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

[Disneyhead'71]

Well, if they are not going to build out the parks to meet the demand, then a half-***ed relief valve is the least we can ask.






Everything Disney taught me about themed entertainment has been dividended out to day traders. This is the modern Disney. Get used to it. Get over it. And stop whining. The Disney I knew is dead.

 

[KordovaJD]

Lol I really hate cramped spaces so even sometimes walking in between small world and Peter Pan I get uneasy.
so a quick way to get out is music to my ears.

I actually find that spot to be pretty narrow myself. Very tough to get a stroller through. Interestingly, last weekend they were paying cast members to stand in between Small World and Peter Pan and repeatedly tell people to move over to the right. This seems so normal to me that you shouldn't have to tell people. But, Americans are nothing if not selfish and inconsiderate.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I am stunned that you think this is great.

I'm willing to compromise on this one. At least they themed it. Essentially, its an emergency exit but themed.

I wonder what Main Street was originally intended to be able to hold, people wise? They have to exceed this constantly.

 

[Next Big Thing]

I'm willing to compromise on this one. At least they themed it. Essentially, its an emergency exit but themed.

I wonder what Main Street was originally intended to be able to hold, people wise? They have to exceed this constantly.

When there was no theming for it, it was an emergency exit. Now it's open nightly, so it better be themed.

I do agree though, it's an area that is only used for a few hours a day, but about 4-5,000 people exit out that way each night (i've been a counter before... very stressful once fireworks end). During busy season, the Bypass was getting close to 10,000 per night, sometimes more. Keep in mind, on a normal night (even in busy season), the bypass is only open for 3 hours (usually 8-11).

 

[Macca250]

I wonder what Main Street was originally intended to be able to hold, people wise? They have to exceed this constantly.

Every minute of every day.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

Well, if they are not going to build out the parks to meet the demand, then a half-***ed relief valve is the least we can ask.






Everything Disney taught me about themed entertainment has been dividended out to day traders. This is the modern Disney. Get used to it. Get over it. And stop whining. The Disney I knew is dead.

Please explain how exactly they are supposed to "build out" Main Street to handle the increase in crowds over the last 44 years. If you think expanding other areas of the park will do anything but increase attendance at the park as a whole and make the bottleneck down Main Street that much worse, you are woefully mistaken. Really, the only other solutions would be to conpletely tear down Main Street and widen it, or build a second entrance/exit for the park. Neither of which are really feasible.

If you want to get technical, the problem exists BECAUSE of the "Disney you know" apparently not having the foresight to make Main Street bigger for crowds they couldn't have imagined.

 

[Communicore]

I'd love to see a rebuild of Main Street, 2010 Disney era style. Which means it will be on the cheap.

 

[dstrawn9889]

I'd love to see a rebuild of Main Street, 2010 Disney era style. Which means it will be on the cheap.

careful they might just SoA it...

 

[wdizneew]

I'd love to see a rebuild of Main Street, 2010 Disney era style. Which means it will be on the cheap.

they've done it before....not a rebuild, but a cheap "Main St" for DCA

 

[Otterhead]

The Disney I knew is dead.

Aren't you a ball of sunshine? Gosh, it's good to have people on a Disney message board who hate everything about Disney so much.

 

[wdizneew]

For those who are curious to see how the bypass has evolved, I took some screenshots from Bing and Google Maps. Top photo shows what it use to be like. Middle shows the planters removed. Bottom shows it more recently with new planters and wider entrance and exit. Also notice the FP+ kiosk next to Chapeau was non-existent, then existing, and then

finally removed.

 

[JediMasterMatt]

Well, if they are not going to build out the parks to meet the demand, then a half-***ed relief valve is the least we can ask.

Everything Disney taught me about themed entertainment has been dividended out to day traders. This is the modern Disney. Get used to it. Get over it. And stop whining. The Disney I knew is dead.

It's funny how Disney has built pressure relief valves for Main Street USA four times over the course of the history of the resort.

1. EPCOT Center
2. Disney-MGM Hollywood Studios
3. Animal Kingdom
and now...
4. Backstage Bypass Alley - complete with Smell-o-Vision dumpster action.

Really tells you all you need to know about the resort as a whole.

The only way to ease the MK's issues are to pull people out of the park. Adding more stuff (attractions whether they are A, B, C, D, or E caliber simply add to the problem of drawing people in these days) or taking away stuff (like leveling the Hub and adding more space to cram people in) isn't the solution over the long haul. The only way out at this point is to get people to forgo stepping foot into the MK each night.

Of course that solution (options 1, 2, & 3) was used in the past and worked brilliantly; but, required faith to invest capital over the long haul. MM+ and it's empty promises of maximizing your current investment of infrastructure was the path that was chosen and that path apparently takes you from a walled in concrete plaza at the heart of the Magic Kingdom... straight out of the park while passing behind the grand opening act that was so meticulously planned back in 1955.

Be sure as you are exiting past the refuse of Main Street to glance beyond and wave at the executive parking just beyond that brought you this mess.

 

[Otterhead]

Be sure as you are exiting past the refuse of Main Street to glance beyond and wave at the executive parking just beyond that brought you this mess.

Funny, I'm not seeing dumpsters.

What would your preferred solution to overcrowding be? i.e., how should they "pull people out of the park"?

 

[chiefs11]

Funny, I'm not seeing dumpsters.

What would your preferred solution to overcrowding be? i.e., how should they "pull people out of the park"?

I don't really have any issue with the bypass as it is (or will be when done), but my suggestion would be:
Keep Epcot open until at least 11pm, and make it worth spending the extra time there.

