Silent Sunday
Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World

Tree of Life, Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World

Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World

Each park at Walt Disney World has an icon, a symbol that identifies the park. The Magic Kingdom has Cinderella Castle, Epcot has Spaceship Earth, Animal Kingdom has the Tree of Life, but Hollywood Studios has had a tough time identifying itself. It is partially due to the changing nature of this park.

When Hollywood Studios opened back in 1989 it was known as Disney – MGM Studios because of the deal with MGM to utilize film content. The park was not only a them park but an active animation studio. A lot of the early attractions focused on the movie industry. The icon at the time was the Earffel Tower, a water tower on the backlot with Mickey ears.

When the fateful Sorcerer’s Hat was installed in front of the replica of Grauman’s Chinese theater it became the icon for the park. Thankfully the late has since been removed but the current park icon is the Tower of Terror. Personally, I have always been a fan of the Crossroads of the World, which is a replica of the actual structure on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Crystal Arts, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World

Vacation time! I suppose it should be no surprise that I’m in Walt Disney World. I arrived in Florida late Saturday afternoon and spent my first evening down at Disney Springs (the area formally known as Downtown Disney). My first day (Sunday) had to be the Magic Kingdom. I try to start with the classics… 🙂

I arrived at the park early and explored as much as possible with my camera. After the park officially opened and guests could leave the hub, I rode quite a few rides before deciding it was time for lunch. On my way down Main Street I stopped in Crystal Arts. This is the glassworks store of the Arribas Brothers in the Magic Kingdom. My interest wasn’t in the intricate glass sculptures, it was the glassblower at the back of the store.

Most days there are demonstrations. My luck was running high yesterday as the next demo was in 15 minutes. Lunch could wait. I hoped it would be the craftsman I have watched before (I stop every visit). My goal was to capture a few images of the process.

Score! It was Charlie! Not only is he talented, he interacts well with the crowd. At first I was the only one watching. I don’t think many people know about this opportunity, but as the demo goes on Charlie attracts quite a few onlookers. You need to invest the time. The whole demo was about 40 minutes with another 10 minutes of conversation at the end.

I was fortunate to get a few good images…