Iconic Purple Directional Signs Being Replaced

[UNCgolf]

I get and agree with a good deal of what you're saying, but I don't really understand how this translates to keeping the style of infrastructural roadway signage firmly entrenched in the 80s and 90s. Unlike your other examples, the wayfinding system wasn't a facsimile of anything. It was designed using colors and conventions that were popular 30 years ago to appeal to people 30 years ago.

I think it's mostly because of what I mentioned above -- they were in place so long that for many guests they were associated specifically with Disney and not with any design era. They were no longer 1990s design, they were Disney design, even for people who first visited the parks in the past decade and were completely removed from the era in which they originated.

That's not an argument to leave them unchanged forever, but it may be an argument to at least leave them purple? Disney gets a lot of mileage out of that kind of nostalgia for the parks, even if I personally don't really get it in this instance because they're just road signs.

 

[Poseidon Quest]

View attachment 617000
New Colors with old font from @disneyglimpses

The font is probably the most confusing change. Even with the new colors, it still stands out with the old font. I’m quite confused why they changed to the smaller, generic font. By all accounts, it’s a change that seems to make the signs less functional at what they are supposed to do.

That's a dramatic improvement. I couldn't figure out if I just disliked the new signs because I was nostalgic for the previous, or if I just didn't like the color scheme, but transferring the font over immediately fixes it. I would be all for these new signs if they had this font.

 

[Midwest Elitist]

A bit more effort put into this one. Consider it a rough paint job.

 

[Midwest Elitist]

Ok, last one. New font + old colors.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

View attachment 617000
New Colors with old font from @disneyglimpses

The font is probably the most confusing change. Even with the new colors, it still stands out with the old font. I’m quite confused why they changed to the smaller, generic font. By all accounts, it’s a change that seems to make the signs less functional at what they are supposed to do.

I didn’t realize they’d centered the names until I saw your post, I think the left aligned is easier to read.

The blue background bothers me less than the centering now.

 

[Mac Tonight]

Maybe I’m just letting my nostalgia for them skew my perspective here, but I really fail to see how these signs would not be seen as “iconic”. Even if you were just shown the color scheme and shape, you’d recognize it as being from WDW.

Talk all you want about them being “tacky” or “too 90’s”, but stop acting like the signs were so insignificant that it’s ridiculous anyone would be sad to see them go.

They made them into freaking Vinylmations for crying out loud!

 

[MisterPenguin]

Blue v. Purple: Either is fine.

But the yellow on red was a crime against contrast. Yellow on light blue is only marginally better.

Anyhoo... why is the 90s color scheme awful for TTA but OK for traffic signs?

 

[Stripes]

The purple signs were always ugly to me. But I don’t have any nostalgia for them.

I do have nostalgia for these signs. But, nostalgia aside I think they’ve aged quite a bit better than the WDW signs. Disney this is the color scheme you’re looking for!

 

[JoeCamel]

The purple signs were always ugly to me. But I don’t have any nostalgia for them.

I do have nostalgia for these signs. But, nostalgia aside I think they’ve aged quite a bit better than the WDW signs. Disney this is the color scheme you’re looking for!

View attachment 617030

Danger and caution colors? Int'l visitors must be confused.....
The blue informational signs seem to align better

 

[castlecake2.0]

Perhaps these signs are being used as a test for visibility and feedback....

 

[correcaminos]

Maybe I’m just letting my nostalgia for them skew my perspective here, but I really fail to see how these signs would not be seen as “iconic”. Even if you were just shown the color scheme and shape, you’d recognize it as being from WDW.

Talk all you want about them being “tacky” or “too 90’s”, but stop acting like the signs were so insignificant that it’s ridiculous anyone would be sad to see them go.

They made them into freaking Vinylmations for crying out loud!

