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Thread: Vent: Parking and parking "promotions"

  1. #1

    Vent: Parking and parking "promotions"

    This is a pretty minor vent, but I thought I'd disclose it in the title. I know that parking is at a premium, and I'm fortunate that for now I'm grandfathered in with the parking add on for my AP.

    Sometimes I make the effort to meet up with friends to carpool either to help them save $18 or because it will be crowded, like on the 24 hour days. But it's always less convenient than just driving myself because I don't live near any of my AP holder friends and we all keep different schedules.

    On Tuesday I was at AP Days and they were pushing the carpool option for a free AP pin. There are different colors, collect them all. Personally, it's a pin that says AP. Usually I wear nothing in the parks that says that I'm an AP, but my friend wanted the pin, so we carpooled. But because one friend had an appointment, we arrived later in the afternoon. We asked about the pin at Toy Story and were told, "Nope, we're done for the day." No sorry or anything. I've been told "no" many times at Disneyland, but as my friend said, he seemed to take pleasure in it.

    Meanwhile, a parent with two toddlers, who obviously couldn't drive themselves and therefore park another car gets the button promotion.

    And that's why offering a free button to encourage carpooling hasn't encouraged carpooling. Especially for AP Days. Because for the cost of a Signature AP or the parking add on, it's not worth the extra time and inconvenience to arrive together and be tied to leaving together. And it's definitely not worth it for the possibility of getting a free button.

    I don't know how to solve the parking issue short of a new lot, which I know is coming. But I'd rather see something like discounts or multi-day parking passes to park farther away. Or a tiered hourly lot where I pay less to park for a shorter time and they design the lot in a way that allows for easier reparking than what they have now.


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  3. #2

    Ha! Good on you....it's actually a good vent! I just moved down here from the Bay Area and until LA gets public transport it won't help the problem.(and LA is doing a great job at trying to fix that even if we won't see it in our time probably) We always try to carpool to Disneyland too and it just never works out. So I feel your pain.


  4. #3

    The button has been very misleading and it seems to depend on the CM too!
    I got one button for being all by myself, I assumed at the time that maybe this is because I'm a Premium pass holder?
    But next time, I came with a friend, both of us AP holders, used my pass to park, and we were told no button because it had to be 3 or more.
    Then just yesterday, our ticket booth person said he'd give us buttons but his booth ran out, even tho the other booths still had them, but there was no way to collect 2 buttons from them.


  5. #4

    We had four people (all AP holders) in our vehicle over the weekend and were not offered buttons. We did receive Speechless bookmarks.


  6. #5

    I noticed yesterday that some booths were giving out packets advertising ABC's Fall shows and some work. Of all the junk I've been handed the last few years at the parking booth, the only thing I thought about keeping was a Muppets window cling. But it was the kind you put on the inside of a window facing out, and I don't have a lot of use for that. I would have put it on the bathroom mirror if it had been flipped.

    But I think it's an interesting idea to hand out marketing freebies at the booths. I usually put that stuff in the drink holder and find it later. A lot of stuff they give me in the parks is probably going into my pocket and getting tossed later that day without another look.


  7. #6
    Disneyphiles Janis and Aaron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AnotherJenny View Post
    But I think it's an interesting idea to hand out marketing freebies at the booths. I usually put that stuff in the drink holder and find it later.
    My husband keeps each year's "25 Days of Christmas" ornament hanging from his car windshield. (They used to be scented, though last year's wasn't.) He has at least 3 on there now, and it's kind of ridiculous. I have to keep any extras away from him each season or else he'd probably hang them all.
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  8. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Janis and Aaron View Post
    My husband keeps each year's "25 Days of Christmas" ornament hanging from his car windshield. (They used to be scented, though last year's wasn't.) He has at least 3 on there now, and it's kind of ridiculous. I have to keep any extras away from him each season or else he'd probably hang them all.
    I was SO sad that they weren't scented last year. I adored the peppermint ones. I had like 10 in my car that year.

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  9. #8

    I wish they'd remember the few among us who actually take mass transit - show your OCTA or TAP card and AP at the Information booth and get a button or something. I had no idea people got anything at all since I don't drive in.


  10. #9

    Whelp. Went yesterday. I was polite, and smiling, handed the attendant my pass, and nicely asked "Are there any buttons left today?" and I got a screwed up face and was told "They're only for groups of 4 or more who carpool!" I said "Oh I'm sorry, I wasn't sure what the rule was". He ended up handing me a button, but I almost didn't take it due to his attitude over the matter :C


  11. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by cindel View Post
    I wish they'd remember the few among us who actually take mass transit - show your OCTA or TAP card and AP at the Information booth and get a button or something. I had no idea people got anything at all since I don't drive in.
    That's an excellent point. People who aren't parking at all are what they really want. Unfortunately I can see a bunch of people buying a $1 TAP card to get a free button to either completely cover themselves, their backpack or their stroller or to sell on eBay. I still think the solution is to stop offering a free item as an incentive. They're offering $9 parking for 3 or more in a car and free parking for 4 or more. That's a good promotion, but they're pushing the buttons on Twitter more than the reduced or free parking. Also, the people in the car should have to be at least close to driving age to get free parking.

  12. #11
    Sweet Spot - we miss you! shna's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AnotherJenny View Post
    I noticed yesterday that some booths were giving out packets advertising ABC's Fall shows and some work. Of all the junk I've been handed the last few years at the parking booth, the only thing I thought about keeping was a Muppets window cling. But it was the kind you put on the inside of a window facing out, and I don't have a lot of use for that. I would have put it on the bathroom mirror if it had been flipped.

    But I think it's an interesting idea to hand out marketing freebies at the booths. I usually put that stuff in the drink holder and find it later. A lot of stuff they give me in the parks is probably going into my pocket and getting tossed later that day without another look.
    Years ago, they were giving out "Pushing Daisies" magnets. I was actually intrigued enough to watch - and it quickly became one of my favorite shows. I'm still bummed that it bit the dust.
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  13. #12

    Message I got from Disney says buttons are for groups of 3 or more passholders who carpool only. (They then encouraged me to make sure I carpool to get free parking and my button, too bad I don't actually know anyone else with a pass :S)
    But this still doesn't help when the CMs are inconsistent? \_(ツ)_/


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