Since the tide has turned and the Hub refurb is the thought-du-jour, I'll share my 2 cents for the what seems like a millionth time.
Yes, Hub 3.0 is going to be more aesthetically pleasing that Hub 2.0 when it's completed (when being the key word as it's still not completed... coming up on the 1.5 year mark for concrete and wall city at the heart of the most Magical Kingdom on Earth).
No, it won't ever look as good as the original Hub. I have no idea why moderate sized trees like Anaheim's wouldn't have been a happy compromise for the show vs. The Show.
The real question that everyone keeps tap dancing around not discussing is the WHY Hub 3.0 got funding? It certainly wasn't to make it more aesthetically pleasing, that's for sure. The real answer to this question is indicative of the real issues facing the resort as a whole.
For MM+ to "be a success", it's vile offspring FP+ has to work also.
FP+ is the perception of value. For it to have this perception, there has to be FP+ reservation time slots available in the system for people to select. Even after adding FP+ to virtually everything, there is still difficulties in steering crowds where WDW wants them to go - away from the "popular" things.
People "dim enough" to reserve a spot for fireworks. Again, the perception of value comes up. FP+ is all smoke and mirrors. If every guest was well versed in the art of waging war on the Mouse when on property at WDW, then everyone would know that they should book all of the low capacity/popular attractions over high capacity/less popular ones and not waste them on attractions that would never need a FP to begin with. Since MM+ and FP+ (and it's billions of capital invested) aren't bringing any new ride vehicles into the equation, the resort needed to get other "perceived" value into the pool of available time slots. Thus, the "dim people" may perceive value in picking up a FP+ for this and they are none-the-wiser that a smarter choice could have/should have been made. Even dim people would select Wishes over Stitch.
Those attending the Church of MM+, may I get a Praise You+ to those poor souls sacrificing themselves to Wishes FP+ so ye may be blessed with a better chance at a 7DMT FP.
But wait... wouldn't all that mean that having the Hub refurb funded by the need to get more FP+ pasture in the system be a good thing?
Ah... what does it matter?
There in lay the real heart of what the last several pages of discussion have all been about.
If you care about WDW, and I think it's safe to say that anyone reading this discussion let alone making and account and posting to it - does care, then those that do care should be smart enough to know that the more decisions that are made like Hub 3.0 the more we all lose at the resort.
If you choose to accept Hub 3.0 as a necessary evil because of the state of the resort, then you are going to be doomed to a resort where the quality of all the parks will suffer. WDW finding more ways to cram people into prime nighttime spectacular viewing locations at MK will not fix the overall issue with keeping guests at DHS, AK, or EPCOT. If people still continue to flock to the Castle each night in lieu of the other options on property, then the future will be more and more open spaces. After all, concrete and artificial grass are cheaper than building attractions that do bring actual capacity to the table and not just empty spaces filled with perceived value.
As long as people keep accepting less when paying more... nothing will change.
Don't be the WDW fan that accepts the day when FP+ is added to Aloha Isle as a good thing. "I didn't get a FP+ for Splash Mountain; but, it was worth it for my Dole Whip".
