Originally Posted By bayrr326 <a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/busin...l_tab01_layout" target="_blank">http://www.orlandosentinel.com /busin...l_tab01_layout</a> Mickey arm, wand coming down from Spaceship sphere Scott Powers Sentinel Staff Writer 11:13 AM EDT, July 5, 2007 The 257-foot-tall Mickey Mouse arm, glove and wand logo structure at Epcot is coming down. Epcot Vice President Jim MacPhee announced this morning that the time has come to remove the structure, which has served both as a colorful, lighted Epcot sign since 2000, and as a lightning rod for criticism from Epcot purists who contended the image was out of character for Epcot's architecture. The structure leans on Epcot's previous and future iconic figure, the Spaceship Earth Pavilion, a180-foot geodesic sphere that can be seen for miles. The arm and glove went up for Walt Disney World's 2000 millennium celebration. Now, however, with but with Epcot's 25th anniversary this fall, and the temporary closing of Spaceship Earth ride, MacPhee said, "We think the timing of the removal is right." Deconstruction of the 50-ton structure begins Monday, and will be completed shortly before the park's 25th anniversary, October 1. Also coming down are the 36-foot-high "Epcot" letters and colored stars splashing across the sphere. Also Monday, the Spaceship Earth ride will close to complete a refurbishing sponsored by Siemans AG. The work should be done by November, MacPhee said
Originally Posted By vbdad55 OK-- (until October to get it all down ? ) -- will check progress next month . Now - onward - get that HAT moved !
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Yes, I think Spirit of 74 did mention this bit of news like..2 months ago?
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Forgot to add... this restores my faith in WDW. Great news. Now, if they could only bulldoze the hat at MGM, all will be well again in the kingdom.
Originally Posted By bayrr326 <<Yes, I think Spirit of 74 did mention this bit of news like..2 months ago?>> Yeah, I know he did but this is the first official word from the company so I thought it was important. <<Forgot to add... this restores my faith in WDW. Great news. Now, if they could only bulldoze the hat at MGM, all will be well again in the kingdom.>> I don't know if it restores my faith in WDW. I don't think it will truly be restored until MK and the Studios are truly fixed. Then my faith maybe restored but this is definately a step in the right direction.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Forgot to add... this restores my faith in WDW. Great news. Now, if they could only bulldoze the hat at MGM, all will be well again in the kingdom.< and while that bulldoze is warmed up -- drive it over to Fantasyland for a little romp thru the Poo playground
Originally Posted By jmuboy This is GREAT GREAT GREAT News!!!! I'm so happy. Now it's time to start a "KILL THE HAT" campaign!
Originally Posted By DAR Wow I never knew this created such hatred. I saw the wand a few years back. It didn't bother me either way.
Originally Posted By figment1986 I know it will end up being a team effort with taking progress photos... I still want to see the first E coming down. (and they are also mentioning 25th anniversary in the article. amazing) -goes back to parting like its 1989-
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Yes, I think Spirit of 74 did mention this bit of news like..2 months ago?>> Yes, thanks for remembering. But I'm very, very, very, very to the nth degree happy to say: TOLD YOU SO!!! It may just be a symbol being removed, but IMHO it's a symbol of all that's gone wrong at WDW since the late 1990s ... tacky, gaudy, in-your-face marketing over real quality Disney entertainment. Hopefully, this is the start of some very good things. Some folks just need Mouse-mouthpiece Scott Powers to write about things before they're 'official.' I wonder when Disney will let him release the news on the DVC Tower at the Contemporary ... likely sooner than expected as DVC is putting a 'rush job' on getting the AKL Villas up and running because so many folks already know Disney's worst kept secret is going up on the shores of Bay Lake!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I don't think it will truly be restored until MK and the Studios are truly fixed. Then my faith maybe restored but this is definately a step in the right direction. >> Agreed on both counts. But this is still significant, even if it just symbolic. That baby was supposed to stay up until 2009 to defray its 'costs' and likely indefinitely after that. The fact it is coming down and that SSE will return to its natural state of beauty in time for its 25th can't be played down. Look at this way: for the MK's 25th they tarted up the castle in the cheapest, ugliest, tackiest way possible ... and what came next was a decade of decline at that park ... in contrast, EPCOT is having its ugly, tacky, cheap appendage lopped off in time for its 25th anniversary. Sometimes there's a lot more to be said for symbolism than just what you see on the surface.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA This is great news. I wonder if the slatherers on WDWMagic are eating any crow this morning?
Originally Posted By AuroraRose <<for the MK's 25th they tarted up the castle in the cheapest, ugliest, tackiest way possible>>> Awww....Spirit you didn't like the bright and happy cake the castle was transformed into? I thought it was smashing.... (and by that, I mean someone should have taken a crane and smashed it : ))
Originally Posted By Labuda can't wait to get there 10 days from now to get some pictures of the construction. Hmmmmm, does this desconstruction mena EVERYONE will have to cross on the right of SSE when entedring Future World from the main entrance for the next few months?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Hmmmmm, does this desconstruction mena EVERYONE will have to cross on the right of SSE when entedring Future World from the main entrance for the next few months?>> You should be used to crossing on the (faaaaaaar) right ... being from Texas and all ;-)
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<This is great news. I wonder if the slatherers on WDWMagic are eating any crow this morning?>> Doubt it. They'll likley rewrite history and say they either knew it all the time or that it was just decided (you know on the Fourth as a present to all us patriots!)
Originally Posted By Skellington88 Spirit of 74 rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully his complaints about the magic kingdom will be heard by Disney's upper managment and great improvements will come to that park!
