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

[DManRightHere]

Ok, as promised, I took some photos of the hub construction yesterday when I was there for my birthday - including this spot for you!

So you're good to go!!

There were also some people wondering if you could see it from Main Street. Here's a view from the Train Station:

It's not until you get further down to the end of Main Street that you start seeing the walls.

The Swan Boat dock is completely gone and the area is landscaped again:

There's just a new section of railing where it used to be:

And here's a quick shot taken from the PeopleMover looking down at the chaos behind the walls:

A side note: I presume that it's because of the standing water/draining water going on but the ENTIRE HUB (including the bridges from Tomorrowland and between the Castle and Cosmic Rays plus the Rose Garden) were COVERED in SWARMS of noseeums/gnats. I mean TENS OF THOUSANDS of them swarmed every inch at dusk and everyone was swatting at their faces and running to get past the swarms. It's terrible. Disney really needs to do something about it.

Anyway, that's a peek as of yesterday!

Beat me to it, I only took a couple pics of the walls though. I didn't have any problems with knats though, I saw 2 mayflys tonight. Who knows...I also took a couple pics of the over the water villas on bay lake they are working on if no one has posted those.

 

[FerretAfros]

Yeah, I was thinking that couldn't be good for the water if they cut off circulation like that.

If you look at the plan on page 8 of this thread, you can see a pair of bold dashed lines across the walkway (left side) that show the extents of the bridge. Given the (greyscale) dashed line at the entrance to the planter/viewing area (near the tap poles), it appears that the 'bridge' will only be under the walkway itself, with the remaining new space built on soil

Presumably they could still a culvert of some sort at or below the water line, allowing water to flow, and cover it with dirt to the new surface elevation, but it will no longer be a navigable body of water in that area

 

[Cesar R M]

It's not like it was a flowing, circulating body of water. It didn't have currents or anything. The waterfalls near Cosmic Rays keep that part of the waterway churning, and I'm sure there are aerators/bubblers elsewhere to keep things from getting too stagnant. Damming off a portion of it won't change anything.

-Rob

I wonder why they dont install a small pump and make the water circle around the moat?

 

[DrewmanS]

If you look at the plan on page 8 of this thread, you can see a pair of bold dashed lines across the walkway (left side) that show the extents of the bridge. Given the (greyscale) dashed line at the entrance to the planter/viewing area (near the tap poles), it appears that the 'bridge' will only be under the walkway itself, with the remaining new space built on soil

Presumably they could still a culvert of some sort at or below the water line, allowing water to flow, and cover it with dirt to the new surface elevation, but it will no longer be a navigable body of water in that area

I think you are reading too much into that dashed (greyscale) line. It also appears at the other openings around the viewing area. This could simple show a transition of materials, paint, or roped areas. Without the full detail and legends, it is hard to tell. This drawing does not show any of the earthwork involved in the construction.

As for "Faux Bridge and culvert", what is a faux culvert? You would either have a bridge or a culvert. So I agree with others that the wording probably indicates that it is a faux bridge and real culvert. Yes, the water does not "flow", but it does circulate. Anyone who lives in Florida on a man-made canal knows that if you live on the end of a canal and the wind is out of the right direction, debris will build up and begin to smell. So the culvert will allow the water to circulate and avoid a dead-end situation with stagnant water. The bridge is just an illusion to help with the aesthetics when viewed from the side, since you would not expect there to be a bridge the entire width of the new walkways and planters/viewing areas.

So this (depending on size of culvert):

Will look like this:

 

[flynnibus]

It's not like it was a flowing, circulating body of water. It didn't have currents or anything. The waterfalls near Cosmic Rays keep that part of the waterway churning, and I'm sure there are aerators/bubblers elsewhere to keep things from getting too stagnant. Damming off a portion of it won't change anything.

-Rob

Disneyland's dark water system is all interconnected and the water does flow from one side of the park back up to the other (via pump)... not sure about the MK.

 

[Rob562]

Disneyland's dark water system is all interconnected and the water does flow from one side of the park back up to the other (via pump)... not sure about the MK.

Disneyland's is (if I recall it flows from Fantasyland, past the castle, through Adventureland and the Jungle Cruise and out to the Rivers of America). It allows them to only have to use one set of pumps to keep everything going.

But WDW's isn't like that. The Hub waterway used to be semi-connected to the Jungle Cruise waterway (they use the same boathouse), but I believe the removable dam between the two parts (located between the Treehouse and the JC) has been made permanent.

-Rob

 

[Otamin]

Aaaaaaaand another tree and planter box bites the dust.

Here's what that boxed area used to look like:

TDO: Destroying trees since '03.

Seriously what is their obsession with ruining the park? I understand crowd issues, but a lot of the trees that have vanished over the years would have no impact whatsoever on crowds.

I hate to always come across as complaining on the matter, but it's just incredibly sad.

 

[Cesar R M]

TDO: Destroying trees since '03.

Seriously what is their obsession with ruining the park? I understand crowd issues, but a lot of the trees that have vanished over the years would have no impact whatsoever on crowds.

