Friday 30 May 2008

Howdy Partners

One of the statues seen at most of the Disney Magic Kingdom parks throughout the world is the Partners Statue. Whilst Disneyland Paris has the statue, it is actually in the Walt Disney Studios Park. Once you exit Disney Studio 1 you come face to face with the statue of Walt Disney holding Mickey Mouse, pointing behind you.

Whilst I miss the statue from Parc Disneyland, I think that its inclusion in the Studios is great. Because the park is dedicated to Walt Disney and his movie legacy, it makes sense to have the statue greet you when you enter the main part of the park.

The Partners Statue is located in an area that is currently undergoing a re-vamp. Originally name Production Courtyard, the area is being transformed into Hollywood Blvd, mainly thanks to the construction of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
My only issue with the statue being there is that Walt is pointing towards something - in the Magic Kingdom parks, I get the impression he is pointing over what he has created, as if to say 'Look how far we've come, Mickey!'. But in Walt Disney Studios, when the park was opened, there wasn't really very much there...in my opinion, not that much to be proud of. However, you could interpret Walt in this park as saying 'Look how much we can do here, Mickey!', showing more optimism than in the Magic Kingdom parks.

Talking about comparing Magic Kingdom parks, please take some time to have a look at the fantabulous 5 Kingdoms blog. CheriBibi does a great job looking at the different Magic Kingdom-style parks, with some amazing photos!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

It is an amazing sculpture.

I have seen the artwork for that area of the Parc and it is going to be amazing...and a lot closer to that DCA is going to be in a few years.

Princess Fee said...

I cannot wait until that part of the park is completed - I think it will really change the atmosphere and the ambiance of the Studios.
Just like I can't wait for DCA to be complete too!
We're just so impatient us Disney Geeks...

Ryan P. Wilson said...

I think impatience is one of the defining qualities of the Disney Geek. taht, or we're just a bunch of really excited/excitable people!

No matter how many times I see this sculpture, I am still amazed by it. What a treasure!