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

[gmajew]

Really don't like this. But most of you probably figured that would be my opinion.

Until 2003-2004, the Hub was a garden-like Oasis that provided shade and kept the castle partially obscured and in proper perspective.

It has largely turned in a concrete wasteland. Now, it's simply a nicer concrete wasteland.

I am with you on this but I am holding my judgement to I see it in a few weeks. For congestion purposes they needed to do something I just hope they plant enough trees etc around it and do enough with landscaping to make it look and feel right.

 

[sshindel]

This is why I'm a firmly on Team Dust and Gloom.

I liked the hub better with the trees. I liked the degree of separation it gave the castle from MSUSA. I liked how it made the castle seem like it was in a different "section" of the park. It was not a part of MSUSA, it was off, in the distance. I'm sad that the visual separation has been removed, like I am sad that all that was once unique on MSUSA is now homogenized Disney Product.

However.

I like the castle projection show. I think it is one of my favorite additions in the past 5 years. I enjoy it every time. I also like that the new hub design will reduce the heavy traffic congestion in the increasingly over-populated MK. I think that the update is looking well done (light poles aside, fix those suckers!).

When I weigh the two options, would I give up the castle projection show for the trees, or give up the trees for the castle projection show, I cannot come up with a definitive answer for myself.

 

[Sage of Time]

This is why I'm a firmly on Team Dust and Gloom.

I liked the hub better with the trees. I liked the degree of separation it gave the castle from MSUSA. I liked how it made the castle seem like it was in a different "section" of the park. It was not a part of MSUSA, it was off, in the distance. I'm sad that the visual separation has been removed, like I am sad that all that was once unique on MSUSA is now homogenized Disney Product.

However.

I like the castle projection show. I think it is one of my favorite additions in the past 5 years. I enjoy it every time. I also like that the new hub design will reduce the heavy traffic congestion in the increasingly over-populated MK. I think that the update is looking well done (light poles aside, fix those suckers!).

When I weigh the two options, would I give up the castle projection show for the trees, or give up the trees for the castle projection show, I cannot come up with a definitive answer for myself.

Labels are meaningless. So are teams. Like what you like. Dislike what you dislike. I don't know why anyone would want to call them a pixie duster OR a doom and gloomer.

 

[sshindel]

Labels are meaningless. So are teams. Like what you like. Dislike what you dislike. I don't know why anyone would want to call them a pixie duster OR a doom and gloomer.

How am I supposed to find solidarity and know who's opinion I should hold above others then?!?

 

[Brian]

 

[Sage of Time]

How am I supposed to find solidarity and know who's opinion I should hold above others then?!?

DON'T

 

[Incomudro]

I love trees, but let's remember...
when the park was built, those trees (all the trees) were small and ones eyes were able to take in entire areas of the park unobstructed.
If you search before and after images of the same location, you can see that.
No one complained - and that was before the parks reached claustrophobic levels of crowding.
As much as I love the lush looks of foliage, when the parks are crowded (as they mostly are now) and sightlines are blocked it adds to the congestive feel.
I wish WDW didn't need to redesign the hub, but times change and needs for accomodations change.

 

[Sage of Time]

I love trees, but let's remember...
when the park was built, those trees (all the trees) were small and ones eyes were able to take in entire areas of the park unobstructed.
If you search before and after images of the same location, you can see that.
No one complained - and that was before the parks reached claustrophobic levels of crowding.
As much as I love the lush looks of foliage, when the parks are crowded (as they mostly are now) and sightlines are blocked it adds to the congestive feel.
I wish WDW didn't need to redesign the hub, but times change and needs for accomodations change.

Agreed with this, though I have to add that Disneyland still has their trees, despite crowding and changing accommodations.

I suppose that their smaller scale/smaller castle doesn't require all of this attention focused on getting projections on their buildings so perhaps that is the reason why their trees remained.

 

[halltd]

I suppose that their smaller scale/smaller castle doesn't require all of this attention focused on getting projections on their buildings so perhaps that is the reason why their trees remained.

