Frivolous greenery update!

[Gabe1]

Guests did fine visiting the parks without planning rides 2 months in advance for 42 years. Why do we need it now?

I'm right there with ya. Solutions to problems that do not exist is the 21st Century Disney mantra.

 

[networkpro]

I'm right there with ya. Solutions to problems that do not exist is the 21st Century Disney mantra.

"If something can't be done with X-S [excess], then it shouldn't be done at all."
ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

I'm at the crystal palace now...area has been concreted and painted. Doesn't look like another tree will be planted there. Nice open round area now

Oh goodie...more concrete.

Wonder if other walkway tree boxes will be paved over as well? The ones in front of the Adventureland bridge spring to mind.

 

[WDWDad13]

Oh goodie...more concrete.

Wonder if other walkway tree boxes will be paved over as well? The ones in front of the Adventureland bridge spring to mind.

Well where it is will help some with crowd congestion and/or possibly stroller parking so I fail to see this as a negative but I knew others would

 

[Gabe1]

I get a pass for great adventure every year. Although their theming is slowly collapsing, and theres a safari outpost in the wild west (WHAT???) they are starting to bring back its classic feel even printing the old logo on some rides. Great adventure from what I've read was set up to become a disneyland of nj type of planned park. They were gonna have an alice in wonderland ride and some sort of wizard of oz section and all this stuff and they started with a runaway train with its station in a grand fort. They were gonna make it a walkthrough orginally too (the fort not the train lol!)
Six flags bought it the next year, and the last time I was there when it felt like a full theme park was I think 2006 or something then they lost most of my fav rides and mixed everything up.
Still enjoy it though.

I have never been to Great Adventure. I spoke to Great American in Illinois. Marriott built and designed this theme park and its sister park at the same time In Santa Clara CA. American Adventure was built by a restaurateur and quickly sold off so I'm sure they were built very differently and their levels of theming likely differed. By the time Great America was sold off to Six Flags it was already developed and themed, including the lovely trees that still exist decades later in stark contrast to the MK these days. Great America gets cutting edge attractions, will get a great new wooden coaster this summer, the old stuff disassembled and a hand me down to I believe Maryland. They pull off a lot for a park that is only operational less than 6 months a year.

Edit: And they had an amazing fire works display every night too, even with trees! Sadly, for 2014 they are going to the Glow in the Dark parade that has been at other Six Flags parks for about 6 years. SF hired a Disney Imagineer and they came away with an excellent parade, so I'm looking forward to that for the coming summer. Now Disney is doing the Glow in the Dark Parade in Hong Kong. But hopefully even with a new parade Six Flags will continue to let their trees grow.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Greenery and sightlines aren't frivolous. They are at the very heart of the theme park experience.


I shall take it that current operationeering has cut yet another tree, lessening the guest experience for operational expediency?

I think the larger picture is that the MK is bursting at the seems. Designed for ten, it now attracts more than seventeen million visitors. It would have to cut trees to accomodate these numbers, to provide sufficient fireworks viewing spots.
The real problem is that the other parks and offerings are underdeveloped and unsuccesful in drawing visitors away from the MK. And the solution isn't to cut a tree so that seventeen people have a poor and declined MK experience instead of ten having a brilliant one.

 

[Fairybuzz]

I have never been to Great Adventure. I spoke to Great American in Illinois. Marriott built and designed this theme park and its sister park at the same time In Santa Clara CA. American Adventure was built by a restaurateur and quickly sold off so I'm sure they were built very differently and their levels of theming likely differed. By the time Great America was sold off to Six Flags it was already developed and themed, including the lovely trees that still exist decades later in stark contrast to the MK these days. Great America gets cutting edge attractions, will get a great new wooden coaster this summer, the old stuff disassembled and a hand me down to I believe Maryland. They pull off a lot for a park that is only operational less than 6 months a year.

Edit: And they had an amazing fire works display every night too, even with trees! Sadly, for 2014 they are going to the Glow in the Dark parade that has been at other Six Flags parks for about 6 years. SF hired a Disney Imagineer and they came away with an excellent parade, so I'm looking forward to that for the coming summer. Now Disney is doing the Glow in the Dark Parade in Hong Kong. But hopefully even with a new parade Six Flags will continue to let their trees grow.

