Epcot VP Announces Removal of Mickey Mouse Arm and Wand Structure

Mickey Arm, Wand Coming Down From Spaceship Sphere

Scott Powers| Staff Writer
Orlando Sentinel
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, a 180-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

At 257 feet, the arm-glove-wand addition to the Epcot dome made the structure the tallest point in all of Walt Disney World.

Once it comes down, the tallest points according to Sentinel research will be two structures both estimated at 199 feet tall -- the Tower of Terror at MGM Studios and the new Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom.

The tallest point in the Magic Kingdom is Cinderella's Castle at 180 feet.

In terms of park centerpieces, Epcot's dome and Magic Kingdom's castle will both be the tallest, followed by Animal Kingdom's Tree of Life at 145 feet and then the sorcerer's hat at MGM standing at 100 feet tall.
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The following is the internal announcement regarding the removal project:

Quote:

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Mickey Mouse Gloved Hand and Wand to Be Removed from Spaceship Earth

As we did with Cinderella Castle for our 50th anniversary celebration, from time to time, we add special treatments to our icons to enhance or “dress them up” for our celebrations and then restore them back to their original state. As a result, beginning July 9, the Mickey Mouse gloved hand and wand treatment that was installed on Spaceship Earth at Epcot as part of the Millennium Celebration and then updated for the 100 years of Magic celebration will be removed. The timing was ideal to restore Spaceship Earth to its original, classic look, since the venue was already scheduled for enhancement work through November. We anticipate the restoration effort will be complete by mid-September.

Many people have asked if the structure will be donated to a local museum or park, but since it is going to take nearly three months to remove, it is doubtful that it will be maintained in one piece. In addition, the size of Mickey’s gloved hand, the wand and the “Epcot” logo weigh nearly 50 tons and each letter in the logo is 36 feet tall. Those letters are also covered with more than 250,000 reflective eye-catchers.

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Well, this will make lots of people happy:thumbsup:

My DS3 will not be happy about this!! This will upset him for sure.... oh well, change happens! I never had a problem with the wand....just the hat at MGM! :D

Does this mean there is going to be some kind of 25th anniversary celebration????

That will make me happy if they do, do something.

1) THANK YOU!

2) You have made my day!
3) After the celebration, I wanted the hand down.
4) The ball IS the ball.
5) Spaceship Earth IS Spaceship Earth.
6) Who ever heard of a space ship with a hand attached?
7) Who ever heard of the Earth with a hand attached?
8) I don't need a hand to tell me it is Epcot.
9) And I am sure others don't, either.

I like that wand and I'm upset it's coming down.

For me and my family, we will see the ball as naked. :( We have not seen the ball without the wand or hand. It is like the castle, it will seem naked to us with the charaters missing. :) but, progress must move foward.:thedolls:

Well, I don't know. I wish there was more warning. Another thing I would have taken more pictures of if I had known. I need another memory card or whatever they're called for my digital camera. DH actually likes the wand and "Epcot" words up there. Also, we saw it at all times of the day and night while staying at the BC and that was so cool. So I thought I would be happy if they took it down but now I am torn. Funny.

Another thing- I went to WDW with my family when they were first adding the stuff to Spaceship Earth for the 2000 celebration (The cranes were up, they were working on it while we were there), and then we were back the next year to see it up... And then I've seen it a lot now with it as "Epcot".... The only thing that's never going to change is that everything is going to change, right?

Not happy at all....:nope:

:fit:


:sob:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheRustyScupper

1) THANK YOU!

2) You have made my day!
3) After the celebration, I wanted the hand down.
4) The ball IS the ball.
5) Spaceship Earth IS Spaceship Earth.
6) Who ever heard of a space ship with a hand attached?
7) Who ever heard of the Earth with a hand attached?
8) I don't need a hand to tell me it is Epcot.
9) And I am sure others don't, either.

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You have just crafted a perfect post.

This makes my day! :D

This is great news! Spceship Earth will be itself again.

I think the only time I have seen SSE without the wand was in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Good thing DW and I got a good picture from the WS side back in Feb. (The pics with our camera was much better than the ones on PhotoPass!!!)

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!

It will be so nice to have Epcot and Spaceship Earth, back to the original design, and they way I rememebered it when I walked through the gates in 1985.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ibrowse17

Well, this will make lots of people happy:thumbsup:

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Not me i liked the wand and the letters and all. now i'm mad, sad, and confused.:(

I've never seen it without the hand and wand...so for me, it's going to look like something is missing...kinda plain! :(

I liked the wand too...boring old ball anyways....:mad: Now maybe the continuous thread about how dreadful it is will die....oh wait we still have to complain about the hat at MGM, right??? Which BTW I also like....

I'm excited for this and sad at the same time. I didn't like it when they first put it up, but then I grew used to it and even (dare I say) began to like it. The "presence" of it will be missed.

I'm pretty much an architecture and Disney purist but I kind of liked the wand and letters/numbers. Especially how it sparkled -- but maybe that's because a girl can never have too many sparkles. :tink:

:(

Well...I dont care if it is there or gone to be honest. But I am getting bumbed out with all of the things that are going to be "worked" on while I am going.