I sometimes wish we had the tiny castle that Disneyland has for this very reason.

 

[PREMiERdrum]

How am I supposed to find solidarity and know who's opinion I should hold above others then?!?

Not to mention the implications for this year's WDWMagic softball showdown.

 

[Sage of Time]

I sometimes wish we had the tiny castle that Disneyland has for this very reason.

I know the feeling, but WDW scale is so impressive.

But I love how small DL is.

 

[Tobe]

Only had the opportunity to enjoy this view once. Although it looks nice and lush, I can't come to like the giant trees blocking the view of the castle. They look a little overgrown to me. I am obviously bias though as I grew up with the clear view looking down main street. I think that if they allow the trees on the outer ring to get some good size on them, creating a nice border encircling the hub, it would feel much more lush and park like. I for one think being able to see all of Tomorrowland from the hub really takes away from the place making. A large border would fix this problem.

And this is the crux of it. Many of us have differing opinions on what the hub should be and these are often times influenced by our history with the park and what we remember from our earliest visits there when we first experienced the magic. Don't get me wrong, I still experience the magic but nothing is like the first couple of visits when you are exploring it all for the first time with a sense of wonder and awe.

I personally don't care for the large trees in the middle ring blocking the view of the castle. I understand the concepts put forth by purists about the show, the perspective, etc. but those arguments are not enough to change my personal opinion of which view I like better. Just as any argument I may put forth about why I think the unobstructed view is better is not going to change their feelings. I feel the original planters with the built in concrete seating in the center ring were a huge jarring break in theme of the hub. They seem like a 60s or 70s vision of modern urban architecture between the Victorian style Main Street and a Medieval Castle. I don't get how they fit there. But that's just a personal opinion on my part. Others loved them. And it's okay that we have different opinions. That makes the world interesting. But it does make it hard for Disney to please everybody. Often times it seems they please nobody on this board. Hopefully this hub redesign will be enough of a compromise to at least satisfy some.

I have come to the understanding that things will always be changing at WDW. Some of the changes I will like and some of the changes I will not. The changes I like or dislike will not always be the same as those someone else will like or dislike. Some people are excited to see a changed or updated fireworks show at the MK. I personally am not. I love Wishes even though it has been around for decades and is a Disney cheesefest. We see it at least 3 times every trip from what we consider our perfect viewing spot about a fourth of the way into the hub from Main Street. Not so close that we have to crane our necks upward and the castle blocks out a lot the lower fireworks but close enough to get a good view of Tinkerbell and a decent view of the Sorcerer's hat and magic mirror projections on the castle. Will I understand if they change it? Yep. Will I like it? Nope. Will I be willing to give any replacement show a fair chance? Yep. I may even like it more; even though I highly doubt it. Only time will tell.

I am glad there is a place like this where we can all gather and share our different opinions on these things. Most of the time in a civil manner. Unlikely as it may be, I do still hold out slim hope that WDO does pay some attention to fan sites like this when thinking about future changes and developments.

 

[erclvrb18]

All of those rooms along that corridor are under Fantasyland or the Main Street buildings. The stretch under the Hub and its waterway is just a corridor that slopes down and back up.

-Rob

it always felt weird walking the slope lol

 

[The Empress Lilly]

For congestion purposes they needed to do something

Yes, that is true. That is very true in its own right. But I will not accept it as sufficient reason for Disney to undermine show.

The MK was designed for 10 million visitors. It currently approaches double that. If the MK grows further from 20 to 25 million, should, say, the western half of Main Street be razed to the ground to relieve foot traffic congestion during parades? If it then grows to 30 million, should the Castle be torn down for a plain fountain to ease traffic from the hub to Fantasyland? Should we rejoice when this plain fountain next gets replaced for a prettier princess fountain?

 

[wdizneew]

it always felt weird walking the slope lol

it feels like there's some gravity sucking zone in the middle of MK when you walk it lol

oh and if you're running close to your clock in time, the slope starts working those glutes and calves haha

 

[gmajew]

Yes, that is true. That is very true in its own right. But I will not accept it as sufficient reason for Disney to undermine show.

