"Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

[CAspace]

As most everyone can agree the parking structure is very "Un-Disney" in the show and presentation. The parking structure is the first thing that many visitors to Disneyland first see. It is very bland and poor show in my opinion. Of course with a parking structure there is only so much you can do to "plus" it. But lets put our minds together and think about the "little" things that can be added to the structure (low level music, murals, Disney attraction posters etc) that will give visitors to Disneyland a great first impression of the day ahead.
I know we can do better with the current "vibe" of the parking structure and I don't think it takes much to make that happen.
Calling all arm chair Imagineers and MiceChatters your mission if you choose to accept it is how you would "plus" the Parking Structure and make the visitors first impression to Disneyland a very special one as opposed to "just another parking garage that could be any mall USA"

[Wesley815]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

I think it looks fine the way it is. You park your car and leave.

As long as there is good security and lighting at night, I'm happy... I'd rather they add things to the park instead of spending money on making the parking area pretty. I just get annoyed at how many guests throw all of their trash on the ground next to their car before leaving. UGH! Wonder if that's how they live at their house- when dinner is done do they just throw it on the ground? Of course not, but when it's not "their house", who cares.

Morons.

[Speedway]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

It's a parking lot.

[PragmaticIdealist]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

It's part of the Outer Lobby.

[CAspace]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

It's part of the Outer Lobby.

Great point! That's the imagineering way of looking at things. It's all connected. The show begins the moment you pull into Disney property.
What message are you conveying? how are you conveying it? What can you do to make the guest experience better? How can we "plus" the show? What little things can be added that do not necessarily take lots of money but enhance the atmosphere.

True it is just another parking garage, in the "real" world.
But some would say Disneyland is just "another amusement park" which we know is not the case. As pragmatic says the parking structure is part of the "outer Lobby" of the Disneyland property. How can we spruce up the lobby?

[MollyTrolly]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

The structure itself is fine...its a place to park and even has restrooms. The biggest issues are the need for additional elevators, a better queue for the tran and a paseo for better access to the walkpath if you dont want to take the tram.

Now personally I would prefer a people mover in leiu of the tram...but thats just me.

So I guess what I am saying is the need to improve the experience of getting to the park from the structure, but probably not the structure itself. Although it woudl be nice to see the character for each level there to greet guests as they arrive.

[DisneyMickey]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

I think they could paint some of the white handrails and barricades that are rusted. They also need someone cleaning out the trash cans much more often.

[I Heart Disneyland]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

It's a parking structure. Why does it have to be all Disney-fied? Just more money spent and like someone else said...you park your car and leave.

[aashee]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

As long as it's clean I'm fine with how it is now. It's stocked with defibulators, we're all good.

[I Heart Disneyland]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

As long as it's clean I'm fine with how it is now. It's stocked with defibulators, we're all good.

But are there attendants at ALL defibulators if they are needed?

[Autopia]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

Uhh, lets see...

I go to Disneyland...

Easy access escalators? Check!
Easy access, large elevators? Check!
Fast in and Fast out? Check!
Restrooms? Check!
AEDs? Check!
Themed levels to make it easy to remember where I am? Check!


I go to my local mall...

Easy access escalators? Nope, just stairs.
Easy access, large elevators? Nope, just one small elevator.
Fast in and Fast out? Nope, there is parking on the ramp between levels and everyone needs THAT space.
Restrooms? Nope, go back inside for those.
AEDs? Nope, inside for that as well.
Themed levels to make it easy to remember where I am? Nope.

That seems Disney-fied enough for me. True, it would be nice to have small restrooms on each level "just in case", but the big one down at the bottom does nicely. And it would be nice to have more elevators and a slightly more organized tram boarding area, but those to me are minor details. And I don't plan on ever needing the elevators. When I do have a kid some day, god knows I would bring the Monster Truck wannabe strollers so I can just fold it up and take it down the escalator.

Its a parking structure. It does its job. And it does it rather well. That is good for me.

[BC_DisneyGeek]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

Look at it this way, the more plain the parking garage is, the more magical Disneyland seems when you get there.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

I never knew about the restrooms. Just about the bushes along the wall.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

It's a parking structure. Why does it have to be all Disney-fied? Just more money spent and like someone else said...you park your car and leave.

I disagree, the magic starts the moment Mickey starts taking your money at the parking garage!

[Villains Fan]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

As far as I'm concerned, the parking structure does make a great first impression....it's extremely organized, it has easy access in and especially out, it's easy to remember where your car is through character/color identification, it has escalators at each level, and it has a nice, large, clean bathroom.

The only plussing I would want to see is more trashcans, and maybe an additional elevator. Otherwise, I would much rather see them spend the money on the park as opposed to a parking structure that is already more than most parking structures.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

Right now the floor IS the trash can, it's like when you go to the movies and drop popcorn on the floor and don't bother picking it up.

