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September 25, 2007 - #43
Welcome to another week of Ask Matt where every week I try my best to answer any question about the Disney-MGM Studios from planning questions to “what happened to...” questions. So if you’ve got something you’ve been wondering about or simply need clarification, please feel free to email them to me (use the form below).
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When will the Jedi training stage open at MGM??? - Juanita
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| That's a great question and something we haven't really heard anything about, rumored or otherwise. Construction is progressing and you can see a photo of the progress from this past weekend by clicking here. As for a date, I would guestimate the opening to be late 2007 or perhaps early 2008. To me, it would make sense for it to open before the Holiday rush this year and basically it's just a stage but again, I've heard next-to-nothing regarding an opening date on this. |
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Hi, My questions may be a bit different. My 5th grade daughter is doing a structures project and instead of picking something easy to research (like the Eiffel Tower or the White house) she has chosen the Sorcerer’s Hat at MGM. I am having great difficulty finding any history on the structure. Some of the questions are…. Who built it? What is the structure’s purpose? What kind of materials were used? What are some of the unique design elements? - Kathleen |
| Great questions and some of these questions are easier than others to answer. I'll start with the purpose. The Hat is there to serve as the icon of the park. The Magic Kingdom has the castle, Epcot has Spaceship Earth and for the Studios, the old icon was the Earful Tower (This icon was used officially from 1989-2000) in the Backlot but Disney wanted a central icon all guests could see and get to (similiar to the parks) which in archetictual terms is called a "weenie" and it's mean for guests to see it as they walk in and be drawn to it. While it reflected the initial concept of the Disney-MGM Studios -- that is, as a real production studio that shot TV shows and films -- it wasn't a very attractive or approachable icon. (You could only get near it on the Backlot Tour.) And for the most part, the theme of the Disney-MGM Studios has moved away from actual production to a park that instead just "celebrates movies."
The not-so-official line on why the Hat is there is because the people who own the rights to the previous park weenie, the Great Movie Ride, did not want the building featured prominently anymore (a competitor of Disney's) and thus, the Hat was needed to block the Great Movie Ride. The hat was designed by Walt Disney Imagineering. In January of 2001 construction began on the Sorcerer's Hat, which was completed and officially opened on October 1, 2001 in recognition of the beginning of the 100 Years of Magic celebration that began at the Walt Disney World theme parks. The Hat is made of fiberglass, weighs 156 tons and has a concrete foundation that uses enough concrete to cover the length of a football field. Some of the unique design elements include the hat is painted with a custom technique called "chameleon paint", which shifts color as guests move around it. The hat required enough paint to cover 500 Cadillacs. The Mickey Ears that are on opposite sides of the hat feature a special effect called "Light Ribbons", which change color and sparkle with internal pixie dust lighting. |
| Has anyone used the single-rider lines for these rides? If so, can you describe your experience? How long did you wait? Do you skip the Aerosmith film for R&R? Where does the line start for each? Any other tidbits of info? - Holly |
| The single rider line entrance is next to the FASTPASS return entrance in the Courtyard of Rock 'n Roller Coaster and generally speaking, the wait time for the single rider line is less than the standby line. Basically you get in line and your line runs parallel to the FASTPASS line. You still see the pre-show video of the Aerosmith Band and as you exit that area, your line is "behind" the main line and you will wait until a single rider is needed. Unlike Test Track, more than likely you won't be able to ride with someone else in your party since it's 2 people per row. It isn't like the single rider line at Expedition: Everest where you really don't see anything in the line, so it's a better experience in that regard and the longer the standby line, the better it is in terms of minimizing wait time to go in the single rider line. |
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Page Last updated: 09/25/07