Remove Your (Sorcerer's) Hat Before Entering the Theater

Throughout the Disney resorts in the world, there is one icon that identifies each individual park. Disneyland in California has Sleeping Beauty Castle,  the Magic Kingdom in Florida has Cinderella Castle, Epcot has Spaceship Earth, and even Animal Kingdom has the Tree of Life. The remaining  Disney park in Florida, Disney's Hollywood Studios, has some conflict regarding its icon. Ever since late 2001, the park's supposed icon has been standing jarringly out of place. That icon is the Sorcerer's Hat. The hat was featured prominently in the movie Fantasia, where it is taken by Mickey Mouse and causes some magical trouble for him.  The hat is located in front the park's Sunset Boulevard area, in a location that ruins the once picturesque view of the street. At the end of the street sits a majestic replica of Sid Grauman's Chinese Theater (which also holds the Great Movie Ride attraction), and the view of it has been obscured by the hat for the majority of Hollywood Studios' existence.

(photo from Orlando Sentinel)

The location of the hat has been loathed since it was put into the park. Most claim it to be the most disjointed aspect of Hollywood Studios. It is, by any means, lacking in cohesiveness with the rest of the Sunset Boulevard area. The architectural styles do not match, nor do the color schemes or, frankly, anything else about the two elements. The hat is colorful and modern while Sunset Boulevard is muted and vintage. Mixing the two simply makes that area of the park feel like a dime-a-dozen collection of amusements. To put it bluntly, it is not up to the Disney standard.

Fortunately for those who dislike the Sorcerer's Hat, it is going to be removed in January of next year. Many have been celebrating its impending closure. There are some families, on the other hand, lamenting the loss of the hat. They feel as if the hat is a necessary part of the park.  The removal of the hat also signifies its replacement with something different and probably better. Some theorize that this is the beginning of a reworking of the area for the upcoming films. No matter the words from either side, Disney's Hollywood Studios is going to lose a highly discussed piece of its history.