Main Street U.S.A. hub redevelopment at the Magic Kingdom

[George]

I LOVE Longwood Gardens! We try to go every Christmas to see the lights. I think WDW could learn a thing or two about landscaping and exterior illumination from them!

WDW did hire the Griswold family patriarch to teach them the ins and outs of exterior illumination.

 

[Zweiland]

I may be in the minority, but I really like the new color scheme over the older one.

I like them both. But my favorite is Tokyo's color scheme:

 

[marni1971]

I did notice in that video rendering of the new hub, any "larger" trees around the outer ring seemed to be positioned in such as way as to keep the projection sight lines (and the new FP+ viewing areas) clear. Since the castle projectors are roughly directly behind the new viewing areas, that sight line has to be kept clear for multiple reasons.
.

...And the other 8 projectors. There won't be any new planting of anything large where there wasn't twelve months ago. It's a shame this will look more like TDL or DLP than WDW of yesterday but it's either nighttime spectacular viewing or lush landscaping. The hub can't have both anymore.

 

[Otamin]

I much prefer the older colour scheme, although I do like the Herb Ryman inspired elements.

I just feel the castle nowadays looks too much like a toy, whereas before it was more akin to a "real" castle.

If it were up to me I'd have a variation of the added details from the Tokyo castle and the older colour scheme. I'd also bring back the trees, or at least frame the castle much like the one in Tokyo.

The chances of any of that happening are incredibly slim however.

 

[SnarkyMonkey]

I'm sure that is true for most visitors, but it's the extra unneeded details that made Disney great in the past.

While I do understand what you are saying because it is the little details that I too love, I think sometimes there has to be compromises. I think Disney knows that scaling back on trees does not impact the experience for most guests and allows for the nighttime entertainment to be more enjoyable. So, I can understand them making the decision. I'm not sure Disney should make decisions based on what only a few people will notice, kwim?

 

[lazyboy97o]

While I do understand what you are saying because it is the little details that I too love, I think sometimes there has to be compromises. I think Disney knows that scaling back on trees does not impact the experience for most guests and allows for the nighttime entertainment to be more enjoyable. So, I can understand them making the decision. I'm not sure Disney should make decisions based on what only a few people will notice, kwim?

Hub centric shows, by their very nature, can only be properly enjoyed by a minority of visitors.

 

[Sage of Time]

I like them both. But my favorite is Tokyo's color scheme:

I find it a little too dark for my tastes, especially along the bottom half, but the upperoprtions are fantastic.

...And the other 8 projectors. There won't be any new planting of anything large where there wasn't twelve months ago. It's a shame this will look more like TDL or DLP than WDW of yesterday but it's either nighttime spectacular viewing or lush landscaping. The hub can't have both anymore.

Well, considering the view in the picture above this post of Tokyo's Hub... that's not a bad compromise. Anything is better than what we have now. Save for Disneyland and their lushly planted hub.

 

[SnarkyMonkey]

Hub centric shows, by their very nature, can only be properly enjoyed by a minority of visitors.

Ok? Not sure what that has to do with what I said.

 

[George]

Ok? Not sure what that has to do with what I said.

The gardens and lush landscaping can be enjoyed by all whereas the hub centric shows are enjoyed by those that have parked themselves in the hub to wait for the show. Or at least I believe that was the point of @lazyboy97o 's statement.

 

[tirian]

FRENCH?!?? at the end of Main Street USA?!?!? How dare they.


Well done. :claps:

I find that DL's tiny Sleeping Beauty castle is, ironically, the only one that doesn't overpower Main Street and feels like the entrance to Fantasyland. It makes sense for Cinderella Castle to have fairy-tale gardens in front, even though the castles are technically part of FL, not MSUSA or even the Hub.

 

[tirian]

View attachment 80244

I wish we could return to the time when the MK felt like a pleasant park and a magical kingdom instead of The Magic™ Kingdom®©All Rights Reserved. If we could recapture the days when the fireworks burst over the sky everywhere instead of forcing people into a hub that was specifically designed to distribute people away from a central location, the MK wouldn't feel like such a mess every evening.

But hey, that's when the cannons outside POTC regularly fired and the TSI cabin burned simply because the FX contributed to the show. In other words, that's when WDW treated its theme parks like entertainment instead of tangents to a time share business.

 

[tirian]

Well, considering the view in the picture above this post of Tokyo's Hub... that's not a bad compromise. Anything is better than what we have now. Save for Disneyland and their lushly planted hub.

The redesigned hub won't reclaim the glory days of early 90s WDW, but it will be beautiful. This is one thing Phil Holmes can't ruin for the MK.

DL's "lushly planted hub" would be better if it weren't packed with too many passholders every single afternoon.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

instead of forcing people into a hub that was specifically designed to distribute people away from a central location, the MK wouldn't feel like such a mess every evening.

This is an important point to make. MK was designed to have it's visitors spread throughout the park (including queue areas) and not have all 40,000+ people in the hub at the same time.

 

[tirian]

This is an important point to make. MK was designed to have it's visitors spread throughout the park (including queue areas) and not have all 40,000+ people in the hub at the same time.

50–60k has become the norm for much of the year!

 

[lazyboy97o]

Ok? Not sure what that has to do with what I said.

@George had it right. You're saying Disney should not make decisions based on what a few will notice, but that is exactly what they are doing because no every guest can comfortably fit in the Central Plaza and get a good view.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

50–60k has become the norm for much of the year!

Yes, but I don't think they predicted those kinds of crowds when the hub was first designed.

 

[tirian]

Yes, but I don't think they predicted those kinds of crowds when the hub was first designed.

True, true.

 

[SnarkyMonkey]

@George had it right. You're saying Disney should not make decisions based on what a few will notice, but that is exactly what they are doing because no every guest can comfortably fit in the Central Plaza and get a good view.

No. I understand the words you are speaking. I just don't understand the comparison. I guarantee you more people notice that they can or cannot see Wishes than notice that the forced perception of Cinderella Castle is different without trees. I don't think the enjoyment of Wishes only takes a few guests into consideration. I think most people would notice if there was a tree in the way of the show.

 

[lazyboy97o]

No. I understand the words you are speaking. I just don't understand the comparison. I guarantee you more people notice that they can or cannot see Wishes than notice that the forced perception of Cinderella Castle is different without trees. I don't think the enjoyment of Wishes only takes a few guests into consideration. I think most people would notice if there was a tree in the way of the show.

And more people would notice that they cannot fit into the small space from which the show can be properly seen. More people are negatively impacted by the lack of shade, lack of sitting space and the lack of viewing space caused by focusing the show's viewing area.

 

[SnarkyMonkey]

And more people would notice that they cannot fit into the small space from which the show can be properly seen. More people are negatively impacted by the lack of shade, lack of sitting space and the lack of viewing space caused by focusing the show's viewing area.

This is so far removed from the point I was making.

Can I go back to my original comment?

I didn't say that there should or shouldn't be trees. I simply commented that most people walking into the park aren't thinking to themselves, "The Castle would look so much better with trees in the Hub." And I still think that's true.

Apparently, everyone else disagrees and that's cool.