It was supposed to be one of the more authentic touches found in the Liberty Square section of WDW‘s Magic Kingdom. A recreation of Concord Bridge …
Copyright 1969 Walt Disney Productions. All Rights Reserved
… AKA the Old North Bridge. Where — on the morning of April 19, 1775 — 300 to 400 colonials faced down 700 British troops. And according to Ralph Waldo Emerson‘s “Concord Hymn”:
By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled;
Here once the embattled farmers stood;
And fired the shot heard round the world.
Copyright 1999 Minute Man National Historic Park. All Rights Reserved
Unfortunately, within just a few years of Disney World’s grand opening, the Magic Kingdom’s version of Concord Bridge had to be retooled. Mostly because the floats that had been built for “America on Parade” just couldn’t handle the curved shape of this Liberty Square structure.
Copyright 1975 Walt Disney Productions. Alll Rights Reserved
So here we are — some 33 years later — and once again the bridge leading into Liberty Square is causing concerns for the folks who run parades through the Magic Kingdom.
Photo by Max Schilling
So what’s the problem? To be honest, this bridge is really showing its age. And during a recent safety inspection, Reedy Creek officials weren’t happy with what they saw.
Photo by Max Schilling
Which is why they quickly threw some jacks & braces under this structure to stabilize it …
Photo by Max Schilling
… And during third shift, Disney has been setting up worklights and sending workmen under the Liberty Square bridge in an effort to make repairs. (In the photo below, you can actually see the temporary walkway that’s been set up for the construction crew. Which allows them to safely reach the worksite without first tumbling into the moat).
Photo by Max Schilling
But then each morning — after the crew has completed their work — the safety inspector returns and checks that night’s repairs. As he then attempts to determine if the bridge is indeed strong & stable enough to handle that day’s load of traffic.
Photo by Max Schilling
“And what if it’s not strong enough?,” you ask. Well, according to the emergency plan that Magic Kingdom management just put in place, long before that theme park would actually open for the day, the Liberty Square bridge would be completely blocked off. Barricades that would prevent any guest from gaining access to this unstable structure would quickly be thrown in place. And WDW visitors who wished to enter Liberty Square would then be directed into that part of the park via Adventureland or Fantasyland.
“But if the Liberty Square bridge gets shut down, what happens with SpectroMagic & the Disney Dreams Come True parades?,” Well, that’s when things get really interesting.
Given that both of these parades make use of the Liberty Square bridge as they travel from Frontierland to Main Street U.S.A. … If that structure ever has to be shut down for safety concerns and/or so Mickey can make repairs, that means that Spectro & Dreams Come True will have to be rerouted. At least temporarily.
Which is why last week, Magic Kingdom officials ran a test. At 3 o’clock in the morning, they took three of the largest parade units (Among them was the Pirate ship from Mickey’s Pirates & Princesses Party) and drove them up Main Street. Only instead of driving around the Hub and then heading over the Liberty Square bridge … Halfway ’round the Hub, these units headed over the bridge between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland and then exited behind Mickey’s Toontown Fair.
Obviously, there were concerns about clearance. Particularly around the Mad Tea Party. But that’s why Magic Kingdom management had some guys from WDW’s horticultural department on hand for this after-hours test. Just in case some tree branches needed to be trimmed back before those parade units could then pass on through.
But those three floats actually did make it from Main Street U.S.A. to Mickey’s Toontown Fair without a single ding or scratch. So now WDW officials know that — if they really have to — they can safely run a parade along this temporary route.
Mind you, Disney will only do this (i.e. The rerouting of SpectroMagic and Disney Dreams Come True) if they absolutely have to. And even then — given that they’ll need a place to store those floats once the parades are over … Well, as I understand it, Magic Kingdom officials won’t even consider doing this ’til sometime after next week. Which is when Reedy Creek Emergency Services will be shutting down WDW’s 1st fire station (Which is located out behind that theme park along World Drive) …
Photo by Jeff Lange
… and then shifting all of its equipment over to the resort’s newest fire station (Which is also located on World Drive. Only this structure has built out behind Frontierland near the Grand Floridian Resort Hotel & Spa) …
Photo by Jeff Lange
Once all of Reedy Creek’s equipment has been cleared out of that old fire station, the folks who run the parades at the Magic Kingdom could (in theory, anyway) use this now-empty structure as a temporary base of operations. With that building’s massive garage providing protective cover for at least some of the smaller floats.
But we’re talking contingency plans here, people. Stuff that the Magic Kingdom will do only if it’s forced to. For now, WDW executives are just hoping that all of the repairs that need to be done to the Liberty Square bridge can be done on third shift.
And if not … Well, I guess Disney will cross that bridge when it comes to it.
(Sorry. Couldn’t resist.)
Your thoughts?