View attachment 617029

If you went to WDW for decades and grew up with different signage first, they wouldn't be iconic. Much like those who never went to WDW before the SSE wand or the Sorcerer's hat. Those were iconic to the people who started going when they were already up. For those who had gone long before either, they were often viewed as a monstrosity. These signs are not iconic to me and really were harder to read than I'd like but I'm sensitive to color and with dyslexia colors matter. So that's how I can few these as tacky and not iconic. Using a funko pop which they make everything out doesn't mean much to those of us who actually did not grow up with these signs. It's just a phase to us. It's all relative.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Blue v. Purple: Either is fine.

But the yellow on red was a crime against contrast. Yellow on light blue is only marginally better.

Anyhoo... why is the 90s color scheme awful for TTA but OK for traffic signs?

My left brain tells me to go right

The purple signs were always ugly to me. But I don’t have any nostalgia for them.

I do have nostalgia for these signs. But, nostalgia aside I think they’ve aged quite a bit better than the WDW signs. Disney this is the color scheme you’re looking for!

View attachment 617030

Oh those…nostalgia is what you’ve got…cause they don’t let annual passes in anymore

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Iconic road signs? You must've started going to WDW in the '90s. For those of us that started going in the early '70s, they are just the colorful signs they started using in the '90s. I won't call them tacky or garish, but definitely dated. If they had replaced them in a timely manner and not left them there for 30 years, no one would consider them iconic. If they had left the Cake Castle for 30 years it to would now be "iconic".

They also made a Vinylmation of an iconic volleyball going over a net.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Old signs: Designed to be "Unique in spirit"

New signs: Designed to be a sign you can find anywhere else in the world.

I personally would not call the old signs "iconic", but I would call them unique and a subtle touch that was uniquely Disney. Another decline by a degree.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

If you happen to live in a blue country, the signage will be a firm reminder of your daily commute. Add in some traffic jams and a bit of road rage to your drive to the MK and you're back home, Monday morning 8:45am and running late.

 

[CoasterSnoop]

I don’t care about nostalgia. Those new signs lack inspiration and look horrible. Much worse than the old ones, outdated color scheme and all. They look like I’m gonna take Exit 56 onto W Rasmussen Fuddyduddy Road, not the road to the Magic Kingdom. How even a rough mock-up of that made it anywhere in the company is beyond me.

 

[Tate-316]

I guess NOW we know why they've been unrelenting in price increases across the parks.... got these mundane new signs to puts up.

 

[SpectroMagician]

Why Disney? No one asked for this, it is not remotely necessary. People like the purple there is zero reason to change. Now you are wasting money replacing all of the signs instead of actually investing in the parks.

Disney has completely gone off the rails and this is yet another example.

 

[JusticeDisney]

If you went to WDW for decades and grew up with different signage first, they wouldn't be iconic. Much like those who never went to WDW before the SSE wand or the Sorcerer's hat. Those were iconic to the people who started going when they were already up. For those who had gone long before either, they were often viewed as a monstrosity. These signs are not iconic to me and really were harder to read than I'd like but I'm sensitive to color and with dyslexia colors matter. So that's how I can few these as tacky and not iconic. Using a funko pop which they make everything out doesn't mean much to those of us who actually did not grow up with these signs. It's just a phase to us. It's all relative.

Totally disagree. Something doesn’t become iconic only if it predates you. Things can and do become iconic over time, even if they didn’t exist since the beginning of time.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Why Disney? No one asked for this, it is not remotely necessary. People like the purple there is zero reason to change. Now you are wasting money replacing all of the signs instead of actually investing in the parks.

Disney has completely gone off the rails and this is yet another example.

Maybe the signs had just reached their lifespan?

Totally disagree. Something doesn’t become iconic only if it predates you. Things can and do become iconic over time, even if they didn’t exist since the beginning of time.

Oh no…maybe in the real world…but not in that “world”…anything old/outdated becomes “iconic” and the fish go for that hook.

remember when they were supposed replace the track for space mountain about 6 years ago and didn’t? Just call it “iconic”

maybe Star tours?

Ohana at triple the price and half the value?

all “iconic”…can’t miss stuff.