Sage of Time
Well-Known Member
Goodness, yes. Poor Caribbean Plaza was neutered when it came to fountains after that big drought in 2001.
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Main Street U.S.A. hub redevelopment at the Magic Kingdom
- Thread starter wdwmagic
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- magic kingdom
FerretAfros
Well-Known Member
Disneyland replaced the trees in its hub in early 2005, prior to Remember (rumor has it that at least one of the old trees made its way to Tony Baxter's home). The trees that they currently have are still smaller than the ones that were there a decade ago, though slightly larger than the ones in MK's hub
And yes DL has a smaller castle, but they know that and don't design the shows around seeing the castle. It has some colored lighting effects, but they're not really a major part of the fireworks show. Even though the show is built around the castle, guests standing near Center Street also get a good view of it because the vast majority of the show is in the sky. Despite the DLR APers' propensity to wait for anything, you really don't need to wait too long to get a decent view of their shows
DL also has 'alternate' viewing areas along the Rivers of America, which utilizes some of the Fantasmic! infrastructure (mostly sound & lasers), and near it's a small world, which was Disney's first projection mapping. These also help distribute the crowds around the park so that there's not such a focus on the one-and-only place to watch the fireworks
Not too long ago, the fireworks were always described as taking place "in the skies about [insert name] park." People would pause to watch the fireworks from wherever they happened to be at the time, and then move on with their evening. These days, it seems like they can only be properly seen from in front of the castle, a trend which has worsened with the projection shows.
If WDW designed shows that could be seen well from other vantage points (as they are to a certain extent at DLR), I think they might be surprised how many people would be willing to forgo their hub viewing area. But it seems they'd rather spend huge sums of money rebuilding the hub so that they can continue to present a lackluster show from more than a decade ago
roodlesnouter
Active Member
Just a thought, an idea, could be well off the mark but is possible that large trees are removed due to their roots?
Roots damage foundations and with the utilidors underneath certain areas maybe this could be part of the reason for removing/replacing large trees, for some areas at least.
Not trying to condone mass tree removal around the MK but more trying to understand the reasons why.
Roots damage foundations and with the utilidors underneath certain areas maybe this could be part of the reason for removing/replacing large trees, for some areas at least.
Not trying to condone mass tree removal around the MK but more trying to understand the reasons why.
note2001
Well-Known Member
I can't remember when the last time I watched the fireworks from main street or the hub area was simply due to those crowds that must see it there. It's far more pleasant to watch from Tomorrowland or Liberty Square in my experience, even if the storyline does cause for some odd moments with no fireworks. Wish they'd at least add something in these other areas to see at those points, or redesign the show slightly.
Sage of Time
Well-Known Member
Okay, I knew about the fireworks stuff, but I didn't know that the original trees were removed. Fascinating! Thanks for that. Any pictures of the DL Hub when the new trees were installed? Were they ever saplings?
FerretAfros
Well-Known Member
The new trees were never "small", but were certainly smaller than the old ones, and with less-dense branches. Even now, it's fairly easy to see through the trees to the fireworks beyond for most of the year, even during full foliage seasons; the old olive trees had thick branches and year-round leaves. The new trees were also positioned to allow wider sightlines through the area
Currently, the trees are only about 5' taller than the ones in the middle of MK's hub, but due to the scale of DL, they appear to fill the space better. MK's hub is so wide open, with the nearest meaningful structures on the other side of the moat, that any mid-sized trees look tiny in comparison. The new tree in photos near Tomorrowland Terrace appears to be taller than the DL trees, but not as wide
March 2003
March 2004 (photo zoomed in more, so the difference isn't as noticeable)
And I stand corrected, the trees were actually replaced in March 2004, but it was still done in conjunction with the 50th fireworks. At that time they were testing all sorts of various effects (including a disco ball atop the Matterhorn that could be seen outside the park, Disney's very first projection mapping tests on the castle that were photographed by an overnight CM, and rumors of a 100' tall Walt hologram in the hub), so they were definitely planning for the show, even if it was a long way from reality
PirateFrank
Well-Known Member
@GrandCanyonConcourse thanks for the pictures!
