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

[Horizons1]

I'm not one to go to Disney's defense, especially when they don't deserve it, but the entire debate over this bypass makes me shake my head.

The park's ever-increasing attendance levels have presented a crowd management problem that they could only have dreamed of in 1971. So today, MSUSA is too narrow to accommodate the mass exodus from the park at the close of business. Not anyone's fault, and there's no feasible way to correct it permanently, because it would be downright ridiculous to tear everything down and widen the on-stage street.

So, for many years, they've done the next best thing, which is to allow crowds to exit via a secondary corridor. For a while, it was fine and dandy to just put up some curtains or roll in a few planters, since it wasn't a routine course of action.

But again, crowds have dictated that it become more of a SOP. And I, for one, give them credit for doing ANYTHING to the area. I don't expect a second Main Street back there. It's backstage. It's a service area. Cast still use the area for staging and prep and hauling trash. Then, when crowds dictate, they allow guests to pass through the area as a courtesy.

And it's called a bypass for a reason. It's not the primary route. It serves one purpose - to get people out of the park as quickly and safely as possible. If you take that route, you do not pass Go and you do not collect $200. You get out. Period. No loitering. No photo ops. No shopping. No eating. You walk south and exit the park.

So why spend millions of dollars to make it look like the permanent areas of the park, when it's only used at night, and is not meant to be stared at or admired?

It sounds like I'm in the minority, but I just don't understand the heartburn over how "awful" it looks. It's a far cry better than seeing dumpsters and piles of vendor carts recharging.

If they were to do something like this in an on-stage area, yeah, it would be worthy of extreme criticism. But everything is relative.

Shh. No logic here! Go away! Go away!

 

[Tom]

Shh. No logic here! Go away! Go away!

10-4

 

[raymusiccity]

Shh. No logic here! Go away! Go away!

I agree. Tom is falling into that old trap of trying to apply common sense to this issue.

 

[Vinmann]

Remember when people used to think it was cool to get to go back stage? Now they complain about it not being cool enough.

 

[Tom]

Remember when people used to think it was cool to get to go back stage? Now they complain about it not being cool enough.

Spot on!

 

[articos]

Shh. No logic here! Go away! Go away!

Back, back, over the falls...

 

[englanddg]

I'm not one to go to Disney's defense, especially when they don't deserve it, but the entire debate over this bypass makes me shake my head.

The park's ever-increasing attendance levels have presented a crowd management problem that they could only have dreamed of in 1971. So today, MSUSA is too narrow to accommodate the mass exodus from the park at the close of business. Not anyone's fault, and there's no feasible way to correct it permanently, because it would be downright ridiculous to tear everything down and widen the on-stage street.

So, for many years, they've done the next best thing, which is to allow crowds to exit via a secondary corridor. For a while, it was fine and dandy to just put up some curtains or roll in a few planters, since it wasn't a routine course of action.

But again, crowds have dictated that it become more of a SOP. And I, for one, give them credit for doing ANYTHING to the area. I don't expect a second Main Street back there. It's backstage. It's a service area. Cast still use the area for staging and prep and hauling trash. Then, when crowds dictate, they allow guests to pass through the area as a courtesy.

And it's called a bypass for a reason. It's not the primary route. It serves one purpose - to get people out of the park as quickly and safely as possible. If you take that route, you do not pass Go and you do not collect $200. You get out. Period. No loitering. No photo ops. No shopping. No eating. You walk south and exit the park.

So why spend millions of dollars to make it look like the permanent areas of the park, when it's only used at night, and is not meant to be stared at or admired?

It sounds like I'm in the minority, but I just don't understand the heartburn over how "awful" it looks. It's a far cry better than seeing dumpsters and piles of vendor carts recharging.

If they were to do something like this in an on-stage area, yeah, it would be worthy of extreme criticism. But everything is relative.

Funny that no one complains about the backstage exit from Fantasmic that takes you down Perimeter Rd. where you can see construction trailers and metal buildings parked behind the BaaB show and a parking lot. They've been using that for years. In fact, back when the Fantasmic Package offered "Golf Cart Service" to the theater (it no longer does) that was the route they used. They'd pick you up on Highland, and cut across the back.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I'm not one to go to Disney's defense, especially when they don't deserve it, but the entire debate over this bypass makes me shake my head.

The park's ever-increasing attendance levels have presented a crowd management problem that they could only have dreamed of in 1971. So today, MSUSA is too narrow to accommodate the mass exodus from the park at the close of business. Not anyone's fault, and there's no feasible way to correct it permanently, because it would be downright ridiculous to tear everything down and widen the on-stage street.

So, for many years, they've done the next best thing, which is to allow crowds to exit via a secondary corridor. For a while, it was fine and dandy to just put up some curtains or roll in a few planters, since it wasn't a routine course of action.

But again, crowds have dictated that it become more of a SOP. And I, for one, give them credit for doing ANYTHING to the area. I don't expect a second Main Street back there. It's backstage. It's a service area. Cast still use the area for staging and prep and hauling trash. Then, when crowds dictate, they allow guests to pass through the area as a courtesy.