The MK was designed for 10 million visitors. It currently approaches double that. If the MK grows further from 20 to 25 million, should, say, the western half of Main Street be razed to the ground to relieve foot traffic congestion during parades? If it then grows to 30 million, should the Castle be torn down for a plain fountain to ease traffic from the hub to Fantasyland? Should we rejoice when this plain fountain next gets replaced for a prettier princess fountain?

That is fine if the parks were suppose to never grow! As any business owner you build the box to fit the times Disney did that he created a park that fit the time and the model of the business. Meaning x number of visitors. Over time the park was a success! Great problem for a business owner and he had to make the space he had be able to handle the new amount of people.

That should not mean the feeling of the park is lost but it does mean they need to improve and expand the infrastructure of the park to increase through put in the parks. Throughput meaning the number of guest it can handle on a day in day out basis with the limited space they have in certain areas.

So this forces them to use up some of the green space they have to expand walk ways and add restaurants shops etc to service the new number of guest.

They can not knock main street down to improve the congestion on it so they had to do it where they could. If they knocked main street down and pushed it back 20 feet on each side we would be up in arms about it. Some things are untouchable and you hence have to make the improvements where you can.

Hey just like adding another higher quality restaurant in MK is needed demand dictates it so at one point they will add it. Just has to happen but what will we lose to get it. Something goes for changes to take place.

I loved the old hub it was magical and what my memory is but over time my memory is replaced with my kids memory of being nearly trampled getting out of the park and the fear that brings them every trip.

 

[erclvrb18]

it feels like there's some gravity sucking zone in the middle of MK when you walk it lol

oh and if you're running close to your clock in time, the slope starts working those glutes and calves haha

ohhhh and that vacuum system!

 

[Mike S]

That is fine if the parks were suppose to never grow! As any business owner you build the box to fit the times Disney did that he created a park that fit the time and the model of the business. Meaning x number of visitors. Over time the park was a success! Great problem for a business owner and he had to make the space he had be able to handle the new amount of people.

That should not mean the feeling of the park is lost but it does mean they need to improve and expand the infrastructure of the park to increase through put in the parks. Throughput meaning the number of guest it can handle on a day in day out basis with the limited space they have in certain areas.

So this forces them to use up some of the green space they have to expand walk ways and add restaurants shops etc to service the new number of guest.

They can not knock main street down to improve the congestion on it so they had to do it where they could. If they knocked main street down and pushed it back 20 feet on each side we would be up in arms about it. Some things are untouchable and you hence have to make the improvements where you can.

Hey just like adding another higher quality restaurant in MK is needed demand dictates it so at one point they will add it. Just has to happen but what will we lose to get it. Something goes for changes to take place.

I loved the old hub it was magical and what my memory is but over time my memory is replaced with my kids memory of being nearly trampled getting out of the park and the fear that brings them every trip.

In the future Disney will have to address the real elephant in the room at Magic Kingdom: the need for more rides (some high capacity E Tickets wouldn't hurt) to hold the ever increasing amount of more people.

 

[gmajew]

In the future Disney will have to address the real elephant in the room at Magic Kingdom: the need for more rides (some high capacity E Tickets wouldn't hurt) to hold the ever increasing amount of more people.

Agreed that is and is going to be a huge issue with MK for years to come. MK could use another 10 rides to make it more comparable to the park out west.

 

[Brian]

In the future Disney will have to address the real elephant in the room at Magic Kingdom: the need for more rides (some high capacity E Tickets wouldn't hurt) to hold the ever increasing amount of more people.

On the contrary, I feel that Magic Kingdom doesn't need any more "people grabbers." Epcot, DHS and Animal Kingdom need E Tickets. That would alleviate some of the over-crowding issues in the Magic Kingdom. People will always gravitate towards Magic Kingdom based, if nothing else, on it's notoriety. More E Tickets at the other three parks would help balance the crowd levels out amongst the four parks.

But I genuinely respect everyone's opinion and often learn new things from them