[Chat] So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

[Mac Daddy]

So...I got to the park around 9:45 AM this morning (Tues, 11/24) and....aLL of the traffic was again being diverted from Mickey and Friends to the farther lots. I know this came up before recently, but as I passed by the structure, I looked back and it wasn't CLOSE to half full. The third level and top levels were completely empty, and something tells me the fourth wasn't that full either.

On top of this, when I left at 12:30, all entrances to the structure were still blocked off.

And this is one of the busiest weeks of the year.

:blink:

Now...I think it was mentioned before that they want to SAVE these spots for the AP crowds which show up later in the day. But....what are they really doing here? Do they really have LESS of a traffic problem if 4000 cars show up and try to smash into Mickey and Friends all at the same time, especially when the ticket booths are under staffed and the lines go all the way back to Ball and over the freeway?

It just seems to me that the folks who come in the morning should expect to be able to park in Mickey and Friends and not have to add another 20 or whatever minutes to their morning driving all the way to the outer lots where they may or may not find a tram or bus waiting to take them to the park. If people show up at 7 pm, I would think they would be expecting to have to deal with the fact that there are less spaces.

Am I missing something here? It seems that Disney is punishing those who have come for the full day, and rewarding those who just pop in for the fireworks and some shopping. I don't get it. Especially if you consider that our recent discussions around here are suggesting that the AP crowd is not spending as much as those who are from out of town and who are there for the full day at full price. Is it wise to send the out of town folks driving all over Anaheim when it might be their first time to the park?


Or did they close it for some other reason??

(The crowds this morning were quite sizable. When I left, there were several gridlocked spots, including the area in front of POTC, Adventureland (big surprise) and quite a bit of Main Street. Not sure about wait times, but I'd say the crowd was about three times what you would normally see on a Tuesday morning.)

[Coheteboy]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

It's a cluster F and I think it will remain one for the majority of 2010 as well. I already trained myself to avoid Mickey & friends at all costs.

[WestsideCM99]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

Yikes! And this is on a weekday when most of the local crowd is still working. If it is going to be this bad now I wonder how bad it is going to get after Thanksgiving.

I went to the park this past Saturday and the M&F entrance was open at 5pm.

[Joshnyah]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

I think parking should be first come first serve, I really miss timone and pumba, I used to jump right out of my truck hop right on the tram and after a long day at the park would just hop right out and be gone in a flash, Like the rare days of Disneyland being slow those days are gone

[2ndStar2theRight]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

So...I got to the park around 9:45 AM this morning and....aLL of the traffic was again being diverted from Mickey and Friends to the farther lots. I know this came up before recently, but as I passed by the structure, I looked back and it wasn't CLOSE to half full. The third level and top levels were completely empty, and something tells me the fourth wasn't that full either.

On top of this, when I left at 12:30, all entrances to the structure were still blocked off.

And this is one of the busiest weeks of the year.

I've been quite worried about this issue ever since Christmas time at DLR started. I plan on being there tomorrow. I'll be waking up early and arriving 30 min. before opening hours. Hopefully they will allow us to park in the Mickey and Friends parking structure.

[WestsideCM99]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

I've been quite worried about this issue ever since Christmas time at DLR started. I plan on being there tomorrow. I'll be waking up early and arriving 30 min. before opening hours. Hopefully they will allow us to park in the Mickey and Friends parking structure.

That's probably the best strategy. We do this almost every time and manage to park outside the structure right next to the tram stop's side entrance. I can't imagine why they would block M&F prior to the gates opening and then re-direct people to the outer lots first. That's just bad customer service.

[brenden]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

The last couple of times I've gone M&F has been open in the afternoons (around 1-3PM) so I think that's the strategy. Maybe since there's less traffic in the late mornings, it'd better to pile cars in the farther lots to have everything run smoother and save M&F to handle the onslaught of APs.

[Capt Hook]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

We where there on Sunday and we park at Mickey and friends and that was around 1:30 so don't know why they block it for you.

