What is Castle Hub construction for?

[acts]

So what actually are they doing with all the construction around the Castle? What are they creating? I heard it's to help with the exit after the fireworks? Perhaps more viewing areas for fireworks? And when is it supposed to be completed? It's been going on since my trip in August 2014. Thanks for any info!

[Strmchsr]

It's just creating more wide-open spaces for traffic flow and viewing. As for when it's finished - supposedly by this summer.

[Disneylovescompany]

If you go during an extremely busy period or special event, it becomes very apparant why they needed to do this. Flow of guests and available locations to watch fireworks become an issue at those times.

[DizneyFreak2002]

One section has opened... Pictures are available online... Looks really well done...

[goofy for pluto]

One section has opened... Pictures are available online... Looks really well done...

Agreed! I saw those photos and thought it looked really pretty. Looking forward to when it is all finished. :balloon:

[PlutoToo]

It looks ok. My regret is that Disney is conitually removing sitting space every time they renovate. As someone who needs to rest frequently I find it troubling that walls, benches, etc. keep disappearing.

[DizneyFreak2002]

It looks ok. My regret is that Disney is conitually removing sitting space every time they renovate. As someone who needs to rest frequently I find it troubling that walls, benches, etc. keep disappearing.
The new walls in the new hub area are actually benches, much like the design in the walls of the new Fantasyland area...

[goofy for pluto]

I saw those benches, I also saw people in the photos sitting and leaning on the metal railings in the area fenced off for the flowers. :mickey:

[Katzateer]

I looked for updated pictures. I think it looks very nice but where are there benches? I hate that the seating looks like it is all gone.

I have heard that you don't have to line up hours before to get a good view of fireworks at Disneyland. Would this be true at WDW now with larger areas to stand in? That old be nice to be able to walk up a few minutes before 10 and see Wishes.

[Melanie]

Courtesy of INTERCOT sponsor The Official Ticket Center (http://www.officialticketcenter.com/default.aspx?affid=TC21LBC), here are some updated pics.

[Melanie]

More:

[Melanie]

And lastly:

[PlutoToo]

Hurray! It looks like they're putting back the small bronze statues. I missed them on our last visit.

[John]

Guessing astroturf ;)

[11290]

Guessing astroturf ;)

Funny you say that, my daughter was in MK this morning and sent me some pics of it. Looked to me like "sod lines" (real grass) in some of the pics but she messaged back that it looks and feels like plastic turf to her.

Lets hope, if it isn't (plastic turf), it will look really bad after a couple of nights.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Look at the second picture Mel posted... Doesn't it say GARDN PLAZA EAST but WEST FIREWORKS VIEWING?

does that make sense to anyway? If I'm standing in the east plaza, how is it the west viewing section?

[Maddie]

Thank goodness for this, hopefully less people clogging up Main street! Last vacation they had to lead us down a road around the back of the shops behind a fence to get the exit main street was too clogged to walk down!

[Melanie]

Thank goodness for this, hopefully less people clogging up Main street! Last vacation they had to lead us down a road around the back of the shops behind a fence to get the exit main street was too clogged to walk down!

Actually, they had announced that they were going to spruce that area up and officially open it as a walkway for exiting, but I didn't see that any sprucing up had occurred when we were there in January. :confused:

[PopPhan]

Look at the second picture Mel posted... Doesn't it say GARDN PLAZA EAST but WEST FIREWORKS VIEWING?

does that make sense to anyway? If I'm standing in the east plaza, how is it the west viewing section?

Hahahaaa! Good catch. I had to take another look at the photos to see that. Can you say "OOPS!"

If you look at where this area is, in front of Crystal Palace and Casey's Corner, it would be the WEST Plaza anyway, wouldn't it?

[DonaldDuck1117]

The picture with the "west" firework viewing area is indeed the west viewing area (left of the castle if you are looking at it from the hub). What you are seeing in that photo is the West sign and then seeing clear across the hub and seeing Tomorrowland in the distance.

[DizneyFreak2002]

The picture with the "west" firework viewing area is indeed the west viewing area (left of the castle if you are looking at it from the hub). What you are seeing in that photo is the West sign and then seeing clear across the hub and seeing Tomorrowland in the distance.

If you look closely, the sign says Garden Plaza East, the West Firework Viewing.. If this is on the west side of the plaza, then the sign should read Garden Plaza West, West Fireworks Viewing...

[PopPhan]

The picture with the "west" firework viewing area is indeed the west viewing area (left of the castle if you are looking at it from the hub). What you are seeing in that photo is the West sign and then seeing clear across the hub and seeing Tomorrowland in the distance.

Look right under the light on the green frame...It says "Plaza Garden East" in white lettering. That should be "Plaza Garden West." The fireworks viewing area sign is correct.

[Fangorn]

Look right under the light on the green frame...It says "Plaza Garden East" in white lettering. That should be "Plaza Garden West." The fireworks viewing area sign is correct.

Unless, of course, there are actually two fireworks viewing areas on the East side of the Plaza Garden. In that case, there could be a "East Fireworks Viewing Area" and a "West Fireworks viewing area" - both in "Plaza Garden East".

Or, this area is only for viewing the "West Fireworks" and you're not allowed to view the main fireworks show which would be to the North.

:thumbsup:

Steve

[PopPhan]

Unless, of course, there are actually two fireworks viewing areas on the East side of the Plaza Garden. In that case, there could be a "East Fireworks Viewing Area" and a "West Fireworks viewing area" - both in "Plaza Garden East".

Or, this area is only for viewing the "West Fireworks" and you're not allowed to view the main fireworks show which would be to the North.

:thumbsup:

Steve

Yeah, I forgot, this is Florida where you can have a North West Street Avenue East.... :D

[DonaldDuck1117]

Oh my gosh I totally missed the words on the actual lamp post! I was looking at the giant sign haha. Yeah weird. Did someone mismatch the signs with the wrong post?

[DizneyFreak2002]

The pictures Mel posted were in fact, as has been noted here earlier, from Garden Plaza West, as that section opened first... Garden Plaza East opened today...

That sign is still mind boggling cause Garden Plaza East, as the sign says, was not open yet, and obviously, that is not Garden Plaza East...

But, maybe in person things make ore sense? Or only in Disney's world can West mean East... Or is that a Florida thing? LOL...

[AgentC]

But, maybe in person things make ore sense? Or only in Disney's world can West mean East... Or is that a Florida thing? LOL...

I think having both an East and West coast makes any type of direction weird in Florida. The part of FL I live in is called West Central Florida. In most other places it would be pretty hard to be West and Central at the same time. :)

[DizneyFreak2002]

I think having both an East and West coast makes any type of direction weird in Florida. The part of FL I live in is called West Central Florida. In most other places it would be pretty hard to be West and Central at the same time. :)
Then it is a Florida thing... I knew too much sun was not a good thing lol...

[Melanie]

I think having both an East and West coast makes any type of direction weird in Florida. The part of FL I live in is called West Central Florida. In most other places it would be pretty hard to be West and Central at the same time. :)

I get it. :blush:

[Patricia]

I like that they didn't leave it all concrete, although the internet is buzzing about how gross the astroturf is - looks like a tent city, people will picnic, spill, leave garbage, blah, blah, blah. They do all those things on concrete, what is the difference? Disney will clean it, I'm pretty sure they have that on their list of things to do. I swear some people will complain about anything. I think it's pretty, like a park should be. More concrete would have been boring and hot.

Looks like the Plaza Garden West sign is correct. :thumbsup: