Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

[asdfasdfa]

Hey guys, first post! I just wanted to share that I saw this 2006 t-shirt on ebay recently, and it features a wandless Spaceship Earth! I'm not sure if this is a regular practice on most of the Epcot merchandise, but maybe it's sign of the changes to come.:thumbup:

[FrumiousBoojum]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

Well, with the 25th anniversary coming, plus the inclusion of Figment, I'm sure it has more to do with nostalgia than anything. I'm sure the wand isn't going anywhere for a loooong time.

[kcnole]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

what's curious is that I've seen more than one piece of marketing for Epcot from Disney without the wand. I think most people realize it's more aesthetically pleasing without that dadgum wand, it's just a matter of getting someone to realize that it'll help in the end to remove it.

[SpookyBear]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

I saw those when I went to Epcot recently and I pointed it out to my friend. I said, "Oh my god look! No wand!" and the cast member who was standing there got a good chuckle out of it.

[CUatDL]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

Oh, I do so hope they remove the wand. Now if we can just get rid of the cemetary out front.

Just MHO, YMMV,

[email protected]

Andy

[BigPigletFan]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

Well, with the 25th anniversary coming, plus the inclusion of Figment, I'm sure it has more to do with nostalgia than anything. I'm sure the wand isn't going anywhere for a loooong time.

Probably so. As the average, non-Disney freak guest seems to enjoy the wand? Or so I've been told...

[DoppelV]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

I almost wonder if it's sort of a disclaimer. Last year during the WDW commercials for Soarin' they had a bunch of penguins who walked to Epcot, and when they past SSE, it also was without the wand. I wonder if this is Disney's way of saying, when you come the wand may be here or it may not, but SSE is going to be here regardless. If this were the case, it would seem as though Disney can't decide what it's going to do with the wand, but for the time being, it can just sit there.

Personally, I hate the wand. When I worked at the front entrance of Epcot last year, I wished every day that when I came to work I would see cranes there to take it down.

But I do know that it can't stay up there forever!

[aimster]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

Last year during the WDW commercials for Soarin' they had a bunch of penguins who walked to Epcot, and when they past SSE, it also was without the wand.

I noticed that too and I've notied on other recent WDW commercials they've "hidden" the wand in SSE shots. May be a foreteller of things to come?

[Jessicalover]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

I hate that wand as much as anyone it ruins the very view of the area. I often wish I could rent a nice piece of heavy machinery get a bunch of chains and personaly break in and tear that sucker down myself.

[horizonsfan92]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

I actually don't care for the wand but, I can live with it, it doesn't bug me THAT much.

As for it going anywhere. I was told a couple of years ago by a fairly well informed CM (this is where everyone goes "oh god....") that the wand's main purpose is to serve as the 200 ft. air marker for the WDW resort. That's the main reason for it not coming down. Hopefully that helps.

[lazyboy97O]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

I actually don't care for the wand but, I can live with it, it doesn't bug me THAT much.

As for it going anywhere. I was told a couple of years ago by a fairly well informed CM (this is where everyone goes "oh god....") that the wand's main purpose is to serve as the 200 ft. air marker for the WDW resort. That's the main reason for it not coming down. Hopefully that helps.

Well if a pilot just so happened to fly into Walt Disney World airspace he'd have some explaining to do to the FAA. Walt Disney World is restricted airspace.

[CowofDisney]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

Well if a pilot just so happened to fly into Walt Disney World airspace he'd have some explaining to do to the FAA. Walt Disney World is restricted airspace.

Really thats interesting.
I think that they should be exempt from putting a red light on top of things over 200 ft then, if no one can fly there then why do they need a warning?

[Thempark78]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

I actually don't care for the wand but, I can live with it, it doesn't bug me THAT much.

As for it going anywhere. I was told a couple of years ago by a fairly well informed CM (this is where everyone goes "oh god....") that the wand's main purpose is to serve as the 200 ft. air marker for the WDW resort. That's the main reason for it not coming down. Hopefully that helps.

I was told, when I worked at MGM, that the only part of Disney that had the restricted airspace was the Magic Kingdom. This was solely for Disney themeing so guests wouldn't be in Frontierland and see a Boeing 747 come flying overhead.

[Melonballer]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

You know, I don't hate the wand. However, I wouldn't mind if they removed it. Perhaps they could move it and the Wizard Mickey hat from MGM and put them together somewhere else on the property.

[Doopey1]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

WDW (and DLR) were designated as restricted airspace in 2003. This was done ostensibly for homeland security reasons, but the rumor was that the Disney lobbyists just used that as an excuse to accomplish something that Disney had wanted long before 9/11 but were unable to.

[WDW1974]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

what's curious is that I've seen more than one piece of marketing for Epcot from Disney without the wand. I think most people realize it's more aesthetically pleasing without that dadgum wand, it's just a matter of getting someone to realize that it'll help in the end to remove it.

DADGUM?!?!?

Your Bobby Bowden roots are showing!

[asdfasdfa]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

Hey I just quickly made this humorous and scary image to show how the sign and wand turns Spaceship Earth into a label, not an architectural statement..

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/cupanudles/csj1c.jpg

[captsmith84]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

WDW (and DLR) were designated as restricted airspace in 2003. This was done ostensibly for homeland security reasons, but the rumor was that the Disney lobbyists just used that as an excuse to accomplish something that Disney had wanted long before 9/11 but were unable to.

In 2005 the Dept. of Homeland Security decided it was un-necessary for the airspace to remain restricted at all times, and now will only become restricted during High or Severe periods of terrorist threat. (red or orange) Currently we're at yellow, and the air space is not restricted.

Anyway, the wand has nothing to do with being the FAA marker for WDW, it has a FAA beacon on it simply because of its height. The wand can be removed at any time, and hasn't been yet simply due to cost.

[Doopey1]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

^^Yes, but I think the burden is still on the pilot to get a waiver from the restrictions. During Red or Orange times, the waiver is unavailable. I could be wrong about that.

[DizHistory]

Re: Wandless Spaceship Earth spotted in new T-shirt..

) How about if it held a melonballer instead?