Graveyard of the Epcot Wand

(Sorry Dave, sorry Lisa . . . I know you loved that thing.)

Kudos to DisneyProjectTracker for capturing this footage and sharing it on YouTube.

Putting the “Center” Back in Epcot?

Spaceship Earth has returned to its unadorned, deliciously geeky and retro-futuristic self. A sight for sore eyes. And now, The Disney Blog reports that Disney may be changing Epcot’s name back to “EPCOT Center.” Woo hoo! Let’s hope it’s true!

YouTube: Muppet Mobile Lab at Epcot

Orlando Attractions Magazine and Inside the Magic podcast have posted a video to YouTube, showing Bunsen and Beaker’s Muppet Mobile Lab in its latest test run, this time at Epcot. Based on the current video, it would seem they’ve made some real progress since the tests at Disney’s California Adventure earlier this year.

A higher-resolution version is available from OA’s own video page. The Orlando Sentinel has a brief article yesterday about the Muppet Mobile Lab as well.

Dave from MouseExtra is one of many who feel that the Muppets don’t belong at Epcot. I’ve got to agree that they’d make a lot more sense at MGM. But I assume this Epcot run is mostly just a technical test, and an opportunity to get a bit more feedback from guests who interact with the Lab, so I’ll cut a little slack here for Imagineering, and hope that they’re still making the rounds when I’m back at Walt Disney World next week!

Epcot Wand Demolition Continues

Yes indeed, the wand keeps coming down! I took this picture yesterday, July 28, from near Test Track.

(Sorry Dave . . . )

It’s Official! Epcot Wand Coming Down by October 1, 2007

From the Sun-Sentinel:

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.

Epcot purists will no doubt notice that this is one of precious few times that Disney has made any public statements about the upcoming 25th anniversary. Could there be more to come?

Is the Epcot Wand Coming Down?

Once again, rumor has it that the infamous wand atop Spaceship Earth at Walt Disney World’s Epcot may be nearing its end. Kevin Yee of MiceAge.com reports:

The demolition of the wand atop Spaceship Earth has apparently cleared its last hurdle: the fiscal 2008 budget decision, and it’s a certainty now. The wondrous effects this will have on the futurism of Epcot, not the cartoonization of it, cannot be repeated often enough. Someone pointed out to me in emails, following my article about Tomorrowland losing its hope and optimism in favor of cartoons and irony, that Epcot really took up the mantle of futurism and hope when it opened in 1982. That’s quite true.

The wand is not, however, without its fans. Dave from MouseExtra defends the wand, arguing that in fact it supports Epcot’s current vibe and themes:

The general consensus is the Wand flies in the face of Epcot’s original plan of futurism, and in some ways it does. But that plan has been largely abandoned, as more attractions get updated to something less reminiscent of a World’s Fair, and now the removal of the wand seems somewhat counter to the changing winds at Epcot. If we did not have Nemo, Crush, the Three Caballeros, and who knows who else in the future, then removing the Wand would make perfect sense. But Epcot is not the corporate-driven sounding board for a hopeful future it once was, and is now a more family friendly Disney park. Seven years ago, the Wand didn’t fit the theme of the park outside of its tie-in to the millennium. But now, in a not-so-subtle way, it does.

I gotta admit, setting aside any consideration of what’s right for Disney corporate, I’ll be happy if the wand comes down. It’s purely for aesthetic reasons. The unadorned Spaceship Earth is just wonderfully retro in its space-age futurism. A return to the tomorrow we dreamed about yesterday. I can almost taste the freeze-dried ice cream now.

Honeydew and Beaker Roam California Adventure

Disney News has the story, reprinted from the LA Times:

In their first appearances at Disney’s California Adventure this week, bumbling scientist Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his meep-meeping sidekick Beaker joked and chatted with guests. The Muppets could see the color of the clothes the kids wore and the lollipops they licked — casting a slight Big Brother vibe over the proceedings. They maneuvered in a silver, egg-shaped roving laboratory outfitted with flashing lights, spinning signs, confetti cannons and smoke and water sprayers.

And joy of joys . . . The Disney Blog has a link to YouTube video! Thank goodness for the interweb.

Unlike Push or Wes Palm (YouTube video link), these animatronics are not controlled by a visible puppeteer, which will not make much of a difference to kids (who don’t notice that man wearing dark glasses, carrying a big bag, and talking into a microphone), but certainly should make the experience a bit more magical for the rest of us.

Jim Hill Gives Voice to Disneyland Operations Concerns

Jim Hill has an interesting article today about the operational implications of changes currently in the planning stages at Disneyland and California Adventure. It’s a must-read for logistics geeks like myself, and anybody who’s worked in customer service.  Imagineering gets a lot of well-deserved credit for creating excellent experiences for Guests, but Operations is often an unsung hero.

“Finding Nemo” Musical Debut

Yesterday’s Playbill has a nice article about a press event in New York City, previewing the new Finding Nemo musical, opening in November at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom.

I’m a huge fan of the Aladdin show at California Adventure, also produced by Disney Creative Entertainment, so I’m definitely looking forward to the Finding Nemo show. On the other hand, we can also hold them responsible for Cinderellabration and Snow White: An Enchanting Musical, so perhaps I shouldn’t get too excited just yet?

There’s been a lot of media attention for the show already; Google News finds plenty of articles.

Disney Imagineers Developing Beaker “Living Character?”

Jim Hill media reports that Walt Disney Imagineering is working on a semi-improvisational, roving show for California Adventure, starring Doctor Bunsen Honeydew and his much-loved, much-abused assistant, Beaker. The underlying technology would be similar to that currently in use for a number of park attractions/shows, including my personal favorite, the talking trash can sometimes found wandering around in the Tomorrowland sections of both Disneyland and Magic Kindom.

Jim Hill’s article is interesting; even if you’re not convinced about the rumored new Muppet production (not everybody considers Jim Hill a reliable source), there’s an overview of a number of similar, and currently existing, “living character” experiences, including the very popular “Turtle Talk with Crush.”