Navigating DHS: Was I just tired?

[MinnieMSue]

OMG yes! We were so lost at HS our first trip. It is so confusing there! We pretty much have it down now but it really is oddly laid out. Also AK was a maze for us too! I heard we weren’t alone there because they had to put extra stuff pointing people to the exits.

 

[FastPasser.]

While I'm sharing, something my supervisor always used to say was "This park is the size of a shoebox." And it really is;

Yes it is. I'm usually able to pick what park I want to work at on any given day, yes, it's a sweet option, and if it's available, I'll usually pick DHS. It's much smaller and unlike the other three parks, there's no need to take a shuttle.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

It's a hot mess right now with construction. The amount of walking we did on Monday for such a small park was insane.

 

[goodeats]

I think some of the issue at DHS is that sections have been added on as it's grown over the years that don't make sense traffic flow wise. Like TOT ends in a dead-end versus linking to other sections of the park.

We recently visited Sea World in San Diego and I never got my bearings. It seems to have the same issue, but at least it's a general circle pattern. Their map seemed very not to be scaled correctly though which was another issue entirely!

 

[Nakkira]

Everyone,

Just back from several days at the parks. The trip was awesome and I have no complaints, other than one: I couldn't navigate DHS with the map for love or money. I'm not a great navigator, but in the other 3 parks I could pick out a shop or restaurant or attraction and get to it by identifying waypoints (okay, here's Flame Tree, now we will stay to right, et cetera). But it seemed like at DHS that things weren't where they were supposed to be, or shops/stores/rides on the map weren't as easily identified. I know *some* of this is changing the layout for Toy Story Land and other construction, and thanks to Disney for putting out a ton of folks to advise on where to go (I certainly used them again and again), but I just wanted to see if I was alone on this or have others just felt lost in DHS?

I don't know about anyone else, but when I went in Jan 2017 I could't find my way around to save my life. I was so frustrated and going around in circles. I too was tired but I think it was the construction causing the confusion.

 

[BarbieGal457]

OP I have been many times, and I still am completely lost and baffled in that park. Just about the only thing I can find is Tower of Terror! I seem to just wander around lost, constantly, even using a map (which I never ever have had to do, even in unfamiliar Disneyland after one day there). You are so not alone!! Between that and the fact I find the park generally boring/my least favorite, being so turned around ends up frustrating me and I leave sooner than I would in a different park.

 

[NH-to-FL]

I thought it was just me... I have always had trouble navigating DHS. I always put it down to the fact that it is my least favorite park and that I didn't put the effort into memorizing any landmarks. After many years I have gotten to where I can find get to my favorite attractions but can still easily get lost if I venture off those few paths.

 

[GillianP1301]

I find DHS a bit challenging in that there seems to be too many dead ends and the flow is not great. I can't visualize that park in my head like I can MK or EP and chalk that up to the fact that I spend far less time there than those parks. AK used to baffle me as well and for the same reason, less time there than the other parks, but that one was easier to figure out because to me it just flows more logically.

 

[ww52]

So I had to see a map after all this discussion and it seems they didn't anticipate expansion. The original configuration (before RnRC and ToT) seems logical enough and relatively circular in its flow.

Then Sunset Blvd was added that as said several times is a dead end.

I can't tell what TSL will do - will there only essentially be one way in and out? Same with the Star Wars addition?

MK and Epcot are perfect but they don't lend themselves to expansion either. For example - where in the world (pun intended) will a new (rumored) country go? Maybe wehre the cast parking (red lot) is now? I suspect it will have to be some path into another section that (maybe?) will lead to a "back door" to whatever countries are adjacent?

They have a LOT of land still, and yet the parks don't seem to be designed to effectively add things - it's like throwing on room additions to a house over and over.

 

[GillianP1301]

So I had to see a map after all this discussion and it seems they didn't anticipate expansion. The original configuration (before RnRC and ToT) seems logical enough and relatively circular in its flow.

Then Sunset Blvd was added that as said several times is a dead end.

I can't tell what TSL will do - will there only essentially be one way in and out? Same with the Star Wars addition?

MK and Epcot are perfect but they don't lend themselves to expansion either. For example - where in the world (pun intended) will a new (rumored) country go? Maybe wehre the cast parking (red lot) is now? I suspect it will have to be some path into another section that (maybe?) will lead to a "back door" to whatever countries are adjacent?

They have a LOT of land still, and yet the parks don't seem to be designed to effectively add things - it's like throwing on room additions to a house over and over.

WS was built with expansion in mind and there is room between each of the original countries to put another structure. That's why the Frozen M&G got added and the new Ratatouille ride fit in in the existing footprint.

 

[Alesia]

For example - where in the world (pun intended) will a new (rumored) country go? Maybe wehre the cast parking (red lot) is now? I suspect it will have to be some path into another section that (maybe?) will lead to a "back door" to whatever countries are adjacent?

Look more closely. There's actually room for (I think) 7 or 8 more countries in the world Showcase without any expansion at all.

There are parking lots and storage areas in those spaces now, but they can be easily moved

For more information: http://www.yesterland.com/worldshowcase.html

 

[ww52]

Great info (getting off topic here I guess) regarding where new countries can go. I had no idea - can't wait to go there in July and look again at the space that doesn't seem to be there! I guess they do a good job of filling that in with decorations or maybe facades from the adjacent countries to make it look like there is no more room.