Fantasia at Disney's All-Star Movies Resort

All-Star Movies and a Big Hat

A large Sorcerer’s Hat is the centerpiece of one of the Fantasia buildings at the All-Star Movies Resort at Walt Disney World, as seen during the 2019 Band and Chorus Disney Trip.

As I was checking out the All-Star Movies Resort, where we stayed on this trip, I was interested to see the choices for the Fantasia buildings. The Sorcerer’s Hat and water-carrying brooms were from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in the original 1940 Fantasia (and yes, also in Fantasia 2000).

Across the way and not pictured here was the other Fantasia building. At its center was the large jack-in-the-box villain from The Steadfast Tin Soldier in Fantasia 2000, along with the ballerina and tin soldiers close by. I would guess that the later movie has not quite stood the test of time that the first movie did. It would not surprise me if many people did not know who those characters are.

So for my photo, I chose to focus on what is familiar. After all, most everyone still knows the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which was one of Mickey Mouse’s biggest roles.

Also, you might remember that for a while there was another Sorcerer’s Hat at Walt Disney World, specifically the one found at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It was there for several years, but it has since been removed. But this one at All-Star Movies still remains.

Things That Last

It is difficult sometimes to know what will last and what will not. For example, the All-Star Movies Resort opened in 1999, which was before the release of Fantasia 2000. It was probably a bit of a gamble to include characters from an unreleased movie as the centerpiece of one of the buildings. And as you can read above, I am not quite sure the gamble entirely paid off. Except maybe that it reminds people these days of a movie they either have not seen at all or have not seen for a long time and creates some interest in it. But I would guess that most people don’t think too much about it.

How do we know what will last and what will not last? Most likely everything that we have around us right now will not be around in 100 years. Things will break and be thrown away. Buildings will crumble and be knocked down. And even people will pass away.

That all sounds rather dark and pessimistic, doesn’t it? But that is the way of the world. Earthly things will not last.

That realization sometimes makes me stop and think about all of the time I put into various things. Is it really worth it? Yes, work is necessary because I like to eat and pay my bills and enjoy some things. But don’t get too caught up in work as your main thing, because in the long run what is it really good for? It is much better to spend more time with people that you care about than with work to make more money.

And don’t get too caught up in things. It is nice to have things, and some things can bring us some satisfaction, at least temporarily. But there again, don’t make those things your main thing.

Instead, figure out what is really important and devote a good bit of time and energy to that. It will be worth giving up some other things in the long run.

Bible Verse

Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. - Ecclesiastes 12:12-13

About the Photo

Yes, this photo is slightly dark. That is because there was not much light on the Sorcerer’s Hat, which was painted in a dark blue color, to begin with. I did like how the shapes were cut out and the light from inside the hat illuminated them. And I don’t really mind the dark look at all. I think it is rather cool.

Of course, for all of that darkness, a tripod is definitely necessary. I was glad that I had put mine in my suitcase for the trip, because this particular night when we were waiting for some of the students to come back from the parks, was the perfect time to get out the tripod and take some night photos.

Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Aurora HDR. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens
Date: March 7, 2019
Location: All-Star Movies Resort, Walt Disney World, Florida