News New Haunted Mansion Grounds Expansion, Retail Shop Coming to Disneyland Resort in 2024

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Disney starting replacing grass with turf a few years ago as part of their environmental conservation initiative, the southwest has been in a drought for nearly 2 decades so replacing water dependent grass makes sense, I’m not a huge fan of the look but I 100% understand why they’re doing it.

It’s an easy way to lower water consumption without a more drastic loss like closing the ROI or WOC.

Environmental Goals - Disney Social Responsibility

We come together to help change the course of our planet's story, creating a healthier home for people and wildlife.

impact.disney.com

 

[jmuboy]

Disney starting replacing grass with turf a few years ago as part of their environmental conservation initiative, the southwest has been in a drought for nearly 2 decades so replacing water dependent grass makes sense, I’m not a huge fan of the look but I 100% understand why they’re doing it.

It’s an easy way to lower water consumption without a more drastic loss like closing the ROI or WOC.

Environmental Goals - Disney Social Responsibility

We come together to help change the course of our planet's story, creating a healthier home for people and wildlife.

impact.disney.com

Thank you for posting this!
I was looking for similar info.
I’m the first to call Disney out for being cheap or lazy. But changes to plant types and using faux turf in areas is part of the resorts larger commitment to the state to use less irrigation water and become a more drought resistant operation. In modern times in California this is not a luxury - it’s s necessity. So I’ll applaud Disney for this. I’d rather have the water going to trees and flowers in exchange for faux turf sometimes

 

[jmuboy]

Here’s another article:

MickeyMousePark.com

Most Unique Disneyland History Site

mickeymousepark.com

 

[Disney Irish]

Disney starting replacing grass with turf a few years ago as part of their environmental conservation initiative, the southwest has been in a drought for nearly 2 decades so replacing water dependent grass makes sense, I’m not a huge fan of the look but I 100% understand why they’re doing it.

It’s an easy way to lower water consumption without a more drastic loss like closing the ROI or WOC.

Environmental Goals - Disney Social Responsibility

We come together to help change the course of our planet's story, creating a healthier home for people and wildlife.

impact.disney.com

Its why they are also using Silva Cells when replanting trees as part of their water management system, it helps with water collection and reuse.

 

[Too Many Hats]

The problem is too many in the fandom have this fantasized version of WDI in their head of the rock star Imagineer just coming in and dictating how things will be. Unfortunately that couldn't be further from the truth.

A tiny patch of grass does not require a rock star/dictator Imagineer. It’s sad that WDI/Disney has lowered our expectations this far.

 

[Disney Irish]

A tiny patch of grass does not require a rock star/dictator Imagineer. It’s sad that WDI/Disney has lowered our expectations this far.

There is a larger environmental initiative at play at the DLR beyond just this tiny patch of grass, as has been posted in this thread. I understand some, including yourself, may consider that lowering of expectation, but I don't think its really that dire of an issue as you make it seem.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

The fake grass isn’t even noticeable to me but it’s all over the place in Vegas so maybe I’m just used to “grass” looking that way.

I wish they’d have put the hearse in the grass area rather than in the queue though, it feels a little cramped with the hearse where it is and I’m also afraid it’ll get damaged since it’s within arms reach of thousands of people a day now.

 

[Too Many Hats]

There is a larger environmental initiative at play at the DLR beyond just this tiny patch of grass, as has been posted in this thread. I understand some, including yourself, may consider that lowering of expectation, but I don't think its really that dire of an issue as you make it seem.

The environmental initiative is not ironclad; they clearly make exceptions for spaces they deem thematically significant. WDI should’ve fought for this tiny patch of grass in front of HM. I can’t make excuses for WDI or Disney when they endlessly degrade their product.

 

[Disney Irish]

The environmental initiative is not ironclad; they clearly make exceptions for spaces they deem thematically significant. WDI should’ve fought for this tiny patch of grass in front of HM. I can’t make excuses for WDI or Disney when they endlessly degrade their product.

I'm sure that WDI has larger projects they rather fight for where they actually will have an impact than a tiny patch of grass that a majority of guests aren't even going to really notice while walking through the queue.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Let me answer you by turning the question around on you -

Why would WDI need to approve landscaping changes that has no bearing on the overall story or design of an attraction, such as changing grass for turf?

Changing materials is often considered a design change, even if it’s supposed to match an established look.

This is what happens.

Someone higher up, executive level, decreed that grass be replaced where possible, with turf. Perhaps based on feedback from Park Ops, perhaps not. Landscaping / Ops outlines the areas they could swap, to meet the mandate, making executive happy who approves the project, and they complete the task assigned.

