Parking inequity?

[ksdave]

OK, so I really never complain about anything to do with UO on here. Too many of those Disney fanatics already do that.
BUT, we went to UO this past Friday thru Sunday to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary with our kids. We drove down with our 21 year old son and picked up our daughter at MCO Thursday night after her flight from DTW. In order to save our money for our big anniversary trip to St. Thomas next month, we used my Marriott points to get rooms at the Courtyard down I-drive. We had a great day Friday at Studios and the kids took us to Mama Della's for dinner. Went back to the hotel happy as usual.
The issue happened Saturday morning. We got up extra early, as we knew crowds would be bad at IOA. We got our usual free parking due to our PAPs and followed the flow into the garages. I was stunned when I saw empty level after empty level closed off as we headed up, and was even more shocked as they guided us up to the roof, in the intense sun and heat. At that point, there were only two rows of cars already lined up, with us starting the third. I could not understand why they were making the folks who arrived in time for park opening park in the sun and heat while closing off all of those empty levels. I even checked the other garage and noted that the only people parked there were the employees on the lowest levels and the Preferred on level 3.
Is this a new "normal" practice? Why in the world would they make the people conscientious enough to arrive early get the crappy spots in the weather, while the later arrivals got covered parking. It blew my mind when we were leaving around 9:00 PM to see the entire level 3 deck empty except for the few rows of handicapped parking!!! Is this something I should write to UO Guest Services about? Or do they even care?

 

[PolyGuy]

Having been a regular visitor to Universal, I learned that this is typically the way they do it. Start at the top and work their way down. As a local, we usually only hit the parks at night, and as such are usually near the bottom 100s or 200s.

If you get there early, expect to be up on top. A few weeks ago for the Springfield opening, got there at open and were on top. It's just the way they do it.

 

[truck1]

Having worked the MK parking lot, it makes sense to a degree.(We used to do something similar at the MK. There was at least 5 people directing. 1 at each point, and 2 where you turned into the lot itself to park, plus 1 in the overflow. We could double lane traffic to keep everyone moving, sometimes even triple or quadrupple) I always grit my teeth and bite my tongue when we go to USF. The reason it does is that when traffic backs up because of any number of reasons, they can cut the traffic, and send the overflow into the next lowest level. However, this would require both a crew that knew what they were doing, and someone paying attention. My biggest pet peeve, besides the drivers that flow single file into the garage in a 4 lane wide road, is that the lot crew is more interested in talking then parking cars.

 

[bumbershoot]

I was stunned when I saw empty level after empty level closed off as we headed up, and was even more shocked as they guided us up to the roof, in the intense sun and heat. At that point, there were only two rows of cars already lined up, with us starting the third. I could not understand why they were making the folks who arrived in time for park opening park in the sun and heat while closing off all of those empty levels. I even checked the other garage and noted that the only people parked there were the employees on the lowest levels and the Preferred on level 3.
Is this a new "normal" practice? Why in the world would they make the people conscientious enough to arrive early get the crappy spots in the weather, while the later arrivals got covered parking. It blew my mind when we were leaving around 9:00 PM to see the entire level 3 deck empty except for the few rows of handicapped parking!!! Is this something I should write to UO Guest Services about? Or do they even care?

As a FWIW moment, that's what I've experienced in Anaheim at the Mickey and Friends garage. So it might not be done at WDW, but it's not Universal-specific, either. Maybe if WDW had multi-level parking garages they'd do the same? I imagine it's a flow thing for those busy early mornings, to keep people moving and KNOWING where they are going, instead of having problems when people fight for a space?

 

[Metro West]

I never really think about it. I've been on just about level there is and it didn't depend on when I arrived. I've arrived in the evenings for HHN and had to park on the roof or first thing in the morning and I've been on the first level. There is no rhyme nor reason to the garages...I just go where they tell me.

 

[SharonLowe]

Remember they also have preferred parking and valet parking, which would get the premium spots lower down.

 

[conniehar90]

When we were there in the summer of 2012, we were directed to the lowest level - we were in the very first row. This summer, we had to go to the top. It was a cloudy day so I didn't think anything of it but you are right. Those there early should not have to be way at the top!