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

[ExtinctJenn]

They currently don't force you to exit via the bypass, but it is available, and typically the gridlock is so bad you have no choice. You could continue to fight your way to MSUSA if you wish.

Thanks for clarifying. To me that isn't the same as saying for 20 years if you exited from Tomorrowland you were forced that way.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I get that. I don't think this is the kind of change he envisioned.

And yet he had several such plans worked on for Disneyland...

 

[ExtinctJenn]

And yet he had several such plans worked on for Disneyland...

Show me. I'd love to see if what they end up coming up with fits into what he was thinking for Disneyland. Pass it on!

 

[PhilharMagician]

I've been going to the Magic Kingdom since 1983 and never once, even on the busiest days (including days where the gates were closed because it was at capacity), have I been forced down a path other than Main Street regardless of what land I was exiting from. In fact we almost always are exiting from Tomorrowland as we have a sort of tradition to ride the TTA right before the park closes.

I have been led through that backstage area at least 6 times.

During the filming of the Christmas parade they actually have 2 way traffic through there and the last time I was routed through when entering MK during the taping we went through the gate by Tony's and out art a gate next to the Galaxy Theater. (this was a few years ago) You had no choice but to use this backstage path since Main Street was locked down for the most part for filming.

When leaving the both MVMCP and MNSSHP multiple times at the end of the night we have been directed to exit through gate between the Tomorrowland Terrace and the Plaza Restaurant backstage to the gate by Tony's. We normally exit the park from the Tomorrowland side through the terrace. If we exited from the Adventureland side we never would have been directed backstage.


Just because you have not seen it happen does not mean that it has never been done. Here is a backstage pic from during the parade filming. You can see the tall posts straight with cables ahead are from the old Galaxy Palace Theater.

 

[ABQ]

Thanks for clarifying. To me that isn't the same as saying for 20 years if you exited from Tomorrowland you were forced that way.

Picture that upstream swim you may or may not have dealt with at the bridge between UK and France with the exit from the World Showcase post Illuminations out to the International Gateway. It can be a tough trip if you are trying to get to Futureworld rather than exit out the Gateway, but it is possible. Only in the case of the Magic Kingdom, the walkways are so much narrower, it's much, much harder and just worth it to take the backstage route.
For the record, I agree with you wholeheartedly that the show put on by entering the Magic Kingdom via Main Street is part of what I at least, consider the whole event of visiting the park, however, having taken the side exit many times, it's not so bad if it's after a long day and you're just too tired to care. You do still end up by the flag pole and have one last chance to look up the street toward the castle upon leaving.

 

[PhotoDave219]

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

No, no. The brothel is downstairs.

 

[Chezman1399]

No they don't. Foot traffic goes down the street. Sidewalks are standing room for people waiting for the fireworks until a few minutes before the show where they finally let you stand on the road and all traffic control stops. It's chaos. DL will actually move their benches to the street side to make a physical barrier between the foot traffic on the sidewalks and the ppl waiting around on the street.

That's just not true, at least not on busy nights. Granted the last time I worked parade/fireworks was 2011, so things may have changed but we always set up one ways either people staying to the right sidewalk and so people didn't have to cross over they'd use the bypass out on the one side of the street and the shops as an alternate route on the other side.

That doesn't mean everyone listens. It's also a larger street that DL or at least what I remember of DL. MK also doesn't have benches on the sidewalk to increase waking room in the main part of the street, so they can't be used as a barrier.

My point is they do set up one ways and they've always used the by pass. Only difference now will be that area will have some kind of theming.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Show me. I'd love to see if what they end up coming up with fits into what he was thinking for Disneyland. Pass it on!

Discussion of the Haunted House being built off of Main Street. It would have been part of a larger Residential Street project.
http://doombuggies.com/history1.php

Scroll down for pictures of International Street.
http://epcotexplorer.tumblr.com/post/52951022103/tale-of-two-epcots-part-ii-epcot

Future Attractions poster containing Liberty Street and Edison Square.
http://davelandweb.com/mainstreet/popup.htm?images/50s/PBTKT_50s_N10R.jpg

 

[aladdin2007]

No, no. The brothel is downstairs.

and TDO loves the profit it brings in too!

 

[PhilharMagician]

and TDO loves the profit it brings in too!

Does FP+ work there too??

 

[ExtinctJenn]

Just because you have not seen it happen does not mean that it has never been done. Here is a backstage pic from during the parade filming. You can see the tall posts straight with cables ahead are from the old Galaxy Palace Theater.

I didn't say it's never been done. My comment was in response to the post that said for 20 years if you were exiting Tomorrowland on a busy day you were forced that way. With the amount of times I've been in my life and the fact that I never once was forced into a bypass, my comment was simply pointing out that statement as being incorrect.

 

[LucyK]

I refuse to bypass MSUSA if the backside of those buildings aren't themed. I don't care about crowds but I do care about themeing.

