Main Street U.S.A. hub redevelopment at the Magic Kingdom

[JediMasterMatt]

The one constant in each one of these updates (besides the lack of progress) is how rare it is to see anyone actually working. There in lay the heart of the problem.

TDO doesn't want to pay the costs associated with quick development - they would rather spread it out over as many quarters as possible.

Before the PixieDusters balk and say "they are doing the work after hours to minimize the noise and disruption to the park", they should ask - is a Band Aid better pulled off slowly or as quickly as possible. It seems in TDO, they want to make sure that the guests feel every single hair being pulled.

I still can't get over the lack of care towards show quality in the heart of the Magic Kingdom. If they wanted, this refurb could've be done in a month or so if they were willing to spend the money for it and adequately staff the project and work more hours with more people.

Instead of a month or so of heavy construction, every guest for an entire year gets to enjoy this eyesore.

Maybe I'm wrong and there's more complexity to this project with unannounced features still to come - like DVC kiosks built to hold up to the high demand of their new Value Resort offerings or something?

 

[DznyGrlSD]

Totally ruins the illusion that you're NOT on the 2nd "floor" of the Magic Kingdom when you're on main street.

 

[peter11435]

The one constant in each one of these updates (besides the lack of progress) is how rare it is to see anyone actually working. There in lay the heart of the problem.

TDO doesn't want to pay the costs associated with quick development - they would rather spread it out over as many quarters as possible.

Before the PixieDusters balk and say "they are doing the work after hours to minimize the noise and disruption to the park", they should ask - is a Band Aid better pulled off slowly or as quickly as possible. It seems in TDO, they want to make sure that the guests feel every single hair being pulled.

I still can't get over the lack of care towards show quality in the heart of the Magic Kingdom. If they wanted, this refurb could've be done in a month or so if they were willing to spend the money for it and adequately staff the project and work more hours with more people.

Instead of a month or so of heavy construction, every guest for an entire year gets to enjoy this eyesore.

Maybe I'm wrong and there's more complexity to this project with unannounced features still to come - like DVC kiosks built to hold up to the high demand of their new Value Resort offerings or something?

If this project were being worked on 24 hours a day people just like yourself would be complaining about that too. People on here would be complaining about construction noise and seeing constructions workers and talking endlessly about how the disney of Walt's era and the 70's - 80's would have done the work at night when guests weren't around.

 

[WDWLover#1]

The one constant in each one of these updates (besides the lack of progress) is how rare it is to see anyone actually working. There in lay the heart of the problem.

TDO doesn't want to pay the costs associated with quick development - they would rather spread it out over as many quarters as possible.

Before the PixieDusters balk and say "they are doing the work after hours to minimize the noise and disruption to the park", they should ask - is a Band Aid better pulled off slowly or as quickly as possible. It seems in TDO, they want to make sure that the guests feel every single hair being pulled.

I still can't get over the lack of care towards show quality in the heart of the Magic Kingdom. If they wanted, this refurb could've be done in a month or so if they were willing to spend the money for it and adequately staff the project and work more hours with more people.

Instead of a month or so of heavy construction, every guest for an entire year gets to enjoy this eyesore.

Maybe I'm wrong and there's more complexity to this project with unannounced features still to come - like DVC kiosks built to hold up to the high demand of their new Value Resort offerings or something?

I think they've chosen night because guests would hear construction as well. DAWM and FOF would'nt be gr8 if you could hear loud construction noises. I know it's annoying that it looks they're doing nothing but I think they're thinking of the guests. Hearing chainsaws and diggers doesn't sound great infront of the castle.

 

[NeXuS1000]

The one constant in each one of these updates (besides the lack of progress) is how rare it is to see anyone actually working. There in lay the heart of the problem.

TDO doesn't want to pay the costs associated with quick development - they would rather spread it out over as many quarters as possible.

Before the PixieDusters balk and say "they are doing the work after hours to minimize the noise and disruption to the park", they should ask - is a Band Aid better pulled off slowly or as quickly as possible. It seems in TDO, they want to make sure that the guests feel every single hair being pulled.

