Frivolous greenery update!

[RandySavage]

This de-nuding of the Hub and Town Square will always be infuriating. For anyone wanting a (sad) reminder of how achingly beautiful the Hub was when it was filled with big shade trees (or the park's many fountains were flowing), pick "The Gardens of WDW" (published in the late 80s, early 90s) coffee table book on ebay/amazon:

 

[ABQ]

Not a poll worth posting, but I do wonder how many of the same people complain about the removal of trees yet enjoy less obstructed views of the fireworks et al? Personally, I don't mind the obstructions as I would never even try to deal with the masses in the hub to view the fireworks and seem to always find a yet still standing tree to obscure my view.

 

[RandySavage]

^ If someone takes the time to complain about the tree loss it should be obvious what side they come down on. Having a multitude of big shade trees all day long, providing heat relief, framing architecture, improving sightlines, adding invaluable class/"age-old" feeling to the park environs (and with their flickering lights in the evening) certainly trump better views of Fireworks/castle shows. By a mile (IMO).

 

[ABQ]

The trees I miss most are the square shaped ones around Spaceship Earth. Though not a place that needed shade, the attraction creates enough, but I still miss them.

 

[PhilharMagician]

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 believe you nailed it with the capacity issues. They are removing landscaping to allow for better throughput of guests simply because when you move in and out on average 33,000 guests per day (probably over 80,000 on holidays) you need much large walkways. Heck, they even added a semi permanent backstage walkway this year because of this problem.

I don't think the other parks are unsuccessful at drawing guests. They are in the same boat as the MK when it comes to being overcrowded. WDW as a whole is far too crowded on many days of the year. Maybe the rated capacity is not reached, but the parks not enjoyable or safe in my book. I cannot imagine if there was ever a true emergency in one of the parks on New Years eve when they are at or near capacity and everyone had to be urgently evacuated. It simply would not happen and many would be injured.

 

[aladdin2007]

This de-nuding of the Hub and Town Square will always be infuriating. For anyone wanting a (sad) reminder of how achingly beautiful the Hub was when it was filled with big shade trees (or the park's many fountains were flowing), pick "The Gardens of WDW" (published in the late 80s, early 90s) coffee table book on ebay/amazon:

4

I love that book with those photos, but it pains me to look at it!

 

[Voxel]

I believe you nailed it with the capacity issues. They are removing landscaping to allow for better throughput of guests simply because when you move in and out on average 33,000 guests per day (probably over 80,000 on holidays) you need much large walkways. Heck, they even added a semi permanent backstage walkway this year because of this problem.

I don't think the other parks are unsuccessful at drawing guests. They are in the same boat as the MK when it comes to being overcrowded. WDW as a whole is far too crowded on many days of the year. Maybe the rated capacity is not reached, but the parks not enjoyable or safe in my book. I cannot imagine if there was ever a true emergency in one of the parks on New Years eve when they are at or near capacity and everyone had to be urgently evacuated. It simply would not happen and many would be injured.

Very true. I remember many of the greenery but I also remember cursing them at peak season because they were always the cause of a bottle neck that took 5-10 mins to pass. People are gonna complain about losing greens but they are also going to complain about bottle necking. Its a Lose Lose for TDO.

 

[eddieh]

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.

Children don't have to see from tooshie level - it seems that all of the parents lift the kids on their shoulders....and block MY view at the last moment.

 

[PhilharMagician]

Very true. I remember many of the greenery but I also remember cursing them at peak season because they were always the cause of a bottle neck that took 5-10 mins to pass. People are gonna complain about losing greens but they are also going to complain about bottle necking. Its a Lose Lose for TDO.

Not a lose-lose for TDO. Spend money to expand and add acreage and attractions to a park that is increasing it's number of visiting guests. To remove or shutter attractions and restaurants then open up walkways as a solution is just ignorance! Heck, they even removed the benches to add more space.

