REGRETTABLE: WDW MAPS
As an urban planner, I have always been fascinated by maps. You can tell so many stories with one. A good map can guide the guest through unfamiliar surroundings using representations of iconic landmarks. The best seem to also understand the guests point of view.
Recently, WDW updated their maps so that they look like the ones found on the internet. This means they have placed North at the top. Now in a typical map this is just fine. For the Magic Kingdom and Disney's Animal Kingdom, this is no big deal. That is how the park’s are organized. The story for the other parks is a different matter completely.
The Epcot map places the entrance and Spaceship Earth at the top. The map does not tell you where to go. It tells you where you have been. I watched as guests turned their maps upside down so it made sense. The Epcot map actually is somewhat close to scale when it comes to the attractions to the land mass. The result is a rather sparse map suggesting there is a lot of open space between the pavilions of the World Showcase. I don’t think this is what Disney intended.
For Disney's Hollywood Studios, a goofy place to begin with (no pun intended), the map makes no sense. If you ever felt the park's layout was just an afterthought, the map will only reinforce the feeling. In some ways, you can make out the giant hidden Mickey however in this version he is sporting a cone shaped nose much like Jack of Jack in the Box. This is a case of where the maps were not broken and did not need to be fixed.
Recently, WDW updated their maps so that they look like the ones found on the internet. This means they have placed North at the top. Now in a typical map this is just fine. For the Magic Kingdom and Disney's Animal Kingdom, this is no big deal. That is how the park’s are organized. The story for the other parks is a different matter completely.
The Epcot map places the entrance and Spaceship Earth at the top. The map does not tell you where to go. It tells you where you have been. I watched as guests turned their maps upside down so it made sense. The Epcot map actually is somewhat close to scale when it comes to the attractions to the land mass. The result is a rather sparse map suggesting there is a lot of open space between the pavilions of the World Showcase. I don’t think this is what Disney intended.
For Disney's Hollywood Studios, a goofy place to begin with (no pun intended), the map makes no sense. If you ever felt the park's layout was just an afterthought, the map will only reinforce the feeling. In some ways, you can make out the giant hidden Mickey however in this version he is sporting a cone shaped nose much like Jack of Jack in the Box. This is a case of where the maps were not broken and did not need to be fixed.
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