[1Disneylandfan]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

The last couple of times I've gone M&F has been open in the afternoons (around 1-3PM) so I think that's the strategy. Maybe since there's less traffic in the late mornings, it'd better to pile cars in the farther lots to have everything run smoother and save M&F to handle the onslaught of APs.

Are you serious?? "It's better to pile cars in the farther lots." I don't think its fair that the structure should be closed down when their is plenty of parking left and I'm talking entire levels with NO cars in it. It should be run on a first come first served basis. The crowds of inflow CAN be handled provided you have enough cast members to handle it, from the ticket booths to the ones who are directing the parking. Also they should fill row by row. Meaning tuck one car in behind the other front back, front back when going down the aisle and then go to the next row. But they don't, they fill only the front row and leave the back open and go to the next. I have suggested to a parking cast member to use that way and he just smiled. Filling the structure can be done that way and safely provided that everyone FOLLOWED DIRECTION and showed COURTESY. But for whatever reason people don't and that's when accidents happen. I mean I thought we all were trying to get to DLR. To me Disney NEEDS to make more parking structures and close by. Their planning in that is behind, it should've long been done after they opened California Adventure. Disney should easily have 3 Mickey & Friends parking structures.

[Eagleman]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

KIDS OFF SCHOOL ALL THIS WEEK!
Now you know were your TAX money going! lol

[DisneyMouse]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

It's a cluster F and I think it will remain one for the majority of 2010 as well. I already trained myself to avoid Mickey & friends at all costs.

Try 2013

[timbabbcomedian]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

KIDS OFF SCHOOL ALL THIS WEEK!
Now you know were your TAX money going! lol

Wait...the Mickey and Friends lot is paid for by our taxes? I didn't know that. Seems like parking should be free then.

[MonstersGoBoo!]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

KIDS OFF SCHOOL ALL THIS WEEK!
Now you know were your TAX money going! lol

I don't know what school districts you're near, but my brother has school until Thursday and also has Friday off.

I also believe that it should be first come, first serve and I HATE it when they do half a row. Just fill up one level and go to the next.

[Mr. Potato Head]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

Wait...the Mickey and Friends lot is paid for by our taxes? I didn't know that. Seems like parking should be free then.

I think they meant school is payed for by us. Not the parking structure!

But we always show up between 10-12 and have no problems getting into M&F. When did this start? We just went Sunday.

[timbabbcomedian]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

I think they meant school is payed for by us. Not the parking structure!

Yeah I was being intentionally obtuse.

[Uncle Bob]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

Actually Anaheim did pay for the parking structure, and no it shouldn't be free because of that, have you ever heard of parking meters? Just because a city builds parking doesn't mean it should be free. It's often a long term investment in their city.

[CMHusband]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

So...I got to the park around 9:45 AM this morning and....aLL of the traffic was again being diverted from Mickey and Friends to the farther lots. I know this came up before recently, but as I passed by the structure, I looked back and it wasn't CLOSE to half full. The third level and top levels were completely empty, and something tells me the fourth wasn't that full either.

On top of this, when I left at 12:30, all entrances to the structure were still blocked off.

And this is one of the busiest weeks of the year.

:blink:

Now...I think it was mentioned before that they want to SAVE these spots for the AP crowds which show up later in the day. But....what are they really doing here? Do they really have LESS of a traffic problem if 4000 cars show up and try to smash into Mickey and Friends all at the same time, especially when the ticket booths are under staffed and the lines go all the way back to Ball and over the freeway?

It just seems to me that the folks who come in the morning should expect to be able to park in Mickey and Friends and not have to add another 20 or whatever minutes to their morning driving all the way to the outer lots where they may or may not find a tram or bus waiting to take them to the park. If people show up at 7 pm, I would think they would be expecting to have to deal with the fact that there are less spaces.

Am I missing something here? It seems that Disney is punishing those who have come for the full day, and rewarding those who just pop in for the fireworks and some shopping. I don't get it. Especially if you consider that our recent discussions around here are suggesting that the AP crowd is not spending as much as those who are from out of town and who are there for the full day at full price. Is it wise to send the out of town folks driving all over Anaheim when it might be their first time to the park?


Or did they close it for some other reason??

