Big tarp on Main Street - Is it still there?

[Polydweller]

Threads like this are interesting because people are complaining about something being done to upgrade and maintain the parks. In so many other threads it's all criticism about how Disney isn't maintaining the parks. Sheesh, which do folks want. I guess they could never do maintenance because scrims and walls ARE eyesores. But then things would really get rundown.

 

[captinhookedondisney]

Threads like this are interesting because people are complaining about something being done to upgrade and maintain the parks. In so many other threads it's all criticism about how Disney isn't maintaining the parks. Sheesh, which do folks want. I guess they could never do maintenance because scrims and walls ARE eyesores. But then things would really get rundown.

Very very very true. This is obviously a necessary and important refurb as no one heard about it. This refurbishment may be because of safety reasons and Disney needed something up fast.

Would you rather the park be closed?

 

[captinhookedondisney]

and for everyone complaining about Meg, you and I cannot even know an 1/8 of the information necessary to make accusations about her and her management skills.

Disney like many successful companies keep as much information private as possible, for the good and safeguard of the company brand.

Disney's number one concern has always been safety. Safety before appearance.

 

[TurkA77]

Threads like this are interesting because people are complaining about something being done to upgrade and maintain the parks. In so many other threads it's all criticism about how Disney isn't maintaining the parks. Sheesh, which do folks want. I guess they could never do maintenance because scrims and walls ARE eyesores. But then things would really get rundown.

Spot on my friend, spot on. My family has a run a business in a touristy part of the country for four going on five generations. No matter how hard you try and how much you do for people, someone will always find something to complain about.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Threads like this are interesting because people are complaining about something being done to upgrade and maintain the parks. In so many other threads it's all criticism about how Disney isn't maintaining the parks. Sheesh, which do folks want. I guess they could never do maintenance because scrims and walls ARE eyesores. But then things would really get rundown.

Well, this old timer disagrees. If, maintenance was still done routinely and often, the park wouldn't be so run down. There was a time, guests would NEVER see backstage...or hideous tarps, strung throughout the Parks. What's sadder, the folks who now find this acceptable and defend the eyesores. I still remember, the day, Disney had crews out all night, replacing dead flowers, painting and repairing every chipped or worn rail, door, etc. They didn't wait, until drastic or major repairs were needed.(i.e. monorail)

I do feel bad for DDiL. This is her parents 1st, and probably ONLY trip to WDW. She planned, long and hard for this to be very special. I'm going to hate seeing this mess and I've vacationed, at WDW for 30 years! This reflects poorly on the Disney brand. Although, this is the same ABC/Disney, who recently destroyed iconic Daytime television (and was quite dishonest, during the process). I am VERY disappointed in the direction, Iger, Staggs and Co. are taking Disney. Our 2-3 trips a year...down to 1 this year...no others planned, next year either. Our money's going elsewhere, at least for now.

 

[angierae]

I get it. It looks bad. But for as much time and money that Disney puts into making sure their work areas are invisible as possible don't you think that there must be SOME reason they had to do it that way? I understand how much we all pay to go to Disney.

But again - one building front on hundreds of acres of property? I don't hear anyone complaining about this BIG, ugly wall:

Why? because something is being built new behind it and they're willing to wait/deal with it. Isn't this the same thing??

There were LOTS of complaints when that wall went up, I remember reading about it before our 5/2010 trip. Unfortunately, we've all just had a long time to get used to it, especially since we're still looking at another year+ before it's gone.

 

[Marshay]

Why? because something is being built new behind it and they're willing to wait/deal with it. Isn't this the same thing??

Nope, not even in the same {theme} park!

Main Street USA is the entryway to the whole park. This is an extremely special view to nearly all who enter the park. The view down Main Street toward the castle defines your first impressions of the park.

This is where maintenance needs to do an outstanding job with any refurb -- as they have done in the past with picture-tarps still defining the building within -- not just a super-large potato sack!

 

[Marshay]

What's sadder, the folks who now find this acceptable and defend the eyesores.

Spot on ... spot on! We're not talking Six Flags ... we're not talking about a new shop going in your local mall. This is Main Street USA, Disney World!

I guess we just have higher standards and expectations ... (kind of like Walt Disney had when he thought of DL, come to think of it!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

AND, I think some people think it's no big deal b/c NEXT TIME they can just see it...well, for some of us, there is no next time. Some people cannot afford to go to WDW yearly or every other year. There are MANY rehabs this January. Many. We were lucky enough to have our IL's take us in 2009, so we got to experience things that will be closed now, but this will likely be our first/last big trip just the 5 of us and I think it's ok to express a little disappointment in not only all the rehabs and night shows not running, but this huge thing on Mainstreet.

I'm a photographer and my main souvenir will be pictures of my family at WDW and sure, I was disappointed when I saw this. No, it won't keep me from going, but I think I have the right to express some discontent when we've shelled out thousands of dollars and tons of stuff is already closed in Jan.

 

[MrsWendy]

So should Disney never upgrade or maintain any of the buildings on Main Street because it will ruin people's vacations by partially blocking the view down the street?

I saw it in person and it is a big eyesore. But this is a good time for them to do it since there are fewer visitors. The fact is, we all want the buildings and rides to be maintained, we just want it done when someone else is on vacation.

 

[Colleen27]

Threads like this are interesting because people are complaining about something being done to upgrade and maintain the parks. In so many other threads it's all criticism about how Disney isn't maintaining the parks. Sheesh, which do folks want. I guess they could never do maintenance because scrims and walls ARE eyesores. But then things would really get rundown.

It isn't a black-and-white choice between extremes, though. I really don't see how anyone can argue that the tarp is really ugly and not up to the standards of past work on Main Street which has been more carefully camouflaged. Not to mention the fact that "deferred maintenance" is a big part of why Main Street got to the point of needing full, hidden-by-tarps makeovers of every single building. A little work frequently can often avoid the need for a ton of work all at once.

