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Khiori
09-15-2003, 01:46 PM
Help! We went to D-land on Aug 28 and had a heck of time parking. It was the first time going since 2000 so things had drastically changed, parking-wise. We entered the parking on side that the 5 dumps you out (used to be the main entrance?) and ended up driving in circles to end up on what seemed like a major street, to merge into traffic once again so that we could drive along a bunch of hotels and finally make our way to the parking structure.

Is there an easier way in? I can't seem to locate a map that shows the driving entrances to get to the parking garage.

Oh we're going tomorrow and bought AP's on our last trip. So I hope to find a better way of parking for long term usage. (I'm a "well beaten path" kind of person)

Link or desciptions would be greatly appreciated.

:beg mode:

AVP
09-15-2003, 02:06 PM
I'm guessing that you took the Harbor Blvd exit from the north 5, right?

If so, turn right from the offramp, heading north on Harbor.
Turn left onto Ball.
Turn left onto Disneyland Drive.
Stay left, and enter the parking structure.

It sounds like you turned left off the freeway, in which case you headed south on Harbor, right on Katella, right on Disneyland Drive, and then probably made a U-turn at Ball to enter the structure, or you used the Magic Drive entrance. It's much faster the other way.

AVP

Khiori
09-15-2003, 02:44 PM
We actually come from the 91W (from the San Bernardino mtns), going south on Harbor.

Anyway, Thanks for the tip on coming from Ball. We will do that instead. I have to admit though, we were really confused last time. It wasn't very clear that you leave where you paid, then go somewhere else and park there. Yikes.

adriennek
09-15-2003, 02:48 PM
91 W to 57 South.

Exit Ball, turn right.

Turn Left on Disneyland Drive, stay in the left lane.

:D

Adrienne

Khiori
09-15-2003, 02:54 PM
oooo We'll give that a shot! Thank you again!

PapiBear
09-15-2003, 04:56 PM
See? They should've just left the parking lot where it was, but NOOOOOO, they have to go and build a half-buttocked park that everyone laughs at and force everyone to park in a giant structure.

Bleah.

Ghoulish Delight
09-15-2003, 05:47 PM
Originally posted by PapiBear
See? They should've just left the parking lot where it was, but NOOOOOO, they have to go and build a half-buttocked park that everyone laughs at and force everyone to park in a giant structure.

Bleah. And either wait for that terribly inefficient tram or walk forever to your car. Then join the horrific gridlock getting out of there. As far as I'm concerned, the parking and tram system is something that they nailed.

sleepyjeff
09-15-2003, 05:54 PM
Originally posted by PapiBear
See? They should've just left the parking lot where it was, but NOOOOOO, they have to go and build a half-buttocked park that everyone laughs at and force everyone to park in a giant structure.

Bleah.

Here, Here!

I miss the dear old parking lot:crying:

millionairegirl
09-15-2003, 06:44 PM
Originally posted by Ghoulish Delight
And either wait for that terribly inefficient tram or walk forever to your car. Then join the horrific gridlock getting out of there. As far as I'm concerned, the parking and tram system is something that they nailed.

I agree!

JenGood008
09-15-2003, 07:19 PM
Originally posted by Ghoulish Delight
And either wait for that terribly inefficient tram or walk forever to your car. Then join the horrific gridlock getting out of there. As far as I'm concerned, the parking and tram system is something that they nailed.

I have to agree with that. I have been extremely impressed with the efficiency of the parking structure/tram system and have never had any problem (except with completely stupid people either running to get on between my family and me or people who think I have eyes in the back of my head and can tell when they are going to come crashing into me shouting obscenities...not a fun trip to the parking lot):fez:

Bruce Bergman
09-15-2003, 07:23 PM
Originally posted by Ghoulish Delight
And either wait for that terribly inefficient tram or walk forever to your car. Then join the horrific gridlock getting out of there. As far as I'm concerned, the parking and tram system is something that they nailed.

You need to switch from pessimist to optimist...

The trams are fine IF you don't go out in one of the big crowd surges - right after DCA closes with the running of the Electrical Parade, right after the evening DL parade, right after the fireworks, or right after one of the Fantasmic! showings ends. Getting out 15 minutes ahead of the surge or waiting 15 minutes for them to get out ahead of you makes life much easier.

And if you don't have small children along break up your party and take the "single rider" seats on the trams, where a party of 3 or 4 spreads out to make the row look full (just ask nicely) - I have never had to wait more than one tram using that method. As long as you have a pre-arranged meeting spot and/or everyone knows where you parked.

