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

[wogwog]

I'd like to skateboard in that moat!

It will be a FP minus selection next week.

 

[danlb_2000]

I can tell you with absolute certainty that it will be completed on 11/5/2014.

For those who don't know, all of his predictions are based on when his next trip to WDW will be.

 

[articos]

The trees in the MK's hub were designed to push the castle further back; to give the illusion that it was actually taller and farther away when you first saw it from Main Street. The hub itself was also used as a cozy, shady, quiet transitional area. You couldn't just see Tomorrowland via the Adventureland bridge, or vice versa. The hub trees were used as "stage curtains" to help slowly reveal the next land you came upon as you navigated the hub.

@WDW1974 knows all about my fascination with the hub trees. The spirit tried to get me to go to a free clinic to resolve my sorrows about the trees being removed, but we ended up going to a Fuddruckers instead.

Here is a picture of the hub in 1991, granted the trees were overgrown in this photo (they did get trimmed from time to time over the years)

This picture from July 2003, shows the hub trees as well as the large trees before you get to the hub that were removed for the castle projection show.

The hub trees were removed in September 2003 to make way for Wishes in October 2003.

The hub was then redone/flattened out (original 1971 circular faux brick benches, planters, etc were all removed around 2005 for the global 50th anniversary of Disneyland.

And here is the hub today. Barren, flat, with a Castle plopped right down at the end of Main Street saying "LOOK AT ME I'M HERE!" with no sense of foreground (the trees) to push the castle further back and also help draw you toward the castle as you could see it peaking up from behind the trees.

The hub is extremely barren, and doesn't help in of all places...FLORIDA. Hopefully the new hub's outer ring of trees will help provide some shade at the very least.

Excellent post. And entirely accurate.

 

[Tip Top Club]

Not sure when the moats will be re-filled, (though it will be quite a while) but look for the entire project to go well past the 2015 projected end date.

 

[sporadic]

What they need is a visit from the Lorax!

 

[Gabe1]

I look at your picture of the castle and in makes my heart sad. I long for the days when looking down Main Street was picturesque. I know the parks evolve but unfortunately not all evolution is a plus.

Once a beautiful, relaxing area. A great place to stop with your wee one, have an ice cream cone, let them out of their stroller and just chill for a few moments in an enchanted area of the MK. Miss it.

 

[Rob562]

I look at your picture of the castle and in makes my heart sad. I long for the days when looking down Main Street was picturesque. I know the parks evolve but unfortunately not all evolution is a plus.

One thing to note, while the screen-capture from the TV appears to make it look like it shows the entire Hub, it doesn't. The Partners statue is *behind* the camera, and it's using quite a wide-angle lens. The two sound towers on either side of the stage are barely at the edge of the frame and you can't even see the tech booths. So this entire crowd is standing on the street and walkways *between* the center of the Hub and the stage. So even in the 70's and 80's you wouldn't see any trees from that angle.

-Rob

 

[Gabe1]

One thing to note, while the screen-capture from the TV appears to make it look like it shows the entire Hub, it doesn't. The Partners statue is *behind* the camera, and it's using quite a wide-angle lens. The two sound towers on either side of the stage are barely at the edge of the frame and you can't even see the tech booths. So this entire crowd is standing on the street and walkways *between* the center of the Hub and the stage. So even in the 70's and 80's you wouldn't see any trees from that angle.

-Rob

Doesn't change my opinion though of the Urban Hub around the castle. The charm is gone from the hub as well as the trees. The beautiful walkway that was once to the right of the castle and lead up to the castle was landscaped for total shade and wonderfully done is long gone has been for years. The theming of that era is almost gone in the immediate area before the iconic castle.

My opinion stands that the grounds that surround the 16th century castle should not be 21st urban planning. The Urban Hub is a deliberate gaffe that is becoming a bigger blunder to the theming of that period that was achieved by the original imagineers.

 

[Rose&Crowner]

For those who don't know, all of his predictions are based on when his next trip to WDW will be.

