineer who envisioned the drama the Ball would capture, glowing at every sunset, with the monorail in the foreground. Bravo!

[2Epcot]

No question .... Spaceship Earth, took me 1 second to vote on the poll.

[Minnie97]

I chose Cinderella's castle, seeing it really starts my trip:)

[beksy]

Like many pp's my visit isn't official until I see the castle. Its the first and last picture I take each trip.

I am fascinated by SE due to the engineering and the ride and I love to look at all the details on the Tree. Those tie for 2nd and 3rd.

I don't hate the hat but I don't care for it either. I was only there once without the hat so I can't really judge.

[DisneyorBust]

Tough choice, but I had to place my vote for Spaceship Earth. Cinderella castle was a close second.

[DisneyDawgette]

No question .... Spaceship Earth, took me 1 second to vote on the poll.

Ditto! That geosphere is the coolest thing ever, and an engineering marvel. EPCOT is normally the first park we do, so it screams WELCOME to WDW to me! :cloud9:

Tree of Life was a close second though- it's about to be added to my Simba tattoo!


And Chinese Theatre > Sorcerer's Hat. That's all! ;)