We leave in two weeks and I hope I dont have to look at half of an arm standing there.

Do you think it will be cleaned up enough to be presentable while we are on our trip?

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Originally Posted by snifflesmcg

I like that wand and I'm upset it's coming down.

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ME TOOOO!

Now we can all go back to referring to it as "That Ugly Golf Ball looking Thing!!!"

Quote:

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I've never seen it without the hand and wand...so for me, it's going to look like something is missing...kinda plain!

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I, too, have never seen it without the hand and wand...I think I'm going to miss it. Just like those folks who have memories of SE without all the decorations, there are those of us who will remember our first trip to WDW with SE containing the hand and wand. I know times must change, and I will grow used to the "new" look, however that hand, wand, and the words EPCOT will always have special place in my heart. Cheesy...I know. :mickey:

Now that the arm and wand are going to be removed Disney can move forward with that Callaway Golf sponsorship and have a 550 foot long Great Big Bertha making contact. After all, Spaceship Earth is teed up perfectly!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ibelieveindisneymagic

I've never seen it without the hand and wand...so for me, it's going to look like something is missing...kinda plain! :(

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Ditto!

I din't mind it, but I'm glad it's coming down. I like Spaceship Earth better without it.:thumbsup:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mickey'sGirl

I never had a problem with the wand....just the hat at MGM! :D

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:ditto: I'll be sad to see it go. But, at least we have some pictures of it for memories.

:( I guess I'm not a purist, b/c I liked the hand & the wand... I'll miss seeing it. Not that I disliked the "plain" sphere, but I liked the Mickey touch. Oh well - it certainly won't change how much I like the park - the sphere will just look empty (to me) for awhile.

I for one am happy it is coming down. I have never been to Epcot without it being there and have always wanted it back the way the original imagineers had invisioned it. :mickey:

For all of those who are upset that the wand is coming down please remember that you are also the people who want the world to go back the way it used to be in the past and this is just a step towards that direction. :thumbsup:

Hip, Hip, Hooray:party::mickey::number1::thumbsup:

How disruptive do you think the dismantling will be?
We are going in September and I read that there will be a crane in MK also because of the castle Christmas decorating.....

We are going to have some interesting photos with cranes!

YIPPEE!!! It's about time!

:dance::clappy::woohoo::yay:

I prefer Spaceship Earth without the wand so this is good news. If I had a choice I would have preferred that they get rid of the monoliths at the entrance of EPCOT and kept the wand.

We ordered the most recent vacation planning video that arrived a week or so ago and in two seperate scenes they showed Spaceship Earth without the wand so this news didn't strike me as a surprise.

Awesome, just awesome. EPCOT is getting a lot of love these days, and for good reason. Now what do you think will replace WOL......:beer:

I am really bummed. The hand & wand never bothered me like it so bothered others. I liked the festive, sparkly greeting and it gave the ball that exciting and interesting preview for the greatness that is Epcot. It's not a big deal because Epcot is still my favorite of all the parks but I really liked the hand & wand. I hate to say it (and I know the purists totally don't agree) but it gave a bit of Mickey to Epcot- Epcot isn't very "Disney" if you know what I mean- I know it wasn't envisioned that way by Walt but it is a Disney park. Just the hint of Mickey Mouse's arm on the ball was enough to get me so happy to be there. I know it sounds silly...

Frankly it about time. :number1: I have never understood the logic behind having a huge sign on the ball telling everyone that this is EPCOT. After traveling by car, bus or monorail and reading hearing or seeing that you are approaching or entering EPCOT do you really need a sign. SSE is sign enough. It is the icon of EPCOT. It would be like putting a similar sign structure on the rock face at Mount Rushmore. If you can figure out that you are at EPCOT without the wand, stars and huge name, you have got serious problems that require immediate and possibly prolonged medical assistance.:ill:

:(Our entire family is very sad about this change.... our very first trip to Epcot was in 2000 when this was up and to us it is part of the "Childhood" Memories for my kids!!

Even my husband said that it is a shame they are taking it down. My girls are very confused, because everytime we go we take a family photo in front of it; now things will be different!! Not very happy about this, but not like I have a choice!!!:(

The wand added character to the golf ball, especially at night.

After Siemens, the next sponsor will be Nike Golf, or Titleist. It can be Spaceship Earth, version fore.
:golf:

I'm with you, Ricbr- I leave in TWO days for WDW, with our first Epcot day being on Monday. If there if a crane next to Spaceship Earth, I will be :mad:. Not only can I not goooo on SE, I can't even take good pictures with it! Who wants a big stinkin construction site in their picture? I didn't mind the wand really. I thought it looked cool at night, but it doesn't bother me that it's coming down. What DOES bother me is the short notice of this announcement. Whatever, I'll still have fun, but I really don't want my friend's first time seeing Epcot ruined by some huge crane. :(

:number1::thumbsup::yay::clappy::high5::joy::cheer ::cheers:

This totally makes up for SSE being closed during my next trip!!

Having first seen just the "pure" ball, I always thought the sign looked like it was just tacked on. I don't really care one way or the other, but it's actually suprising to me that it took this long to take down what was obviously to me a temporary decoration.

P.S. I really hate golf and never thought it looked like a golf ball.....