If the bridge is open and there are no accidents, you can be out of the structure and on the freeway without slowing down - MUCH better than the old "West Street Brakelight Parade" of days gone by, when the whole parking lot had to funnel down to three lanes to exit, and wait through several traffic signals to hit the freeway. :p

(I realize the traffic pattern on the upper floors of the Parking Structure is miserable, but they thought they were improving the incoming traffic flow by reversing the lanes and making everyone take a full lap around the building to leave. WRONG... :mad: One of these days they'll repent and change it back to the way the architects intended.)

Stay to the left as you exit the structure and take the flyover bridge whenever possible, that's why it was built - you don't have to sit and wait through the traffic light at Ball that way. There are ramps for both North and South I-5.

--<< Bruce >>--

Khiori
09-15-2003, 07:27 PM
I haven't made up my mind yet if I like the parking structure or not yet. But I do have some thoughts - I like the cameras EVERYWHERE. No wonder you can't lose your car in there. I like that my car isn't in the hot sun all day.


~time passes~

Ok I could only come up with those two things :D I just asked my husband if he liked them and he immediately answered "No". I guess he liked the walking in a huge lot better :)

innerSpaceman
09-15-2003, 07:39 PM
Originally posted by Bruce Bergman
the traffic pattern on the upper floors of the Parking Structure is miserable, but they thought they were improving the incoming traffic flow by reversing the lanes and making everyone take a full lap around the building to leave. WRONG. One of these days they'll repent and change it back to the way the architects intended.
Well, they won't be doing as the "architects" (*ahem* Michael Eisner personally) intended - - as "they" (he) did not figure the fact that actual people would be driving the parking cars into their architectural equations. As such, they did not discover until the multi-million dollar structure was built and actually operating that people leaving their parked cars and heading towards Disneyland would be walking into oncoming vehicle traffic! Ooops.

The entire parking lot had to be re-striped at phenomenal expense to arrange for cars to park angled the opposite way, and the "lap around the structure" system was born so that all the "guests" would not be mowed down before they purchased their entrance media.

It will be a cold day in Hell before they rebuild the auto ramps to alleviate the "lap around" system. It's here to stay.

But, yes, the tram and exit to the freeway systems are much improved over the old parking lot. Unless you were one of the savvy parkers (which is why I personally miss the old lot), it is a whole easier to get to your car now than it was then. Oh, with the caveat that some of the parking spaces in that structure require almost as much walking as the worst parking spaces in the old lot. And with those, at least you had the option of waiting for a tram. With the structure, once you've already had to take a tram to get there, you're on your own (two feet) getting to wherever your car is parked.

Traffic out of the structure to the freeway? There ya got me. Never been better.

Ghoulish Delight
09-15-2003, 08:22 PM
Originally posted by Bruce Bergman
You need to switch from pessimist to optimist...
You misunderstood me. I'm defending the new system. My comments were based on the old parkinglot. It sucked to leave the park and try to get back to your car.

EandCDad
09-15-2003, 08:27 PM
Originally posted by Bruce Bergman
You need to switch from pessimist to optimist...


Ghoulish Delight was, I think, praising the new structure over the old parking lot. I could be wrong, but I think "nailed" was used in a good way.

I agree with him, if he was saying it's a pretty good system. If he was saying that it is a bad system, then I disagree with him and think he is a poop-head to boot.

I've never had any trouble exiting the structure and getting on the 5, but the flyover isn't always open for exit, especially if you are leaving more in the early afternoon rather than later at night. Still and all, a good system.

In order to keep this somewhat on topic, I agree with the Ball Road method of getting to the structure. I am a little confused by this statement


Originally posted by Khiori
It wasn't very clear that you leave where you paid, then go somewhere else and park there. Yikes.

Normally, you enter the structure and park in the structure. Sometimes they direct you to the outside lot next to the structure, but normally we park somewhere inside the structure except for on very busy days.

Darkbeer
09-15-2003, 10:15 PM
The one big thing I miss about the old lot, that the tram made multiple stops, and you only had to walk a little bit. If you get placed in many areas of the new structure, you have to walk about a 1/4 mile just to get to the tram stop. And of course, walk back to your car to end the evening. Also, you didn't have to worry about the escalators breaking down, and making you walk to the 5th or 6th level (or wait 15 minutes to use one of the two elevators).