 

[ExtinctJenn]

Discussion of the Haunted House being built off of Main Street. It would have been part of a larger Residential Street project.
http://doombuggies.com/history1.php

Scroll down for pictures of International Street.
http://epcotexplorer.tumblr.com/post/52951022103/tale-of-two-epcots-part-ii-epcot

Future Attractions poster containing Liberty Street and Edison Square.
http://davelandweb.com/mainstreet/popup.htm?images/50s/PBTKT_50s_N10R.jpg

Thanks for that! I'm not sure the first two really fall into the category of Walt having planned for a Mainstreet bypass. I see in the last one the alternate land exits. I will be curious to see if the "bypass" is something along those lines. Again I was truly curious and not being a smartass. Still, it just feels "wrong." But I digress. Everyone is allowed their own opinions. I was simply sharing mine.

 

[majortom1981]

I refuse to bypass MSUSA if the backside of those buildings aren't themed. I don't care about crowds but I do care about themeing.

I would think it would be similar to what they have done at Disneyland Paris. The pictures of the one at paris rock.

 

[draybook]

This is a nice idea but just another example of the accordion effect. They expand the crowd just to compact them again once outside of the gates.

I will wait and see though and hope it works as intended.

 

[devoy1701]

That's just not true, at least not on busy nights. Granted the last time I worked parade/fireworks was 2011, so things may have changed but we always set up one ways either people staying to the right sidewalk and so people didn't have to cross over they'd use the bypass out on the one side of the street and the shops as an alternate route on the other side.

That doesn't mean everyone listens. It's also a larger street that DL or at least what I remember of DL. MK also doesn't have benches on the sidewalk to increase waking room in the main part of the street, so they can't be used as a barrier.

My point is they do set up one ways and they've always used the by pass. Only difference now will be that area will have some kind of theming.

whatever dude. Been there enough times. Had an AP enough years. Lived and breathed it. Had conversations with Park Ops Managers about it. Gotten "yelled at" by CMs for trying to stake out a spot for Wishes in the center of Main Street on the Bridge heading into the hub on more than one occasion. What you're saying happens is absolutely not what happens.

 

[sshindel]

What people fail to realize is that this bypass has been in use for nearly 2 decades already, this is a POSTIVITE thing because the company is acknowledging that guests should not be in a backstage area, regardless of the purpose..

A few facts:

1. The bypass will not be open at all times (just like now) it will only be open when needed (heavy days such at 4th of july, Christmas, and higher capacity days)

2. if you approach the main street area from tomorrow land, you likely won't have a choice where to exit.. You will be forced to go down this path if you are leaving the park.... This is how it's been done for nearly 20 years, so any grandiose plans of "I;m still going to go down main!!!" are not going to happen unless to circle the entire park as come up main from the Crystal palace side..

Again, it's not going to be open everyday, just when needed.... This is simply a theming of an area that guests have been pushed through for a long time anyhow... All positive.... And Traffic flow like Disneyland would simply not work... Disneyland doesn't have the amount of guests in a day that MK does..

This.
I've been taking the "backstage" bypass for many, many years. It's always coming from Tomorrowland on parade/firework times. It's unthemed, with cast-members standing back there every 20 feet waving people in the right direction, past the parking lots and dumpsters.
This is NOT a new concept. All that is being done is making it themed, so that it can be on-stage and on-theme. It's taking an existing path that was terribly incongruous with everything else that exists at WDW (everything is on-theme) and bringing it up to standards.
As someone who actively hunts down this second path on busy nights so I can avoid the traffic, I'm thrilled that they are going to put a little money into this area.

 

[wdwmagic]

As someone who actively hunts down this second path on busy nights so I can avoid the traffic, I'm thrilled that they are going to put a little money into this area.

I think a lot of people will share this view. There are times when you just need to get in and out as easily as possible, and the bypass is the way to go. To have it properly themed and be part of the show will now make it a proper solution.

 

[PhilharMagician]

I didn't say it's never been done. My comment was in response to the post that said for 20 years if you were exiting Tomorrowland on a busy day you were forced that way. With the amount of times I've been in my life and the fact that I never once was forced into a bypass, my comment was simply pointing out that statement as being incorrect.

We were forced to either exit backstage or we could have turned around and headed back towards Tomorrowland during active taping on Main Street. This was the single busiest day I have ever seen @ MK.

 

[Bocabear]

I mean obviously there is going to have to be a give somewhere because of the traffic problem that the park experiences, and the idea of a second exit seems like a pretty good idea, but why take people backstage? i feel like it would be an even better idea, and don't have me for this because I'm just saying, to make a second exit/entance through maybe tomorrowland or adventureland? okay i know i am going to get so much criticism for that but i'm just throwing ideas out

Ok here is your criticism:...Problem with that idea is that all transportation hubs are at the front of the park, so an additional exit in either Tomorrowland or Adventureland would still have to get guests back to the central transportation stations....not really feasible.