Fiasco to Park at the Parks - What can be done?

[perlster]

Originally Posted by DannyB

This thread is now on its 134th post. Meanwhile, the once-popular "Mass Transit to Disneyland" thread has not had one post since this thread began. Coincidence?

Have you seen the seen the new carpool lane on the 405 from the 90 Northward? There's your answer.

[OldSchoolMickey]

Originally Posted by MrLiver

Did anyone here actually attend the NAMM convention?

So for all we know - there was adequate traffic control around the convention center and surrounding convention center lots. I was no where near the resort that weekend so I would really like to hear from someone who attended the convention.

If it came down to securing traffic control for the convention or traffic control for Disney, I'm sure the city would ALWAYS choose the convention center over Disney.

Like in years past, yes we were at the NAMM convention, but we stayed at the DL Hotel, so we just walked.

There was traffic control IFO the convention center. The white City trucks were there, and they were making sure that the pedestrians were able to safely cross the streets and driveways. We even saw a few of APD's finest...

As far as choosing which place gets the traffic control, if the CC pays the city for it (and they do), then they will get it.

I have seen plenty of traffic enforcement folks assisting with peds crossing Harbor to get to DL over the years.

I don't know if Disney pays for that or not, but certain large events at the CC are required to reimburse the city for their expenses.

[disney55]

I can't believe TDA isn't doing anything about this! I've been following this thread since it first began, and I agree there needs to be more places to park, even if they have to charge more for parking! I think their best bet is to use the strawberry fields across the street. They're going to tear it all up anyway in a couple years for the third resort gate! All this space can also make up for Pumbaa while they close it to build the parking structure. Hope everything goes well!

[OldSchoolMickey]

Originally Posted by disney55

even if they have to charge more for parking!

There's an idea!

Bump up the parking to $20. Supply and demand, right?

Or take away the free parking from the AP's!

Or a combination of AP free parking blocked out for the w/e's and charge more to park on the weekends.

I can just see the value of our Disney stock soar!

Did the suits at Disney think about the "success" of the payment plan for the PAP's might also include additional cars being parked on-site since it would then be free?



It's gonna get worse before it gets better...

[krystledm]

here's an idea....Local people with Ap's....


Ride the bus!

[Mr Wiggins]

Originally Posted by Coheteboy

What a douchey thing to say.

It's a long and noble tradition on Disney forums for pro-management posters to Blame the Customer. From the first days of Usenet to the present, customers-at-fault is a constant background theme, like Muzak on elevators -- ignored but never far away... until Disney royally screws up something (like the parking debacle), at which time the volume gets cranked up.

TDB and TDA raised it to rock-concert levels in the months following DCA's Grand Opening. You'd have thought Al Lutz was personally responsible for bringing down the whole operation!

[MrLiver]

Originally Posted by Coheteboy

What a douchey thing to say. I arrived at 5pm because that was the only time I was available. Planning on my part isn't a factor in this equation.

You're right it isn't a factor. You didn't plan for the big crowds and you got bit by them. I just don't see how that's Disney's fault.

Disney is not guaranteeing us a parking spot. Darkbeer confirmed it, and I'm fine with that. They write that so that we can't sue them for having a failed management who can't figure out their parking situation.

A failed management that operates a failing theme park that's so busy they can't find enough parking spots? Yeah failed sounds about right.

I actually drove on all sides of the resort. The convention lots were unavailable, closed off at the entry points I tried (why would you even imply that they were open KNOWING that there was a big convention going on?). I also drove up Harbor and from another poster, Pumbaa lot was closed in the early afternoon.

It sounds like you should have shown up earlier.

Traffic was so bad it took me 40 minutes to circle the resort. It really was the perfect storm.

It was a really busy day. I guess a lot of people had no trouble finding parking at all.

Originally Posted by sediment

One could consider the continued existence of the AP Program a failed management policy. The de-implementation of it would be a lot of work for someone and his subordinates, but that should not be the overriding reason for not doing so.

I could agree with that 100%. The parking situation isn't the problem here in so much as the people who think they are entitled to a parking spot.

And as mentioned before there are a lot of solutions to the parking situation that could be implemented without costing the company any money:

1) Increase cost to park at the parking structure.
2) Eliminate the AP parking options and require APs to pay for parking at the structure.
3) Increase the number of AP blockout days to include heavy convention traffic.
4) Require low occupancy vehicles to park in off property lots such as Buzz, Pongo or Pumbaa.
5) Disallow new entries into the park after 4pm to discourage new guests from parking at the structure later in the day.

and probably the best option of all...

6) Keep doing what they're doing and offer parking on a first come-first served basis until parking runs out.

[Young at Heart]

Originally Posted by krystledm

here's an idea....Local people with Ap's....


Ride the bus!

Better OCTA maps of the routes into the area would help. I checked out OCTA as an option from South County a year ago and it did not appear the route went into the transportation plaza. Either they changed it or OCTA marginally improved the map (it still does not show WELL that it does go in there for drop off), but they do go into the transportation plaza.

