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DizneyMommy
09-18-2007, 08:27 PM
Does anyone know why on earth they don't just open ALL of the exit gates at park closing rather than funneling the entire post-parade crowd through 3 or 4 of them? If it is a staffing matter, can't they pull a few people for 20 minutes to help with traffic flow, I mean the park is CLOSING, they can't be all that busy elsewhere. We were leaving at closing after the parade last night and it was somewhat ridiculous how few gates they had open. I usually make a point NOT to leave at closing time so I am not sure if this is normal or a fluke? I know it gets crowded at the gate, but this seemed excessive. This meant that there were only 3 or 4 swing gates for all of the strollers trying to exit... it was clearly not working so hot as they kept stopping husbands and siblings who were following their families, to send them over to the turnstiles. Then of course you get to the security tents and half of them are roped off, and once you finally get through those the notorious tram traffic diversion signs are up.

It was to the point that people were getting very angry and pushy trying to get to the gate. One woman litterally stepped over my stroller to get in front of me and she kinda caught on my daughters footrest and I ran over her heels (ok, it was kinda sorta on purpose, slow reflexes :~D and then she yelled at me as she pushed her way past other people with strollers. I made a comment to my husband who was complaining that I stopped without warning, that I was trying to be courteous and not ram people's heels but someone put their heels in my way. A guy next to us turned around and said (totally joking, with a huge smile) Don't you know courtesy is not permitted in the park? Please leave it at home next time. Several people around me heard it and got a good chuckle from it while we were patiently shuffling to the exit in the mob scene.

Bytebear
09-18-2007, 08:57 PM
I have seen them open the center gates on very busy exits, but for the most part the log jam of people happens only at the closest gates to the tunnels. CMs try to direct people to the center turnstyles, but people tend not to listen. So, if you want to exit quickly head toward the middle.

DizneyMommy
09-19-2007, 06:44 AM
There was no middle - there were only 3 gates open, all next to each other, and they were sending everyone through those three. They were the 3 closest to the center of the main gate area, but that wasn't helping at all, people were coming from both tunnels because the parade had just ended.

Jim Dear and Darling
09-19-2007, 08:21 AM
They do that all the time. I have often wondered the same thing.

DreamingofDisney
09-19-2007, 08:39 AM
Ok that is something I am not looking forward to? Do you know if people with Disablaties go through a different exit or is it just the three of them?
Now I am getting nervous I am going in June of 2008!

DizneyMommy
09-19-2007, 10:43 AM
Wheelchairs and strollers get to exit through the swing gate between each turnstile, but only the ones that are open. Bring your patience! Really, this is probably only such a nightmare when either a parade or fireworks end right at park closing because everyone is already on main st and then just exits. Try to avoid exiting at those times and you'll be ok.

samkj
09-19-2007, 11:50 AM
Ok that is something I am not looking forward to? Do you know if people with Disablaties go through a different exit or is it just the three of them?
Now I am getting nervous I am going in June of 2008!
Dizneymommy was right. You just have to wait to exit along with the rest, then you go through the swinging gate when you get to the front of the line. The best thing to do if you need to leave at one of the busy times is to find an out of the way area and wait 20 minutes, then try to exit. When we had to leave to make a dinner reservation after one of the parade, I absolutely could NOT move with my daughters wheelchair. Luckily a security guard noticed how rude people were being, by shoving around us and/or cutting us off, that he gave us an escort to the exit gates. It would've been impossible to get out otherwise.

ssturgeo
09-19-2007, 01:00 PM
Gosh, I am never in a hurry to exit!!!

itig
09-19-2007, 01:59 PM
The best thing to do if you need to leave at one of the busy times is to find an out of the way area and wait 20 minutes, then try to exit.

We usually get a treat at the Blue Ribbon and sit right out front on the curb and watch the masses funnel out. This does nothing to directly address the turnstile problem or rude folks, but it keeps me happy and sugar-coated :p

DaDuckFan1955
09-19-2007, 02:02 PM
Me too! Why the hurry to leave. plan on going to a ride right before closing, then you will be in the park after it closes and have a more relaxed exit, or go into one of the packed stores (Ice cream?) window shop for a while then exit.

