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

WDWtraveler

WDWtraveler

Well-Known Member
Photo update as of Sunday, Dec 18. Some trees and bushes have been cleared on either side of Cinderella Castle for some new infrastructure. Both areas are along the pathways on either side of the castle and appear to be for installation of additional lighting or projection for the east and west castle walls. Yet to be determined.

Some may not consider this to be part of the "hub" redevelopment, but rather than start another thread, I like to think this is further development within the hub overall.

Here is the east pathway, with new infrastructure on the hill above the pathway. Fairytale Garden is at the bottom of this pathway.

IMG_8892.JPG


Here is the west side pathway.

IMG_8894.JPG
 
jt04

jt04

Well-Known Member
WDWtraveler said:
Photo update as of Sunday, Dec 18. Some trees and bushes have been cleared on either side of Cinderella Castle for some new infrastructure. Both areas are along the pathways on either side of the castle and appear to be for installation of additional lighting or projection for the east and west castle walls. Yet to be determined.

Some may not consider this to be part of the "hub" redevelopment, but rather than start another thread, I like to think this is further development within the hub overall.

Here is the east pathway, with new infrastructure on the hill above the pathway. Fairytale Garden is at the bottom of this pathway.

View attachment 180465

Here is the west side pathway.

View attachment 180466
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Good to see you back.
 
MerlinTheGoat

MerlinTheGoat

Well-Known Member
EricsBiscuit said:
Just remember WDW's SM is much faster and longer with more turns OR drops than DL's.
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Too bad in its present state it has lost pretty much any fun these advantages once provided just a few decades ago when the ride was somewhat less run-down. The ride received a massive reduction in speed a few years back, they installed brakes to slow the cars considerably and reduce stress on the decayed and failing track. And thanks to the awful and ever-worsening condition of said track, guests are lucky to disembark the ride with only a couple of bruises and neck/back/head pain for the rest of the day (at minimum)...

Give SM at WDW a very lengthy and thorough refurb with a full track replacement and then I might take some of those advantages seriously again. Even some of the basic improvements to the sound system or visuals from Disneyland are secondary to bringing the ride back up to even an acceptable state for basic comfort and enjoyable (though still also pathetic it lacks them). As it stands though, the ride is in a condition I consider even at best no longer enjoyable. For comfort and safety (let alone basic enjoyment), it should have been deemed unfit for continued operation almost a decade ago.
 
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EricsBiscuit

EricsBiscuit

Well-Known Member
MerlinTheGoat said:
Too bad in its present state it has lost pretty much any fun these advantages once provided just a few decades ago when the ride was somewhat less run-down. The ride received a massive reduction in speed a few years back, they installed brakes to slow the cars considerably and reduce stress on the decayed and failing track. And thanks to the awful and ever-worsening condition of said track, guests are lucky to disembark the ride with only a couple of bruises and neck/back/head pain for the rest of the day (at minimum)...

Give SM at WDW a very lengthy and thorough refurb with a full track replacement and then I might take some of those advantages seriously again. Even some of the basic improvements to the sound system or visuals from Disneyland are secondary to bringing the ride back up to even an acceptable state for basic comfort and enjoyable (though still also pathetic it lacks them). As it stands though, the ride is in a condition I consider even at best no longer enjoyable. For comfort and safety (let alone basic enjoyment), it should have been deemed unfit for continued operation almost a decade ago.
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Have you ridden it in the last year? It's really fast and fun! I go every week to WDW and it's a tremendous ride. Once a year I go to DLR and their SM is SO slow compared to ours and short.
 
MerlinTheGoat

MerlinTheGoat

Well-Known Member
EricsBiscuit said:
Have you ridden it in the last year? It's really fast and fun! I go every week to WDW and it's a tremendous ride. Once a year I go to DLR and their SM is SO slow compared to ours and short.
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I rode it last month, it is far slower than it was just a few years ago and becomes more and more painful as time goes on. It also won't get any better (and will continue to get worse) until they actually approve a track replacement. Something that doesn't seem to be in the plans...