I still can't get over the lack of care towards show quality in the heart of the Magic Kingdom. If they wanted, this refurb could've be done in a month or so if they were willing to spend the money for it and adequately staff the project and work more hours with more people.

Instead of a month or so of heavy construction, every guest for an entire year gets to enjoy this eyesore.

Maybe I'm wrong and there's more complexity to this project with unannounced features still to come - like DVC kiosks built to hold up to the high demand of their new Value Resort offerings or something?

How can spreading out the construction be cheaper for their bottom-line? Off-hours work is more expensive, and usual quick'n'dirty construction is associated with low-cost; taking your time to ensure proper construction is sometimes necessary. Sure, in China you have a highway built in a couple of weeks, but they also don't take many things into account such as noise complaints, relocation considerations, not being overly strict with construction quality etc.

Quality is often equal to longer development/construction time. To a certain degree, of course, but I don't see how the lack of normal-hour-workers is in any way showing Disney caring less; quite the contrary.

 

[note2001]

If this project were being worked on 24 hours a day people just like yourself would be complaining about that too. People on here would be complaining about construction noise and seeing constructions workers and talking endlessly about how the disney of Walt's era and the 70's - 80's would have done the work at night when guests weren't around.

Yes! Not to mention during construction there is a cloud of dirt in the air above the area. They do not want guests walking through this, nor do they want the view down main street on everyone's images to be that of brown dust verses the castle.

I'll link to it if I can find it again, but I recently saw a pic someone took from their BLT room over toward MK in the early morning hours, and it took me a bit to realize the cloud I was seeing was not water spray, or a rogue bit of fog. It was a huge cloud of dirt.

 

[Rob562]

Totally ruins the illusion that you're NOT on the 2nd "floor" of the Magic Kingdom when you're on main street.

They're building this where there has always been a waterway, which is drained in the section they're working on. How does that ruin the illusion?

-Rob

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

Disneyandmore posted this on Facebook yesterday.




What a beautiful picture! But I'm not sure how the swans circled...did they go under the walkways of the hub? Or did they turn around at some point and head back to the docks?


And if I'm remembering correctly, they just demolished the swan boat docks, right?


Anyhow, thought you folks would enjoy this pic. I sure do. But then again, I'm a sucker for black and white photos.

 

[WDWLover#1]

Disneyandmore posted this on Facebook yesterday.




What a beautiful picture! But I'm not sure how the swans circled...did they go under the walkways of the hub? Or did they turn around at some point and head back to the docks?


And if I'm remembering correctly, they just demolished the swan boat docks, right?


Anyhow, thought you folks would enjoy this pic. I sure do. But then again, I'm a sucker for black and white photos.

Great pic from the 70's

 

[ABQ]

Disneyandmore posted this on Facebook yesterday.




What a beautiful picture! But I'm not sure how the swans circled...did they go under the walkways of the hub? Or did they turn around at some point and head back to the docks?


And if I'm remembering correctly, they just demolished the swan boat docks, right?


Anyhow, thought you folks would enjoy this pic. I sure do. But then again, I'm a sucker for black and white photos.

This page shows an outline of the Plaza Swan Boat route. I cannot confirm its accuracy having never ridden them when they operated. http://disneydaybyday.com/fastpass-history-plaza-swan-boats/
Apologies to the admins if linking to this site is verboten.

 

[chiefs11]

Disneyandmore posted this on Facebook yesterday.




What a beautiful picture! But I'm not sure how the swans circled...did they go under the walkways of the hub? Or did they turn around at some point and head back to the docks?


And if I'm remembering correctly, they just demolished the swan boat docks, right?


Anyhow, thought you folks would enjoy this pic. I sure do. But then again, I'm a sucker for black and white photos.

Coincidentally, it looks like there's a crane at work in the right side of that picture.

