The end of paper park maps

This seems too minor to be "news," but I noticed some of the fan sites pointing out that Universal Orlando has stopped supplying paper park maps. As someone who had responsibility once for certain parks to have maps, I'm kind of torn about this. As my kid will tell you, paper maps were kind of souvenirs. And also, ugh, I don't think people can use phones as just utilitarian things. They look at the map, and then they're looking at socials or checking work email or whatever. That kind of makes me sad. Every time I see a family sitting eating, everyone looking at their phones instead of interacting, I'm not sure that's an improvement.

Meanwhile, Silver Dollar City still has actors passing out an entire newspaper (with park map and showtimes) when you walk in.

Maps on phones suck. You can't get the proper perspective on a screen as well as you can by unfolding a map and seeing it laid out in front of you, and you can't look at it as a group.

The map does not have a battery that goes dead by the end of the day... :-)

Yeah, I have a few filing boxes full of park maps I've accumulated over the years. I liked them both for the souvenir aspect and for the ability to go back and look at how much a park has changed – some of mine are >20 years old now.

Oh yeah, that reminds me of the big souvenir maps that Cedar Point used to sell. I got one every year, and it was fun to see the subtle changes from year to year. I don't know if they've survived the years somewhere in my stash.

I have to say that we always get one of the little books for the Epcot festivals, and it's way easier and more convenient than the phone. A low-tech PDF would even be better than the My Dis app. We make it a point to just get one and hold on to it for the duration of the festival though. We're sensitive to the waste.

I feel like this has come up before but the reality was that they just ran out of maps.

I love park maps.
Just about every major had a large foldout map, and I had (have?) a lot of them. I had the original 1972 Kings Island map and I hope it’s in my park ephemera box.
Once years ago while at IAAPA I came across the company that created those maps and they had big racks of examples in their booth. So many parks were represented and I wasn’t as well traveled at the time so I’d slip by the booth (more than a few times) to throw a map or two in my bag that was getting heavier and heavier as the day went on.

I can't remember the last time I used a park map at a park, even at a new park for the first time. I am neither pro or anti map so it does not matter to me, but I just prefer to wander around and find things on my own. I get the idea of not wanting to always be on your phone if that is the only way to find anything, but if that same app lists wait times, I would still be on my phone even if the park had paper maps and I needed to use one. That is the biggest benefit to me with apps.

There was a time I collected maps from every park, each season, and that lasted until I had to lug them around when I moved a half dozen times over the years . They have all been recycled now.

As a guy who still collects them as souvenirs it’s a sad day. While I don’t use them much in parks that I’ve been too I still use them in new parks. The APs stink for giving directions, the screen is too small to get a great overview compared to a fully open map.

I think having a map for a guide, whether it be hard copy or on an app is important in certain instances. For instance it’s a quick reference and a time saver if you’re in need of the nearest rest room, the smoking area, or if you’re looking for the location of those famous chicken tenders. Having said that, I too am a fan of exploring a new park without a lot of help. But as a cautionary tale I’ll tell you about the time I completely missed a ride at Six Flags Great Adventure because I didn’t turn a corner and see it. I realized it after I was home and was studying the map to count up the number of new coasters I had gained. The damn thing was that I knew it was there but in the face of many rides on a busy day I went stupid. And as a result I missed a credit and I was hoppin mad at myself. If I had just made a list of must -dos from the map (that was in my pocket, no less) it would never have happened and my blood pressure would not be rising from me just talking about it RIGHT NOW!! 😡

RCMAC:

if you’re looking for the location of those famous chicken tenders

If the park is doing it right there is no need for a map to find those scrumpdillyicious chicken tenders. Just follow your nose - it will lead you right to them!

My present collection is:

1974 CP Souvenir Map (whose style is clearly borrowed from the original WDW souvenir map, I wanted a 69 from my Dad's senior year when he worked at the park, I do need my birth year as well, also have a 1998 and a 150th)

71 WDW, I have the reissue of this from the 50th but it was reduced in size.

69 CP

1975 BGW, the first year map which is probably the most gorgeous regional park launch map, the whole graphics for the first year used old school Euro borders and etc, before getting cartoony in 77 or so.

1974 Knotts Map, I also have 64 which has no 2nd color, but Knotts didn't make large souvenir maps until the Roaring 20s was added. These were the first tri-folds with color, and I think the whole Gypsy camp idea was just '70s weirdness.

A 1931 Greenfield Village map, obv heavily inspired Walt and the first outdoor museum in the US.

I have a 68 Disneyland I snagged for a steal on the Bay, but I really want a McKim from 58-62 when Liberty Street and Edison Square were on them.

64/65 NY Worlds Fair Map, so technical and to scale but great.

84 Epcot Dial Guide, the most unique, but not overly visually impressive.

I'm also trying to collect the Disney Decade trifecta of never built...

I have a Disney's America mailer with the map.

And the 1991 Preliminary Master Plan, which included WestCot, and the California Mission resort plan.

The only one I am missing is the PortDisney News, which included the original DisneySea concept, which Disney mailed out in Long Beach to compete with the above Anaheim proposal.

So to me they should still sell Souvenir Maps ( I know CP has them still) but the general map I don't mind being dead.

I have a few park maps, including the 1974 Cedar Point one. The season that I worked there. I think it cost me fifty cents (no employee discount). My ex wife managed somehow to destroy it. I spent several years (after the divorce was final) trolling eBay for a replacement. I don't recall what it cost me, but I'm sure that it was more than fifty cents.

Kings Dominion 1978 from my first visit.

A lot of parks installed WiFi to help offset battery and signal issues when they started encouraging people to use their apps instead. It worked great -- for a year or two. At Cedar Point, where I have spotty reception, the WiFI has been absolutely terrible the past few years. They clearly have neglected the system since they installed it.

I have a theme park map collection and when I went to Adventureland this summer I was very disappointed when they didn’t have any paper maps. My home park Valleyfair doesn’t have them either.

Kings Dominion 1978 from my first visit.

I find it funny KD calls out the highway instead of attractions like the KI maps...

Offfff.... I also didn't realize the theatre was originally the Mason Dixon Music Hall

Great map pics guys!

I'm especially intrigued by the Long Beach one. I average about 1 long overnight a month in Long Beach and am quite familiar with that area as we stay at the Westin right there on Ocean Blvd. Imagine if it were a Disney park! (Of course, then work would not be overnighting crews there. Hahaha.)

I will miss the paper maps. I am glad I became an active enthusiast in the late 90's when there were no cell phones and such. And the new millenium with a bunch of parks spending like crazy on attractions and roller coasters was just insane! The good old days!!!! I don't think anything can match those years.