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

[Mike S]

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

"In the future" is a pretty vague term. Right now all the expansion seems to be going to AK and DHS, the two parks that absolutely need it the most. But, if crowds keep increasing at Magic Kingdom they're going to need rides to put them in. No amount of simply making walkways bigger will replace true expansion of capacity. The more people on rides, the less crowded the walkways are. Take a trip out to Disneyland sometime to see this concept in action.

 

[betty rose]

My first trip was in 2002. The trees were still there but I was only 11 and I can't remember them very well, but looking at pictures I definitely prefer the hub with the trees. They beautifully framed the castle and gave it an air of mystery. They seem to beckon you forward. I can imagine walking under the trees to then have the castle fully revealed.

Not trying to complain though. It definitely seems like the new hub is going to be an improvement. Just wish we still had this.
View attachment 85360

Trees and flowers, now that is great!

 

[betty rose]

Here's a couple:

1971:

2003:

I love to see all the old pictures, mine got destroyed in a flood, thanks for posting.

 

[dstrawn9889]

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.

hence the beginnings... you do not upgrade a regional airport to hub status without first building out infrastructure... you need larger roads to and from , more parking, transpo from parking to the terminals, bigger and more terminals, and then once all of that is complete you add RUnways and more airline carriers to the local fleet. same at MK. you cannot add more rides to the park without first having a way to get the people to and from, and be able to evac the park in a quick manner. the widening of the hub allows more throughput during non-show times, and the bypass allows that flow to keep moving unhindered to the front gates and out. IMHO, changes, they are a' comin. you do not spend this kind of money without some chance of ROI. more people in, more money, more people on rides, even more people in

 

[PREMiERdrum]

hence the beginnings... you do not upgrade a regional airport to hub status without first building out infrastructure... you need larger roads to and from , more parking, transpo from parking to the terminals, bigger and more terminals, and then once all of that is complete you add RUnways and more airline carriers to the local fleet. same at MK. you cannot add more rides to the park without first having a way to get the people to and from, and be able to evac the park in a quick manner. the widening of the hub allows more throughput during non-show times, and the bypass allows that flow to keep moving unhindered to the front gates and out. IMHO, changes, they are a' comin. you do not spend this kind of money without some chance of ROI. more people in, more money, more people on rides, even more people in

But are these changes (hub, bypass, etc) in preparation of coming changes, or a late reaction to a problem that's been around for years?

I'm glad it's getting done, but I think our insiders here have said that the MK will essentially be "done" for a while expansion-wise as the other parks come under the lens.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

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.

It's not just rides. To just adequately handle current busy to peak period crowds, MK also needs at least 2-3 more counter AND table service dining options, more restrooms, and some widened pathways and seating areas.

And then there is the transportation system. The second ferry dock and expanded bus bays help, but even with that, the monorail, watercraft and busses are often overwhelmed and overcrowded.

Personally, I think MK is hitting its point of maximum capacity. It already struggles with 17-18 million people a year; I can't imagine it coping with 20+ million, at least not without a complete and dramatic redo of its infrastructure and crowd management.

 

[Mike S]

It's not just rides. To just adequately handle current busy to peak period crowds, MK also needs at least 2-3 more counter AND table service dining options, more restrooms, and some widened pathways and seating areas.

And then there is the transportation system. The second ferry dock and expanded bus bays help, but even with that, the monorail, watercraft and busses are often overwhelmed and overcrowded.

Personally, I think MK is hitting its point of maximum capacity. It already struggles with 17-18 million people a year; I can't imagine it coping with 20+ million, at least not without a complete and dramatic redo of its infrastructure and crowd management.

Luckily all they have to do there is open the ones already there.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

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.

Sure, but Walt's solution was not to raze half of Disneyland but to build a bigger, better, second park that can hold all the ideas and plans they could possibly imagine.

I'm thinking more along the lines of what @Brian said: develop the rest of WDW to draw people away from the MK, rather than to it.

Although to be fair that seems to be exactly what Iger is doing. Developing DAK and Disney Springs, and in all likelihood DHS soon to follow. While accepting the overcrowding in the MK as a fait accompli and solving its bottleneck problems, from the Fantasyland Repurposing Project to the expanded bus station to the hub work and MS bypass.

 

[CdnDznyLuvr]

Forgive me if this has already been answered but I couldn't find anything. Have they removed the partners statue?

 

[Brian]

Forgive me if this has already been answered but I couldn't find anything. Have they removed the partners statue?

I'm no insider, but I don't think they have plans to. The consensus is that the "box" is to protect the statue from the flying debris and dust that comes with concrete removal in that area.

 

[Cesar R M]

Here's a couple:

1971:

2003:

wow, the old hub was gorgeous.
RIP trees

 

[Kman101]

Partners is shown in the concept art video Disney released so I don't see it going anywhere. They wouldn't remove it.

 

[Incomudro]

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.

Who knew that on day
The Castle would become a giant projection screen?

 

[Kman101]

wow, the old hub was gorgeous.
RIP trees

It really was. I love watching the videos. I could watch retro park videos all day.

Isn't it sad though in every video I instantly spot a bench and notice how odd it seems that there even is a bench. I shouldn't instantly notice a bench as if it's some rare sight [which it sadly has become].

 

[Cesar R M]

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.

I still wonder why they didnt used other stuff for the projections.

Tokyo disneyland used very smart inflated ballons for projections apart from water.
and they worked very well.
can you imagine 2 ballons inflating on each side of the castle for projections?
they would be more visible and easier to remove/inflate every day.

 

[Cesar R M]

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.

They could have reduced the size of the garden areas but keep the trees, or put individual planters everywhere.

 

[Cesar R M]

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?

I honestly imagine the only solution would be.. expanding MUSA by cutting down the buildings, and moving them a few meters to each side. It would take a gigantic $$$.
and park closure.
I dont think they would do that. they would install more entrances first.

 

[Cesar R M]

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

also, nighttime spectaculars are need as well, if not.. all people would move to the other parks which do.

It's not just rides. To just adequately handle current busy to peak period crowds, MK also needs at least 2-3 more counter AND table service dining options, more restrooms, and some widened pathways and seating areas.

And then there is the transportation system. The second ferry dock and expanded bus bays help, but even with that, the monorail, watercraft and busses are often overwhelmed and overcrowded.

Personally, I think MK is hitting its point of maximum capacity. It already struggles with 17-18 million people a year; I can't imagine it coping with 20+ million, at least not without a complete and dramatic redo of its infrastructure and crowd management.

ironically.. they still close down restaurants (cough cough.. tortuga..)

 

[Sage of Time]

Who knew that on day
The Castle would become a giant projection screen?

Yeah, that's the thing.

Though, Disneyland is set to debut a new firework show on May 22 for their 60th that will use projections up and down main street AND on their castle. I don't see any trees being killed off over there to accommodate this, meanwhile.

 

[ABQ]

Who knew that on day
The Castle would become a giant projection screen?

It's ridiculous. But then, I loath the use of the Forecourt Stage as well. I hate that they close the tunnel through the castle so many times per day and really, really hate that they have permanently walled off half the mosaics within the castle as well.