Sadly, it seems to me that there is no way they are going to complete this phase before mid-february. I may be wrong, but it looks like the two or three shovel-ready guys they have working this project have at least 4-5 months of manual digging left to do before they can start laying sod. Depressing.....
Sadly, it seems to me that there is no way they are going to complete this phase before mid-february. I may be wrong, but it looks like the two or three shovel-ready guys they have working this project have at least 4-5 months of manual digging left to do before they can start laying sod. Depressing.....
Sage of Time
Well-Known Member
Whoa. Fantastic post. Thanks.The new trees were never "small", but were certainly smaller than the old ones, and with less-dense branches. Even now, it's fairly easy to see through the trees to the fireworks beyond for most of the year, even during full foliage seasons; the old olive trees had thick branches and year-round leaves. The new trees were also positioned to allow wider sightlines through the area
Currently, the trees are only about 5' taller than the ones in the middle of MK's hub, but due to the scale of DL, they appear to fill the space better. MK's hub is so wide open, with the nearest meaningful structures on the other side of the moat, that any mid-sized trees look tiny in comparison. The new tree in photos near Tomorrowland Terrace appears to be taller than the DL trees, but not as wide
March 2003
March 2004 (photo zoomed in more, so the difference isn't as noticeable)
And I stand corrected, the trees were actually replaced in March 2004, but it was still done in conjunction with the 50th fireworks. At that time they were testing all sorts of various effects (including a disco ball atop the Matterhorn that could be seen outside the park, Disney's very first projection mapping tests on the castle that were photographed by an overnight CM, and rumors of a 100' tall Walt hologram in the hub), so they were definitely planning for the show, even if it was a long way from reality
MAN, I wish the same care was given to WDW's hub when it had its trees removed.
And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me you have more info/pics on the disco ball.
And the projections.
And the WALT HOLOGRAM!??! WHAT!?
Pumbaa1222
Active Member
While I agree with the idea that it would be nice to have shows that aren't so "hub" focused, I think the hub redesign is serving many purposes beyond the firework/projection shows. It's nearly impossible to move around the park effectively right now during ANY parade, trying to enter or exit Main St is a lost cause. If they keep the outer ring for movement (here's where the trees in between would help) and the inner ring as viewing locations or even for Main St vehicles (ha!), this redesign will help to serve a lot of current issues with crowd control.
JungleTrekFan
Active Member
Those LED lights are apart of the lighting/freezing of the castle. A small increase in the lighting this year. It looks really pretty during the Electrical Parade when all the surrounding lights are off.
Sage of Time
Well-Known Member
I really hope they continue to expand that, year after year. The entire hub covered in ice/dreamlights would be amazing.
note2001
Well-Known Member
Now if they can only keep the Cheshire Cat from munching on the bulbs like the last time. I heard he blew out a few too many for maintenance to keep up with.
phi2134
Well-Known Member
Is this project touching/redesiging/redoing the hideous stage in front of the Castle at all? A new permanent and very well-integrated stage would be much appreciated. Instead of the bland stage they have there now, which kind of looks like it was designed by high school theatre students.
danlb_2000
Premium Member
Looks like they have released the water back on at least one side.
note2001
Well-Known Member
I'm curious how they're keeping the water from coming through the duct to the side they're still working on.
Brian
Well-Known Member
Elsa built an ice dam, probably.
dstrawn9889
Well-Known Member
plastic and duct tape
Father Robinson
Well-Known Member
Any word on if the color on those posts will remain brown, or is it possible they may eventually look the same as the forest-green ones that are everywhere else on MSUSA. ??
danlb_2000
Premium Member
It's a pretty small pipe, should be easy to plug.