Now say WDI comes over to start a refurb of Mansion, and perhaps the lead of that project wants to restore lawns back to real grass, but then finds out this was an executive decision, and so when they present that part of the design, there is no approval given to restore the lawn...

As such, WDI moves on to other approved aspects of their project, and the cycle continues.

You’re assuming a far cleaner, more linear hierarchy than actually exists. A big part of the problem with Disney’s project management and costs is the number of stakeholders who get a say. Ops wanting one thing and Walt Disney Imagineering providing something else is a fight that goes back decades.

There’s also something to be said about the obvious but probably overlooked fact that artificial turf and grass are not the same thing. You shouldn’t just rip up grass and replace it with an artificial turf. Things like irrigation, drainage and even the subsurface are going to be different and while that’s more important for occupied areas we’ve seen the result of poor design in planters with lighting rigs coming down. So even outside a wider initiative and the availability of political capital, redesigning spaces has an actual cost that is going to be borne somewhere and almost certainly at the expense of something else.

 

[SuddenStorm]

100%. WDI leadership in 2024 is afraid to say "no." Baxter, Rohde, etc. were willing to fight these battles.

Baxter told a story in an interview- when it was determined Cascade Peak had to be demolished, he fought to keep it- but that he had lost his status with ops management so he fell on deaf ears.

 

[Too Many Hats]

I'm sure that WDI has larger projects they rather fight for where they actually will have an impact than a tiny patch of grass that a majority of guests aren't even going to really notice while walking through the queue.

Guests will notice when they think to themselves, "This looks like a mini-golf hole. Hmmm, maybe I should've just taken the family mini-golfing today. Would've been a whole lot cheaper."

 

[TheCoasterNerd]

Guests will notice when they think to themselves, "This looks like a mini-golf hole. Hmmm, maybe I should've just taken the family mini-golfing today. Would've been a whole lot cheaper."

And a whole lot less fun. I'm the biggest Disney fan I know, yet when I went to DLR last year, I didn't notice the faux grass. Maybe I was more focused on the giant mansion full of ghosts before me? Maybe it's just me, but I feel like most people will either be too focused on the imposing mansion, the construction surrounding them, or on figuring out how the hell Lightning Lane Multi-Pass/Single-Pass/Virtual Queue/GIVE US MONEY PLEASE works to worry about a tiny patch of not-grass

 

[mickEblu]

Let me answer you by turning the question around on you -

Why would WDI need to approve landscaping changes that has no bearing on the overall story or design of an attraction, such as changing grass for turf?

What makes you think it has nothing to do with the story or design of the attraction? It all matters.

 

[mickEblu]

And a whole lot less fun. I'm the biggest Disney fan I know, yet when I went to DLR last year, I didn't notice the faux grass. Maybe I was more focused on the giant mansion full of ghosts before me? Maybe it's just me, but I feel like most people will either be too focused on the imposing mansion, the construction surrounding them, or on figuring out how the hell Lightning Lane Multi-Pass/Single-Pass/Virtual Queue/GIVE US MONEY PLEASE works to worry about a tiny patch of not-grass

That’s cool. If Walt and the legends that took the reins after he passed were as cavalier as you are about these “small little things that don’t matter” you wouldn’t be on this site today (and everyday) posting about Disneyland. Most of these goofballs working on the parks today are standing on the shoulders of giants. That’s why you’re here. Because of them and people that thought a whole lot more like me than they do like you.

 

[TheCoasterNerd]

That’s cool. Just know that most of these goofballs working on the parks today are standing on the shoulders of giants. If Walt and the legends that took the reigns after he passed were as cavalier as you are about these “small little things that don’t matter” you wouldn’t be on this site everyday posting about Disneyland.

It's grass vs a very similar but cheaper fake grass. It doesn't impact your day, it doesn't impact your experience, your immersion. What it does is reduce costs for Disney. You should be happy, it makes your ticket price $199 instead of $201

 

[Too Many Hats]

"I don't design an attraction for your twentieth ride, I design it for your first ride, since most guests don't notice the details and only ride once and let's be honest who really cares."

- Tony Baxter

 

[Too Many Hats]

What it does is reduce costs for Disney. You should be happy, it makes your ticket price $199 instead of $201

In reality, this multinational media conglomerate continually reduces offerings while raising prices.

 

[mickEblu]

It's grass vs a very similar but cheaper fake grass. It doesn't impact your day, it doesn't impact your experience, your immersion. What it does is reduce costs for Disney. You should be happy, it makes your ticket price $199 instead of $201

Wrong on all counts

 

[TheCoasterNerd]

Also, you realize this is in Southern California, right? A famously dry area? This is not only cheaper, it's also easier to maintain, consistently looks fresher, and is better for the environment as it uses less water