 

[Voxel]

Not a lose-lose for TDO. Spend money to expand and add acreage and attractions to a park that is increasing it's number of visiting guests. To remove or shutter attractions and restaurants then open up walkways as a solution is just ignorance! Heck, they even removed the benches to add more space.

Agreed, but the more you expand your gonna still have core areas that would have to lose its greenery. The more you expand the more people the park will hold and more people that will want to view the fireworks. The only other solution would build seating on top of a structure such as Tomorrowland Terrance. (Which I would be okay with because it would provide a large section of Firework viewing.

 

[Gabe1]

Children don't have to see from tooshie level - it seems that all of the parents lift the kids on their shoulders....and block MY view at the last moment.

Would you rather the child have to stare at your tooshie? Adults can look up, children can't if the are surrounded by tall people.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

Wow...for some reason that seems like an even more egregious offense than the removal by Casey's. I guess it's critical that they have a wide open concrete pathway to a restaurant they keep closed for 48 weeks of the year.

Seriously, are aesthetics even a concern anymore? Do they remember it's a theme park?

I suspect the proposed/upcoming Main Street bypass contributed to this, as the area between the Plaza and Tomorrowland Terrace will be the entry/exit area for the backstage walkway.

WDW stopped caring about park aesthetics years, if not decades, ago. From Swan/Dolphin to the deforestation of the MK to the Soarin' hangar to the oversized additions to Mexico, I don't get the sense sight lines are that much of a concern anymore.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

^ If someone takes the time to complain about the tree loss it should be obvious what side they come down on. Having a multitude of big shade trees all day long, providing heat relief, framing architecture, improving sightlines, adding invaluable class/"age-old" feeling to the park environs (and with their flickering lights in the evening) certainly trump better views of Fireworks/castle shows. By a mile (IMO).

Fireworks last for, what, less than 15 mintues? Shade lasts all afternoon.

 

[Voxel]

Fireworks last for, what, less than 15 mintues? Shade lasts all afternoon.

Sorry, I could be one of few. But I remember the Fireworks at Disney more then I remember the shade. Maybe cause I live in an Area where no one with in hours does fireworks.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Sorry, I could be one of few. But I remember the Fireworks at Disney more then I remember the shade. Maybe cause I live in an Area where no one with in hours does fireworks.

I'm pretty sure that even with trees there would be chances to see fireworks in MK. Wasn't that what people did for 30+ years?

 

[Voxel]

I'm pretty sure that even with trees there would be chances to see fireworks in MK. Wasn't that what people did for 30+ years?

Yes but 30+ years ago the Magic Kingdom didn't see crowds of 23 Million people a year. It was more like 7 million a year.

 

[Zac Skellington]

Back when they regularly had perimeter fireworks, you didn't worry about finding that one good viewing angle.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Yes but 30+ years ago the Magic Kingdom didn't see crowds of 23 Million people a year. It was more like 7 million a year.

I didn't say 30+ years ago. I was talking about the fact that over a period of 30 years, people dealt with hub and town square trees when viewing fireworks. As for attendence, you might want to see the numbers MK pulled in between 1980 and 2004, when those trees were still there.

 

[Voxel]

I didn't say 30+ years ago. I was talking about the fact that over a period of 30 years, people dealt with hub and town square trees when veing fireworks. As for attendence, you might want to see the numbers MK pulled in between 1980 and 2004, when those trees were still there.

The only two years that Stand out are 91 and 97. The rest averaged about 13 Million a year or around 37,000 people a day. Since 2005 Disney has been handling ~17 million a year or about 44,000 people a day. That may not seem like a large jump but that is when your talking about people moving. Especially now that they use projectors on the castle for the pre-shows it makes it more valued to get prime viewing.

 

[mm52200]

Why can Disneyland still have trees in their hub but not in ours? Their fireworks shows are designed around the castle but you don't them chopping down their beautiful trees.