New Train Station Sign

[The_Jobu]

Because some art director preferred it this way

Then I shall bite my thumb at said art director.

 

[Clamman73]

This sign's got me all like...

 

[radiohost]

Maybe ABC's "The Goldbergs" will be filming there soon and they need the sign to reflect the 1980's?

I honestly have no clue....liked the old one better.

 

[The_Jobu]

Maybe ABC's "The Goldbergs" will be filming there soon and they need the sign to reflect the 1980's?

I honestly have no clue....liked the old one better.

One of the characters did have a sweet retro EPCOT sweater...

 

[Scuttle]

I've seen long rants from "super fans" over scuff marks on trash cans or burnt-out light bulbs, claiming that THIS is the last straw, that Walt is spinning in his grave, that it's a sure sign of WDW's decline, yada yada.

The new sign is just fine. It's less cluttered, cleaner, and easier to read. I've got no problem with it and it certainly won't impact my visits.

Just want to step in to say the "popcorn light fiasco" was real and a much bigger deal than one sign.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I Like the design Of the new one. It feels fresh.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

- I think 'Magic Kingdom' makes slightly more grammatical sense. You go to the 7-11, but the sign on the shop says '7-11', not 'The 7-11'.

- The town of which Main Street Station is the train station was not 'established in 1971' at all. It is an early 20th century town, probably dating to the latter half of the 19th. The theme park is not the reality that should be on display, but the theme thereof.

Having said that, the old sign negates this too with 'Walt Disney World', and 'population X00's million' - a population of hundreds of million of theme park visitors, rather than the 10s of thousands the town of Main Street would have. In fact, all of MS, and the rest of the MK, has never been an exercise in historical reenactment. It never pretends to not be a theme park.

- The removal of 'Walt Disney World' is a pity. It served as an equivalent of sorts to a State. 'City, state, population', the classic American welcome sign. It's a detail, but one that has always struck me as delightfully American as a foreign visitor.

City, State, Population.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

They also changed the curtains so you can barely see the writing on the window.

I don't mind that. Slightly too many windows with writing on them by now.

Main Street's story should be shown, not written. The old movie adage holds: show, don't tell. You can tell the first generation of WDW designers had a background in movie-making, and the modern one in design. The current crop relies much more on texts, posters, stenciled crates.

 

[Goofyernmost]

With regard to your response to @ford91exploder , my hunch is there might be a little confusion surrounding his statement regarding Walt. My own interpretation of what he said was that (even though Walt had passed away in 1966), ford91exploder was actually referring to Walt's "legacy" of attention to detail in all his parks.

As you mentioned, the omission of the word, "The" in the new sign, may be no big deal in itself; yet to some people, they may feel it's important to preserve historical accuracy. This is not to say that things can't evolve and change over time, but I agree with him that the actual (full) name of the park should probably remain unchanged.

Yes, but THE in the WDW sign was not Walt's legacy it was Roy's, The details in the sign also were not Walt's, it is not historically accurate to even imply that it was. It is no different then the change in the gate way sign as you enter the property. It is much different then when it first opened. The Disneyland Sign at DLR is not the original sign or even look like it and that was Walt's legacy. To me it is just carrying the legacy garbage far beyond reality into some fetish, cultist feeling thing. I don't want Walt's memory coupled with that attitude. He promoted and practiced change and replacement of things that he felt weren't working during his lifetime. Things even as small and insignificant as a couple of words on a secondary sign. Now a few want everything to remain the same forever, in spite of being completely against the philosophy of Walter E. Disney. If it were up to them the new sign as we enter the property would read "Welcome to The WDW Museum". And this particular sign thing is such a stretch that it is unimaginable as to how any of it matters.

 

[ford91exploder]

Just want to step in to say the "popcorn light fiasco" was real and a much bigger deal than one sign.

And yet the popcorn light fiasco continues unabated 'fixed' at the GF by turning most of them off. In the MK it still looks like a traveling carnival show with dead bulbs everywhere.

 

[peter11435]

And yet the popcorn light fiasco continues unabated 'fixed' at the GF by turning most of them off. In the MK it still looks like a traveling carnival show with dead bulbs everywhere.

Or.. You are misremembering where popcorn lights existed at the GF and are grossly exaggerating the condition of those at MK.

For the record the guest out buildings at the GF have never had popcorn lighting. Only parts of the main building, pool buildings, narcoossees, and the convention center. All of which still have their lighting. But you can keep passing along misinformation if you prefer.