 

[Gabe1]

Oh Dear. It looks even worse than when I was eating at Cosmic Rays in April.

Saw some uglier photo's on Orlando Them Parks sight.

http://www.orlandoparksnews.com/2014/07/magic-kingdom-update-hub-tomorrowland.html

 

[MissM]

And if I'm remembering correctly, they just demolished the swan boat docks, right?

They sure did: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...the-magic-kingdom.880663/page-67#post-6101163

 

[jdmdisney99]

They sure did: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...the-magic-kingdom.880663/page-67#post-6101163

When I went in April, I went down the path and just stood at this spot, wishing they'd have saved it somehow.

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

This page shows an outline of the Plaza Swan Boat route. I cannot confirm its accuracy having never ridden them when they operated. http://disneydaybyday.com/fastpass-history-plaza-swan-boats/
Apologies to the admins if linking to this site is verboten.

Yep, that's what I was wondering thank you!

 

[SpectroMan93]

I don't understand the logic in people complaining about a CONSTRUCTION site being ugly. What did you expect, they would build the hub expansion offsite and just drop it in by helicopter overnight? It's supposed to be ugly, and it will be ugly until sometime during 2015 when the project is done and then people's criticism might actually have some credibility.

 

[mm121]

Seems silly and stupid that they aren't maintaining having a tunnel in this area in case some day they'd want to use it.

now with new automated tech they could have brought back the swan boats as an automated attraction.

Oh Dear. It looks even worse than when I was eating at Cosmic Rays in April.

Saw some uglier photo's on Orlando Them Parks sight.

http://www.orlandoparksnews.com/2014/07/magic-kingdom-update-hub-tomorrowland.html

 

[DznyGrlSD]

They're building this where there has always been a waterway, which is drained in the section they're working on. How does that ruin the illusion?

-Rob

Ruin was a bad word - with everything drained & dug up it just shows how much higher main street really is.

 

[JediMasterMatt]

How can spreading out the construction be cheaper for their bottom-line? Off-hours work is more expensive, and usual quick'n'dirty construction is associated with low-cost; taking your time to ensure proper construction is sometimes necessary. Sure, in China you have a highway built in a couple of weeks, but they also don't take many things into account such as noise complaints, relocation considerations, not being overly strict with construction quality etc.

Quality is often equal to longer development/construction time. To a certain degree, of course, but I don't see how the lack of normal-hour-workers is in any way showing Disney caring less; quite the contrary.

Large corporations, especially publically traded ones, like to spread capital expendatures over multiple fiscal quarters to mask the outlay of cash flow that is being made.

For those that are claiming they are taking their time to keep quality high - remember, they are grading some dirt, putting in some utility buildings, a few planters, and some fake grass. This is not a year long project due to the complexity. There are other factors driving it. The same factors that made New Fantasyland the extracted build that it was.

As the expression use to be, where there is a Will there is a Way. That expression no longer applies in Reedy Creek.

For those that claim they are only working after hours due to the noise and concern for the guests, this is the same resort and same park that has a giant crane in front of the resort's icon for months at a time each year. Why can't that work be done after hours? Again, if there was a will there would be a way. The resort has always done construction during "show" hours. A half decade of NFL construction has served as the most recent example. With the high walls around any of Disney's projects sound goes straight up and not as far out into the park as you'd imagine. Just like the sound barrier walls you see in cities along interstates.

I encourage anyone that thinks this project should last a year to play a little game at home. Find a construction site and watch progress there versus this one. Pay attention how quickly the average construction site goes from soil grading, to foundations, to vertical construction and then report back if you think the Hub redesign should look this way a half year into its project. Then remember, that the average construction site isn't being run by the same multimillion dollar corporation that built Disneyland from soil to grand opening in a year.

 

[Bocabear]

The Entire Polynesian Resort was built in like 8 months... Grading , buildings Pool and all.. It took 3 years to build 7 Dwarfs Mine Train...lol crazy and yes it is all about spreading it out... During the NFL build they built the GF DVC in under a year....