Glow in the park ran for two years at great adventure and the other closest six flags park Six flags new england, which I'd like to say has much better upkeep except for their wooden coasters. Their 1950s themed area is despite its johnny rockets being in city hall, a natural sequel to main street usa. Rockville USA. Not a lot of rides there but The way things are arranged is really pretty. I have never been to chicago, the closest I've come to chicago was I-70 across from Terra Haute to St. Louis. I've been to SFGadv, SFNE and Six flags America. In addition to Dorney park hershey park knoebels Lake compunce dutch wonderland coney island rye playland and of course the orlando parks and a few others I cant list here cuz I'll tie up the thread lol.

 

[Gabe1]

Greenery and sightlines aren't frivolous. They are at the very heart of the theme park experience.


I shall take it that current operationeering has cut yet another tree, lessening the guest experience for operational expediency?

I think the larger picture is that the MK is bursting at the seems. Designed for ten, it now attracts more than seventeen million visitors. It would have to cut trees to accomodate these numbers, to provide sufficient fireworks viewing spots.
The real problem is that the other parks and offerings are underdeveloped and unsuccesful in drawing visitors away from the MK. And the solution isn't to cut a tree so that seventeen people have a poor and declined MK experience instead of ten having a brilliant one.

I agree. Over crowding at the MK is because the MK has so much more to offer currently than the other parks.
Making mulch doesn't address the real issues. One NYE it was so freak'n crowded we watch the fireworks from the dock just outside the MK. It was beautiful. I fail to understand the need to squish in with the masses. So you don't have a tree blocking your view up near the castle but likely have a taller person or an iPad obstructing your view. How children can see fireworks when their eyes are at tooshie level of adults surrounding them is beyond me.

 

[Gabe1]

Oh goodie...more concrete.

Wonder if other walkway tree boxes will be paved over as well? The ones in front of the Adventureland bridge spring to mind.

They actually just added a huge planter with seating up near Pinocchio. It has seats with backs around the large rectangle built right into the structure. In the planter is several trees. How long before they chop out those trees because the it obstructs some view of the new FLE entrance wall?

 

[Gabe1]

Well where it is will help some with crowd congestion and/or possibly stroller parking so I fail to see this as a negative but I knew others would

Taking out trees to create stroller parking is not a negative?

 

[omurice]

There's no PR announcement for this.
But here is a generic Mix-n-match PR statement:

We are sunsetting/closing/removing/demolishing/re-theming/jack-hammering/wood-chipping
X* because of "guest feedback asking for more Y** experiences".

* X = trees, benches, Snow White's Scary Adventures, 20,000 Leagues, Mr. Toad, Horizons, the Imagination pavilion, the Wonders of Life pavilion, Pleasure Island, swimming in Seven Seas Lagoon/Bay Lake, River Country, Pepsi, Main Street Bakery, Skyway, Alien Encounter, turnstiles, monorail operating hours...

** Y = "family friendly", "meet & greet", "shopping and dining", "photo spot", "immersive and memorable", "playground on unshaded pavement", "daytime stage show on unshaded pavement", "nighttime dance-tacular party", "festival and convention center opportunities", "vacation-without-brain-eating-amoeba", "refreshing Coca-Cola", "fabulous Starbucks", "themed bathroom", "Stitch", "NextGen Magical", "see WDW from a magical bus!"

 

[WDWDad13]

Taking out trees to create stroller parking is not a negative?

Ummm no...have you seen the crowds and strollers at Disney before? This tree was in the middle of an already concreted area...not in the grassy landscapes area behind the small fence. That area can become congested anyways due to the restrooms and crystal palace.

 

[WDWDad13]

Greenery and sightlines aren't frivolous. They are at the very heart of the theme park experience.


I shall take it that current operationeering has cut yet another tree, lessening the guest experience for operational expediency?

I think the larger picture is that the MK is bursting at the seems. Designed for ten, it now attracts more than seventeen million visitors. It would have to cut trees to accomodate these numbers, to provide sufficient fireworks viewing spots.
The real problem is that the other parks and offerings are underdeveloped and unsuccesful in drawing visitors away from the MK. And the solution isn't to cut a tree so that seventeen people have a poor and declined MK experience instead of ten having a brilliant one.