The better question is- have you ever ridden it prior to the last couple of years since they slowed it down? Or better- anytime between the 70s and early 90s. My earliest ride on it was around 1993 or so, and even back then it had accumulated quite a bit of age and wear. But it was still infinitely smoother and faster than it is today. Fast forward to 2010, still fast but massively more jerky and painful. It was originally budgeted to get a full track replacement in 2008 before local leadership decided to slash that and went cheap. Jump ahead a couple more years and engineers slowed it down by a considerable amount with brakes (especially around the turns and drops). A chewing gum solution to try to fix a far more serious problem, and funnily has not helped the pain and shakiness factor whatsoever. They're trying to delay having to spend any money, but eventually they will have no choice but to replace the track for safety or else it will collapse.

The ride in its current state is not fun anymore. It is slower than it used to be, and very painful. And it lacks Disneyland's visuals to compensate for these problems. But I prefer to judge WDW's Space Mountain against its original form (the one I grew up riding and enjoying), it is a big failure by that standard.
 
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DDLand

DDLand

Well-Known Member
Rteetz said:
Maybe, but the track needs work first.
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My current favorite version of this attraction is Tokyo, which while operating a fairly dated track, unless something happened under the radar, is still more comfortable and enjoyable than Hong Kong's.

The music is overrated.

That lift hill when sitting in total darkness except for the stars and it's quiet... Gives me chills! Music is simply a distraction. It's not nuanced. Perhaps it was because it was Star Wars, but the dark silent void is breathtaking. It's almost scarily alone even though you're sitting next to someone. I assume Walt Disney World is similiar, but I can't tell because I'm being thrown left and right.

Now I'm in a bit of a tough spot. On one hand I want a new track, on the other I'll keep my antiquated music free experience! ;)

Tying this back to the point of the thread, I recall Disney mentioning this hub was inspired by Tokyo Disneyland. What a shame, because the hub there provides little support for the castle thereby shrinking it. The most recent entertainment stuff they're doing above could be very destructive. I'm nervous. Tokyo's design managed to make the Castle look unimpressive.
 
MerlinTheGoat

MerlinTheGoat

Well-Known Member
marni1971 said:
Its a mess. And a painful one. And could be so much better with comparatively little outlay.

The new trim brakes removed the last big "thrill".
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It should be renamed to "Ouch: The Ride - The Concussioning". I had butt, back, neck and head pain for the rest of the day when I rode in December... It has gotten SO much worse in just the past 5 years, and it was already a janky mess then.

And still no news of a decent refurb I take it?
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
MerlinTheGoat said:
It should be renamed to "Ouch: The Ride - The Concussioning". I had butt, back, neck and head pain for the rest of the day when I rode in December... It has gotten SO much worse in just the past 5 years, and it was already a janky mess then.

And still no news of a decent refurb I take it?
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marni1971 said:
Not that I know of.
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Just be patient. Watch the news and listen for when a ride vehicle (rocket) goes smashing through the outside wall of the building. Patchup refurb will happen shortly after that event.
 
Slowjack

Slowjack

Well-Known Member
MerlinTheGoat said:
It should be renamed to "Ouch: The Ride - The Concussioning". I had butt, back, neck and head pain for the rest of the day when I rode in December... It has gotten SO much worse in just the past 5 years, and it was already a janky mess then.

And still no news of a decent refurb I take it?
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While I don't doubt the veracity of your experiences, I should point out that me and mine have rode SM several times during our trip last year (it's one of my daughter's favorites), and it didn't hurt us at all. I've been riding SM my whole life, and while I'm sure it's rougher than it once was, riding it every few years, it's hard for me to tell a difference. Compared to any wooden coaster--which I avoid altogether these days--it's smooth. I will say I was disappointed in how quiet the sound effects are, which sound like you're overhearing part of a film in the next theater.
 

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