New Orleans Square is getting Flattened

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Didn’t mean to scare you. According to Rat Chat, they re finally getting around to some of the project stardust stuff they wanted to do a few years ago. All those tiered walkways are going away and being flattened. Hopefully they find a way to preserve the planters and trees. I will admit the area is a pain to navigate during busy days especially when the POTC queue spills into them and ESPECIALLY with a stroller.

So now the long POTC closure makes much more sense. This sounds like a complete POTC outdoor queue and NOS walkway redo. Sounds like the rumor of them removing those sick trees is true too. I also have to wonder if this is what the Tarzan Treehouse delay is all about. Could they be removing that “tree” they added back when they changed it from Swiss Family Robinson? Or is the attraction being completely removed to make more space for the new outdoor POTC queue?
 
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Practical Pig

Well-Known Member
Didn’t mean to scare you. According to Rat Chat, they re finally getting around to some of the project stardust stuff they wanted to do a few years ago. All those tiered walkways are going away and being flattened. Hopefully they find a way to preserve the planters and trees. I will admit the area is a pain to navigate during busy days especially when the POTC queue spills into them and ESPECIALLY with a stroller.

So now the long POTC closure makes much more sense. This sounds like a complete POTC outdoor queue and NOS walkway redo. Sounds like the rumor of them removing those sick trees is true too. I also have to wonder if this is what the Tarzan Treehouse delay is all about. Could they be removing that “tree” they added back when they changed it from Swiss Family Robinson? Or is the attraction being completely removed to make more space for the new outdoor POTC queue?

If it means getting something like the view of the 1967 POTC facade back, bring it on!

Pirates.jpg
 

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
If it means getting something like the view of the 1967 POTC facade back, bring it on!

View attachment 625533

Hahah well it would be kind of like that but with another 10,000 people between you and the building. I don’t remember a Disneyland without the bridge and courtyard so it’s all very classic for me and it’s always kind of hard to go backward and get less detailed. Although what I say is more detailed you may say is more cluttered and busy. To lose the courtyard, trees bridge, iron archway, etc for cement doesn’t really excite me but I doubt they re going back to exactly the pic you posted. It will be interesting to see what they do with this project. Losing the treehouse I feel would be a big loss even if I rarely go up there.
 

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I hope they take this opportunity to implement a solution/alternative to the aesthetically displeasing stroller parking along the Rivers of America.

Well if they get rid of the treehouse a fair amount of stroller parking can go there. 😞

We also did have that one poster who gave us the secret code TIMBER when referring to the treehouse. Yeah, it’s not looking good for the treehouse right now
 

Practical Pig

Well-Known Member
Hahah well it would be kind of like that but with another 10,000 people between you and the building. I don’t remember a Disneyland without the bridge and courtyard so it’s all very classic for me and it’s always kind of hard to go backward and get less detailed. Although what I say is more detailed you may say is more cluttered and busy. To lose the courtyard, trees bridge, iron archway, etc for cement doesn’t really excite me but I doubt they re going back to exactly the pic you posted. It will be interesting to see what they do with this project. Losing the treehouse I feel would be a big loss even if I rarely go up there.
No, I don't expect or want them to time-slip back to 1967 with this redo, or really anything else. But if they can manage to keep the traffic flowing without those theme-clashing tiered walkways obstructing the views of the facade, so much the better. I expect, or at least hope, that concrete abruptness of the 1967 original environs will remain in the past.

And I will be very sad if the treehouse goes away.
 

Too Many Hats

Well-Known Member
Losing the treehouse would be tragic. Such a unique attraction. Nothing like that would ever get built (or even be conceived of) today. I go up there almost every time I visit; love the view and leaning into the Adventureland vibe.

Haven't there been reports of actual work being done up there during this lengthy closure? What work would they be doing if the thing is ultimately going to be demolished?
 

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Losing the treehouse would be tragic. Such a unique attraction. Nothing like that would ever get built (or even be conceived of) today. I go up there almost every time I visit; love the view and leaning into the Adventureland vibe.

Haven't there been reports of actual work being done up there during this lengthy closure? What work would they be doing if the thing is ultimately going to be demolished?

I agree it would be tragic. I’m not sure. I haven’t heard any reports of actual work in a while. It’s just been sitting there under tarps. There may have been some work done months ago. Who knows, maybe I’m jumping to conclusions but it does seem logical that its lengthy closure has something to do with the POTC queue/ NOS walkway project. Hopefully it’s just to remove the other “tree.”
 
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TP2000

Well-Known Member
New Orleans Square needs help. The circa 1994 superhighway remake of its walkways, and basically turning it into a giant aquacade stadium for Fantasmic! viewing didn't help the theme much.

But I hope they approach this work with care and thought.

And God help 'em if they trim too many trees and reveal too much of that off center window above that one patio!

img-8669_orig.jpg
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
If it means getting something like the view of the 1967 POTC facade back, bring it on!

View attachment 625533

To be fair, that's Tokyo. You can tell because the CM can fit in his pants. ;)

But it's a near replica of Anaheim's original Pirates entry building. Here's a late 1960's shot of the Pirates building in Anaheim, roughly from the exit of Adventureland and across from the Treehouse.

