New Main Street U.S.A bypass to be built to address entry and exit congestion at the Magic Kingdom

[El Grupo]

SIAP. I've noticed a few comments regarding better crowd control at Disneyland. They also use part of their backstage area (Main St. Backstage West) as a traffic overflow on particularly busy nights. I've had friends that were routed through that area.

 

[jmuboy]

DL is also (rumored) to be announcing a similar themed path / arcade along the backside of the TL side of their Main St.

 

[Pumbaa1222]

I cannot tell you how THRILLED I am by this. When entering the park for the first time with new guests on my last trip, this immediately caused the magic to be lost. I was so disappointed, I wrote a comment. I was more than surprised when I got a return follow-up phone call asking about my suggestions and what I'd prefer to see.

So, as much as we don't believe it, our comments and feedback do make a difference, if for no other reason that it gives validation to projects already in the works.

 

[draybook]

I cannot tell you how THRILLED I am by this. When entering the park for the first time with new guests on my last trip, this immediately caused the magic to be lost. I was so disappointed, I wrote a comment. I was more than surprised when I got a return follow-up phone call asking about my suggestions and what I'd prefer to see.

So, as much as we don't believe it, out comments and feedback to make a difference, if for no other reason that it gives validation to projects already in the works.

Wow, you got a response? On Sunday it will have been 2 weeks since I emailed Disney without even an acknowledgment (auto) email.

 

[Pumbaa1222]

Wow, you got a response? On Sunday it will have been 2 weeks since I emailed Disney without even an acknowledgment (auto) email.

It was 2 or 3 weeks later, but it was personal phone call, left a voicemail, and I returned the call and she immediatley knew who I was. I was incredibly impressed.

 

[draybook]

Ah ok, guess I can wait another week before I send another email.

 

[Rob562]

There's something very different between the evening crowd control at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom Park. The real estate is nearly identical, and there's a giant water show dumping thousands of additional people into Disneyland's Central Plaza twice each night. That just leaves an operational difference of some sort to explain the discrepancy between the two parks run by the same company.

There's one more factor that's different between Disneyland and the MK that people are leaving out when comparing their crowd control: Disneyland's daily visitors are vastly a local population. While I'm sure there are many for whom it's their first visit, they have a lot of Annual Passholders and others who are very familiar with the park. With that many Guests knowing how things are laid out, where they need to go and how traffic flows in the park, they know the shortcuts. It is conceivable that it lends itself to a more organized traffic flow because people know what to expect.

Contrast that with the Magic Kingdom where you have a higher percentage of first-timers, and a large percentage of international visitors who may or may not understand shouted CM instructions being told in English. You throw that many people who don't know what's going on, don't know where exactly they want to go, and it's bound to cause the current gridlock.

A good analogy would be the rotaries here in New England (roundabouts for you European readers). Having grown up in Massachusetts, I know how traffic is supposed to flow through a rotary, I know that entering traffic is supposed to yield, etc. But then you get someone from well out of state driving through the area and encountering a rotary for the first time in their life and you sometimes get accidents. (I almost broadsided a car with South Carolina license plates when they pulled out in front of me the other week)

-Rob

 

[James122]

I agree that there's a measureable difference between crowd control at DL and the MK. I also agree with what Rob562 said: I'm sure part of the reason it's a little less chaotic at DL is that there's a high percentage of locals who are familiar with the traffic routes around the central hub and main street around fireworks/fantasmic time vs the high number of international and first-time visitors at the Magic Kingdom. I've been at DL during the post fireworks/fantasmic crunch and while it can get crowded, it seems to be a lot less stressful than at the Magic Kingdom. Although I'm sure part of it also is the fact that there's another outlet out of DL (the monorail in Tomorrowland) and also that once the guests are outside Disneyland, they more or less disperse and go their separate ways - they're not all heading to the monorail station or the boat launches like at WDW.

 

[The Popcorn Duck]

Jazzing up the bypass is an excellent idea! I worked in Outdoor Foods, and our garage was in the parking lot behind Main Street. I used said pathway almost every day this summer and I also walked up and down the street to the popcorn stands during parades & fireworks too many times to count. It's jam packed out there, and the back pathway is desperately needed. I agree, in that walking down MSUSA would be the ideal ending to a night at MK but for everyone else that pathway is a hidden godsend for angry and frustrated guests. It's extremely difficult at times just dealing with the amount of people, all shoulder to shoulder and I love that the shrubs are getting an upgrade.
And it would be a huge perk (especially for CM's) if that lovely garbage smell was toned down
I don't think it would be feasible to have back store entrances, it would clog up that pathway and it is intended for just a quick pass. Also you would have to completely change the layout of kitchens/ storage/ back areas of the stores.