I agree MK is busting at the seams...if they could only do something to help spread crowds more....like
Major rehab the other parks

 

[WDWDad13]

Wow...I may have just met you....and this is crazy...so take a deep breath, and stop blaming Disney for everything....maybe? lol

so many on here try to find ANYTHING to bash Disney for ....this time...a tree being removed. I bet they removed some grease from the fry trap last night at cosmic rays too should we complain about that

Maybe there was a problem with the tree (dying, posing danger, etc) we don't know...so why are so many speculating Disney cut it down because they want to be evil mr greenthumb or because they want to find a new way to argue anything against mm+ ... lol.

I'm here at wdw now for 2 weeks. Have I seen some things they need to fix up...sure...but ya know what...my magicband has actually worked pretty darn well (even though I've only remembered to do 2 of my fp+ that I pre scheduled) and my family and I are having a lot of fun with an experience we can't get anywhere else...minus 1 tree or not.

 

[omurice]

Wow...I may have just met you....and this is crazy...so take a deep breath, and stop blaming Disney for everything....maybe? lol

You're not wrong -- it could have been Dutch elm disease. But it's all in good fun.

 

[Gabe1]

Ummm no...have you seen the crowds and strollers at Disney before? This tree was in the middle of an already concreted area...not in the grassy landscapes area behind the small fence. That area can become congested anyways due to the restrooms and crystal palace.

On Dec 3, http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...r-amusement-parks.877433/page-10#post-5824769 I outlined where I believe Disney has gone wrong with the strollers in WDW and a solution that would greatly ease stroller congestion, especially with the relatively new issue of the tank strollers at the parks. I leave that in that thread. The solution does not need to be cut down trees.

 

[WDWDad13]

On Dec 3, http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...r-amusement-parks.877433/page-10#post-5824769 I outlined where I believe Disney has gone wrong with the strollers in WDW and a solution that would greatly ease stroller congestion, especially with the relatively new issue of the tank strollers at the parks. I leave that in that thread. The solution does not need to be cut down trees.

I agree with your post...but that change won't happen overnight

 

[COProgressFan]

Greenery and sightlines aren't frivolous. They are at the very heart of the theme park experience.


I shall take it that current operationeering has cut yet another tree, lessening the guest experience for operational expediency?

I think the larger picture is that the MK is bursting at the seems. Designed for ten, it now attracts more than seventeen million visitors. It would have to cut trees to accomodate these numbers, to provide sufficient fireworks viewing spots.
The real problem is that the other parks and offerings are underdeveloped and unsuccesful in drawing visitors away from the MK. And the solution isn't to cut a tree so that seventeen people have a poor and declined MK experience instead of ten having a brilliant one.

Excellent post. Trees, sightlines and visual beauty are what makes a theme park a theme park. Otherwise, there would just be rides sitting in unthemed warehouses with pavement in between. Magical like a Walmart parking lot. And it's even more crucial in Florida, where the heat can be unbearable. The operations folks who continue to remove trees and benches from WDW (MK especially) clearly spend very little time visiting the parks as a guest.

I think you might have posted in the other thread a month or so ago regarding the Main Street overflow bypass being constructed. There was also some good discussion there about the overcrowding at the MK. The general consensus is that if you make the other 3 parks worth going to, the crowds will spread out accordingly. Perhaps a shift in marketing, to let people know that WDW is (or was?) more than just castles, princess, and pirates would help too.

But what do we know? TDO clearly knows what it's doing...

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

They actually just added a huge planter with seating up near Pinocchio. It has seats with backs around the large rectangle built right into the structure. In the planter is several trees. How long before they chop out those trees because the it obstructs some view of the new FLE entrance wall?

They planted trees in it? Good to hear. Last pics I saw of it there were only some ground cover shrubs.

Maybe there was a problem with the tree (dying, posing danger, etc) we don't know...so why are so many speculating Disney cut it down because they want to be evil mr greenthumb or because they want to find a new way to argue anything against mm+ ... lol.

If it was merely a case of a dying or dangerous tree, there is no reason why it could not have simply been replaced by a new, healthy tree.

 

[Gabe1]

They planted trees in it? Good to hear. Last pics I saw of it there were only some ground cover shrubs

Yes two! And small but full enough to give some limited shade.

Here, I found a picture on their update:
http://www.mouseplanet.com/10561/Walt_Disney_World_Resort_Update