Ugly Hub

[DisneyPhotographics]

What does everyone thing of the Magic Kingdom hub construction?

I think ongoing improvement is necessary. Progress is important.

But I also think Walt would be disappointed by all the construction vehicles and mess everywhere. It kills the "show." Walt was a stickler for people being caught up in the fantasy, as if they were in the movie.

We are going to be in MK in a little over a week and honestly I don't want to see earth movers, piles of dirt and old concrete, small fires from generators, black dams around the waterways next to the castle.

Am I the only one bothered by this?

Maybe it isn't logistically possible to work on this mostly at night and tidy up in the morning. It would be cool if they could do something with the barricades to make them higher or even interactive or somehow enhance the experience during the construction.

 

[disnut8]

What does everyone thing of the Magic Kingdom hub construction?

I think ongoing improvement is necessary. Progress is important.

But I also think Walt would be disappointed by all the construction vehicles and mess everywhere. It kills the "show." Walt was a stickler for people being caught up in the fantasy, as if they were in the movie.

We are going to be in MK in a little over a week and honestly I don't want to see earth movers, piles of dirt and old concrete, small fires from generators, black dams around the waterways next to the castle.

Am I the only one bothered by this?

Maybe it isn't logistically possible to work on this mostly at night and tidy up in the morning. It would be cool if they could do something with the barricades to make them higher or even interactive or somehow enhance the experience during the construction.

Then people would be upset there were high barriers that ruined their view. As for doing the work over night, how would you feel if you were a worker and were told you had to do your work at night?

I guess you can't please everyone when trying to improve something.

 

[ArwenMarie]

It's just an ugly mess and nothing can be done about it, short of not doing the project, which is obviously not going to happen now. On the other hand, I think that people who are going soon and have to look at it are entitled to feel upset about it. It's definitely not magical.

 

[Alesia]

Well, I suppose they could spend 4 hours working and 3 hours undoing that work every single night, which would waste massive amounts of money and make the project take (literally) decades. The only other real option would be to close the entire park for month or so. Do you really think that either of those options would be preferable?

 

[Mr. Pig]

We were just there and while a little distracting I wasn't all that bothered by the construction. They could always do what Walt did at Disneyland and have the park close one day a week.

 

[PPFDDisneyLover]

What is the time frame for the construction in the Hub to be completed?

 

[Mitzicat]

As for doing the work over night, how would you feel if you were a worker and were told you had to do your work at night?

Not trying to flame or be snippy...but there are tons of folks who work over night. It's amazing the world that goes on while many folks are fast asleep.

I have a second job, where I am required to watch construction workers of all trades in secure government buildings....these guys are used to over night work. Some of my schedules are 6 pm to 4 am. I have asked them if the government was the only company that required them to work over night and they said no. They have lots of companies who require them to do the work while folks are not in the building or on site. Think about road work...around here they do a lot at night.

Oh and the guys have also said that some of the over night jobs pay more than regular day shift. One guy said...heck with the weather this past winter, I am happy to have a job - I don't care what time it is.

So if Disney can come into the park at night and take it from Halloween/Fall Harvest to Holiday why can't construction workers do the same. Disney would just build that into the contract.

Now it might be difficult to move large equipment in and out every night, but they could camouflage it.

 

[ArwenMarie]

What is the time frame for the construction in the Hub to be completed?

The target is the end of 2015.

 

[tjmj9801]

It's always something. We just learn to deal with it. The crane was there for, what, 2 years? There usually a tarp somewhere on Main Street. There were people painting the castle on large boom lifts at 8:00am during our past trip, when I specifically booked an am ADR so we could get an "empty Main Street" family picture. Stuff happens.

 

[larryz]

As for doing the work over night, how would you feel if you were a worker and were told you had to do your work at night?

I'd say, "Thanks for paying me my night differential!"

 

[sonofanarchy]

I've just learned to deal with it. The Magic Kingdom always has work being done on it. I wouldn't mind so much, but they clearly are trying to get the work done by spending as little money as possible. I'm sure they could have people working overnight and get the project done in half the time. But that would cost more money and we all know how Disney feels about spending money.

 

[flateacher]

and frankly it is starting to resemble the interstate... constantly "under construction!"

 

[Spork24]

Then people would be upset there were high barriers that ruined their view. As for doing the work over night, how would you feel if you were a worker and were told you had to do your work at night? I guess you can't please everyone when trying to improve something.

As a project manager for a retrofit construction company that does a lot of jobs that have to be entirely after normal business hours. I would say that's all part of the job. Glad to have a job. Not sure what your point is. Plenty of Americans work night shift. (Including disney employees)

 

[thedonduck]

I've just learned to deal with it. The Magic Kingdom always has work being done on it. I wouldn't mind so much, but they clearly are trying to get the work done by spending as little money as possible. I'm sure they could have people working overnight and get the project done in half the time. But that would cost more money and we all know how Disney feels about spending money.

And you know Disney isn't working overnight how?

 

[maxiesmom]

And you know Disney isn't working overnight how?

Really. None of us know, but many are quick to assume.

And as Alesia pointed out, if they worked only at night about half of their time would be wasted setting everything up and the cleaning up again before park open. And it still wouldn't look very pretty.

 

[DisneyPhotographics]

Wow, sorry if I got this thread off to a negative vibe!

Hopefully you read that I realize progress is necessary. Obviously we will have to deal with it.

I'm not suggesting they clean everything up and make it 100% perfect, I was trying to think outside of the box and trying to think what Walt would think.

Could construction vehicles when not in use be parked in a temporary structure that blends in?

Can something imaginative be printed on the barriers?

Just saying since it is a 2015 completion date and it does look unsightly maybe something could be done to turn the minus into more of a plus.

 

[DisneyPhotographics]

Also remembered about Walt that when Disneyland opened and they didn't have all the plants they wanted/needed he had his people go around and label the indigenous plants and weeds with cools sounding names. Genius!

Walt also didn't like people seeing congested roads from elevations in Disneyland and leaving early worried about the traffic. Obviously he didn't want to lose his customers early, but he also knew the site of the traffic killed the show. IT was one of the reasons when they took on his Florida Project they wanted so much land so people would be immersed in the show.

Disney is the #1 place to go to be immersed in the show.

 

[Polydweller]

Really don't understand why people try to figure out what Walt would think? He was a hard nosed businessman who adapted to the business environment. In the 38 years since he died his thinking, like anybody else's would have changed and adapted with the times. There's no choice but to do that. Do no one can ever know or accurately predict what he'd think now.

But if you need to try to figure out Walt's thinking, here's a couple of things to consider. During his time there were major construction projects at Disneyland. Among them were the Matterhorn (1959) and the IASW (1966). He obviously would do the construction in the park if he had to. Those two were big projects and those of us who were there at the time can tell you that we definitely saw the construction, it was ugly and it did occur during the day. The biggest difference no internet for everyone to post continuously about the ugly construction and thus no online sites for pictures. If you weren't there you didn't see it

 

[Spork24]

Really don't understand why people try to figure out what Walt would think? He was a hard nosed businessman who adapted to the business environment. In the 38 years since he died his thinking, like anybody else's would have changed and adapted with the times. There's no choice but to do that. Do no one can ever know or accurately predict what he'd think now. But if you need to try to figure out Walt's thinking, here's a couple of things to consider. During his time there were major construction projects at Disneyland. Among them were the Matterhorn (1959) and the IASW (1966). He obviously would do the construction in the park if he had to. Those two were big projects and those of us who were there at the time can tell you that we definitely saw the construction, it was ugly and it did occur during the day. The biggest difference no internet for everyone to post continuously about the ugly construction and thus no online sites for pictures. If you weren't there you didn't see it

Not trying to be a "know it all" but walt died on 1966 (48 Yeats ago). That doesn't change your point though.

 

[JanaDee]

And you know Disney isn't working overnight how?

Can you see into the Hub from the higher floors of BLT?