(The crowds this morning were quite sizable. When I left, there were several gridlocked spots, including the area in front of POTC, Adventureland (big surprise) and quite a bit of Main Street. Not sure about wait times, but I'd say the crowd was about three times what you would normally see on a Tuesday morning.)

And the crowds were half of what they were on Monday. actually for a Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the place was pretty mello.
you should have seen it Monday. The lines to get into DLR were almost to DCA. All ticket booths were open and lines at every window and they were hand stamping as people went in.

[KBFweb]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

Maybe since there's less traffic in the late mornings, it'd better to pile cars in the farther lots to have everything run smoother and save M&F to handle the onslaught of APs.

When the current Disneyland Resort expansion was sold to the City of Anaheim back in the early to mid 1990's, one of Anaheim's requirements was that Disney builds enough parking to keep extra traffic off of the city streets. At the time, M&F was billed as one of the largest parking structures in the world, able to park a car every second or two, and the solution to the city's concerns. The structure was designed to handle a flood of guests, be in annual passholders or the masses that never showed up for California Adventure.

What we have now is the result of an explosion of annual passholders, a vastly improved, and might I say, phenominal attraction and entertainment lineup by the park the past 10 years, all with little or no additional parking to handle the crowds. The original Resort plans included multiple, massive parking structures, but we all know those didn't get built. Hopefully the new parking lot will handle a lot of thecrowds, but I fear that by the time it opens, the crowds will have grown even more so that even that lot won't be enough. Kind of like the California freeways. They expand the system to handle a certain number of cars, but by the time the get around to building it, the expansion is already overburdened.

My family is avoiding visiting the Resort this season, mainly because of the crowds...and parking. It's so busy that it just isn't any fun. I'll spend the first six months of World of Color watching it on YouTube for the same reason. The crowds just aren't worth the hassle.

One or more of the following needs to happen before there is any hope - Massive black-out days for all annual passes, another large parking structure openning yesterday, or a drastic reduction in the quality of attractions and entertainment at the Disneyland Resort.

Obviously, none of the above are going to happen. So you all enjoy your Disney fix in the ungodly crowds, and I'll sit here and home and enjoy your pictures.

[Ride Warrior]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

Are you serious?? "It's better to pile cars in the farther lots." I don't think its fair that the structure should be closed down when their is plenty of parking left and I'm talking entire levels with NO cars in it. It should be run on a first come first served basis. The crowds of inflow CAN be handled provided you have enough cast members to handle it, from the ticket booths to the ones who are directing the parking. Also they should fill row by row. Meaning tuck one car in behind the other front back, front back when going down the aisle and then go to the next row. But they don't, they fill only the front row and leave the back open and go to the next. I have suggested to a parking cast member to use that way and he just smiled. Filling the structure can be done that way and safely provided that everyone FOLLOWED DIRECTION and showed COURTESY. But for whatever reason people don't and that's when accidents happen. I mean I thought we all were trying to get to DLR. To me Disney NEEDS to make more parking structures and close by. Their planning in that is behind, it should've long been done after they opened California Adventure. Disney should easily have 3 Mickey & Friends parking structures.

1Disneylandfan. I couldn't agree more that additional multi-level parking structures are needed. Disney has had ample opportunity to build them over the past few years, too. In view of the present situation, APers that show up late in the day should be routed to the back parking lot.

Perhaps, Disney has been hoping for a sizable number of out-of-towners (including non-local APers) to show up... and have been attempting to save prime parking space for them at Mickey and Friends. If this were to happen, I would think many if not most would remain parked in their free spots at hotels... and then walk or transit into the resort.

Whatever the reason for Disneyland managements decision to turn paying guests away from the main parking structure... it's slopsided, and difies all common sense where good PR and park $pending are concerned.

[timbabbcomedian]

Re: So....What's the deal with Mickey and Friends?

Actually Anaheim did pay for the parking structure, and no it shouldn't be free because of that, have you ever heard of parking meters? Just because a city builds parking doesn't mean it should be free. It's often a long term investment in their city.

A joke = "A story with a humorous climax" Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Thought that might help.