And somehow that makes them incredible?

 

[bhodge]

but the theming and design of the original imagineers didn't take into account crowd levels of 2014.

 

[articos]

but the theming and design of the original imagineers didn't take into account crowd levels of 2014.

However, the original team expected the park would be continually adjusted to meet crowd demand, or they would have no problem closing the gates if it became too much. Guest experience of the people in the park was as important as the concern of guests not being able to get in, and most importantly, it was as just as important as profit. And continually adjusted did not mean razing things with no input from the creative people who built the place because they need more space.

 

[ToTBellHop]

However, the original team expected the park would be continually adjusted to meet crowd demand, or they would have no problem closing the gates if it became too much. Guest experience of the people in the park was as important as the concern of guests not being able to get in, and most importantly, it was as just as important as profit. And continually adjusted did not mean razing things with no input from the creative people who built the place because they need more space.

There was always the looked-over or ignored option to just build new rides. I have to say, having just spent the last few days here, the construction at the hub looks just awful. Head elsewhere for your pictures. And good luck finding a spot for Wishes. Most of my usual spots are now either closed off or have walls in front of them, so we didn't bother trying. Not worth it for an 11-year old show. New parade is nice...

Then there are the wait times for Pirates and Mansion that are apparently the new norm. Line all day for Spaceship Earth? Yes. Ok, I'll stop whining. We have enjoyed Caribbean Beach (somewhat surprisingly given what you read here.).

 

[The Empress Lilly]

However, the original team expected the park would be continually adjusted to meet crowd demand, or they would have no problem closing the gates if it became too much. Guest experience of the people in the park was as important as the concern of guests not being able to get in, and most importantly, it was as just as important as profit. And continually adjusted did not mean razing things with no input from the creative people who built the place because they need more space.

See, this should've been nailed to the wall of the room in which every 'MK Operational Improvement' meeting took place the past few years.

 

[SirLink]

However, the original team expected the park would be continually adjusted to meet crowd demand, or they would have no problem closing the gates if it became too much. Guest experience of the people in the park was as important as the concern of guests not being able to get in, and most importantly, it was as just as important as profit. And continually adjusted did not mean razing things with no input from the creative people who built the place because they need more space.

Here here also too many onsite rooms meaning too many families who go to MK more. Which makes MK feel like a chore in the last 5 years ... if only they weren't quick to build hotel rooms and were willing to sink substantial investment in Epcot/DHS/DAK too take some of the heat away from MK.

 

[articos]

There was always the looked-over or ignored option to just build new rides. I have to say, having just spent the last few days here, the construction at the hub looks just awful. Head elsewhere for your pictures. And good luck finding a spot for Wishes. Most of my usual spots are now either closed off or have walls in front of them, so we didn't bother trying. Not worth it for an 11-year old show. New parade is nice...

Then there are the wait times for Pirates and Mansion that are apparently the new norm. Line all day for Spaceship Earth? Yes. Ok, I'll stop whining. We have enjoyed Caribbean Beach (somewhat surprisingly given what you read here.).

It used to be construction like this could be done in phases over longer periods of time only on third shift. Not anymore. And this project is - by MK standards - a major overhaul so it's just something to put up with temporarily, since the outcome will finally make the hub better than what it has been in decades.

As to the lines in attractions that didn't used to have lines (or Fastpass), the question is if that means shorter waits in other attractions that used to have longer lines. Will the system actually spread people out more, which is one of the things it's designed to do? I don't know. Right now, it's still a headache on all levels.

 

[articos]

See, this should've been nailed to the wall of the room in which every 'MK Operational Improvement' meeting took place the past few years.

Longer than the past few years, I'm afraid. But Ops was never meant to have the ability to make major changes without involving WDI. They just never got that memo after the teams who all worked together to open the property retired. That's an industry wide thing though - it's rare to get an Operations executive who wants to involve creative.

