The Sorcerer's Hat is the icon of Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...

, one of four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...

 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Lake Buena Vista is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being home to the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of two Florida municipalities controlled by The Walt Disney Company, the other being Bay Lake....

. It replaced the Earful Tower

Earful Tower

The Earful Tower is an icon used in Disney theme parks. The tower is based on water towers commonly found on Hollywood studio backlots of the first half of the 1900s, originally a safety measure to douse any fires on the film sets. The tower resembles the water tower found at the Walt Disney...

 as the theme park's icon in marketing material. Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...

's gloved hand and ears underneath the hat are visible emerging from the ground.

History

Built in front of The Great Movie Ride

The Great Movie Ride

The Great Movie Ride is an attraction at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park. It is a dark ride which takes guests through scenes from famous films throughout motion picture history....

, The Sorcerer's Hat debuted on September 28, 2001 as part of the 100 Years of Magic celebration at Walt Disney World Resort. The structure was inspired by the Sorcerer's Apprentice segment in Walt Disney

Walt Disney

Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...

's 1940 animated film Fantasia

Fantasia (film)

Fantasia is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions. The third feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are...

.

During the celebration, interactive kiosks were installed underneath The Sorcerer's Hat where guests could learn about Walt Disney's life and career. When the celebration ended in early 2003, the kiosks were removed.

On May 20, 2011, the Sorcerer's Hat served as the venue for the grand opening ceremony for Star Tours: The Adventures Continue

Star Tours: The Adventures Continue

Star Tours: The Adventures Continue is an attraction located at Disneyland Park and at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is also set to open at Tokyo Disneyland in Spring 2013. Set in the fictional Star Wars universe, The Adventures Continue updates the two parks' original Star Tours attractions...

.

Present

It currently is used as a venue for pin trading and sales. It also serves as a backdrop to many special events and shows. Disney Channel Rocks! is a new show that culminates several dances from several shows on Disney Channel

Disney Channel

Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...

that performs several times a day in front of the hat. Disney characters make meet and greet appearances around the hat throughout the day.