[Darkbeer]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

Right now the floor IS the trash can, it's like when you go to the movies and drop popcorn on the floor and don't bother picking it up.

Because Disney has failed to place Trash Cans in the structure.

IMHO, at every post in the structure, there should be a Trash Can, the space is not used currently. Heck, place 2 cans in the space, one regular one, and one for recycling.

But Disney doesn't want to spend the money on the cans and the costs of emptying the trash a few times a day.

Instead, they just get someone with a parking lot vacuum cleaner truck to drive around in the middle of the night.

And yes, they need more elevators, those things back up, and then some parents break the rules and take the strollers with kids on them on the escalator (which is just STUPID).

The other thing I would do is redesign the parking lot so there would be multiple tram stops. Alas, there is no easy way to do it now.

But the old MGM Grand Adventures in Las Vegas did come up with a way, basically escalators every few yards on one side of the structure, and on the lower level, a tram roadway. Each set of escalators had a tram stop, so nobody had to walk that far, basically to the end of a row was the farthest you had to walk, unlike the long walk if you get parked in the far corner of the Mickey and Friends structure (3/10th of a mile)

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1428540

[angeladlr]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

I think this is a great idea, and am surprised that so many others have quickly dismissed it.

It would be simple to spruce up the parking structure and give it a Disney vibe, and maybe it would not matter for adults, but to children this would be very exciting and I am sure mine would be "Wow, look even the parking structure is Disney!".

DLR is supposed to be an immersive experience, from start to end. As a resort and not just one theme park, everything plays a part in the trip. It's things like this (obviously along with a lot of other things) that would turn DLR into the multi day vacation spot the imagineers are hoping for. In WDW, as soon as you get within a 30 mile radius, you see elaborate billboards for WDW and once you arrive you know you are there. I would not like to see DLR turn into a WDW, but I would like them to expand the experience as much as possible, so we really do "leave reality" and enter another world.

[CAspace]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

I think this is a great idea, and am surprised that so many others have quickly dismissed it.

It would be simple to spruce up the parking structure and give it a Disney vibe, and maybe it would not matter for adults, but to children this would be very exciting and I am sure mine would be "Wow, look even the parking structure is Disney!".

DLR is supposed to be an immersive experience, from start to end. As a resort and not just one theme park, everything plays a part in the trip. It's things like this (obviously along with a lot of other things) that would turn DLR into the multi day vacation spot the imagineers are hoping for. In WDW, as soon as you get within a 30 mile radius, you see elaborate billboards for WDW and once you arrive you know you are there. I would not like to see DLR turn into a WDW, but I would like them to expand the experience as much as possible, so we really do "leave reality" and enter another world.

Great points!
I have to say that I took a family member to the park for there first visit in over 20 years the other day. This was the first time they experienced exiting the 5south (from Los Angeles) via the "new" off ramp and parking in the new garage. They were very suprised at the lack of any "disney" feeling, upon entering the garage, parking and walking to the "trams" it was dirty, grungy and felt like we were walking to the mall.
Back in the day when parking in the original lot, you would see the matterhorn mountain on the approach to Disneyland via the 5south. For a child or child at heart this was pure magic, the anticipation, you are about to enter Disneyland! You pulled into the parking lot and could see Grand Central train station up ahead with the Matterhorn in the distance as you walked closer and closer to the main gates you were just filled with excitement each step you took got you closer to the magic!

Now you travel on the 5south exiting a offramp before even being able to see the Matterhorn, travel into a gigantic sterile dirty parking structure with zero theming and severe lack of Elevators even though a huge portion of guests are stroller bound. The magic is not there, the anticipation does not build. Even when getting on the tram, you pass backstage areas there is nothing to look at, nothing to get you excited, not even cheap attraction posters or banners aligning the road.
This is not the Disney way in my eyes.
This is not something that we cannot overcome there are many possible low cost solutions (besides the elevator issue, that is expensive)
Try and look at this from the eyes of a once in a while guest to Disneyland and not a "Frequent Flyer"
Let us pretend you are given a small budget to help spruce up the Entrance from the freeway off ramp to the Parking Garage, from the parking garage to the tram, from the tram to the entry way.

P.S if you are interested in a Imagineering perspective of this issue on how it pertains to the show experience, I urge you to please read a very detailed article with pictures and information regarding this issue specifically. http://imagineerebirth.blogspot.com/...part-2_22.html
It is a great read and well worth the 5 minutes it takes to review it.

[lazyboy97O]

Re: "Plussing" the parking structure, making a great first impression.

Look at it this way, the more plain the parking garage is, the more magical Disneyland seems when you get there.

There's the answer.