Sheila
09-15-2003, 11:12 PM
Originally posted by EandCDad
Normally, you enter the structure and park in the structure. Sometimes they direct you to the outside lot next to the structure, but normally we park somewhere inside the structure except for on very busy days.

Unfortunately, Khiori's perplexed statement is true if you make the mistake of entering the parking lot via the Harbor Blvd. entrance. The parking attendants take your money and you are directed towards Timon. Then, you are unceremoniously and unexpectedly dumped out onto Disneyland Drive.

If you're really lucky, a Cast Member will wave you north to the parking structure. If not, you are left to figure out how to get to a bona fide DL parking lot. It's really unfriendly and totally confusing to folks who have not visited DL for several years.

I really don't understand why people who enter via Harbor Blvd. are left to fend for themselves parking-wise -- it baffles me....

Sheila

Khiori
09-16-2003, 06:31 AM
Originally posted by Sheila
Unfortunately, Khiori's perplexed statement is true if you make the mistake of entering the parking lot via the Harbor Blvd. entrance. The parking attendants take your money and you are directed towards Timon. Then, you are unceremoniously and unexpectedly dumped out onto Disneyland Drive.


That's exactly what happened. "Unceremoniously" and "unexpectedly" was the way we felt. It was very confusing! If I could add anything to a Disneyland website, I would add parking maps and instructions. :p

EandCDad
09-16-2003, 06:58 AM
Originally posted by Khiori
If I could add anything to a Disneyland website, I would add parking maps and instructions. :p They have heard your plea. (http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dlr/transportation/index) As you can see from the top of the map, if you get on Ball Road and then turn into Disneyland Drive, the Mickey and Friends Structure is right there. Much easier than what you guys did.

yeo_foxe
09-16-2003, 07:03 AM
The parking struture is ok...

They could do with a couple of benches along the walkway, for those of us who get tired and need to rest on the way back to our car.

I'm not crazy about about the right onto Ball then the left onto Harbor I need to make. ~4 lanes across.... urrghhh....

Going on the 5 South is not quite as bad... just not good!

(Sorry DLand Mgmt not all your visitors are going to LA!)

(It's less time to take surface streets from my home to Dland...)

Khiori
09-16-2003, 07:06 AM
Originally posted by EandCDad
They have heard your plea. (http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dlr/transportation/index)

*poof* it's magic!!

Sheesh, how in the world did I miss that??

Alex S.
09-16-2003, 08:05 AM
One minor tip I'd give is that when you enter the parking structure, stay as far right as you can. This will put you on the lower floor they are loading (when they're split between floorw) and the closest row to the escalators (when they're parking everyone on one level).

This won't help, though, with how far down a row you are (they in our anecdotal experience the two rows they are loading are usually near each other in fullness, so being to the right is generally an advantage.

The only time this will really work to your disadvantage is if you are one of the last cars loaded on a lower level (that happened to us once; we almost turned around and drove back to Oakland). It also guarantees you won't be on the roof unless they are putting everybody on the roof.

Darkbeer
09-16-2003, 08:40 AM
Another thing I don't like about the parking structure, the lack of trash cans.. What are they thinking, many folks have trash from food/snacks eaten while driving to the park....:confused:

adriennek
09-16-2003, 08:41 AM
Bruce Bergman wrote
Stay to the left as you exit the structure and take the flyover bridge whenever possible, that's why it was built - you don't have to sit and wait through the traffic light at Ball that way. There are ramps for both North and South I-5.

That plan only works if you want to be on the I-5. For someone heading out the 91, that's going to take you out of the way.

What I really hate is how they try to force you onto those ramps so if you want to turn on Ball, you have to cross multiple lanes of traffic to get into the right-most lane. Add to that people who want to be on the 5 but missed the ramp for whatever reason. Now THAT is a bad accident waiting to happen.

Personally, my biggest issue with the structure, as a parent who has the cajones to actually bring a stroller into the park, is the TWO elevators for every person with a stroller or wheelchair or other reason to not use the escalators.

And if they're parking two levels at a time, oh brother!

Adrienne

EandCDad
09-16-2003, 09:16 AM
Originally posted by adriennek
Personally, my biggest issue with the structure, as a parent who has the cajones to actually bring a stroller into the park, is the TWO elevators for every person with a stroller or wheelchair or other reason to not use the escalators.


We took a stroller to DL for quite awhile after they built the structure and I think we rode the elevator once (I got no patience for that waiting crap). We simply took our daughter out of the stroller and rode down the escelator. I think it is too narrow for double wides and stuff, but we never had any problem.