Hi Craig,
We do not use the "Homepage" and have it disabled in the menu. All users get a dashboard. However, we can still get to the front page settings via the link to "Logs" and I am sure there are other links that will take you there as well.
I looked at the legacy menu which implies the old menu but the architecture of the menu has changed considerably.
I found the new menu has a learning curve for an administrator who is used to the old menu. Searching does not always yield the results you might be looking for. One of the Items that has changed which effects me is: the in-built reports are now scattered under their respective sections rather than being grouped under reports as a for instance.
For us, going back to the legacy menu is not any real help. We need to learn the new menu through trial and error.
All and all I like the new structure because it is "cleaner" for the user.
Peter.