This is a week of change at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as the park begins making way for ‘refurbishments’, as they like to call it around the park.

With those changes, we also bid farewell to Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat – the focal point of the park since 2001 as part of the park’s “100 Years of Magic” celebration in honor of Walt Disney’s 100th birthday.

Some Disney fans are sad to see it go, while others are cheering its demise. I’m somewhat impartial to my allegiance for the hat. However, I will miss it for my girls. Mickey’s sorcerer hat is the only view they’ve ever known. It’s been a piece of history for our family.

So this past weekend, we made a quick trip to the park for our final ‘hat’ goodbye. We took some family photos and I may have cried a few tears. Maggie calls Disney’s Hollywood Studios the “park with Mickey’s hat” – so I know this will be a time of change for the park and her too. All of us.

As we left the park on Saturday night, I kept telling myself that this view, this feeling and this place would never be the same. I didn’t want to leave and kept finding myself looking back over my shoulder.

My girls may be too young to remember it now, but one day I hope they can look back at these pictures and remember the fun dance parties, character meet/greets and the love this park has brought to our family. And a pretty cool hat, too.

And with that, I bid farewell to the hat and said hello again to the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, just beyond the hat. I’m excited to create new memories with my family – all with a new view.

Farewell, friend….