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

[sshindel]

But nothing would need to be spent to just walk people through the parking lot. There would still be crowd control CM's present in the bypass as well so I don't see the point, outside of some trash cans and loading docks not being visible.

The cheap option out to me is to do nothing. Walking people through the parking lot is "free".

Which is what they do now, and have been doing for years.
I think that the decision was to put a little money into it to try and preserve some of the "magic", while not going overboard and spending millions of dollars for something that is used sparingly.

 

[wogwog]

But nothing would need to be spent to just walk people through the parking lot. There would still be crowd control CM's present in the bypass as well so I don't see the point, outside of some trash cans and loading docks not being visible.

The cheap option out to me is to do nothing. Walking people through the parking lot is "free".

True. But Disney is obsesses with reducing labor. The proposed bypass will allow fewer cast in the bypass and I am sure the safety issue surfaced by company attorneys as well.

 

[unkadug]

Think. Do your local retail units take all of the stock in the front door, do all the employees go in the front door. All the junk sold in the park and thousands of cast use about twenty-five different backstage entrances to the utilidor to try to maintain the magic. Several of those are in the area of the planned bypass. This area is included on one of the public backstage tours offered to guests. The guide on the tour does a good job of explaining the complex system. Don't get your hopes up about the bypass being something "cool" I really think it will be simple and industrial.

I was thinking and that's my point. Why would they need access to the alley when they have direct access to the utilidors without using the alley?

 

[photoflight]

Here's a closeup of the parking lot area - this is from last week.

Click to enlarge...

 

[sshindel]

So, that walled off construction area in the picture. I take it this is part of the work being done on plussing the bypass?

 

[peachykeen]

I wonder if the bulk of it will be permanently standing, and a few hinged or mobile pieces would be deployed to connect the gates to the permanent section to close it off. That would allow them to keep it open to allow normal backstage access, but quickly close it off when needed for crowd-control purposes.

-Rob

From what I saw, you are mostly correct. The majority of it will be permanent, with sections that will swing open on either side when the bypass is closed to Guests, to allow delivery trucks to back up, especially to the Bakery/Starbucks. Between the bright yellow baracades and umbrellas in this picture http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-6k2P8Bj/0/X2/i-6k2P8BjX2-X2.jpg

Also there will still be a section between the walls and the backs of the Main St. buildings so Cast Members can still transit there, from what I saw. This was months ago so my memory has faded.

There were other very interesting, and much more Guest-impact project plans also for MK. Three letters, starts with an "H" and ends with a "B", but I won't tell U what it is.

 

[photoflight]

They're finally going to replace the missing tree?!

 

[tl77]

That irregular shape they've carved into the parking lot reminds me of the way the old movie studio back lots like this one from the 20th Century Fox "New York Street" back-lot

Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park version of a "New York Street" set is build exactly like this, except it's just one long, straight, street, but the real back lots like this one from Fox had lots of twists and blind corners and they were also used to camouflage existing the buildings and sound stages. Plus these flat building facades could be built off site, trucked in, and then just bolted into place, and a lot of times the facades were made of fiber glass or some other light weight weather proof material, so this "could" be what Main Street bypass ends up looking like

 

[danlb_2000]

From what I saw, you are mostly correct. The majority of it will be permanent, with sections that will swing open on either side when the bypass is closed to Guests, to allow delivery trucks to back up, especially to the Bakery/Starbucks. Between the bright yellow baracades and umbrellas in this picture http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-6k2P8Bj/0/X2/i-6k2P8BjX2-X2.jpg

Also there will still be a section between the walls and the backs of the Main St. buildings so Cast Members can still transit there, from what I saw. This was months ago so my memory has faded.

There were other very interesting, and much more Guest-impact project plans also for MK. Three letters, starts with an "H" and ends with a "B", but I won't tell U what it is.

I assume you are referring to the Hub project which has been discussed here a few times.

 

[peachykeen]

I assume you are referring to the Hub project which has been discussed here a few times.

It's quite possible. I haven't read every thread but if you say it's been discussed I believe you. Since it sounds like it's been discussed, I'll share what I saw.

The plans show taking out a large portion of the castle moat to expand the Casey's seating area by a fairly large amount, and also making basically a second "ring" of the Hub. There was more but I wasn't able to fully study the whole drawing.