And some of it is just a question of timing. Dumbo is down, Thunder Mountain is down, the electrical parade is dark, Fantasmic is dark, Liberty Belle is closed, Kali is closed, and now we can add the Main Street view to the already very long (longer than I've ever seen at any one time and we always travel in the "off" seasons) list of attractions that will be unavailable to January travelers.

 

[Finally08]

Did anyone mention the OTHER main street monster?
It's not just the bakery that has that structure in front of it right now, also the hat shop area right in front got one as well a few days ago. Coming across on the ferry all you see are these soaring brown boxes...it was pretty awful.
The sidewalks were even extended out by several feet since the structures completely take up the existing walkways.

We watched parades a few times right in frontier land so we have that ugly wall and tarp in the photos....but it isn't quite the eyesore that main street is right now. I guess all that maintenance comes with low crowds and discounts...but we sure didn't have either of those on our trip.

 

[Marshay]

Did anyone mention the OTHER main street monster?
It's not just the bakery that has that structure in front of it right now, also the hat shop area right in front got one as well a few days ago. Coming across on the ferry all you see are these soaring brown boxes...it was pretty awful.
The sidewalks were even extended out by several feet since the structures completely take up the existing walkways.

We watched parades a few times right in frontier land so we have that ugly wall and tarp in the photos....but it isn't quite the eyesore that main street is right now. I guess all that maintenance comes with low crowds and discounts...but we sure didn't have either of those on our trip.

Oh, I haven't heard there were more of these, too! UGH!

Have any pics to share?

 

[danielephant]

yep sounds like we will be getting to see it too...and yes that is ugly. We were there last year (our first time!) and they had construction going on in tony's -which we found out later that it was mickeys new home getting a facelift-they told us they were expanding.

and then also a building had a tarp over it but the tarp was painted to look exactly like the building so i thought it was really cool (almost MAGICAL that they would cover it up so nicely)

 

[fairestoneofall]

Nope, not even in the same {theme} park!

Main Street USA is the entryway to the whole park. This is an extremely special view to nearly all who enter the park. The view down Main Street toward the castle defines your first impressions of the park.

This is where maintenance needs to do an outstanding job with any refurb -- as they have done in the past with picture-tarps still defining the building within -- not just a super-large potato sack!

exactly! i think, if they'd used the painted tarps like they have used SO many times in the past, people would not be upset. not only is the tarp ugly, it extends out over the sidewalk and mars the view up Main Street. i think that is the issue here, NOT that WDW is doing maintenance.

and while those big walls in the back are ugly, they aren't marring anyone's view of the castle. they aren't stuck in the middle of something and you have to walk around them. they are in the very back.

 

[goofyernmost]

Well, this old timer disagrees. If, maintenance was still done routinely and often, the park wouldn't be so run down. There was a time, guests would NEVER see backstage...or hideous tarps, strung throughout the Parks. What's sadder, the folks who now find this acceptable and defend the eyesores. I still remember, the day, Disney had crews out all night, replacing dead flowers, painting and repairing every chipped or worn rail, door, etc. They didn't wait, until drastic or major repairs were needed.(i.e. monorail)

OMG...Run down??? Have you ever even seen run down properties? There is nothing about WDW that is run down. Aging, yes! But why not take it a bit further and say that it is crumbling and about ready to collapse? If "routine maintenance were done often wouldn't that mean that you would be confronted with covers more then now? The covers are to prevent people from being exposed to the construction areas that usually contain dangerous elements. The more "frequent" the work the more disruption there is.

There was a time, guests would NEVER see backstage...or hideous tarps, strung throughout the Parks.

And would that time be when the park was brand new? When everything had just been built? When millions of people hadn't already touched, rammed strollers into it or when it had only been exposed to a few months of Florida heat and Florida storms. Would that be when the buses and monorails were brand new, without literally millions of miles on them? Would that have been when none of that stuff was necessary because it was all still new?

So we have a group of people that insist that the parks be open from dawn to the early hours of the next morning, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and still expect upkeep (from the run down conditions) to happen by magic when it won't offend the super sensitive eyes of the dedicated Disney fan. I dont know the reason for the "box" cover but I would guess that is will be very short lived. A long planned repair would come with the "special" covers. Since it appears to be covering about a 20 foot length of Main Street, I personally think I can get around it and if I don't look back it will not be a problem for more than 4 minutes. I'm sorry if that sounds like "defending" the imagined shoddy conditions that exist there, but I like to activate the logical part of my mind once in awhile.

 

[goofyredraider]

MMMMMMM Big brown tarp! How "magical" thou are!

Not being silly, but would it be less of an eyesore if they just let us see the refurb/reno? Probably a little less, er, big and distracting.

 

[lugnut33]

Sometimes there is maintenance that takes more than one night to accomplish. What bothers me about it is they just finished up an extensive refurb of Main Street just a while back, so why didn't they do these buildings at the same time? If you're going to refurb mainstreet, do it all at once. i think people would be OK with tarps on mainstreet if it was once every 10 years or so.

It is possible that those buildings are getting some sort of a "special" upgrade for a parade or show? That size of tarp indicates to me that something pretty extensive is going on.

 

[NLD]

Hmmmm. Anyone hear some buzz about when the "boxes" might be gone?

 

[NLD]

Not being silly, but would it be less of an eyesore if they just let us see the refurb/reno? Probably a little less, er, big and distracting.

You know what, that's actually a really good thought.

On real "main streets" in smalltown USA, it's not unusual to see a painter hanging from a building on the street.

I think I'd rather see some scaffolding and tools and carpenters and painters than the "Box of Brown."