Leaving the park during Mardi Gras

[Purseval]

We were at Mardi Gras this past saturday night. The park, parade and Pat Benatar concert were all great but they should really set up a system for getting people out of the park who want to leave and people over to the concert after the parade. It would have been fairly simple to route people trying to leave around the boneyard, over by Mels and out down Rodeo drive. Instead you had a mass jam of people trying to get out at the same time people were trying to get over to the concert. It got pretty ugly for a while, a lot of pushing, shoving and a few fights broke out. And that was only in the small section we could see. I didn't get asked to do any surveys on the way out like they do at HHN, if I did that would have been my only complaint.

 

[DOOM1001]

Universal must be doing a very good job of advertising Mardi Gras cause I went on Feb. 21 with Ne-Yo in concert and experienced the same thing,total gridlock on the street,like not moving at all.I stood by the Monsters Cafe for like 20 minutes,which was as close as I could get to the stage just watching people not move,eventually we went back into the park to exit by the street by Mels and Terminator.I've been to Mardi Gras at Universal probably over a dozen times and this last visit was the most crowded I've ever seen it,other years I remember watching the parade over by San Francisco like I did this year and being able to walk to the stage and at least get somewhat close to the stage.

 

[Metro West]

The new stage area doesn't seem as big as The Boneyard was...I was over there that night too and had the same experience. It was too many people for that area and the surrounding buildings provided no help. I don't like being in that kind of mob in case of an emergency.

 

[Purseval]

There were people in wheelchairs, strollers, small children and a lot of angry people. It was a mess and I hope they think about a way to control it in the future.

 

[Metro West]

There were people in wheelchairs, strollers, small children and a lot of angry people. It was a mess and I hope they think about a way to control it in the future.

I don't see how they can. Unless they hold concerts at the Fear Factor arena which would limit the size of the crowd but it would improve traffic flow.

 

[Purseval]

I don't see how they can.

Maybe a big sign and a few CMs near Jaws, the Mummy ride and again near Twister asking people trying to leave the park to head over towards Mels.

I'm pretty sure I saw you over near the concert area early on when we first came into the park. You're pretty big and hard to miss but, since I'd only seen you once before at HHN I felt foolish walking up to a stranger and asking if they were called Metro.

 

[Metro West]

I'm pretty sure I saw you over near the concert area early on when we first came into the park. You're pretty big and hard to miss but, since I'd only seen you once before at HHN I felt foolish walking up to a stranger and asking if they were called Metro.

It's possible...I was taking pictures when I first got there and then went to Louie's to grab dinner. After Louie's, I parked over near Mel's and took pictures of the parade.

 

[MIB999999]

I have never seen any fights break-out, but if you are in a hurry then Studios is not the place to be about 1/2 hour before the parade begins. I do not mind the wheel chairs cause they have to careful not to run up on the people in front of them. I do not like when there are 3 or 4 wheel chairs abrest and the people pushing in them look like, and walk like, they should be in the chair.

 

[Metro West]

I have never seen any fights break-out, but if you are in a hurry then Studios is not the place to be about 1/2 hour before the parade begins.

You know what's funny...I sat in my spot for the parade from 6:45pm on and it was very late...around 8pm or so before everyone showed up for a viewing spot. I kept thinking...where is everyone? Then...poof...they all showed up.

 

[MIB999999]

During the Macy's parade there was about 5 different groups of people around us. We covered an area about 15 feet across and 3 deep. None of us knew each other from the other groups. We were all to the left of a designated walk thru area. We all got tired of people coming up from behind and wanting to pass thru to the other side, or people coming straight on and wanting to pass thru. We were all packed tight so there was very little room to move so these people could pass thru. We all decided with eye contact that we were not moving again. So next time we all just pointed to the walk thru area less than 20 feet away and we refused to move. We heard a few choice comments, but we refused to move.
BTW coming up from behind and bumping me with your wheelchair or baby carriage to get my attention to ask me to move will not make me move.

 

[Metro West]

BTW coming up from behind and bumping me with your wheelchair or baby carriage to get my attention to ask me to move will not make me move.

You meanie!