This might also be the first photographic evidence of a family wearing Matching Shirts! at Disneyland.
disneyland-pirates-of-the-caribbean-postcards-8-1-750x480.jpg
 

Practical Pig

Well-Known Member
To be fair, that's Tokyo. You can tell because the CM can fit in his pants. ;)

But it's a near replica of Anaheim's original Pirates entry building. Here's a late 1960's shot of the Pirates building in Anaheim, roughly from the exit of Adventureland and across from the Treehouse.

This might also be the first photographic evidence of a family wearing Matching Shirts! at Disneyland.
disneyland-pirates-of-the-caribbean-postcards-8-1-750x480.jpg
The picture I posted was a glancing blow off of Google images. I was kind of anticipating that you would provide a correction if needed. So thanks for that.
 

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
New Orleans Square needs help. The circa 1994 superhighway remake of its walkways, and basically turning it into a giant aquacade stadium for Fantasmic! viewing didn't help the theme much.

But I hope they approach this work with care and thought.

And God help 'em if they trim too many trees and reveal too much of that off center window above that one patio!

img-8669_orig.jpg


Its strange that I have no recollection of the NOS Walkways before the Fantasmic changes as I would have been about 9 years old but I guess that's not the kind of stuff a 9 year old really pays attention too. You're right though it is a weird set up and operationally is a nightmare on busy days. With that said those planters with the statues, roses and trees were a nice touch. It's funny you brought up the infamous window, I was actually wondering how the view FROM Cafe Orleans will change. I don think they re going to turn the whole thing into a big concrete field. judging by the other Stardust changes they usually made planters smaller and never really eliminated any - except for the Haunted Mansion planter - RIP.
 

DrAlice

Well-Known Member
New Orleans Square needs help. The circa 1994 superhighway remake of its walkways, and basically turning it into a giant aquacade stadium for Fantasmic! viewing didn't help the theme much.

But I hope they approach this work with care and thought.

And God help 'em if they trim too many trees and reveal too much of that off center window above that one patio!

img-8669_orig.jpg
I will never, ever, ever understand how this was allowed to come into being. Ever.

It reminds me of my previous house. We had two light switches on a wall that were sitting side by side about 6 inches apart (one was for an outside patio light, one was for an interior light). This always led to two questions: 1) Why didn't they put in one big combo switch? 2) Why is one switch 3 inches higher than the other? Every time I looked at it (it was right next to our kitchen table), I pictured the people doing the installation. How many people were involved? Not a single one of them thought, "Wow, this looks ridiculous!"? Or, if they did, they just shrugged and moved on?? Did they do that kind of work with the framing and plumbing too? Should I be worried? o_O
 

chadwpalm

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
I will never, ever, ever understand how this was allowed to come into being. Ever.
The chandelier lines up with the window, so most likely the window was centered to the interior room, not the exterior facade. I guess Disney was more worried about Club 33 members complaining about an off-centered window than the thousands of peon guests seeing it every day.
 

DrAlice

Well-Known Member
The chandelier lines up with the window, so most likely the window was centered to the interior room, not the exterior facade. I guess Disney was more worried about Club 33 members complaining about an off-centered window than the thousands of peon guests seeing it every day.
Yes, I understand that, but it doesn't excuse this. With a little thought, they could've chosen a different exterior facade so it blended better. I mean, they are DISNEY, for crying out loud!

Anyway, it doesn't matter. We don't need to rehash all the same internet discussion that occurred when this originally happened. 🤣
 

_caleb

Well-Known Member
Hahah well it would be kind of like that but with another 10,000 people between you and the building. I don’t remember a Disneyland without the bridge and courtyard so it’s all very classic for me and it’s always kind of hard to go backward and get less detailed. Although what I say is more detailed you may say is more cluttered and busy. To lose the courtyard, trees bridge, iron archway, etc for cement doesn’t really excite me but I doubt they re going back to exactly the pic you posted. It will be interesting to see what they do with this project. Losing the treehouse I feel would be a big loss even if I rarely go up there.
Growing up, we were Disneyland regulars. I remember going one time in the early 90’s and not recognizing the entrance to my favorite attraction. They’d somehow sunk the building by one story!

Over the years, I came to appreciate the “overpass.” Though it always confused people (“Want to go on that ride you see to your left? Turn right!”), it added a layered dimension to NOS that even though it restricted sight lines, somehow made it feel larger by playing up the ”lots of little nooks to explore“ vibe. (Court of Angles).
 

SuddenStorm

Well-Known Member
Just once I'd love to wake up to Disneyland news I'm excited about.

As it sits right now, the west side of the park is dang near perfect. Obviously that's gonna change when Tiana moves in, and Galaxy's Edge did change the feel of the ROA/Hungry Bear Restaurant- but I'm not sure WDI can do better aesthetically than what's there now.

They definitely didn't do Tomorrowland any favors when they got rid of the planters that used to surround the Peoplemover track supports. Or Mansion any favors when they got rid of the wall planter to 'save space', only to put benches there a year later when they realized it's a valuable area to have seating and that Galaxy's Edge was a dud.

Wasn't the current Pirates entrance design done by Tony? So this would be another Baxter design to leave Disneyland.
 


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