How about a Liberty Square expansion?

FettFan

FettFan

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Nobody counts Liberty Square as a true "land" these days. It's just a junction point to get from Fantasyland to Frontierland. Thus, the Haunted Mansion technically does not reside in a land...it's kind of just off by itself doing its own thing.

Then I found this article over at Imaginerding. Apparently, the original concept for Liberty Square was going to have it more akin to its New Orleans counterpart over at Disneyland. You would actually be in the center of a bustling New England town, circa 1776.

However....budgets got in the way, and as a result a lot of what was planned never made it. The only piece added to LS was Liberty Square Market/Glorified Picnic Area.

I say...

1. Start plussing the little backside bit of LS that nobody pays attention to. If you're walking to Adventureland from the Hub...look to your right and you will see a smaller bridge going to the backside. There's nothing much there right now...just the back entrance to the Christmas Shop and the Silhouette portrait studio. Plus the hell out of it...make it something worth something.

2. Re-theme the Diamond Horseshoe to Liberty Square. Disney considers DH to be Liberty Square real estate. In the words of Jean-Luc Picard, "MAKE IT SO!"

3. Tear down Liberty Square Market/Glorified Picnic Area. Then build what was planned to make it a more immersive environment.

Photo lovingly borrowed/blatantly ripped off from George Taylor at Imaginerding.



I also wouldn't mind Hall of Presidents being gutted and turned something substantial (43 Presidents, but only three speak...the other just nod heads, get fidgety in their seats, or whisper to each other)....but a lack of space makes that impossible without killing Peter Pan or Philharmagic.
 
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MarkTwain

MarkTwain

Well-Known Member
Great ideas here. It's a shame Liberty Square, like New Orleans Square in Disneyland, is so land-locked by three surrounding lands, but it certainly seems like there are interesting stories left to be told about colonial America if the space could be found. New Orleans Square succeeds most in its dense layering and winding paths, while Liberty Square is more of an open plaza, which in my opinion makes the latter not as strong as the former. Perhaps building some "back alleys" in the spaces proposed, with some specialty shops in between, would address that. I'm not sure how I would feel about removing HoP, given the degree to which it was custom-designed for MK/WDW - in some sources it sounds like Liberty Square was built almost to justify the concept of HoP - but there's no denying it's not the huge draw for crowds it once was, and if a replacement was strong enough I imagine it could be justified.
 
marni1971

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
There's a reason it was always referred to as Frontierland/Liberty Square. It has always been a mini-land.

The Market area is actually the HoP overflow line. They just made use of it. Rightly or wrongly. Reusing the Diamond Horseshoe for its original purpose would be a start though.
 
MikeTaylorSound

MikeTaylorSound

Well-Known Member
Walking through Liberty Square is always tight (especially if you're near Fantasyland by the Rapunzel bathrooms), I can't imagine a building there... think about how crowded it would be trying to get through near parade time... OMG.
 
MarkTwain

MarkTwain

Well-Known Member
marni1971 said:
There's a reason it was always referred to as Frontierland/Liberty Square. It has always been a mini-land.

The Market area is actually the HoP overflow line. They just made use of it. Rightly or wrongly. Reusing the Diamond Horseshoe for its original purpose would be a start though.
Click to expand...

Is the area ever actually used for HOP overflow, even during the holidays, or was that just the space's original intent? If the area's never used for that purpose then the current use is just fine by my book.

The challenge with Diamond Horseshoe is that while geographically located in Liberty Square, the concept of the building itself is quintessentially Western. As such, I would imagine any use of the space (most likely a Western style revue or restaurant) would expand more on the concept of Frontierland than of Liberty Square.
 
MarkTwain

MarkTwain

Well-Known Member
And as long as we're talking Liberty Square... everyone know what that brown streak of the pavement down the middle of the paths in the aerial photo above is supposed to represent?

Here's a hint: something you'd probably find gathered in the middle of actual 1700s streets. :D

(At least according to the orientation tour they give Magic Kingdom cast members)
 
M

Mrs.Toad

Well-Known Member
Mmm…I don't know. I never thought about this.

We've got HM. Great HM merch. Great restaurant (LTT) Wonderful food and I am a bit biased because they were so nice to us on the lunch with my DH on my honeymoon. Great QS…ok, awesome QS (CHH) The iconic Hall of Presidents. The Liberty Belle. Some shops, ok, one is closing. The baked potato cart…LOL! Sorry, lovin' it!

It would 100% depend on what they would do and an assurance that NOTHING gets removed.

Also, remember, the same theme is at American Adventure. Would it oversaturate? Get too into Colonial Williamsburg territory? Not sure, but it popped into my head.

Eh, I might want another Land touched first.
 
Weather_Lady

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
FettFan said:
I also wouldn't mind Hall of Presidents being gutted and turned something substantial (43 Presidents, but only three speak...the other just nod heads, get fidgety in their seats, or whisper to each other)....but a lack of space makes that impossible without killing Peter Pan or Philharmagic.
Click to expand...

Do what you want to ADD to Liberty Square or revitalize what has been allowed to become dormant (e.g., Golden Horseshoe), but for heaven's sake, why would anyone want to GUT Hall of Presidents? It's a room full of living, breathing, blinking, speaking American history! That's not "substantial"? It's still a great attraction and fits in better than anything else with the theme of Liberty Square. If you let WDW tear it apart, they'd likely replace it with Stitch's American Adventure or an Incredibles Meet-and-Greet, or something equally stupid and discordant.

ADD, don't subtract! PLUS, don't replace!
 
FireChiefGoofy

FireChiefGoofy

Well-Known Member
MarkTwain said:
And as long as we're talking Liberty Square... everyone know what that brown streak of the pavement down the middle of the paths in the aerial photo above is supposed to represent?

Here's a hint: something you'd probably find gathered in the middle of actual 1700s streets. :D

(At least according to the orientation tour they give Magic Kingdom cast members)
Click to expand...

It's the 1700s version of the sewer.
 
M

Mrs.Toad

Well-Known Member
Stitch's American Adventure….I just picture a scary-faced Stitch with a sparkly Uncle Sam costume. LOL!

I agree. Hall of Presidents, animatronics, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln…doesn't get more Walt than that. It can't go anywhere.
 

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