Dumbo & Main Street Updates

[Travel Junkie]

We American Disneyphiles have criticized the SDL castle, and the art for HK's new one, a great deal. You have to remember though - these castles aren't for us. They match Chinese sensibilities, and match them well. They are perfect for their intended audiences, so it's not of much consequence to WDI what American superfans think of the designs. The Chinese like huge things that are blingy, and that's what Disney is giving them.

I didn't get a lot of the things they did with SDL until I visited China. Visit Shanghai first before going to SDL and you understand it better.

I love HKDL, but it feels very American. It doesn't fit with the rest of HK.

Between SDL, HKDL, and Tokyo feeling the heat from the Chinese Disney parks and USJ continuing to gain on them, the bulk of the best new stuff is going to Asia.

 

[Hattieboxghost110]

I hope they leave DL's castle just the way it is. It's perfectly sized for DL. It's iconic. It's the park's signature. WDW's world's castle is big and spetacular. DL's is, yes, more charming and, for many, more pleasing to the eye. It okay for the two to be different. If you want to enter the park and be wowed by a humongous fiberglass castle, go to MK. If you want to enter the park and have your attention drawn to the details of Main Street, and don't mind that the fantasy castle isn't the center of attention, go to DL. Seriously, the last thing DL needs is for the Castle to take up more space and/or block more views of the fireworks while also making the Matterhorn look smaller.

Right on man. Leave Disneyland castle alone. Bigger doesn't mean better. Just look at SDL.

The Hong Kong government has been pretty angry with Disney for several years, and rightly so. Disney announced a unique and more lavish park, but mid-way through design switched to the low budget all-clone mini-park that was built in 2005. This included the budget conscious decision to forego a unique castle for a clone of DL's.

The park opened, like DCA and WDS, to a bit of a thud and has struggled ever since. The government made Disney pay for the entire first round of expansions (Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Manor, Toy Story Land) when ordinarily, they would have paid 53% in accordance with the ownership split of the park (as Hans noted, Disney owns 47%).

The expansion didn't make a huge difference, but the park has been doing better. Iron Man Experience, which opened last year, has done more than any other new attraction the park has ever had to bring in people (Marvel is big in China).

Then comes the 2015-2016 time period, when details of SDL are released and that park opens. HK knows Disney went full out on SDL, spending billions on a big, flashy and almost entirely unique park. They're now livid that Disney cheaped out on them.

There are culture issues at play here as well. The tension between HK and the mainland is palpable and flammable - remember the big wave of protests a couple years ago re: democracy - and pride/saving face is a big part of Chinese culture. HKDL is an embarrassment where it should be a crown jewel. There were more than a couple loud voices last year in HK who advocated shutting the park down and calling it a day.

The newest round of expansions is meant to quell HK concerns of having a lesser park than Shanghai. The Moana show, the Ant-Man ride and eventual Avengers E ticket, the Frozen land - all things that will be unique to HKDL, and hopefully, big draws.

The castle became a particular sore point when SDL's was revealed. The world's biggest - so imposing, so grand - and HKDL has a sadsack copy of the first tiny castle no one thought worthy of replication for 50 years. Hence the demand for something more impressive.

We American Disneyphiles have criticized the SDL castle, and the art for HK's new one, a great deal. You have to remember though - these castles aren't for us. They match Chinese sensibilities, and match them well. They are perfect for their intended audiences, so it's not of much consequence to WDI what American superfans think of the designs. The Chinese like huge things that are blingy, and that's what Disney is giving them.

Great post.

But yea, to my eyes, SDL is ugly as sin. Though it's about to be dethroned in the ugly department by Hong Kong Disneyland. I have to be the one to say, the Chinese have poor taste in castles.

 

[TROR]

But yea, to my eyes, SDL is ugly as sin. Though it's about to be dethroned in the ugly department by Hong Kong Disneyland. I have to be the one to say, the Chinese have poor taste in castles.

Not just castles. You see the box office for those Transformers movies in China? Anyways, I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who actually likes the Shanghai castle. My only real problem with it is it has no direct princess tie in and is rather just an umbrella for all of them. It also does kind of stick out since, other than the mountain in Adventureland, the Shanghai Disneyland skyline is really empty.

 

[disneyC97]

Interesting, didn't realize they were laying brick pavers (mentioned in the article). Probably will look more like Hong Kong's Main Street when it's done, only with tracks which they don't appear to have.

No horse drawn streetcars in Hong Kong

 

[Kram Sacul]

Pretty unlikely I'd say. I think the drops are pretty comparable... If anything, the difference is in the vehicle type. WDW are more boat style w/ normal bench type seats (2 per row) whereas Disneyland maybe feels a little more thrilling since you're a bit looser in a flume log.

The drop on MK's is tamer and you don't get nearly as wet. On the DL version you can get drenched.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who actually likes the Shanghai castle.

You're not. I think it's great. I appreciate that it has multiple entrances, that there's a walkthrough attraction inside, and a ride that travels under it. I mean look at the inside of this thing!

Aside from the Sleeping Beauty dioramas and some tiny easy to miss shops the Disneyland castle is more like a prop than a functioning building in comparison.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

I also love the restaurant inside SDL's castle. The food was great and the CMs awesome as well. The walk through attraction was awesome and beat DL's walk through by a mile. Not to mention the boat ride going through the basement with the projection mapping. Overall, an awesome, grand, amazing use of space. Oh and I forgot how great of a canvas it is for the nighttime show.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

I hated the design of SDL's castle until I saw it in person. It's truly stunning and grand in a way no other Disney castle is. It's incredible.

