concrete jungle?

[julieannbabe]

excuse the title.

i was meant to say this when i got back.

i loved dlp - i just thought between the train station, disney village and the parks - did anyone else felt that it was a bit bland and just boring concrete walking between these places.

could they do this area up better?

also dodgy people selling those toy battery cats and eiffel tower models just outside the train stations as well as those people that do your portrait - you dare look at them or you are a goner! - should this be allowed?
i just think in the states - disney is sooo controlled they wouldn't let any non disney people be selling things.

opinions please.

 

[Bexx]

I agree - I don't like it all. And it's always a reminder of the real world, which you don't want when you're at Disney!!!

 

[stonfiesta]

yeah....kick em out!!!!!Damn chavs!

I just blank them anyways.

As for concrete jungle ......its only the train station that doesnt have a disney theme IMO.....so can expect it to be bland.

 

[Tinkerbellgal]

By the way don't go to Paris in the summer cause u get all these people trying to braid you'r fingers and stuff it freaked me out that we only spend about 3 minites there and left! Also we spend about 70 eurous on a portrait and we left it behind Talk about being stupid

 

[BONITATIME]

The difficulty seems to be that this area belongs to the station and they can't be moved on.

 

[wideeyes]

I agree it not the nicest area, we ignore the people as well.

 

[Ware Bears]

I agree, it definitely spoils the Disney atmosphere (always wanted to use this snooty smiley!)

 

[Poppy The Monkey]

This area is not owned by Disney, and so these sellers are permitted to a certain extent in this area.

The design and cleanliness of this area has nothing to do with disney, and Dlrp have to ask for written permission to even put up a banner or poster.

 

[Cyrano]

This area is not owned by Disney, and so these sellers are permitted to a certain extent in this area.

The design and cleanliness of this area has nothing to do with disney, and Dlrp have to ask for written permission to even put up a banner or poster.

Pity they did not think about the potential conflict in the original design. I'd definitely agree with others could be much improved.

 

[julieannbabe]

This area is not owned by Disney, and so these sellers are permitted to a certain extent in this area.

The design and cleanliness of this area has nothing to do with disney, and Dlrp have to ask for written permission to even put up a banner or poster.

i don't understand - i thought that disney owned this whole area?

they own the area where the explorers, dreamcastle, holiday inn, etc is on don't they? all that countryside don't they own?

so why don't they own the train station area?

i am confused now!

 

[MorganB]

The train station is owned by the SNCF. The fact that there is a TGV station there at all was part of the deal the french gov. made to attract Disney to that location. The station was designed along with the parks. I suspect that the design, although not done by disney, was influenced by them. Disney didnt pay a dime for the station however so it had to be done within government budget. I think also part of the problem in this area is the work being done on Studio and the fact that they have closed off many walk ways for security reasons.

 

[tinkerbell36]

I did wonder about this, it seems very 'unDisneyfied' at that spot which, althought first time travellers may not notice, after you have been several times you are very aware of it. Those sellers must make an absolute fortune!! I imagine WDW does not have anything like this whatsoever!! I remember we did buy a squidgey stress ball-y thing from them years ago in the summer to cut down on stress whilst queueing, and while waiting on Indiana Jones on the same day we bought it, it burst all over us, and it was basically just sand you get at the beach, pebbles included! Unreal eh.

 

[Bexx]

i don't understand - i thought that disney owned this whole area?

they own the area where the explorers, dreamcastle, holiday inn, etc is on don't they? all that countryside don't they own?

so why don't they own the train station area?

i am confused now!

Anyone know exactly what Disney do and don't own?

The train station is owned by the SNCF.

So do the SNCF own the area surrounding the station? I can understand that the station being right in the resort is a huge asset for Disney. But I'm sure they hate the fact that there is this whole area next to it, over which they have no control!!

 

[AnitaCB]

About three years ago there was a big effort by the train company and the French police to stop the traders. It worked for a short while but they soon came back. It drives me mad when they sell those damn laser pens, they are so dangerous! I don't think Disney can do alot about it because I'm fairly sure they don't own the land.

 

[gavvy]

There has to be a good reason why they have not been stopped by Disney, at the end of the day disney want every Euro to go to them and not to some person hussling their guests outside a staton. I agree that that area does look a bit unkept compared to disney standards, so they probably have no control over it, seems like a lack of planning.

 

[MorganB]

So do the SNCF own the area surrounding the station? I can understand that the station being right in the resort is a huge asset for Disney. But I'm sure they hate the fact that there is this whole area next to it, over which they have no control!!

Well if you look where the sellers sit, its right on a line where the pavement changes styles. I suspect that is the end of the rail property. The parking garage is probably also part of the station. Its really not a huge amount of space in the scheme of things but it is certainly in the big middle of things.

 

[Gumbo]

I read somewhere recently that the station is due for a big overhaul over the next couple of years.

 

[dlrpm]

This area is indeed pretty nasty compared to how wonderful the rest of the place is...

They have finally started working on it though - anyone who's been recently will have seen the big new path leading from the IMAX straight through to the Disneyland Park entrance. The sellers can't use this area, and I think DLRP are trying to gradually shift crowds over to this area. When they start to expand Disney Village (which is all on hold until they see whether the 2007 attractions work), then it'll become a more important part of the resort and a proper new hub. There's been rumours for a while that they want 1 single permanent security checkpoint, next to the current DV entrance, that will cover everyone from RER, TGV, Shuttle Buses and Taxis. Then, once you're through it, you'll be free to wander around the whole resort area. Just a rumour, and probably won't happen for years even if its true, but it's nice to know they understand the problem.

 

[Ware Bears]

but it's nice to know they understand the problem.

Yes, it is. It's so easy to criticise DLRP but we have to remember Rome wasn't built in a day. My late great-uncle worked for an American airline and was a frequent visitor to both DLC and WDW in their beginnings when they were both one-day-visit parks.

I can still remember (just ) being very young and hearing his tales, one he told again and again was when he left a bag full of money on a Disney bus and it was handed in ~ guess this is probably where my longing to visit Disney stems from.