5 Main Street Perspectives.

When you enter a Magic Kingdom, the most important factor is the Wow. This Wow hits you many times in a Disney park but its most famous encounter is when you start walking up Main Street and get hit by its magical perspective :

Main Street in its center, with its colofrul sidewalks and gay traffic, sided by two rows of early XXth century buildings. The two symetrical parts of this canvas, clearly seperated by the cable car tracks, are bound and topped by one construction not matching the Main Street theme at all, a renaissance castle. Watch this view, spot this kid buying a baloon away from its overing flock, or this smiling driver honking is co-Cast Member with a melody. Hear the mighty voice calling for the Santa Fe which is already whistling in the distance : in my sense you are being hit by a Magic Kingdom’s perspective Wow ! 

Here are the 5 Kingdoms’s 5 Perspective Wows :

In Disneyland, the Castle, to Walt’s own deception has always been regarded as too small. And even though in the early days it was quiet visible at the end of Main Street, now the trees are all grown up and fluffy and for most of them as high as the Centerpiece of the park. So looking down Main Street U.S.A. you hardly see Sleeping Beauty’s Castle behind the full grown plantation of the hub. This seriously diminishes the effect of the Wow. This and the grey cemented pavement makes it not the greatest Perspective Wow.

The best Perspective Wow is Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. There, even though every Main Streets are the same lengh, and so are the distances between the gate and the castle, the perspective look at its best.
First because the constructions of its Main Street are slightly higher than in Disneyland to match the height of the castle. It makes the building confortably topping every trees, even full grown. And because the castle is so high and thick it really fills the gap between the two last Main Street buildings and perfectly bound the two sides of the perspective.

In Disneyland Paris the castle is as many agree certainly the most magical Disney Castle. But it’s not as wide as Florida’s Cinderella’s and not as tall either which makes the perspective Wow a little bit less powerful. Nonetheless, it’s still one of the greatest perspective Wow because of the red tiles paving the ground and the height of the buildings which is equivalent to Walt Disney World’s Main Street.
Yet for 2 years now, management has been decking this wonderful view with some bad taste decorations to celebrate the marketing campaign of the moment (presently the two years 15th anniversary ceremonies) which really ruins the perspective. Maybe next year, should we re-discover Disneyland Paris’ original Main Street perspective. (crossing fingers)

In Tokyo Disneyland, as many have guessed, the perspective wow can be very disapointing. When they build this park back in the 70′s, they had to consider the high precipitation of the Tokyo area. They therefor decided to cover Main Street by putting a giant marquee above it like in XIXth century train stations. Beside in a purpose of giving the park some larger spaces, Imagineers created vast landscaping and set the castle 630 feet away from the end of Main Street instead of the regular 500 feet. The result is quiet unique, and not ugly at all. It’s part of the charm of the oriental Magic Kingdom. But it really kills the Perspective Wow right when you enter. I repeat, it’s not ugly, but it’s certainly not magical either. I agree pictures don’t do it justice but the castle is very tiny below the canopy and its top is cut off during most of your walking up. Bad perspective, bad !

Hong Kong Disneyland… Although it is a faithful replica of Disneyland’s Main Street it’s a bit different, and some ways better.
First the trees are still young and not covering every buildings. The trees circling the Hub in Disneyland have not been planted in Honk Kong, therefore the castle view is not blocked in any way. Second the pavement is not plain grey cement but garden tiles. And last but not least, the mountains surrounding Hong Kong are delicately dressing the back of the perspective which adds up one more thing to the beautiful combination of early century street and renaissance castle : timeless mountains.

A high castle, trees well tamed, colorful pavement are the elements which differentiate Pespective Wows around the world. But for the sounds, the cheer, the animation moving up and down this beautiful manshaped living painting, every single Magic Kindom has it ! That’s why no matter which Magic Kindom you’re stepping into, you are always gonna get hit by the Perspective Wow.