The walkthrough is fantastic, the restaurant is nice. The boat ride thing doesn't feel like you're in the castle - it's just technically the same building. I felt that was hyped beyond what it actually was, and felt pretty disappointing as a result. I'd rather have Paris' rad castle dragon than the boat ride scene if I had to pick.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

I hated the design of SDL's castle until I saw it in person. It's truly stunning and grand in a way no other Disney castle is. It's incredible.

The walkthrough is fantastic, the restaurant is nice. The boat ride thing doesn't feel like you're in the castle - it's just technically the same building. I felt that was hyped beyond what it actually was, and felt pretty disappointing as a result. I'd rather have Paris' rad castle dragon than the boat ride scene if I had to pick.

I kind of agree about the boat ride being a bit disappointing. Although I did like the murals on the cave walls though. I always love good murals (which this castle definitely delivered on).

 

[BalooChicago]

Been at DL this week. Don’t mind Dumbo being down, but man, the Extent of the Mainstreet was a shock! I knew they were doing track work, and the vehicles would be down, but both ends of the spine, virtually all of mainstreet behind walls was not what I was expecting at all. Not the end of the world, but glad this wasn’t our first trip...

 

[Angel Ariel]

How can they just close the middle of the biggest pathway in the park?

On the busiest days last week, we saw the bypass by the baby care center open for people to use entering/exiting.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Over at the site that shall be named, Micechat, they re speculating that the Main Street renovations might be the first to come of some additional changes to Main Steet/ the Hub in preparation for the crowds SWL will bring. Particularly, a WDW like redo of the hub. AKA removing trees/ planters for AstroTurf, improved crowd control and better firework viewing.

Not sure about what you all think, but I hate the sound of this.

No..no no no. Please don’t ruin DL’s Hub that way!

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

WDW's new hub plaza is awful. It looks like it was designed in Roller Coaster Tycoon. It really clashes with the aesthetic of 70s The Magic Kingdom surrounding it. Like Data when he drank Guinan's alcoholic beverage with an emotion chip, I hated it. It is revolting!

 

[StarGirl]

Any update on when the fencing will be down around Partners?

My husband and I have our first DL trip next week (from the UK so we're around for 2 weeks in total). On our first trip to MK Partners was in a box. This is feeling very much like deja vu.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Any update on when the fencing will be down around Partners?

My husband and I have our first DL trip next week (from the UK so we're around for 2 weeks in total). On our first trip to MK Partners was in a box. This is feeling very much like deja vu.

Nothing official, as construction issues and weather doesn't allow for a guarantee. The internal schedule has the fencing down by President Day's weekend , mid-February.

 

[Darkbeer1]

https://www.ocregister.com/2018/02/06/its-refurbishment-season-at-disneyland/

>>
Not that there are many times of year left when Disney isn’t filled with visitors. That’s why I call this time of year refurbishment season instead of the “off season” – because that simply doesn’t exist at Disney theme parks in any substantial way anymore. Yet the crowds at Disneyland in late winter and early spring tend to be mostly locals who come back to Disneyland multiple times during the year, so they won’t be missing the attractions under refurbishment the way that once-in-a-lifetime visitors during the summer or Christmas season would.

​

Heck, refurbishment season is the time when Disneyland makes its long-time visitors feel like those first-time guests again. Refurbishment season provides a reset button for Disneyland fans.<<

 

[Angel Ariel]

The first 2 days of our trip were pretty well empty. We walked on, or waited just like 5 mins, for most rides on Thursday and Friday (Friday was up until after work hours. Then it started getting more crowded, esp. since it was first weekend of the Lunar New Year celebration). We didn't wait more than 15 mins for anything those 2 days, and the 15 min waits happened maybe 2 or 3 times total?

The weekend was significantly more crowded, not that we were surprised by that. But even still...with using MaxPass and just going with the flow, we didn't wait more than 30 mins for anything the whole trip. Monday was the. most crowded day of the trip...we were a bit surprised by that. But even still, no more than 30 min waits for anything. Compared to November runDisney weekend (and first weekend of Holidays) we've gone during the past 2 years, this was definitely a less crowded time to visit.

 

[Rich T]

I also love the restaurant inside SDL's castle. The food was great and the CMs awesome as well. The walk through attraction was awesome and beat DL's walk through by a mile. Not to mention the boat ride going through the basement with the projection mapping. Overall, an awesome, grand, amazing use of space. Oh and I forgot how great of a canvas it is for the nighttime show.

I think the Shanghai castle looks great from most angles, but there's this one unflattering view that really makes it look like a gigantic box or a Fischer Price castle you'd store action figures in. Here it is:

Looks better from every other possible angle.

I think the walk-through invovles too much stair-climbing for too-little payoff. It's a nice bonus, but I prefer DL's tight, focused, spooky, twisty little experience. And the boat ride's cavern finale is basically an ad for Disney Home Video. They should replace the entire sequence with a big honkin' AA dragon.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

I think the Shanghai castle looks great from most angles, but there's this one unflattering view that really makes it look like a gigantic box or a Fischer Price castle you'd store action figures in. Here it is:
View attachment 262050
Looks better from every other possible angle.

I think the walk-through invovles too much stair-climbing for too-little payoff. It's a nice bonus, but I prefer DL's tight, focused, spooky, twisty little experience. And the boat ride's cavern finale is basically an ad for Disney Home Video. They should replace the entire sequence with a big honkin' AA dragon.

I actually like that angle but I'm biased because I got my photo from it.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I still can't believe that's the castle at Shanghai. Must be cultural differences. Looks to me like an evil Nazi fortress.