News Improvements coming to the entrances of all four Walt Disney World theme parks

[danlb_2000]

Looks like... Doors? There seems to be buildings with doors being put up on both sides of the old tram unload location.

Looks like they are building a covered structure there maybe with some sort of storage room on either end.

 

[Creathir]

The DAK entrance has always been horrendous with poor flow, lack of shade, and bad signage.

But there's only one thing I want... just one... a permanent exit. Just pick one spot that will be the exit and just let it be the exit. No more games of guessing where the exit is. I just want to head to the same spot every time. I don't trust the two side gates which look like permanent exits in that there are two of them. You can be sure that each day they'll randomly chose only one of them to be the real exit.

Agree completely. For such a beautiful park, the entrance is a total let down.

Don’t get me started about the parking lot...
I absolutely cannot stand it. The way the cars snake across the enormous field of black asphalt... it’s so monotonous and arid.

The other parking lots are much more enjoyable and I believe it’s purely because of the approach/tree breaks integrated into them.

 

[Kevin_W]

Agree completely. For such a beautiful park, the entrance is a total let down.

Don’t get me started about the parking lot...
I absolutely cannot stand it. The way the cars snake across the enormous field of black asphalt... it’s so monotonous and arid.

The other parking lots are much more enjoyable and I believe it’s purely because of the approach/tree breaks integrated into them.

I've not used the parking lots at the parks, but I think the entrance to AK is probably the best of the 4 parks. The bag check usually has short lines and is spaced away from the gates. MK has improved in recent years from when they made you walk away from the park after leaving the buses to loop around to bag check, but I still prefer AK.

Though I agree with @MisterPenguin that picking an exit spot and leaving it there would be nice.

 

[Darth Snips]

Agree completely. For such a beautiful park, the entrance is a total let down.

Don’t get me started about the parking lot...
I absolutely cannot stand it. The way the cars snake across the enormous field of black asphalt... it’s so monotonous and arid.

The other parking lots are much more enjoyable and I believe it’s purely because of the approach/tree breaks integrated into them.

I don’t know how true this is, but I’ve heard that this was intentional. The parking lot was designed to look as bleak and lifeless as possible to contrast with the Oasis at the entrance. That way, you transition from the epitome of gray, modern urbanization to the epitome of untouched, natural beauty.

 

[peter11435]

I don’t know how true this is, but I’ve heard that this was intentional. The parking lot was designed to look as bleak and lifeless as possible to contrast with the Oasis at the entrance. That way, you transition from the epitome of gray, modern urbanization to the epitome of untouched, natural beauty.

I believe I have heard Joe state this before.

Don’t know if that was a true design decision or an excuse.

 

[MisterPenguin]

No matter what Man builds, Nature will wear away, pull apart, and over grow...

...unless it's the parking lot.

 

[Flynnwriter]

This is great news! The entrance area to Animal Kingdom has always felt a little unfinished and lackluster.

 

[Rider]

AK security has long been pushed to it's limits. They often have the "extended" area to the sides of the permanent structures in use.

 

[ParksAndPixels]

This will be really great to handle crowds once Pandora finally ope.... oh sorry, had a flash back for a moment... in reality security checks can’t handle more demand at this point across all parks and with SWL opening, every park (DHS being the worst) will feel the added numbers.

 

[MAGICFLOP]

MK parking was not a great design and they improved it with EPCOT, but tanked big time with DHS and AK is just OK. Parking at DHS was almost like an afterthought, I especially love the part where it empties to a traffic light...

 

[peter11435]

MI especially love the part where it empties to a traffic light...

Not anymore

 

[MichWolv]

MK parking was not a great design and they improved it with EPCOT, but tanked big time with DHS and AK is just OK. Parking at DHS was almost like an afterthought, I especially love the part where it empties to a traffic light...

They spent a lot money recently to change that. Whether it’s better or not I leave to you to decide, but the traffic light part is gone.

 

[Fox&Hound]

Hmm....
No hint of a Skyliner or other type of alternate transportation station in these plans. Best spot would probably be to the right of the tram drop-off is such a thing were to happen.

I feel like a skyliner line between AK and AKL seems like a no brainer at this point....

 

[Bocabear]

I feel like a skyliner line between AK and AKL seems like a no brainer at this point....

Something like that should have been done when it was built... Even a narrow guage train like they used to have at Ft Wilderness to bring hotel guests to the park would have been thematically perfect and made the resort not feel so cut off from everything...

 

[EricsBiscuit]

I'd rather it's a small world in Showcase Plaza and Sinbad in Morocco

have you ridden Sinbad? It’s much better than IASW.

Something like that should have been done when it was built... Even a narrow guage train like they used to have at Ft Wilderness to bring hotel guests to the park would have been thematically perfect and made the resort not feel so cut off from everything...

I love that idea!

 

[DznyRktekt]

Something like that should have been done when it was built... Even a narrow guage train like they used to have at Ft Wilderness to bring hotel guests to the park would have been thematically perfect and made the resort not feel so cut off from everything...

That would have been a better use of the trains that take you to Conservation Station.

 

[P_Radden]

I feel like a skyliner line between AK and AKL seems like a no brainer at this point....

Something like that should have been done when it was built... Even a narrow guage train like they used to have at Ft Wilderness to bring hotel guests to the park would have been thematically perfect and made the resort not feel so cut off from everything...

I know I've mentioned this before but heck even a simple walking path would be fantastic for guests staying at AKL:

Joe has even retweeted my image before so I know he likes the idea as well

 

[marni1971]

Hmm....
No hint of a Skyliner or other type of alternate transportation station in these plans. Best spot would probably be to the right of the tram drop-off is such a thing were to happen.

Because there’s no plan for gondolas?

Anything else would happen under other plans.

 

[britain]

Because there’s no plan for gondolas?

Anything else would happen under other plans.

But there is a plan for... something besides buses... right?

 

[peter11435]

But there is a plan for... something besides buses... right?

Yes