Then and Now - WDW Comparison Photos

mikenatcity1

mikenatcity1

Well-Known Member
WDWtraveler said:
Twenty-fourth photo pair. Then: Feb 2006. The view of Expedition Everest from the pathway overlook after crossing the bridge into Asia. Of course, this is before the Rivers of Light seating area existed. A natural river bank.

View attachment 139315

Now: April 2016. The Rivers of Light seating area is completed with the resulting view from the overlook. In the distance, the trees along the pathway in front of Everest have certainly grown up.

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I used to love to sit and watch (and hear) Everest from this spot...WOW the seating really changes it....
 
mikenatcity1

mikenatcity1

Well-Known Member
WDWtraveler said:
Twenty-sixth photo pair. Then: October 1973. The Magic Kingdom hub from the castle gate. Finally, the hub construction is complete and this photo pair can be posted. There wasn't a castle stage to speak of back then. The ground level forecourt was much larger. Of course, the trees and planter beds in the hub were much larger. The four huge planter beds were each surrounded by concrete benches. In the center of the hub was a small circular planter with concrete benches; and no statue.

View attachment 146301

Now: June 2016. Almost 43 years later....the buildings of Main Street are clearly visible. The gray platform in the foreground is the edge of the castle stage.

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The original feels more like Disneyland does today...very cool!
 
Glasgow

Glasgow

Well-Known Member
While i, too, share the common sentiment that the old versions are better, i think a lot of posters are basing their position strictly on aestethics. That notwithstanding, obviously many compromises have had to be made strictly to accomodate the inexorably growing volume of guests. Guess what? Most recent projects have been marketed as thinly disguised "upgrades", but lets be honest, they're really trying to deal with the capacity and user experience issues. Of all of the picture pairs posted, i wonder how many changes were actually done simply for aesthetics and which were done out of logistical necessity? Hmmm.

Thanks for posting, OP. Really enjoying the thread!
 
rob0519

rob0519

Well-Known Member
Glasgow said:
While i, too, share the common sentiment that the old versions are better, i think a lot of posters are basing their position strictly on aestethics. That notwithstanding, obviously many compromises have had to be made strictly to accomodate the inexorably growing volume of guests. Guess what? Most recent projects have been marketed as thinly disguised "upgrades", but lets be honest, they're really trying to deal with the capacity and user experience issues. Of all of the picture pairs posted, i wonder how many changes were actually done simply for aesthetics and which were done out of logistical necessity? Hmmm.

Thanks for posting, OP. Really enjoying the thread!
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I agree. While I like the looks of the older photos, crowd sizes were lower and ADA regulations for the most part were non-existent. Let's just look at the Main Street Hub redevelopment. That certainly was not done for aesthetic reasons, but to more efficiently accommodate larger crowds to watch events at the castle and the disperse the people as quickly as possible.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
rob0519 said:
I agree. While I like the looks of the older photos, crowd sizes were lower and ADA regulations for the most part were non-existent. Let's just look at the Main Street Hub redevelopment. That certainly was not done for aesthetic reasons, but to more efficiently accommodate larger crowds to watch events at the castle and the disperse the people as quickly as possible.
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Yea, that is correct, however, in my opinion, they managed to do both. I think the hub looks better now then it ever has. It is very well designed, pleasant to look at and functional. In the daytime it is beautiful with the fountains and flowers and at night it affords many more clear views of the Castle. I cannot think of one thing that was given up to make that all happen.
 
DuckTalesWooHoo1987

DuckTalesWooHoo1987

Well-Known Member
I've got videos of my first trip from 1982 when I was 9 months old. I then have some videos from like 85 when I was 3 and some from 87 when I was 5. The first 2 are mostly all from the Main St parade but the 87 is pretty detailed in Town Square and there's a full ride through of Small World and Castle walkthrough. There's also a stage show of Minnie and Friends that ends in a meet and greet in the Courtyard with everybody from Mickey to Captain Hook to Mr. Smee. I really love watching them and seeing the chair lifts over Fantasyland. I also have a VERY thorough walkthrough of Toon Town and Micky and Minnie's houses right before they were torn down. I wish I knew how to post stuff like that. I'm really PC illiterate. LOL!
 
DuckTalesWooHoo1987

DuckTalesWooHoo1987

Well-Known Member
As far as all the tree stuff goes didn't even Walt himself say how the MK and Disneyland would never really be "finished" and "even the trees would continue to grow" or something like that? So isn't there sort of an argument to be made that from a purely visual perspective the parks have actually reached a point that Walt envisioned all along? Also I was thinking about the first shot of this thread and how it was a view from near the Teacups and thinking that might have been what the MK looked like when Lennon signed the papers to officially break up the Beatles because didn't he do it near the Teacups?
 
