HUGE RANT!! Parking situation is ridiculous and random

[SMD]

Walking to Garden Walk was not an option. It was 102 degrees outside. While I realize that was a very unusual circumstance and doesn't happen often, that defies the entire purpose of the return shuttle. They needed to have more shuttles running and transporting people. Plain and simple, a huge fail.

We will NEVER be a one of the sheep again and follow the arrows. That was just dumb and we paid for it.

I've seen the CMs out at M&F explaining that it will be a long wait because there is nowhere for the shuttles to go. Even in 102 degree weather I think I'd rather walk than possibly sit in shuttle just outside the structure waiting in a line to unload. The difference being that they explained the option, not that they didn't conscript more shuttles than the route can logistically handle. They should have had someone out there explaining things, but I've also seen the TS CMs get horribly abused on busy days, so I understand why that might not happen too. Did anyone try asking at the information booth if they were in contact with transportation? It may seem simple, but Disney can't just send 10 or 20 shuttles out when only 2 can get through a red light or where they'll all be sitting outside the lot waiting to unload. Guests can only assume the reasons why a parking lot closes or shuttles aren't sent on a regular schedule. And it's often not a situation Disney controls with the traffic flow on city streets being a factor.

 

[SoCalTrojanSkip]

We went to DTD on Saturday to see the Force Awakens...
Long story short, we were told to get to DTD an hour before we had to and were afraid of having to pay the ridiculous hourly charge because the time for the movie, didn't line up with the time you are given at DTD for free. We thought about moving to the structure, or even going out and coming back in but (this is where it ties into the OP) I remember reading on the boards that the M & F parking gets shut down somtime between 10:30-11:30 full or not to save spaces for those arriving later in the day (it was at that point 11:25) and there was no way we were going to park in TS to walk back to DTD. Add to that the fact that it was Tuba Christmas and we began to worry that DTD parking would begin to fill up as well...

So we stayed and had a nice chat with the DTD toll booth CM, who was kind of snotty about the whole thing, but ultimately waved the 12.00 charge.

 

[bumbershoot]

We typically stay on property but opted for Hilton Anaheim this time (using up points). Suffice it to say we are staying on property next time. This little experience sealed that deal for both of us.

You were driving to M&F from the Hilton? And you got diverted to GW? I'm so confused, why not just drive/walk over to Toy Story lot?

If you were waiting in line for an hour and then walked back to city hall to complain, you could have just walked to GW in that same time.

We were routed mysteriously to GW when it was first open, back when DS was, gosh, well ages ago. My brother and sis in law were with us; my brother was dealing with an undiagnosed hernia (he knew what it was but he couldn't convince the specialists that it was a hernia and not "just because you're a runner"). He had to call a halt to the day b/c of the pain, but still was able to walk back to GW. It's just not that long of a walk.

Just curious , is the easy fix just take the hotel shuttle?

Yes, or walk.

Walking to Garden Walk was not an option. It was 102 degrees outside.

You had been walking around the parks in that same heat.

 

[sarah017]

Bingo!

I come from San Diego. Can you give me directions to the Toy Story lot? Thanks!!

 

[dina444444]

I come from San Diego. Can you give me directions to the Toy Story lot? Thanks!!

Exit the 5 north at state college Blvd/ Orangthrope. You are going to go straight at the light and then make a left at the second light on Orangthrope. Then you will make a right on harbor and the parking lot will be on your right.

 

[delilah]

I routinely go to a conference at the Anaheim Convention center,stay at Anaheim Hilton, and I go to Disneyland in the evenings. I take the ART, which costs about $20 for a 5 day ticket. It's $20 per adult, of course. I don't bring a car with me. I take Supershuttle from the airport (which costs about $11 each way). The ART bus comes about every 20 minutes, and there are at least 3 routes that stop at the plaza between the Marriott and the Hilton. It also seems like it would be a reasonable walk. One year, my husband and son came and we rented a car. I got a bit aggravated with my husband because he wanted to drive and not take the bus. We walked further and waited longer and paid more than we would have with the ART bus.
Unlike at WDW, however, there are not free shuttles to the parks from the hotels.