 

[draybook]

The funny part is that some of you have your undies in a tighter wad than those who are upset about the sign. If it doesn't bother you then why the h--- don't you just roll on? Seriously? This is like on Facebook where I see people arguing about the dumbest crap possible. We get it, the sign doesn't bother you. What meaningless part of your existence is going to be affected even the slightest bit by some random group of atoms at some random location on the globe not liking the sign? Personally, I don't like it but it won't stop me from going. However, I can see why some people would take it that far as slowly, the small details that Disney was once famous for are now being put by the wayside. But it seems that some of you just want to argue with others for the pure sake of arguing. If you don't care about the sign, do you really think you're going to change their minds with your snarky comments and "get over it" attitude? For crying out loud...

 

[RobidaFlats]

- I think 'Magic Kingdom' makes slightly more grammatical sense. You go to the 7-11, but the sign on the shop says '7-11', not 'The 7-11'.

In terms of grammar, the key word in determining the use of a definite article is "Kingdom". Kingdom generally gets one in everyday usage:

The Kingdom of God
The United Kingdom
The Animal Kingdom (not the park, but the natural reference)

These examples sound odd without "the". I'm going to United Kingdom? A veterinarian treats members of Animal Kingdom? etc.

It also has to do with the use of an adjective with noun vs a proper noun. For example:

I am going to 7-11.
I am going to the convenience store.

Obviously it gets more complicated when the proper noun contains an adjective, but I don't think that there is a compelling argument that the removal of the definite article is inherently more correct.

 

[AndrewsJ]

And some of us have 5 trips booked.

Yes and the record setting crowds this winter must reflect how many people have had it with WDW.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Or.. You are misremembering where popcorn lights existed at the GF and are grossly exaggerating the condition of those at MK.

For the record the guest out buildings at the GF have never had popcorn lighting. Only parts of the main building, pool buildings, narcoossees, and the convention center. All of which still have their lighting. But you can keep passing along misinformation if you prefer.

And the monorail station and DVC, with lightbulbs with a higher burnout rate than Disney's underpaid hourly employees.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

In terms of grammar, the key word in determining the use of a definite article is "Kingdom". Kingdom generally gets one in everyday usage:

The Kingdom of God
The United Kingdom
The Animal Kingdom (not the park, but the natural reference)

These examples sound odd without "the". I'm going to United Kingdom?

Certainly.

One goes to The United Kingdom. One is from the United Kingdom. But the passport says 'United Kingdom', without article:

Canadians go to The United States. But the entry sign says 'United States'. It states the name of the place. Whereas a welcome sign, by contrast, would read 'Welcome to the United States'.

Likewise, one orders from the menu. But the menu card says 'menu', not 'the menu'.
I lack the linguistic vocabulary to explain it other than through example and pictures. Then again, as I argued earlier this thread about good Disney design, "show, don't tell!"

 

[RobidaFlats]

Certainly.

One goes to The United Kingdom. One is from the United Kingdom. But the passport says 'United Kingdom', without article:

Canadians go to The United States. But the entry sign says 'United States'. It denotes the name of the place. Whereas a welcome sign, by contrast, would read 'Welcome to the United States'.

Likewise, one orders from the menu. But the menu card says 'menu', not 'the menu'.
I lack the linguistic vocabulary to explain it other than through example and pictures. Then again, as I argued earlier this thread about good Disney design, "show, don't tell!"

Well put, I had not thought about it that way.

 

[No Name]

We are really getting all hot and bothered because they removed the word "The" from the sign and replaced a few details? The look and feel is almost exactly the same.

I have things to complain about. The Welcome Show going bye-bye. Security procedures not being improved quickly enough (and in ways other that don't involve "replacing" the Welcome Show). Entertaininment being cut. Silly overlay decisions. Glittery gum on the ground of the Small World queue.

But I don't see this as something worth spending my energy on. I've always called it "Magic Kingdom," so maybe that's why. To each their own.

 

[The_Jobu]

And the monorail station and DVC, with lightbulbs with a higher burnout rate than Disney's underpaid hourly employees.

HEYO!!

 

[The Empress Lilly]

The funny part is that some of you have your undies in a tighter wad than those who are upset about the sign. If it doesn't bother you then why the h--- don't you just roll on? Seriously? This is like on Facebook where I see people arguing about the dumbest crap possible. We get it, the sign doesn't bother you. What meaningless part of your existence is going to be affected even the slightest bit by some random group of atoms at some random location on the globe not liking the sign? Personally, I don't like it but it won't stop me from going. However, I can see why some people would take it that far as slowly, the small details that Disney was once famous for are now being put by the wayside. But it seems that some of you just want to argue with others for the pure sake of arguing. If you don't care about the sign, do you really think you're going to change their minds with your snarky comments and "get over it" attitude? For crying out loud...

If somebody loves the new sign so much he immediately books a trip, then good for him. If they cancel a trip over it, then fine too. It's a free country. Why get worked up about what others feel indeed.

Me, I'm here just because Disney happens to be a hobby. So I blabber on about the minutiae of a name sign or the colour of a railing. In my defense, it beats going to the forest to kill small animals or watching live sports scores all weekend.