 

[The Visionary Soul]

This new path will be pointless if it is not indoors. The view needs to be obstructed so people don't stop on this new walkway to watch the fireworks or what not. It also needs to connect to the stores on that side of Main Street. No reason it shouldn't / can't. I'm sure there are some sort of backstage areas back there like stockrooms and/or break rooms, but those could easily be moved.

 

[marni1971]

WDW MK is just the same. There is an army of cast who perform crown control with lights, ropes, tape. And they are out in big numbers. I really don't see how they can do anymore in terms of using cast. It is certainly not loosely managed.

Aside from the 40th....

 

[Kman101]

I don't see the big deal in this. They're simply plussing what was already in use during busy times. Nothing more, nothing less. I agree they could probably do a much better job than the end result may be, but at the end of the day, it's just an extra exit to control crowds that's been in use for a very long time.

I don't know why it's being so picked apart. To me it's really nothing major and simply them wanting to theme an existing backstage area. It's not replacing Main Street, I don't see folks being FORCED to use it constantly, IMHO. It's needed because the backstage area doesn't need to be seen.

I get the negativity towards WDW, I share a LOT of it, but this isn't that big of a deal IMO.

 

[Bairstow]

This new path will be pointless if it is not indoors. The view needs to be obstructed so people don't stop on this new walkway to watch the fireworks or what not. It also needs to connect to the stores on that side of Main Street. No reason it shouldn't / can't. I'm sure there are some sort of backstage areas back there like stockrooms and/or break rooms, but those could easily be moved.

Those areas could not be easily moved. There is utilidoor access loading here because this is the perimeter of the park. It's much too early to say for sure, but I don't think there is any danger of people stopping to watch the fireworks here because this new corridor won't even be opened until after the fireworks are over and the exodus crush begins. During normal operations throughout the day it will still be in use by CMs for backstage purposes. That's my theory, at least.

 

[draybook]

I would expect them to have it open during the fireworks, since people trying to navigate the crowds right before and during the fireworks/parades is what the problem is.

 

[NowInc]

I would expect them to have it open during the fireworks, since people trying to navigate the crowds right before and during the fireworks/parades is what the problem is.

Thats actually my thought/hope as well. Not everyone wants to stick around and watch the fireworks and want a quick exit to beat the crowds. Currently, thats a mission.

 

[draybook]

WDW MK is just the same. There is an army of cast who perform crown control with lights, ropes, tape. And they are out in big numbers. I really don't see how they can do anymore in terms of using cast. It is certainly not loosely managed.

With all due respect, I would have to make one exception for September 26th. I personally witnessed the travesty that was "crowd control" during Wishes that night. Ask @Runmyhorse, it was simply a madhouse. The thing is that I don't blame the hourly CMs and plaids, I blame the suits and whoever was supposed to co-ordinate the masses.

That pathway right before you get to the hub coming from Tomorrowland is where they told people to go. The problem is that they didn't have a CM AT the path, the plaid was at the Hub directing us to go BACK to the pathway. The other problem? Well, you see, it's not easy to go back to the pathway and use it when there's no CMs making sure it's clear for foot traffic. So, you had people with and without strollers clogging it up and all of us "walkers" just shuffling as best as we could. It took 20 minutes to get from the Tommorland bridge to the Adventureland bridge.

Now, I don't care what anyone here says to me, I've never, EVER, seen it like that during September. It was just horribly managed.

 

[Bairstow]

I would expect them to have it open during the fireworks, since people trying to navigate the crowds right before and during the fireworks/parades is what the problem is.

That's a good point.
At any rate, I wouldn't expect people to want to watch the fireworks from the new pathway. Given the height of the buildings and the liklihood that the new path will keep guests fairly close to to them, visibility of the fireworks show is likely going to be very poor.

 

[jensenrick]

Sounds fantastic to me, and long overdue. Hopefully they won't make the mistake of creating a backdoor to the stores.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

Since it's a back alley behind Main St., there should be bars and brothels. Maybe a dice game.

Hilarious!

 

[NowInc]

Logistically, I don't see adding backdoor access to the shops as really something they could do (especially in time for the holidays). These buildings were not designed to yield for it so a LOT of work would need to be done for that to happen.