South Parking Entrance

[epcyclopedia]

So a quick query, since it's been bugging me for a long time and I've never understood it..

What's the point of the south parking entrance? I've never seen it used. How is parking supposed to flow at the resort as designed...?

The weird u-turn to get to the south garage is obviously not how it was meant to be done.

 

[WAJAS]

As originally designed no left turns would be necessary to enter the parking garages as left turn stages waste time and capacity at intersections. The south entrance would handle traffic intake coming south on Universal Blvd and some coming west from Hollywood Way. The north entrance would handle traffic intake coming north on Universal Blvd and some coming west from Hollywood Way. The digital arrow signals when approaching Universal was originally supposed to change based off the current amount of cars in each garage and based off the amount of cars in queue for each entrance.

Not gonna lie I was curious about this a while ago as well.

 

[epcyclopedia]

I still don't get it. Have the roads and exits been changed then..?

I still don't understand where traffic for the south was supposed to come from.

 

[WAJAS]

I still don't get it. Have the roads and exits been changed then..?

I still don't understand where traffic for the south was supposed to come from.

There's an exit off Universal Blvd southbound and Hollywood Way eastbound on each's right side that leads to the south entrance. I could draw a diagram tomorrow if you want. Just ask.

 

[epcyclopedia]

There's an exit off Universal Blvd southbound and Hollywood Way eastbound on each's right side that leads to the south entrance. I could draw a diagram tomorrow if you want. Just ask.

I guess I'm viewing this all as traffic from I-4. The idea that there'd be enough traffic southbound on Universal and Hollywood to allocate to a garage baffles me.

 

[epcyclopedia]

And looking at the construction, it seems the new Volcano Bay tram line cuts off the right turn to the south garage after the north auto plaza.

Unless there's some flyover from I-4 that we don't know about or something I'm baffled as to how it is supposed to work.

Just going back to the southbound.. you have to drive through the whole resort and past the other autoplaza. That seems so silly.

 

[OLSinFLA]

That entrance can feed from Kirkman, as well as the two other entrances that are not from I-4. I often gets used early AM in busy times, and often for HHN

 

[Bobharlem]

The hollywood way entrance at universal blvd always confuses people with the light and the turn off lanes on the right. People not sure which way to go.

 

[epcyclopedia]

The hollywood way entrance at universal blvd always confuses people with the light and the turn off lanes on the right. People not sure which way to go.

Don't they also often have the various loops and turns closed?

 

[darkridelover]

They use the South Toll Plaza during HHN. This year they put cones up and directed all traffic coming for HHN to use that entrance. It's so the day guests can leave the North Parking Structure without interference of people coming into the park. Makes it very efficient cause they can park people row by row and fill up the whole South Garage instead of letting thousands of cars roam the North Garage looking for an open space.

 

[Bobharlem]

Yeah it's that one, but when its open its usually in the morning (when the mad rush of people come in) or during an event, the signing for it sucks though, people stall and then go toward the light or cut across at the last minute when it is open (and the sign is pointing right) rather than using the turnoff, which just makes things worse. They really need to make this thing more obvious when it is open since it eliminates the traffic light entirely.

The setup now is confusing as hell and I've seen it cause a few near accidents too. (Does that right arrow mean go right here or turn right at the light.... confused guest... lets do both! And switch to the other at the last second)

 

[WAJAS]

Green = traffic to be routed to South Entrance
Blue = traffic to be routed to North Entrance
Red = normally closed roads

They use the North Entrance as the default because it can be easily accessed from all directions leading into Universal, while the South Entrance is only useful for southbound Universal Blvd and eastbound Hollywood Way.

 

[epcyclopedia]

So what route is traffic westbound on I-4 supposed to be taking?

 

[WAJAS]

So what route is traffic westbound on I-4 supposed to be taking?

The Universal exit that leads to to Cabana Bay's entrance. There is digital signage on I-4 for traffic to be directed to either the above exit or the Kirkman exit, but it isn't used anymore.

Eastbound only uses Kirkman.

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

So what route is traffic westbound on I-4 supposed to be taking?

The south or North Garage once they get off of I-4 near Wha is now Cabana Bay. Before hand though when it was just Universal, It was just the One Garage if I'm not mistaking. Once all the additions came about the other garage went from Parking lot to garage and Universal likely pre-planned for longterm plans of extra people and capacity.

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

So what route is traffic westbound on I-4 supposed to be taking?

Westbound I-4 is green. Eastbound I-4 is blue.

 

[epcyclopedia]

There's no way to redirect eastbound to the south garage aside from the terrible u-turn right?

 

[Jwhee]

Don't think I've ever seen that entrance open. Normally just go through the north entrance then take a right turn and directed to the south garage.

 

[epcyclopedia]

Don't think I've ever seen that entrance open. Normally just go through the north entrance then take a right turn and directed to the south garage.

Which is relatively awful because the u-turn into the structure sucks and is poorly marked every time I've had to do it.

Looking at maps, it seems there's meant to be a small single lane roadway that runs along the garage and then into the lowest level. If they used that it would save some of the grief, but it only goes to the lowest level.

You would think that south entrance would have a direct line from i-4. Regardless, if they insist on using primarily the north plaza (in the middle) they need to rework the turns to get to the south garage. They're yucky.

 

[WAJAS]

There's no way to redirect eastbound to the south garage aside from the terrible u-turn right?

Ya you can't. It's why the North entrance became the primary entrance.