 

[sshindel]

It's funny how Disney has built pressure relief valves for Main Street USA four times over the course of the history of the resort.

1. EPCOT Center
2. Disney-MGM Hollywood Studios
3. Animal Kingdom
and now...
4. Backstage Bypass Alley - complete with Smell-o-Vision dumpster action.

Really tells you all you need to know about the resort as a whole.

The only way to ease the MK's issues are to pull people out of the park. Adding more stuff (attractions whether they are A, B, C, D, or E caliber simply add to the problem of drawing people in these days) or taking away stuff (like leveling the Hub and adding more space to cram people in) isn't the solution over the long haul. The only way out at this point is to get people to forgo stepping foot into the MK each night.

That assumes that Disney wants to pull people out of the MK. I would bet with the recent infrastructure upgrades that is a resounding NO. They want this many people in the park. They want this many people buying ear hats, churros, special ticketed dessert parties. The additions to address capacity, spreading out crowds via FP+, adding NFL, opening up closed restaurants, widening paths in the hub, the bypass all strongly suggest that they want this many, or more, people in MK.

That does not change the fact that they would love the other parks to grow their attendance as well, which is why we see the effort to make DAK a "full" day park and whatever the heck is going on over at DHS.

 

[JediMasterMatt]

The dumpsters are usually rolled behind the plants; but, they are occasionally left out for all to see.

Overcrowding?

The way they should address it is exactly the way they did for years and years. Give people a compelling reason to not be in the Magic Kingdom and do something else on property.

Instead current WDW management embraces and relishes the fact that guests flock to MK. They believe that everyone should step inside those gates and stare in awe at Wishes each night.

Other than EPCOT, neither AK or DHS can hold a captive audience. Pandora is still a ways away and empty promises of Star Wars Land and Pixar Place have yet to be announced, let alone being anywhere close to opening.

What WDW needs is 3 other parks pulling their weight all day and night.

Instead, we have TSMM getting another track built that will allow more guests to notch that ride off their list and head for the gates sooner... which means the MK is a likely destination.

 

[JediMasterMatt]

That assumes that Disney wants to pull people out of the MK. I would bet with the recent infrastructure upgrades that is a resounding NO. They want this many people in the park. They want this many people buying ear hats, churros, special ticketed dessert parties. The additions to address capacity, spreading out crowds via FP+, adding NFL, opening up closed restaurants, widening paths in the hub, the bypass all strongly suggest that they want this many, or more, people in MK.

That does not change the fact that they would love the other parks to grow their attendance as well, which is why we see the effort to make DAK a "full" day park and whatever the heck is going on over at DHS.

You are correct... current Disney doesn't care if guests are at MK or one of their other parks. That is exactly why MK has received what you've listed.

That is the problem with the resort.

Walt Disney World used to be a world filled with possibilities.

Walt Disney World of today might as well be relabeled Magic Kingdom and Friends.

The place that use to care about the quality of Show they offered is now dictated by seeing how many spins on the MK turnstile they can get.

This model is what is allowing quality to slip further and further.

 

[sshindel]

You are correct... current Disney doesn't care if guests are at MK or one of their other parks. That is exactly why MK has received what you've listed.

That is the problem with the resort.

Walt Disney World used to be a world filled with possibilities.

Walt Disney World of today might as well be relabeled Magic Kingdom and Friends.

The place that use to care about the quality of Show they offered is now dictated by seeing how many spins on the MK turnstile they can get.

This model is what is allowing quality to slip further and further.

Honest question.

Do you think that the Disney of before did not believe the same thing?

The addition of new parks was meant to draw more people to the WDW resort, and make them stay longer, selling more tickets, merch. It was not some utopian dream to give people more with no regards to making money.

At the time, they had space to grow, the initial plans for the Florida Project were meant to grow to more than the one park. When they reached a point of deciding that the MK was reaching a large crowd level, they made the decision to add a new park and grow their attendance.

Going strictly on attendance numbers, attendance jumped by 10 million guests with the addition of Epcot, 5 million with the addition of MGM, and 3 million by adding DAK. Returns are diminishing as more parks are added. Adding something akin to a 5th gate now, would we even get the 3 million visitor bump that DAK added? I doubt it. Given the cost of construction of just a new land in DAK, how much would a full new park cost? How many visitors do you have to add to make that investment worth the money? I don't have those answers, but I'd bet that there are folks within TDWC that do.

They just know that the incremental bump, at this time, that they might receive in new visitors with the addition of a 5th gate would not justify the money spent to build that gate, plus the resorts required to house the new guests, plus the roads, etc.

The missions of the parks are the same as ever were. If they are holding themselves up to providing value to the customer as compared to the costs those customers are paying are up to the individual customers to determine for themselves.

 

[Otterhead]

What WDW needs is 3 other parks pulling their weight all day and night.

Animal Kingdom is under heavy construction, building not only Pandora but their nighttime show.

They've already announced that Star Wars is a huge part of the impending revamp of DHS.

Illumimations at EPCOT is still super popular, and they've added additional Illuminations-focused restaurants and events to pull people to it rather than Wishes.

 

[mixmasterjacob]

Recently after watching
Attractions - The Show - Sea Life Aquarium; Summer at Disney; latest news - May 7, 2015
You hear the speaker talk about the new Castle Turrets. The new "central plaza" will have new turrets on each side of the castle. She says "Secretly these will hide things we need to make the shows even better."
My guess is lighting/projection equipment. Anyone know more information about what exactly they will be hiding behind/in these turrets.