 

[agamble]

We’ve only ever parked at Disneyland once (a crazy one day trip) as we stay at hotels and either walk or take a shuttle. BUT, this just reminded me that there has been zero information about the new parking structure. Wasn’t part of their planned expenditures supposed to include more parking to help alleviate some of the headaches and issues this causes, especially for the poor CM who end up parking miles away and being bussed in.

 

[T0rrent]

I believe that's still slated but probably hasn't even begun yet.

 

[Jaina]

I routinely go to a conference at the Anaheim Convention center,stay at Anaheim Hilton, and I go to Disneyland in the evenings. I take the ART, which costs about $20 for a 5 day ticket. It's $20 per adult, of course. I don't bring a car with me. I take Supershuttle from the airport (which costs about $11 each way). The ART bus comes about every 20 minutes, and there are at least 3 routes that stop at the plaza between the Marriott and the Hilton. It also seems like it would be a reasonable walk. One year, my husband and son came and we rented a car. I got a bit aggravated with my husband because he wanted to drive and not take the bus. We walked further and waited longer and paid more than we would have with the ART bus.
Unlike at WDW, however, there are not free shuttles to the parks from the hotels.

We are planning a trip in November where we'll be almost 1.5 miles from the parks. With 5 smallish children, we won't be making the walk (on top of all the park walking). We were leaning towards the Toy Story lot (we're staying around a half mile past it), but your experience with ART is interesting. That is our other option. I can't decide which will be best!

 

[agamble]

We’ve used ART before. If you go that path try to get the kids’ tickets for free. The shuttles are supposed to come every 20 minutes, but they can fall behind. You have to fold the stroller, but you would on Toy Story shuttles too. If it picks up right outside your hotel, it could be a nice foot saver over walking to the parking lot. Go to their website and look at the map and see the route your bus would take. They stop at different hotels and if you’re the last stop you may have trouble finding a place to sit on the way to the park, but you’d also have a shorter time on the bus on the way there, though a longer time on the way back.

 

[smartlabelprint]

We got diverted to the Garden Walk in August too. It took about an hour from our hotel to get to the gates of Disneyland. Our hotel was a 2 minute drive from the Garden Walk. I was so upset about it that I DID go to City Hall and complain about it. It had been a hard morning and the parking situation just turned it into an almost melt down from mom morning. I was told that Disney has no control over when parking diversions happen . . . they claimed that the local police dictate when and where traffic gets diverted too. That may or may not be true but to me it was immaterial. Disneyland has a huge amount of people with ap's and should have some system set up that can let their guests whether they are ap holders or first timers to be told where to go to park in real time. They could easily do it by having a number people could text the morning or day they are going and send out updates to that list of people on what parking is open. Or they could have an email list people could to subscribe to for the day for important updates. They also have the new app that could have a section telling people what parking is open. The website could also have a easily accessible place people could check before they leave their hotels or homes to see where to park. The lack of communication when it could be so easy to set up is inexcusable. I believe it would eliminate so much frustration for both visitors and the cast members that have to deal with irate visitors. I did get a set of fast passes for my family for the inconvenience but it did not make up for the negative feelings the situation created. If they can let you text them to join in the Diamond Celebration word of the day competition they should be able to let you text to get important updates of happenings at the resort!

This situation is the only thing I have ever complained about at City Hall in 8 years of going . . . they need to deal with it.

Why do you drive if you stay so close?

 

[delilah]

Almost every time I walked out of my hotel, there was already a bus waiting. It depends on what hotel you are staying at. The Anaheim Hilton and Marriot are directly across from each other on the plaza, and several routes go to the plaza. I don't know about the other hotels. The Toy Story lot is about a block away from the plaza, and when I stayed with my husband, he parked there. We are used to distances at WDW. To put the entire distance involved into perspective, it is probably shorter to walk from the Anaheim Hilton to the pedestrian entrance for Disneyland than to walk from the closest parking spaces in the Villians parking lot to the ticket and transportation center, which we have done. I don't do it in California because I am not as familiar with the area and don't feel comfortable doing so after dark.