Thanks for all the comments. It's not just change for change's sake, but because some things are hard to find and it isn't easy for new users to find things. We also want to highlight items, like the Stairways, which aren't easily understood by many people.

Believe me, some of you may think this is easy to use, but that comes from a place of experience, not good design.

I agree on a few of your points, and will be tackling them in a few more pieces.