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

[danlb_2000]

What I think most people forget is that they had already put the foundations in place for the mega princess meet and greets. They had to tear that all out and replace it with a ride they never built before. Tranformers was built in less than a year because
A) It's quite simple to construct - a concrete square with similar tech inside to what uni did b4 with spiderman
and
B) They built the ride twice before so they have experience with the building of it.

Your first part it incorrect, other then land clearing, no actual work started on the M&Gs.

I agree with the points you make on Transformers, but even given that they did get it up fast, and they sacrificed some "show" to do it. At the start of construction they actually were driving trucks through guest areas during park hours, something that Disney would likely never do.

 

[dstrawn9889]

Your first part it incorrect, other then land clearing, no actual work started on the M&Gs.

I agree with the points you make on Transformers, but even given that they did get it up fast, and they sacrificed some "show" to do it. At the start of construction they actually were driving trucks through guest areas during park hours, something that Disney would likely never do.

not unless it was a guest safety issue, i would agree that there should never be a 'parade' of heavy equipment inside the park, well at least hidden behind construction walls/scrims.

 

[danlb_2000]

for 7DMT they had closed the above shown entrance some time before this picture (google earth, right? <image date on this today was Jan 2014>) so they spent all of this year without that 'lifeline' or 'tether' to backstage.

The permanent connection at that location was closed at the end of May 2013, but it still could be used as a walking path for the workers.

 

[FerretAfros]

i will allow that it took longer than some expected, but i am not privy to all that the work entailed... whether the old lagoon was poorly backfilled, or that the backfill was not properly compacted, or if there were other intrusions that had to be dealt with, or if the steel came in wrong, or the track did not turn in the radius expected, or the concrete was poured too thin, or the wrong PSI... the thing is we do not know.

For what it's worth, most of the 20K lagoon fill was probably removed during the recent construction, since the vehicle storage/maintenance area for 7D is in a basement directly under the ride. The walls of it could be seen in old Google image. I would assume that the ground clearing that had been done for the proposed M&Gs would have prepared the site for an at-grade project, requiring extensive excavation after the change happened

 

[Cesar R M]

I'm having a dejavu, I swear there were other posts with pictures.. and they are gone? or was my imagination?

 

[Mike S]

On Disney's construction speed I'll just say one thing. This picture was taken in 2012 around November.

This picture was taken in 2013 while Transformers was still soft opening.

Now, if what @danlb_2000 said is correct and work on the Mine Train started in September of 2011 and we all know Jaws closed on January 2nd 2012 with demolition starting immediately as well as construction of Diagon Alley after demolition was done, is it so wrong to assume a SINGLE RIDE could be ready MUCH SOONER than a whole land + a train that travels between two parks? Let's face it, if it won't immediately make dollars fly out of people's wallets Disney sees no need to build in a timely manner and anyone who defends this speed of construction is just blind.

 

[Mike S]

I'm having a dejavu, I swear there were other posts with pictures.. and they are gone? or was my imagination?

It was me. I deleted it because it included doubles of the pictures as thumbnails so I reposted without them. You didn't go crazy

 

[danlb_2000]

On Disney's construction speed I'll just say one thing. This picture was taken in 2012 around November.View attachment 60630
This picture was taken in 2013 while Transformers was still soft opening.View attachment 60631
Now, if what @danlb_2000 said is correct and work on the Mine Train started in September of 2011 and we all know Jaws closed on January 2nd 2012 with demolition starting immediately as well as construction of Diagon Alley after demolition was done, is it so wrong to assume a SINGLE RIDE could be ready MUCH SOONER than a whole land + a train that travels between the two parks? Let's face it, if it won't immediately make dollars fly out of people's wallets Disney sees no need to build in a timely manner and anyone who defends this speed of construction is just blind.

This is not necessarily a safe assumption, because multiple attractions can be worked on in parallel.

 

[draybook]

Yet disney made a tree the size of a oil rig lol
So if only God can Make a tree and disney made a tree does that make disney a god

You mean that Disney made a tree-like structure...

We are going in November will this be finished by then?

Well, it took them 37 and a half years to build new Fantasyland, so I would say that the Main Street work will not be done by your trip.

 

[Rob562]

Am I correct to assume the only safe entry point to the current hub work for heavy equipment (cement mixer truck, for example) is via the Main Street bypass route? I can see how that prevents certain open park hour work from taking place at this time. I know it was mentioned, possibly in this thread, how at least one of the new moat bridges was supposed to be designed for heavy loads.

Actually, I think it might be even more restrictive... The access point between the Plaza Restaurant and the Terrace is pretty narrow and twisting. I don't think there's currently enough room for any kind of vehicle access. To bring heavy machinery like a cement truck to the Hub construction area would require the truck to drive up Main Street from Town Square.

They *might* be able to park one of those tall pumper truck things backstage and pump it up and over, but I don't know the maximum reach of those.

-Rob

 

[Mike S]

This is not necessarily a safe assumption, because multiple attractions can be worked on in parallel.

I still see no reason the Mine Train took nearly as long as all of Diagon Alley to build. It's still a fun ride but if Disney wasn't dragging their feet with construction I firmly believe it could've been ready in 2013.

 

[danlb_2000]

I still see no reason the Mine Train took nearly as long as all of Diagon Alley to build. It's still a fun ride but if Disney wasn't dragging their feet with construction I firmly believe it could've been ready in 2013.

I agree.

 

[dstrawn9889]

oh, well... guess that 'finished on time' = late as hell

 

[lazyboy97o]

wasn't the slowdown also due of the fact that it was built on a lagoon?
a coaster with vibration and pressure on a wet-prone area can convert the land into quicksands.

The lagoon was removed a few years before New Fantasyland got underway. Even then, water and mushy soil is not a unique condition in Florida.

 

[marni1971]

The same situation with 7dmt, they didn't have access during the day.

Yes they did for the majority of the main build.

 

[marni1971]

wasn't the slowdown also due of the fact that it was built on a lagoon?
.

No.

 

[WDWLover#1]

Yes they did for the majority of the main build.

Well only the first year and a half. Once the walls came down they could only ransport stuff to to the sit during the night.

 

[marni1971]

Well only the first year and a half..

Which was the majority of the main build.

If you look at the aerial photos provided during the work you'll see there was ample space to store and move what was required during the following days park hours.

But let's not hijack the current discussion about the hub work.

 

[WDWLover#1]

Which was the majority of the main build.

If you look at the aerial photos provided during the work you'll see there was ample space to store and move what was required during the following days park hours.

But let's not hijack the current discussion about the hub work.

I do agree sir. The last couple of pages have been about SDMT and Uni. Back on topic guys!

 

[cookiee_munster]

sorry, its another thread drift, but still slightly related.

has work begun on that extra pathway down the side of main street?