I hate to always come across as complaining on the matter, but it's just incredibly sad.

agree, they seem to have a thing against green.
maybe they should just put planets planters on the top of the buildings a la babylon hanging gardens.
at least they will save them a few bucks in air conditioning units (less heat sent directly to the structure).

(edit, dumb autocorrect)

 

[Kman101]

It's clearly so they can put in more FP+ parade viewing, IMO, unless they actually replace it with another, smaller tree and planter. Also standing above town square and watching people coming and going is quite fun.

I was standing at the train station watching the 12pm parade and looking at the few trees and planters left and was sadly wondering which one was next.

 

[Jose]

Yesterday, while watching the DL and MK feed, I noticed one thing. DL visitors were having a rest at the benches and shadows that Town Square has there. When I saw MK's Town Square, there was nothing but red concrete and four small trees. People have to rest on the floor under 95ºF without a single shadow.
Think about that, TDO.

 

[Cesar R M]

Yesterday, while watching the DL and MK feed, I noticed one thing. DL visitors were having a rest at the benches and shadows that Town Square has there. When I saw MK's Town Square, there was nothing but red concrete and four small trees. People have to rest on the floor under 95ºF without a single shadow.
Think about that, TDO.

Agree!

if they are so worried about space, why the hell they do not invent removable benches?
as soon the sun is out.. they remove the benches for the wishes night parades!

I should try a job at Manager at MK lol.. there are so many ways to improve the parks and they do not require millions of money to apply!

 

[Kman101]

It's true. People sit ANYWHERE they can. It's bad. There need to be a lot more places to sit than the few planters and sidewalks with a bit of a raised area that you can manage to sit your butt on.

I did notice a few twinkling trees by the castle. That was nice. Such little things actually add to the experience and all that's being ripped away (though I presume they will supposedly have more trees that light up but we'll see).

 

[PhotoDave219]

There's a distinct lack of benches and shade. Yesterday was a prime example of the current trend coming to fruition.

 

[note2001]

Yesterday, while watching the DL and MK feed, I noticed one thing. DL visitors were having a rest at the benches and shadows that Town Square has there. When I saw MK's Town Square, there was nothing but red concrete and four small trees. People have to rest on the floor under 95ºF without a single shadow.
Think about that, TDO.

We always go in the summer months and I really can't tell you when the last time we entered the park and walked the length of main street without ducking into a store to avoid heat, rain or parade traffic was. I have to agree with those who say Disney's trying to force folk into the stores and off the streets in an effort to bring in more sales.

If this is their game plan, it is backfiring on them. Walking through stores all the time makes us numb to the items and since all the stores pretty much resemble each other in product we have no desire to explore stores. Even though a budget is there for souvenirs the impulse to spend it just isn't there anymore.

 

[Kman101]

The generic merchandise in the stores is just awful. I was willing to buy things but NOTHING was interesting enough. I only bought the $30 Heroes and Villains shirt yesterday because I was given a gift card. They all really do resemble each other. Little pens, keychains, awful shirt designs, plush plush everywhere. I mean, you can come across a few decent items but the stores are very interchangable, IMO. I think they only really started doing that years back because of "why do I have to walk all over to find this item" so they started putting the same merchandise everywhere. And why is Haunted Mansion merch in stores, that, IMO, shouldn't even bother to have it? I did like some of that stuff.

 

[BwanaBob]

Disneyland's is (if I recall it flows from Fantasyland, past the castle, through Adventureland and the Jungle Cruise and out to the Rivers of America). It allows them to only have to use one set of pumps to keep everything going.

But WDW's isn't like that. The Hub waterway used to be semi-connected to the Jungle Cruise waterway (they use the same boathouse), but I believe the removable dam between the two parts (located between the Treehouse and the JC) has been made permanent.

-Rob

They use the same structure/boathouse backstage, but the channels are separated. When they did the refurb for JC, boats were lifted and set into the swan-boat side of the house... Unless they were being painted or refurbed themselves.
They also installed the Pirates Adventure game in the water on the moat side, so that had to be kept under water during all of this as well.

 

[Kman101]

I mean, it's bad when people are literally cramping down and sitting in front of stores, restaurants, etc. I also don't need to see children climbing all over fountains (a kid was just running around Gaston's fountain) and it's hard to take pictures where the only seating is on the part around a fountain. The lack of benches is just glaring.

 

[BwanaBob]

I should try a job at Manager at MK lol.. there are so many ways to improve the parks and they do not require millions of money to apply!

You'll need a position other than "manager" to make those kind of decisions.

 

[Cesar R M]

You'll need a position other than "manager" to make those kind of decisions.

bean counter?

 

[MarkTwain]

TDO: Destroying trees since '03.

Seriously what is their obsession with ruining the park? I understand crowd issues, but a lot of the trees that have vanished over the years would have no impact whatsoever on crowds.

I hate to always come across as complaining on the matter, but it's just incredibly sad.

I was thinking the same: It's a tree. It has a ground-level diameter of maybe one-square foot, about the same as a single person (no real parade viewing gained). It blocks no fireworks sightlines due to its location and its maintenance needs are for the most part provided naturally. Why on earth did they feel the need to remove it?