Mike S

Mike S

Well-Known Member
DuckTalesWooHoo1987 said:
As far as all the tree stuff goes didn't even Walt himself say how the MK and Disneyland would never really be "finished" and "even the trees would continue to grow" or something like that? So isn't there sort of an argument to be made that from a purely visual perspective the parks have actually reached a point that Walt envisioned all along? Also I was thinking about the first shot of this thread and how it was a view from near the Teacups and thinking that might have been what the MK looked like when Lennon signed the papers to officially break up the Beatles because didn't he do it near the Teacups?
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The Beatles were broken up at the Polynesian.
 
DuckTalesWooHoo1987

DuckTalesWooHoo1987

Well-Known Member
Mike S said:
The Beatles were broken up at the Polynesian.
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Oh ok. I thought I read somewhere that Lennon signed the papers by the Teacups. I had actually always thought about asking a CM if they knew the exact place but just never remembered to do it. Although I guess the point still stands that that is what it looked like at the time though. LOL!
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
DuckTalesWooHoo1987 said:
Oh ok. I thought I read somewhere that Lennon signed the papers by the Teacups. I had actually always thought about asking a CM if they knew the exact place but just never remembered to do it. Although I guess the point still stands that that is what it looked like at the time though. LOL!
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Never heard the teacup thing, but, the Poly has been sited more then once for the place where John Lennon signed the papers putting the nails in the coffin for the Beatles. If he hadn't done it one of them would have. No group even reached the level that they did in such a short period of time. No song writers ever wrote so many songs is such a short span and most all of them were very good music. They were a candle that burned very brightly, but, only for a short period of time as an original group. However, their music has gone on and on and I suspect will continue to do so.

Getting off the sappy stuff for a minute. Yesterday I saw a picture of Paul McCartney on the cover of Rolling Stone and never have I had anything depress me as much as looking at that picture of him. Good health for his age and lifestyle, but, man he looks like he got hit by a truck. And he's only a few years older then I am. (sigh)
 
Matt_Black

Matt_Black

Well-Known Member
Goofyernmost said:
Never heard the teacup thing, but, the Poly has been sited more then once for the place where John Lennon signed the papers putting the nails in the coffin for the Beatles. If he hadn't done it one of them would have. No group even reached the level that they did in such a short period of time. No song writers ever wrote so many songs is such a short span and most all of them were very good music. They were a candle that burned very brightly, but, only for a short period of time as an original group. However, their music has gone on and on and I suspect will continue to do so.

Getting off the sappy stuff for a minute. Yesterday I saw a picture of Paul McCartney on the cover of Rolling Stone and never have I had anything depress me as much as looking at that picture of him. Good health for his age and lifestyle, but, man he looks like he got hit by a truck. And he's only a few years older then I am. (sigh)
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Ringo looks pretty good, though.
 
Mike S

Mike S

Well-Known Member
Goofyernmost said:
Never heard the teacup thing, but, the Poly has been sited more then once for the place where John Lennon signed the papers putting the nails in the coffin for the Beatles. If he hadn't done it one of them would have. No group even reached the level that they did in such a short period of time. No song writers ever wrote so many songs is such a short span and most all of them were very good music. They were a candle that burned very brightly, but, only for a short period of time as an original group. However, their music has gone on and on and I suspect will continue to do so.

Getting off the sappy stuff for a minute. Yesterday I saw a picture of Paul McCartney on the cover of Rolling Stone and never have I had anything depress me as much as looking at that picture of him. Good health for his age and lifestyle, but, man he looks like he got hit by a truck. And he's only a few years older then I am. (sigh)
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Gonna see that new documentary when it comes out? I know I am.
 
rreading

rreading

Well-Known Member
Goofyernmost said:
Yea, that is correct, however, in my opinion, they managed to do both. I think the hub looks better now then it ever has. It is very well designed, pleasant to look at and functional. In the daytime it is beautiful with the fountains and flowers and at night it affords many more clear views of the Castle. I cannot think of one thing that was given up to make that all happen.
Click to expand...

The one photo that makes me prefer the larger trees was the effect of seeing the castle rising out of the trees at the end of Main Street, like it in woods beyond town. While I probably saw it in person (as a child), I don't recall it (though it may have left an impression).

But even if they could have dealt with flow through the hub and didn't have shows to watch around/on the castle, they still might have run into the haunted mansion dilemma: that as the trees grew, they might diminish the castle.

Perhaps not and maybe the new changes are simply functional. At least they have been well done. As much as WDI is apparently catching flack for spending too much money and taking too much time- you can see it in the product.
 

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