Sorcerers Hat at DHS

[MegPeg85]

Another hat hater here!!

My favorite thing about DHS is feeling like you are in old hollywood or on a hollywood set and seeing the theater when you first walk in made you feel that way. Now you have a dumb, gigantic hat in the way ! I almost would bet Walt would've been against that idea!

Don't get me started on losing residental street either!!

COMPLETELY agree!! I miss the old Hollywood feel you are supposed to get at MGM (can never call it DHS ). The hat just looks like an afterthought. I am crossing my fingers that it is moved somewhere else....but I can understand why there may be a licensing problem.

Residential street! Tragic! When I work at the Backlot Tour I am CONSTANTLY getting questions about residential street. People remember that more than anything!

[cindchan]

Residential street! Tragic! When I work at the Backlot Tour I am CONSTANTLY getting questions about residential street. People remember that more than anything!

I loved the Residential Street! It was great to go through! I was saddened to learn that it was gone. Even though the car show is really cool to watch, I miss the old street.

[Tinkerbell19]

I loved the Residential Street! It was great to go through! I was saddened to learn that it was gone. Even though the car show is really cool to watch, I miss the old street.

Residential street! Tragic! When I work at the Backlot Tour I am CONSTANTLY getting questions about residential street. People remember that more than anything!

I am so glad I'm not the only one who misses that ! Even though the houses were fake I always wanted to live there when I was a kid. Have WDW literally be your backyard! It's hard to take the backlot tour because I miss it so much . Thank goodness for memories !

[grumpydude]

Save the hat:

[jetsdc]

Does anyone have any pictures pre hat??

Assuming we're allowed to link to google - if not I apologize...

http://images.google.com/hosted/life...4f746d05bed75b

[Tink#64]

WOW! Thanks jetsdc! I don't know that I've ever seen a street shot like that minus the hat! That was so cool! Now I understand all the disdain for the hat!

When we first visited in 2002, the hat was there, I can't imagine it without the hat! I love the hat! But, seeing how the streetscape looked pre-hat, I wouldn't mind if the hat were moved to another location! But, I can't imagine that happening. Hmm....

Along the lines tho of the added hand & wand to SSE! Which again were up for our 1st trip, and I was so sad when I learned that they were being removed! I thought SSE would look naked, but seeing it last year, WOW! It's gorgeous! So I guess never say never! Maybe, just maybe!

[Mackflava99]

Wow that picture is great thanks- it does look better

[Stickey]

The Chinese Theater is mediocre at best.
The Sorcerer's Hat is a true Disney icon.
A slightly different location for the Hat would have been better.

[Mousemates]

I must admit that I like the hat....as for it making the park seem less "Hollywoodish," that really isn't such a bad thing. We visited the real thing a couple years ago and it was pretty disappointing (with the combination of vendors, street performers, hucksters, panhandlers, and other nefarious types roaming about...the area was also very dirty). We much prefer the sanitized disney version...hat included.

[AXOAlum]

I honestly have no idea what prompted them to build that hat monstrosity, but the only thing that would satisfy me is if they were using those construction walls to hide the rigging of the dynamite.

I HATE that stupid thing!

No chance Disney is using invisible paint?

love it!!

[Tinkerbell19]

I must admit that I like the hat....as for it making the park seem less "Hollywoodish," that really isn't such a bad thing. We visited the real thing a couple years ago and it was pretty disappointing (with the combination of vendors, street performers, hucksters, panhandlers, and other nefarious types roaming about...the area was also very dirty). We much prefer the sanitized disney version...hat included.

I understand how the "real" hollywood isn't anything like Disney. DIsney didn't want it to be like the "real" Hollywood. It's the fantasy of the old hollywood settings in the 40's and 50's. If you watch old movies or even television shows (for example: I Love Lucy ) they make out old Hollywood to be glamorous and exciting . (Of course the real thing isn't) So Disney took the old hollywood feel and made it to be that magical place they make it seem in the movies and television. I don't remember anything about a gigantic hat being a part of that ! Don't get me wrong, I love the Hat ...just not where they have it. Takes away the cool feeling. To me anyway!

[Goofster]

Assuming the theater holds a copyright on its design and that the dispute with Disney is true, the copyright will probably expire around 2020 (the theater was built in 1927). The copyright would only be good for about 95 years from creation. Maybe Disney is holding out until that time period and will then tear the hat down. Just speculation on my part though.

[Tink#64]

Goofster - That's a good one! Goofy - but good!

[Crow]

someone had said the hat wasnt supposed to be there.........if it had been in another spot that wasnt so bad I wouldnt have minded...but the blockage of the GMR doesnt cut it

[RocknRoller94]

Fine don't use it for promotional purposes. Just move the hat elsewhere and give us a well themed street again!

Actually, as Werner Weiss over at Yesterland points out, this probably isn't the case:

"The Internet legend doesn’t make much sense when you think about it. Guests can still see and photograph the Disney version of the Chinese Theatre—just not from as many angles as previously. To believe the legend, you would have to accept that Disney is stuck with a contract that allowed them to build a replica of the façade of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in 1989, but, if the theater were sold, would only allow guests to see it if they were looking from an angle or standing very close in front of it. "

His take is that the suits simply decided the hat was a better icon than the tower (which it is...in a different place).

I don't know. The tower's kinda cool.

[Sir Goofsalot]

They only put the hat there for photographs. Since Disney is the most photographed place worldwide. So they put it there, so when people come in they see that first and start taking pictures. And if people dont have cameras they buy it. I love disney, its just to obvisous.

[Polynesian Dweller]

Assuming the theater holds a copyright on its design and that the dispute with Disney is true, the copyright will probably expire around 2020 (the theater was built in 1927). The copyright would only be good for about 95 years from creation. Maybe Disney is holding out until that time period and will then tear the hat down. Just speculation on my part though.

Actually, it is not covered under copyright law but trademark law. Trademark covers icons, like the Coke script, the Pepsi ball, the name Sony and so on. Among the many aspects of trademark are that the registered trademark owner maintains ownership of the trademark as long as they have used it in a 5 year period. Unlike copyright it can, therefor, be trademarked forever as long as the owner activley uses it.