And it's called a bypass for a reason. It's not the primary route. It serves one purpose - to get people out of the park as quickly and safely as possible. If you take that route, you do not pass Go and you do not collect $200. You get out. Period. No loitering. No photo ops. No shopping. No eating. You walk south and exit the park.

So why spend millions of dollars to make it look like the permanent areas of the park, when it's only used at night, and is not meant to be stared at or admired?

It sounds like I'm in the minority, but I just don't understand the heartburn over how "awful" it looks. It's a far cry better than seeing dumpsters and piles of vendor carts recharging.

If they were to do something like this in an on-stage area, yeah, it would be worthy of extreme criticism. But everything is relative.

If paying guests are in it, it's on stage.

 

[englanddg]

If paying guests are in it, it's on stage.

While I agree (and frozen Walt does from his crypt under Sleeping Beauty Castle), see my previous post. This isn't the first time, or even a new thing, for WDW.

 

[Kman101]

I agree with Tom.

And whining about the backstage bypass is just that, whining. You can't put an expectation on something it was never meant to be and then be upset when that doesn't happen like you think it should. Some people seem to want to find fault with everything. There's plenty to complain about in terms of WDW but I don't think this should be one of them.

It's basically a side street. They do a nice job hiding the backstage areas and most of it is pleasant to walk through.

 

[BackOTheLine]

I agree with Tom.

And whining about the backstage bypass is just that, whining. You can't put an expectation on something it was never meant to be and then be upset when that doesn't happen like you think it should. Some people seem to want to find fault with everything. There's plenty to complain about in terms of WDW but I don't think this should be one of them.

It's basically a side street. They do a nice job hiding the backstage areas and most of it is pleasant to walk through.

While this rationale makes perfect sense in the normal world, I think you *can* put expectations on something that you have spent $(insert painful amount of money here) on in order to experience the immersive world that WDW is, and was made famous, for. They spend money to theme trash cans and bathrooms and doorknobs so as to never break this illusion. Why not spend a little for an area that is going to be seen by quite a few folks? Besides - I don't want to have to stumble out of a dark alley after my "kiss goodnight." I'll save that for when I get back home.

My 2 cents FWIW

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

So it seems quite a few people (one in particular) are still misunderstanding the purpose of a bypass. It looks very nice for what it is, a quick and safe way to get people out of the park. Not to mention the fact that it's not even done yet!! I'd bet money that people complaining about it haven't even seen it and are basing their opinion (as usual) on blurry cell phone pictures.

Amazing how those who actually HAVE seen it can only say how nice everything looks.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I was back there this week.

 

[marni1971]

Is it finished yet?

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Is it finished yet?

Close, they are planting trees and landscaping.

 

[Otamin]

While I agree (and frozen Walt does from his crypt under Sleeping Beauty Castle), see my previous post. This isn't the first time, or even a new thing, for WDW.

Pirates of the Caribbean.

Get it right next time englanddg!

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

I was back there this week.

My apologies, a week ago you said you hadn't been to MK since December. Did your opinion change any after seeing it in person? It's clearly superior to Disneyland's bypass, though they won when it comes to the entrance to theirs.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

My apologies, a week ago you said you hadn't been to MK since December. Did your opinion change any after seeing it in person? It's clearly superior to Disneyland's bypass, though they won when it comes to the entrance to theirs.

I think it looks ok. But it has that "Why try harder when we don't have too" feel. It's not awful. But it's not impressive by any means.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

I think it looks ok. But it has that "Why try harder when we don't have too" feel. It's not awful. But it's not impressive by any means.

I think that's kind of the kicker, though. It's not meant to be terribly impressive and really can't be from an operational standpoint. You can't have too much back there for people to gawk and fawn over when you're trying to move thousands of them out of the park.

Additional issues arise when you consider that they are essentially trying to retheme an area that was built over 40 years ago to never be seen by paying guests. Then there's the whole other issue of the need for backstage MSUSA to remain functional for Cast to perform essential park operations. That's a VERY busy and important area for a lot of departments.

I'm onboard the train that says Disney has not done their best work lately, but I don't think a lot of the criticism of the bypass is valid. This was literally an unnecessary project as they could have just kept lining the walkway with shrubs and calling it a day as they did for many years. This was Disney plussing an area that they didn't honestly have to. How can we be upset about that?

 

[G00fyDad]

I think that's kind of the kicker, though. It's not meant to be terribly impressive and really can't be from an operational standpoint. You can't have too much back there for people to gawk and fawn over when you're trying to move thousands of them out of the park.

Additional issues arise when you consider that they are essentially trying to retheme an area that was built over 40 years ago to never be seen by paying guests. Then there's the whole other issue of the need for backstage MSUSA to remain functional for Cast to perform essential park operations. That's a VERY busy and important area for a lot of departments.

I'm onboard the train that says Disney has not done their best work lately, but I don't think a lot of the criticism of the bypass is valid. This was literally an unnecessary project as they could have just kept lining the walkway with shrubs and calling it a day as they did for many years. This was Disney plussing an area that they didn't honestly have to. How can we be upset about that?