I'll have to try it the next time the park is going to be busy and there is a pin release.

[krystledm]

Originally Posted by Young at Heart

And if Disney had been smart enough to make a bay for OCTA dropoffs in the transportation plaza, that might well be happening. They didn't. I'd prefer to use OCTA most days, but near as I can tell the closest dropoff for the the line from South County is Harbor and Manchester.

Start petitioning OCTA

Honestly, this is the most reasonable thing i can think of. Public transport is there for a reason and little walking never hurt anyone.

Remember I'm not local, so I'm under the impression that this depot is in walking distance. I consider walking distance about 10 blocks, including how large they are in Anaheim. I've walked it to get to the park from out hotel before, don't see why other people can't as well.

[sunnygirl]

Originally Posted by MrLiver

The parking situation isn't the problem here in so much as the people who think they are entitled to a parking spot.

I paid over $300 for my annual pass WITH PARKING PRIVELLEGES. You're damn right I feel entitled to a parking spot.

[Mr Wiggins]

Originally Posted by MrLiver

The parking situation isn't the problem here in so much as the people who think they are entitled to a parking spot.

Blame the Customer again. And again. And again.

Originally Posted by MrLiver

...there are a lot of solutions to the parking situation that could be implemented without costing the company any money...

And that's the Most Important Thing, isn't it. That the multi billion dollar corporation with the multimillionaire executives doesn't have to spend any money on its customers.

Let's cut the BS, shall we? Beneath all the who-what-when-why-how of the parking fiasco, the core reason for it is that the relationship vector between Disney and its customers points in only one direction: from your wallet to their pocket.

Wake up and smell the cash flow, folks.

[MrLiver]

Originally Posted by Mr Wiggins

Blame the Customer again. And again. And again.

I'm not blaming the customer. There are thousands upon thousands of people who are paying for parking spots and paying for admission without any difficulties in finding a spot. There are also thousands upon thousands of guests coming to the resort that don't need parking at all.

I am blaming the individuals who believe that Disney needs to go to extreme measures to please only themselves.

Let's cut the BS, shall we? Beneath all the who-what-when-why-how of the parking fiasco, the core reason for it is that the relationship vector between Disney and its customers points in only one direction: from your wallet to their pocket.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being fiscally responsible. I don't expect Disney to add thousands of more parking spaces to accommodate late comers or AP crowds anymore than I would expect California to spend billions of dollars to create double layers freeways to accommodate the extra traffic on Thanksgiving.

[Coheteboy]

Originally Posted by MrLiver

You're right it isn't a factor. You didn't plan for the big crowds and you got bit by them. I just don't see how that's Disney's fault.

I planned for crowds. What I wasn't planning on was for the convention to be taking up Disney spaces. Whether or not you believe Disney is at fault doesn't matter. There is a miscommunication between the resort and the guest. If there ARE still places to park, no cast members knew of it or if they did, none were on hand to direct us to it.

And closing off inbound guests to the park is a loss of revenue.

As long as Disneyland and DCA are still operating and not closed off due to capacity issues, Disney should be providing late comers with options. If we are to park at Angel Stadium, that's an option without requiring the spending of a new structure.

Originally Posted by MrLiver

It sounds like you should have shown up earlier.

Nah, I like going when I feel like it.

Originally Posted by MrLiver

It was a really busy day. I guess a lot of people had no trouble finding parking at all.

Oh yes, thousands! But of course there were probably thousands who couldn't.

Originally Posted by MrLiver

The parking situation isn't the problem here in so much as the people who think they are entitled to a parking spot.

Again, making things up, Mr. Liver. There is a problem with parking. Darkbeer even mentioned how there are fewer spaces now than they were years ago, and it's only going to get fewer.

The weekend in discussion was most certainly a fluke, and Disney gave up more of their parking to convention goers, not actual Disneyland guests. Parking ran out and Disney had no back-up. THAT is a problem.

Should they build another parking structure just for NAMM? Of course not. But I'm suggesting that they need to think of something rather than do as you suggest and "not care".

Many folks already discussed the shuttle parking idea at other lots. That's an idea that could potentially work next year.


And at the end of the day, Disney does have plans for other parking structures, but they're going to be losing a lot of parking to work on that. Parking WILL be a far worser problem regardless of what time of day I show up.

Are we entitled spots? No. Should a business ensure that the maximum amount of people enjoy their product? Absolutely.

[Coheteboy]

Originally Posted by MrLiver

I'm not blaming the customer. There are thousands upon thousands of people who are paying for parking spots and paying for admission without any difficulties in finding a spot. There are also thousands upon thousands of guests coming to the resort that don't need parking at all.

I am blaming the individuals who believe that Disney needs to go to extreme measures to please only themselves.

And boom goes the dynamite.

[Mr Wiggins]

1.) Pushing the sales of APs and ballyhooing special promotions crams the park with customers, and makes Disney money.

2.) Building more parking structures to accommodate #1 costs Disney money.

That's why you hear Disney management supporters promoting #1, and touting all the reasons why #2 is a bad idea.