 

[ToTBellHop]

It used to be construction like this could be done in phases over longer periods of time only on third shift. Not anymore. And this project is - by MK standards - a major overhaul so it's just something to put up with temporarily, since the outcome will finally make the hub better than what it has been in decades.

As to the lines in attractions that didn't used to have lines (or Fastpass), the question is if that means shorter waits in other attractions that used to have longer lines. Will the system actually spread people out more, which is one of the things it's designed to do? I don't know. Right now, it's still a headache on all levels.

Anecdotally, yes. But, all that really means is EVERYTHING has a wait now. No more walking on to HM. Which I miss. Big Thunder going from having a 90 minute wait to a 70 minute wait is still a too-long wait, so for me, anyway, this is a net minus. For now anyway.

And yes, we must tolerate the hub work for now. Or just go see IllumiNations. That is, if your favorite viewing spot hasn't become Pay-Per-View.

 

[articos]

Anecdotally, yes. But, all that really means is EVERYTHING has a wait now. No more walking on to HM. Which I miss. Big Thunder going from having a 90 minute wait to a 70 minute wait is still a too-long wait, so for me, anyway, this is a net minus. For now anyway.

And yes, we must tolerate the hub work for now. Or just go see IllumiNations. That is, if your favorite viewing spot hasn't become Pay-Per-View.

Agreed, and touchè, my friend. hehe

 

[WDW1974]

The trees in the MK's hub were designed to push the castle further back; to give the illusion that it was actually taller and farther away when you first saw it from Main Street. The hub itself was also used as a cozy, shady, quiet transitional area. You couldn't just see Tomorrowland via the Adventureland bridge, or vice versa. The hub trees were used as "stage curtains" to help slowly reveal the next land you came upon as you navigated the hub.

Perfect way of describing it. I often refer to it as mystery. Trees not only make things cooler by providing shade, but they also do (or did) a great job of separating things at the MK. Nowadays, you stand in Liberty Square and feel on top of the Contemporary. It just isn't supposed to be that way.

I get that many people like the 21st century shave all your body hair look of today's MK. ... They just have no taste.

@WDW1974 knows all about my fascination with the hub trees. The spirit tried to get me to go to a free clinic to resolve my sorrows about the trees being removed, but we ended up going to a Fuddruckers instead.

I only take special fanbois to Fudd's. (BTW, you just came up in a conversation where I was having Froyo and sorta mixed my own version of a citrus swirl only many times better than the MK's!)

Here is a picture of the hub in 1991, granted the trees were overgrown in this photo (they did get trimmed from time to time over the years)

This picture from July 2003, shows the hub trees as well as the large trees before you get to the hub that were removed for the castle projection show.

The hub trees were removed in September 2003 to make way for Wishes in October 2003.

The hub was then redone/flattened out (original 1971 circular faux brick benches, planters, etc were all removed around 2005 for the global 50th anniversary of Disneyland.

And here is the hub today. Barren, flat, with a Castle plopped right down at the end of Main Street saying "LOOK AT ME I'M HERE!" with no sense of foreground (the trees) to push the castle further back and also help draw you toward the castle as you could see it peaking up from behind the trees.

The hub is extremely barren, and doesn't help in of all places...FLORIDA. Hopefully the new hub's outer ring of trees will help provide some shade at the very least.

I honestly do not get how anyone can say it looks better now. But I don't think giant fiberglass phallic symbols in the middle of what now feels like an outlet mall gone bad is a 'good look' ...

Out of all the castle parks, WDW's feels the most barren. Being in Central Florida, that is simply inexcusable.

 

[WDW1974]

Longer than the past few years, I'm afraid. But Ops was never meant to have the ability to make major changes without involving WDI. They just never got that memo after the teams who all worked together to open the property retired. That's an industry wide thing though - it's rare to get an Operations executive who wants to involve creative.

Of course not ... Ops will always realize that Creative means 'spending money' ... of course, when you are in business ... any business let alone an incredibly lucrative one like WDW ... you MUST invest money from time to time in ways that won't show up on a balance sheet.