Celestial Park - General Discussion Thread

[Disneyhead]

Having been to the park, Celestial feels like a large concrete expanse that serves as nothing more than a space you walk between lands. I hope they can make it feel more alive in the future. It’s just such a large area.

By the number of people hanging out around CelesTiki and Bar Zenith all afternoon yesterday, I think subconsciously, average Joe figured out what CP is all about.

 

[Nick]

By the number of people hanging out around CelesTiki and Bar Zenith all afternoon yesterday, I think subconsciously, average Joe figured out what CP is all about.

oh for sure Celestial is kind of a hang out between portals. I just think there needs to be a tad more life to the area.

 

[rhino4evr]

I always pictured celestial park is the hang out after you r done the lands and you just want to enjoy a drink, get dinner, and watch the fountains , etc. I would think it will get much more popular at sundown / dusk . Which is when you would want live music / performers / etc.

This is also why I thought keeping it open later than the portals would help funnel traffic in that direction as well as boost food and beverage sales into the night. Not unlike city place

 

[darkridelover]

To me it feels like there's nothing to do there but walk between lands or get a drink at the bar. Yesterday me and my group just wanted a quick snack while walking between lands and there was nothing in Celestial Park to grab and go except a cup of ice cream and we weren't interested in going in restaurants. There's also no entertainment and no shady seating areas except the few tables by Starbucks. I hope they find a way to fill the space better and make it feel alive.

 

[rhino4evr]

Lack of seating and shade is definitely an issue. Maybe they could add some spaced aged food trucks to create more grab and go food options ?

 

[Parkscope Joe]

To me it feels like there's nothing to do there but walk between lands or get a drink at the bar. Yesterday me and my group just wanted a quick snack while walking between lands and there was nothing in Celestial Park to grab and go except a cup of ice cream and we weren't interested in going in restaurants. There's also no entertainment and no shady seating areas except the few tables by Starbucks. I hope they find a way to fill the space better and make it feel alive.

It is missing some of the smaller snack and shopping stalls in the other parks.

 

[Jake S]

It is missing some of the smaller snack and shopping stalls in the other parks.

This wouldn’t be a permanent fix, but I wonder if they plan to make this the food festival park in the future? Or at least, a place that holds temporary food stands?

 

[Casper Gutman]

It sounds like CP is very much a remnant of an earlier plan in which it was going to serve as a second CityWalk, open to all guests, and was never really properly redesigned when that planned function was cancelled.

It seems Celestial may require some fairly fast and significant changes including more entertainment, shade structures, restaurants, and stores. It may also help to use theming and physical structures to divide the space into more clearly delineated regions that break up the sense of one vast zone. It also seems CP has shot to the top of the list of areas that need expansion attractions.

 

[Rhian]

This wouldn’t be a permanent fix, but I wonder if they plan to make this the food festival park in the future? Or at least, a place that holds temporary food stands?

A special food and drink fest from different locations around space like Mardi Gras does countries would be pretty cool! I'd definitely love to see a Celestial Park spin on the concept.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

The only complaint I’ve heard consistently is the shade. That will get better in a year or two. Everyone agrees it is set up for a major food festival so I imagine the smaller options/booths will be available then.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

This wouldn’t be a permanent fix, but I wonder if they plan to make this the food festival park in the future? Or at least, a place that holds temporary food stands?

I'd just add the smaller stands but I haven't been yet. I imagine Universal is taking as much data as they can now to improve the park before it opens.

 

[Casper Gutman]

The slight but not insurmountable problem with a food festival is that Studios, much like EPCOT, has taken “seasonal festival park” as a big part of its identity. If you’re relying on festivals to bolster two of your three parks, it may reflect a need for more fundamental changes.

 

[Jake S]

The slight but not insurmountable problem with a food festival is that Studios, much like EPCOT, has taken “seasonal festival park” as a big part of its identity. If you’re relying on festivals to bolster two of your three parks, it may reflect a need for more fundamental changes.

Yeah, I have a hard time believing they’d do a festival like that at two parks and a harder time still believing they would change a fundamental part of Mardi Gras appeal…so, Joe is probably right. We’ll see new food and drink stands pop up in the next couple years.

 

[Alicia]

It is missing some of the smaller snack and shopping stalls in the other parks.

There are several kiosks not open yet, like Bao place and hot dog place. Plus 4 retails kiosks not yet open, one near each portal.

Meteor Astropub has a food pick up window with Mobile Order if anyone is wondering what to grab and go in the near future though, as I believe that may be open?

 

[Rhian]

I'd just add the smaller stands but I haven't been yet. I imagine Universal is taking as much data as they can now to improve the park before it opens.

The message was clear.

 

[belloq87]

no shady seating areas except the few tables by Starbucks.

This needs to change before opening.

 

[Casper Gutman]

A relatively quick fix might be to scatter some statues, gazebos, and other decorative structures through Celestial to emphasize the “garden” element. A more profound change would be to follow the suggestion of a poster above and reconfigure the space with winding pathways, grottos, and flowerbeds to try and emulate a botanical garden. Honestly, Cyprus Gardens or the entry area of Animal Kingdom should have been models.

 

[Clive]

I really think we should give them a chance to complete final installations and make adjustments ahead of the actual grand opening before we declare what the problems are. They still have over 50 days!

 

[Casper Gutman]

I really think we should give them a chance to complete final installations and make adjustments ahead of the actual grand opening before we declare what the problems are. They still have over 50 days!

If they fix some of the problems, I don’t think anyone involved in this discussion is going to hold the prior existence of the problems they fixed against them!

 

[Alicia]

A lot of the tables and chairs can’t go in because the paths need to be open for booms and other heavy equipment each night. The areas that do have tables and now benches and even more trees are because they’re done bringing equipment that way. I’m sure more tables are coming to the right side of the area but only after they finish exterior work on phase two dining and the LED installation in the pathways from the entrance to Stardust Racers.

Still a lot to be done around that area, but with the Bao place between Dragons and Stardust, perhaps some more seating is on the way?

I love the straw roof covered seating areas added to DKC recently for example. That wasn’t there just a couple weeks ago.