 

[TTA94]

I hope they do not remove the water areas around the hub or castle moat! But I have a feeling that's exactly what the plan is There goes any hope of "Fountains" for a new nighttime show lol

 

[Rob562]

It's quite possible. I haven't read every thread but if you say it's been discussed I believe you. Since it sounds like it's been discussed, I'll share what I saw.

The plans show taking out a large portion of the castle moat to expand the Casey's seating area by a fairly large amount, and also making basically a second "ring" of the Hub. There was more but I wasn't able to fully study the whole drawing.

Hmmm... Well, they do already have 1/3 of a second ring around the Hub. The Rose Garden plus the pathway between the Tomorrowland bridge and Main Street cover a portion of that. I could see them adding a sidewalk close to the water from Main Street to the walkway to Adventureland.

That's really the only extra path they'd need to be able to add in some foot traffic relief. They wouldn't have to make an Adventureland to Liberty Square path since the newest bridge would be able to fulfill that traffic need, and it'd be pointless to have them up around the Castle. *Maybe* little paths around the back of the two tech structures on either side of the Castle in the Hub so if the walkway is blocked by parade crowds you can get from the Castle out to either side (to the LS bridge or the bridge to the teacups).

-Rob

 

[wogwog]

Small nugget of update info. A friend working at MK says she was told the bypass will be covered. Tent style awning. Nothing fancy.

 

[danlb_2000]

Small nugget of update info. A friend working at MK says she was told the bypass will be covered. Tent style awning. Nothing fancy.

Makes sense since it would alleviate having to theme the higher portions of the backs of the buildings in that area. Also would prevent people from stopping there to watch the fireworks.

 

[tl77]

I don't see why they would need to dig up the parking lot to set up tents though

 

[Texas84]

It's quite possible. I haven't read every thread but if you say it's been discussed I believe you. Since it sounds like it's been discussed, I'll share what I saw.

The plans show taking out a large portion of the castle moat to expand the Casey's seating area by a fairly large amount, and also making basically a second "ring" of the Hub. There was more but I wasn't able to fully study the whole drawing.

Expand Casey's seating? Underrated post!

 

[danlb_2000]

I don't see why they would need to dig up the parking lot to set up tents though

I am guessing that the walkway will actually be where they are digging up, not right against the back of the existing buildings. They would need to dig up so they can put down something a little nicer then asphalt.

 

[tl77]

I am guessing that the walkway will actually be where they are digging up, not right against the back of the existing buildings. They would need to dig up so they can put down something a little nicer then asphalt.

Well first off, sorry to draw all over Scott Keating's photo, but when I first heard about his project I just assumed they would put a bunch of construction walls back here because anything would be an improvement and anytime there is something they don't want you to see construction walls seem to be the solution, but then I saw this photo and noticed there's been quite a few changes to this back stage area

At the north end of this path way I noticed they removed the long white tank that used to be between the Plaza and the Tomorrowland Noodle Station, I'm guessing they did it to make this pathway wider at the north end.

They also dug up 3 tree and flower planters that used to be at the west end of the parking area which were sitting in the middle of the potential path way.

Just to the right of were the planters used to be they dug up this large irregular shaped area of the parking lot which to me looks like a foundation for... something? and the fact that this area stops just before it reaches the utilidor tunnel was interesting as well because if they are digging a foundation for something there stoping before they reach the utilidor.

I started off having very low expectations for this by pass project, but from what I've seeing in this photo I think it's possible that they could end up doing something as elaborate as a back lot façade, or it could still end up being a bunch of construction walls, I guess we'll have to wait and see

 

[got2lovedisney]

I must saying I'm looking forward to anything that might help to alleviate the congestion. I was at the park last Saturday. When Wishes ended, the crowds were being routed up Main Street, to the bypass and it was totally NUTS!!! You couldn't move, scooters blocking the walk way, it was horrible. Took us about 20 minutes to walk from the bathrooms next to the Plaza Restaurant over to the hub entrance of Adventureland.

 

[lunchbox1175]

epic...
if they make it a covered walkway that will overincentivise its use during the very common rain storms.

Yeah, I can see people just deciding to stay under it and not get wet, keeping people from actually trying to leave from getting out.