JEANYLASER
Well-Known Member
that's awesome!
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Disney Parks Castles Being Removed From Property Entrance Arches
- Thread starter Captain Hank
- Start date
WDW1974
Well-Known Member
Oh, so you just have issues with my style and singing voice?:king:
Nah. EPCOT essentially died with Walt ... at least the utopian community (God knows Celebration ain't the new age version despite what some claim!) ... But the EPCOT ideals pushed WDW to be cutting edge in every manner and that also reflected on quality issues.
It wasn't until marketing took over in the mid-90s and later when Michael Mendenhall and his group got their fangs into P&R did WDW fundamentally shift.
Even now, WDW is a one of a kind resort. None of Disney's other resorts come close to the model (let alone the sheer size and scope) in O-Town.
The Empress Lilly at one time had two of the most highly regarded dining locations in all of Central FLA. And it was quite profittable too. ... But the MBAs and consultants sold Eisner on the idea of third parties taking over (and isn't this your fantasy for DD?) locations, paying Disney absurdly high rent and Mickey no longer had to pay to staff and operate the locations.
That's how the WDW Shopping Village at LBV went from quaint to being a loud, garish Disney mall (not very different from locations in every major city except for the non-stop Disney branding).
Empress Lilly really was an insult to the Disney family as well. Lillian Disney was at the opening of her namesake in 1977. And she was still alive when Disney shuttered it and rented it out to Levy's for Fulton's (she passed away in 1997).
The sad thing is I love Fulton's today (well, that's not sad but ...) because it offers a higher quality dining experience than most Disney locations and at better price points (especially for lunch) and you can pretty much always walk up and within 10-15 minutes be seated with no phone calls six months out needed.
If Disney suddenly ran Fulton's, they'd dumb the menu down, lower quality and raise prices ... because that sadly is the way TDO operates in the 21st century.
WDW1974
Well-Known Member
"The Magic Kingdom is open today from 9am to 11pm. EPCOT Center is open today from 9am to Midnight, and the Disney-MGM studios are open from 9am-9pm. Enjoy your stay here at the Vacation Kingdom of the world...Walt Disney World"
LIES!!! DIRTY LIES!!!!!!!!
Everyone knows that EPCOT never had regular midnight closings!
:drevil:
I prefer "Today The Magic Kingdom is open from 9am to midnight, Epcot Center is open from 9am to 11pm, and the DIsney-MGM Studios are open from 8AM to Midnight""The Magic Kingdom is open today from 9am to 11pm. EPCOT Center is open today from 9am to Midnight, and the Disney-MGM studios are open from 9am-9pm. Enjoy your stay here at the Vacation Kingdom of the world...Walt Disney World"
EPCOT Explorer
New Member
I prefer "Today The Magic Kingdom is open from 9am to midnight, Epcot Center is open from 9am to 11pm, and the DIsney-MGM Studios are open from 8AM to Midnight"
That's in a few of your tributes...My jaw hit the floor when I heard that. :lol: 8AM!? I would love to get into a park that early.
jt04
Well-Known Member
Interesting info. Yes it is your style. I've never thought the bludgeon works with the mouse. If it did the AC would still be open and the SSE decent would have been upgraded.
As for third parties, I really think WDW has grown beyond TWDC's ability to manage WDW solely. As I've said it's a victim of it's own success. It seems that the best option is to find quality third party vendors to provide a consistent revenue stream and allow Disney to operate some unique venues that Disney can control the quality of. For example, the MK resorts and AKL and of course the parks. There just isn't any going back where DTD is concerned so it just seems best if they can find unique quality vendors. Disney would still be able to operate many retail operations that are unique and hopefully Pixar and Marvel get added to the mix. But they can't just start evicting people that have been there and are established.
Perhaps Disney should have reserved PI for itself but in the end I don't think it would be worth their effort. They are better off concentrating their efforts and creativity within the resorts (see Fort Wilderness and AK DVC's) and the parks (see the FLE).
MousDad
New Member
Except for the Lego Store, of course. :ROFLOL:
Figment1986
Well-Known Member
Any updates? On sunday when I was driving back to my dorm from an evening of fun they had some inbound traffic lanes closed with a bucket truck getting ready to do some stuff at the WDW entrance on Epcot Center Rd./536.
_Scar
Active Member
puntagordabob
Well-Known Member
And McDonalds....
dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
I would imagine it would stay open. It's always jammed, so I doubt Lego would give up that revenue. Of course I Legoland would have something bigger and better most likely, but I can't see either wanting it closed. Unless they start advertising Legoland in the store, that Disney might have an issue with. The offical Downtown Disney website still shows "The Lego Imagination Center" open at DLR, and there is a Legoland out in CA.
EPCOT Explorer
New Member
I would be really, really, really shocked if it were to go. It does great, and Disney and Lego have a good relationship. As said, look at DL and Legoland CA.
I'll be going in to work that way this afternoon. I'll post if there were any changes.
Gepettotrevor
Member
There's the Disney Princess 1/2 marathon on the 7th; they are closing lanes and restricting traffic for the event. On the 7th, theme park traffic is to use I-4 instead of 536. Bah humbug
Bleh. Though, it's a little early to be setting up the traffic pattern for the race, isn't it? IIRC, the major stuff for marathon weekend didn't show up until just a couple of days prior. Thankfully, I've got that day off, so I don't have to deal with the traffic fun.
The 536 archway is still castle-less. As of late this evening (about 10:45), there were a few lanes closed by the archway, and there was a guy in a bucket lift doing something with the right-most flagpole. No pictures, as I was driving.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
I drove down 536 late last night too, they just appeared to be doing some touch-up painting on the arch.
dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
They won't do that any earlier than they can get away with. They may drop off the infastructure a few days before hand, but I really strongly doubt they will actually close anylanes until the morning of. In fact, for the races involving major closures, they specify when the road closures will start and say you need to be at the start area by a certain time. And they pretty much open the roads back up behind the last runner/walker. Taking the bus back after the marathon last month I saw the trucks picking up cones a few hundred yards behind the sweep crews.
pixiedust629
New Member
The three flags on the right hand side of the arch on the World Dr. gate are gone. The poles are still there... but not the flags. Maybe new ones? I hope they don't replace them with balloons... blegh.
DisneyParksFan1
Active Member
Are they going to replace the entire entrance with a new one, or just remove the castle?