Hello Mice Chat!
I've been prominent by my absence of late. Stupidly busy with life getting in the way of some quality Mice Chatting! Damn life, when will it learn?
Anyway, something that's been crossing my mind of late is the role of Main Street in the resort.
Main Street has always been a gateway to the Park, and started out as a disconnect from the reality outside the Park, but only a gradual one, a step away from reality before the larger steps toward Frontiers, Adventures, Fantasy and Tomorrow.
It has also had a focus on commerce. With a greater concentration of shops, and restaurants than the other lands.
Mandatory trip down memory lane
Back in the early days of DL, Main Street was an attraction within itself. With a combination of 'Micktorian' themeing, CMs in period costume, touches like gas lighting with CM lamp lighters, a functional Penny Arcade and so on. Combined with services and shops, some operated by third parties, this made the area like a little village. At night a guest could even slip around the corner to the Tahitian Terrace. Check out Walt's Disneyland after dark!
You all know what it is these days.
Now I'm not suggesting a return to Main Street of old (at least not in this thread). I'm just outlining the place that Main Street had in the Park back then.
Downtown Disney and Main Street
Ignoring which side of the turnstiles it's on, Downtown Disney appears to have replaced Main Street's function. On a commercial level at least, fantastic themeing isn't something that Downtown Disney's ever been accused of.
So where does that leave Main Street? Does it have a function other than to hawk Disney Resort merchandise and to give the early entry guests somewhere to stand behind the rope?
I've been prominent by my absence of late. Stupidly busy with life getting in the way of some quality Mice Chatting! Damn life, when will it learn?
Anyway, something that's been crossing my mind of late is the role of Main Street in the resort.
Main Street has always been a gateway to the Park, and started out as a disconnect from the reality outside the Park, but only a gradual one, a step away from reality before the larger steps toward Frontiers, Adventures, Fantasy and Tomorrow.
It has also had a focus on commerce. With a greater concentration of shops, and restaurants than the other lands.
Mandatory trip down memory lane
Back in the early days of DL, Main Street was an attraction within itself. With a combination of 'Micktorian' themeing, CMs in period costume, touches like gas lighting with CM lamp lighters, a functional Penny Arcade and so on. Combined with services and shops, some operated by third parties, this made the area like a little village. At night a guest could even slip around the corner to the Tahitian Terrace. Check out Walt's Disneyland after dark!
You all know what it is these days.
Now I'm not suggesting a return to Main Street of old (at least not in this thread). I'm just outlining the place that Main Street had in the Park back then.
Downtown Disney and Main Street
Ignoring which side of the turnstiles it's on, Downtown Disney appears to have replaced Main Street's function. On a commercial level at least, fantastic themeing isn't something that Downtown Disney's ever been accused of.
So where does that leave Main Street? Does it have a function other than to hawk Disney Resort merchandise and to give the early entry guests somewhere to stand behind the rope?
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