Why is the parking lot so far away from MK?

[momtosam]

On our recent trip we found it easier to use a car rather than Disney transportation with our young son EXCEPT for days at MK where you have to transfer to the TTC. Why is it set up that way? What a hassle.

 

[Robo]

On our recent trip we found it easier to use a car rather than Disney transportation with our young son EXCEPT for days at MK where you have to transfer to the TTC. Why is it set up that way? What a hassle.

When WDW was first designed (and there was ONLY the MK... Walt and company wanted to separate the "real world" from the Magic Kingdom.

The thrill of riding from the parking thru the Contemporary and then to MK was pretty amazing back in the early days.

 

[AJKMOM]

When WDW was first designed (and there was ONLY the MK... Walt and company wanted to separate the "real world" from the Magic Kingdom.

The thrill of riding from the parking thru the Contemporary and then to MK was pretty amazing back in the early days.

for some of us, even after 16 trips, it still is amazing. On a few trips, our son with autism never wanted to get off the monorail.

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

To elaborate a little more on what Robo said... At Disneyland in California the parking lot is right there as is the main road, the restaurants, etc etc. Walt found that people would be on rides and see the outside world, the congestion on the freeway, the traffic starting to build and they would leave to try and get a head start. When they designed MK for Florida they did not want the same thing, they bought a lot more land, to remove you from reality. They built a man made lake and seperated the parking lot from the main entrance to give you the ability to leave your cares behind and enter the fantasy world that they were creating for you. As the sign says when you enter onto Main Street " Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy"

 

[Magickndm]

for some of us, even after 16 trips, it still is amazing. On a few trips, our son with autism never wanted to get off the monorail.

Even after hundreds and hundreds of trips too! It's all a part of the experience to me.

 

[MichiganMomto4]

Slightly off topic but I was at WDW 4 times before I ever stayed onsite. That first time taking a bus and the bus actually drove directly to the MK on "secret roads" blew me away It was probably the highlight of my trip. I know, I'm easily impressed :lol: Then, talking to a friend who had never stayed offsite or had a car while at WDW said she had never had a ride on the parking lot trams. That was amazing to me, too. Trams had been a big part of all my WDW experiences.

 

[dburg30]

They built a man made lake and seperated the parking lot from the main entrance to give you the ability to leave your cares behind and enter the fantasy world that they were creating for you. As the sign says when you enter onto Main Street " Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy"

/sigh... I cant hardly stand the wait and I have a LONG time yet

 

[orchjoe]

On back of one of the photo’s from the original press release

http://stetson.edu/library/SpecialCollections/presskit.html

“This model shows details of the Destination Vacation Resort, which will comprise Walt Disney World – specifically, those facilities to be constructed on a site sixteen miles southwest of Orlando, Florida…. Focal point for the entire “Vacation Kingdom” will be a new lagoon (center), three-quarters of a square mile in size, around which will be constructed a new amusement theme park…”

The front of the image can be found here
http://stetson.edu/library/SpecialCollections/images/img003.jpg

Back
http://stetson.edu/library/SpecialCollections/images/img004.jpg

 

[Mickey28]

On our recent trip we found it easier to use a car rather than Disney transportation with our young son EXCEPT for days at MK where you have to transfer to the TTC. Why is it set up that way? What a hassle.

I'm glad it is the way it is. I couldn't imagine walking out of the MK and seeing a parking lot full of cars.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . .Walt and company wanted to separate the "real world" from the Magic Kingdom . . .

Even after many years, I feel the separation and escape from the Real World.

 

[MichiganMomto4]

That first link has a link to a press release and it says (unfortunately, I couldn't copy and paste) that the original plan was for "5 related resorts".... themed along Contemporary (check); Polynesian (check) Asian, Venetian and Persian.

I wonder what happened to the last 3 ideas?