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ScottC4746
07-10-2011, 07:09 AM
On 9 July around 10:30 PM I got back to the M & F garage only to find no way to get to my car on the 5th floor. One of the escalators was broken and the other one they reversed to down. This caused a huge line at the elevators. When I explained the situation to the parking lot manager her response was, "how do the Downtown Disney people get down?" I advised her that there are many more people going up and they can take the elevator down since there have been no sightings of people coming down in the 30 minutes I was waiting for the elevator. It appeared I still had another hour wait. I got smart, althogh sneeky. I took the escalator to 3 and took the elevator up from there since I cannot climb that many stairs to get to 5. Obviously new arriavls and their money is more important that all of us who have spent the day spending our money trying to get back to our cars.:|

DizneyMommy
07-10-2011, 08:13 AM
I have learned from experience, don't park somewhere you can't get back to in a crisis. I once was alone with a HUGE double stroller and found the elevator was broken upon returning to my car. The CM's threw their hands up and did not seem to care, one suggested I take the stroller on the escalator - to level 5! Stairs were obviously out of the question. I ended up walking to the service elevator that is located in the parking garage near the exit ramp on each floor. Thank goodness I knew about that. Had it been a power outage or natural disaster, I realized I would have been totally screwed.

Now I never take more with me than I can carry up the stairs alone. Fold up umbrella strollers, one backpack, and that's it. Escalators will break down, even with the best maintenance. Especially with the volume of people (some with less common sense than others) travelling on them every day. Why they chose to reverse the remaining one is a mystery to me too, that seemed really dumb on their part, but even still what if there had been a power outage?

This has happened only once to us in the hundreds of visits we have made, but I think we all have a responsibility to be able to "fend for ourselves" in a situation like this and be able to get ourselves back to wherever we parked. Perhaps have another person in your party who can tackle the stairs bring the car down to you.

Malcon10t
07-10-2011, 04:35 PM
You might consider Toy Story lot instead. No stairs to have to worry about and the buses are quick.

DizneyMommy
07-10-2011, 05:57 PM
You might consider Toy Story lot instead. No stairs to have to worry about and the buses are quick.

Great point!! That is a good alternative for people who would have trouble with stairs if the elevator and escalator were not operational.

danyoung
07-10-2011, 06:23 PM
I got smart, althogh sneeky. I took the escalator to 3 and took the elevator up from there since I cannot climb that many stairs to get to 5.

Well, umm, at the risk of downplaying your "nightmare", it seems as if this was the natural thing to do.

Grandpa Louie
07-10-2011, 08:13 PM
Better luck next time.

soccerlady16
07-13-2011, 12:07 AM
So people were willing to wait 1hr for the elevtor instead of taking the regular ol' stairs? :rolleyes:

Grandpa Louie
07-13-2011, 06:41 AM
So people were willing to wait 1hr for the elevtor instead of taking the regular ol' stairs? :rolleyes:

More grist for the snivel mill.

cstephens
07-13-2011, 10:36 AM
So people were willing to wait 1hr for the elevtor instead of taking the regular ol' stairs? :rolleyes:

That works fine for people who can take stairs, but there are people who don't have a choice but to wait for an elevator - they might be in a wheelchair or have a stroller with them that isn't small enough to fold and easily handle on an escalator much less trying to drag it up stairs. Some people might also be in casts or have crutches, so stairs are not a good idea. And there have been times when I would not have been able to handle taking a flight or two of stairs without it taking me a *very* long time, but if I was with the husband, we'd probably have arranged for him to go get the car and to pick me up on the street somewhere. But if I was alone, that wouldn't have been an option.

It's easy to roll your eyes at people who don't take stairs when it's really easy for you, but it's also worth thinking about those who aren't as fortunate to be able to take stairs without batting an eye.

SteveK
07-13-2011, 11:43 AM
Repeat after me.

"I will always park in the Toy Story Lot for now on."

Once we tried it, we decided we'll never go back to the structure. So much easier to get in and out of, no tram and very little wait for busses.

SigalTchelet
07-13-2011, 11:59 AM
That works fine for people who can take stairs, but there are people who don't have a choice but to wait for an elevator - they might be in a wheelchair or have a stroller with them that isn't small enough to fold and easily handle on an escalator much less trying to drag it up stairs. Some people might also be in casts or have crutches, so stairs are not a good idea. And there have been times when I would not have been able to handle taking a flight or two of stairs without it taking me a *very* long time, but if I was with the husband, we'd probably have arranged for him to go get the car and to pick me up on the street somewhere. But if I was alone, that wouldn't have been an option.

It's easy to roll your eyes at people who don't take stairs when it's really easy for you, but it's also worth thinking about those who aren't as fortunate to be able to take stairs without batting an eye.

Very well said.

Grandpa Louie
07-13-2011, 08:49 PM
It's easy to roll your eyes at people who don't take stairs when it's really easy for you...

Yes it is.

DizneyMommy
07-14-2011, 07:22 AM
I'm sorry, my comment was not meant to be insensitive, I apologize if it sounded that way. I was just saying that there are other parking options not involving stairs for those who could not safely get into or out of the parking garage without assistance in the event of a problem.

houseofmouse
07-14-2011, 07:50 AM
Pretty sure cstephens comment was not directed at you dizneymommy. I really liked parking in Toy Story the two times this visit and am not sure why I chose the garage for the others.

ScottC4746
07-15-2011, 05:52 AM
Sometimes with Disney you have to be creative and dare I say, build a better mousetrap...sorry Mickey. :)

newhdplayer
07-15-2011, 09:10 AM
Toy Story Lot...'nuff said

Treacle
07-25-2011, 02:09 PM
This goes to a whole other realm in the parking structure.

Last week, we were leaving the park at about 5-ish, we went to our car on the northern portion of the Mickey level in the garage. Just after getting our kid in the car, I noticed that there was a young man(20 or so), standing on the backside of one of the paired pillars. It was clear he was peeing between them, right where the garage has the seams.

I was horrified, had no idea how to respond, and was not comfortable calling him out on it.

What would you do?

MidwayManiac
07-25-2011, 08:10 PM
What would you do?

Nothing at all.