Of course if you join everyone else in their mad hatter dash it will get chaotic.

The other option would be to leave 10-15 minutes before closing?

Hope these options help.

DizneyMommy
09-19-2007, 02:54 PM
Me too! Why the hurry to leave. plan on going to a ride right before closing, then you will be in the park after it closes and have a more relaxed exit, or go into one of the packed stores (Ice cream?) window shop for a while then exit.

Of course if you join everyone else in their mad hatter dash it will get chaotic.

The other option would be to leave 10-15 minutes before closing?

Hope these options help.

Yeah, if you can convince my 2 year old of any of that, please, be my guest. The park had closed at 8pm, and the parade had just ended when we left. I can't stand up and walk out with my daughter 15 minutes before the parade is over, how fair would that be? And we were right in front of the train station, have you ever tried to go against traffic with a stroller to go back to a store when everyone is on Main St leaving at closing time? That would have been worse than trying to exit with the crowd! Like I said, it is rare that we do it that way, we usually bail while everyone is waiting for the parade.

I realize there are far smarter ways of going about leaving the park, I am queen of crowd avoidance, but my point was that when the park is closing they do not have very many gates open to accommodate the crowd, it doesn't seem like very well managed crowd control.

layflowers
09-19-2007, 03:08 PM
Yeah, why don't they just open more up and let people get out? Maybe they do it this way so that people go INTO the shops to avoid the madness and thereby SPEND more money?! I mean, if it's closing, why do they have to have a cast member stand there and supervise the turnstile?

Bytebear
09-19-2007, 03:13 PM
They don't have the staff to handle more gates. They need attendees at each gate for safety as well as to make sure people go through the turnstyles, lest they have an inaccurate count of attendees. If you notice, unless you have a stroller or wheelchair, they will force you to go through the turnstyles.

darph nader
09-19-2007, 06:16 PM
I'm sorry,but what you don't realize is that they are in a 'hurry' to get to the next log-jamb. Trams,cross-walks,parking lot,freeway.:D
ssturgeo is right though,why be in a hurry to leave? But then again,"Plan Ahead";)

nightdesigns
09-19-2007, 06:30 PM
The turnstyles give them counts of how many people are leaving, how many people are in the park etc. I'm sure they can do fun pie charts and graphs with those numbers.

Malcon10t
09-19-2007, 06:56 PM
Ok that is something I am not looking forward to? Do you know if people with Disablaties go through a different exit or is it just the three of them?
Now I am getting nervous I am going in June of 2008!Everyone goes thru the same exits, except if you are in a chair or have a SD, you will go thru the same as a stroller. In June/July, they usually have all gates open at closing.

ssturgeo
09-20-2007, 04:15 AM
A FireHouse Sundae from the cone shop by the lockers, sitting on the benches by the flagpole, a perfect way to end the day....BEFORE hitting the turnstiles! Of course sitting and enjoying ANY of the treats along Main St. are a great way to end the day!

dsnyredhead
09-20-2007, 06:16 AM
I love how they put barracades up so that everyone has to walk past WOD. It seems very much a "get people to spend time in the stores" policy.

cstephens
09-20-2007, 10:52 AM
I love how they put barracades up so that everyone has to walk past WOD. It seems very much a "get people to spend time in the stores" policy.

But oftentimes when the near entrance is blocked, WoD is closed anyway.

Wallad1075
09-20-2007, 11:13 AM
I love how they put barracades up so that everyone has to walk past WOD. It seems very much a "get people to spend time in the stores" policy.

I think the main reason for those barracades is to filter people away from that first entrance to the tram stop. The first load queue is for the front car that holds all the strollers and ECVs, etc. So its already going to be backed up with more taken up space than usual. I have seen non-peak days when those barracades are not used. Generally when they know the trams arent running at full capacity. Can you imagine if those barracades were not there on a night like July 4? You'd have the tram line backed up into the park!

But I agree, there probably is a bit of consideration to so conveniently close that area off to make peole shop. ;)