Disney Springs Discussion

[Ultranel]

Hearing horror stories about traffic last weekend, even with the new garages open. There was gridlock literally IN the Strawberry Lot. Friends got off work at midnight, could not pull out of parking spaces, traffic was just stopped in the aisles. Ended up going to Splitsville for an hour, still took 90 minutes to drive what should take 20.

Seems no question should have completed Buena Vista before even moving a shovelful of dirt at Springs.

Those Parking garage should've been priority #1 about 5 or more years ago.

 

[Ultranel]

I personally would not park in Strawberry. Orange seems to be the easiest to get in and out of. I have had zero issues with Orange. I do want to try lime as it is closer to the shops I like. I do agree construction is a pain, but I think waiting on road infrastructure would have delayed this project years and then we would all be going, "Disney takes forever just to build a simple mall". They really can't win. but I think doing road and DS at the same time was the smart move, get this done more quickly. And if anyone ever went to DTD you know gridlock was an every day thing. So for most people now, it is 100x better. Sure you will have issues here and there, but doesn't every park? I mean I have waited to get in and out of Universal depending on when I come and go and same with Sea World. I normally slowly walk out of Sea World if it is near closing, otherwise I am in that parking lot forever. My brother in law said they waited 30 minutes to get out of Aquatica parking lot at close. I personally don't think this type of story you are saying is out of the norm for any theme park place depending on the time of day.

Well I think all those problems would've been solved if they would've kept Walt's original idea of 1 main visitor center where everyone parks and get a transport to where ever they are going to inside World. I do understand times do change and might get more challenging with the amount of traffic, but at least the focus would be in one area only to update, expand, or redesign traffic flow, instead of having to deal with multi parking lots for multi attractions all over the place. I really wish they would emphasize on World's Transportation System, but all I get is "Transportation does not generate income" and my answer to that is, "But it generates customer service". I guess in their eyes my wallet is way more important than me. Good thing my wallet can't get there without me.

 

[IzzyB]

Well I think all those problems would've been solved if they would've kept Walt's original idea of 1 main visitor center where everyone parks and get a transport to where ever they are going to inside World. I do understand times do change and might get more challenging with the amount of traffic, but at least the focus would be in one area only to update, expand, or redesign traffic flow, instead of having to deal with multi parking lots for multi attractions all over the place. I really wish they would emphasize on World's Transportation System, but all I get is "Transportation does not generate income" and my answer to that is, "But it generates customer service". I guess in their eyes my wallet is way more important than me. Good thing my wallet can't get there without me.

Honestly Walt's vision was very flawed. If I have a reservation at MK I have to build in time to do the monorail or boat system. If I have reservation in DS I don't have to do this. Park my car and walk to the place. No waiting in lines, no nothing. I think that having one large parking center with transportation to the various places would have been a disaster and caused less customer service. But that is just my opinion.

Not to mention if I left MK at 9:20 PM I would be fighting the closing traffic of Epcot if Epcot didn't have their own parking lot. So now not only do you have to worry about what time the place you are leaving opens and closes to avoid those rushes, you have to worry about every other place on property.

 

[epcyclopedia]

Well in Walt's world there were no reservations - the park had capacity for attractions and dining that far outpaced the crowds.

 

[Ultranel]

Honestly Walt's vision was very flawed. If I have a reservation at MK I have to build in time to do the monorail or boat system. If I have reservation in DS I don't have to do this. Park my car and walk to the place. No waiting in lines, no nothing. I think that having one large parking center with transportation to the various places would have been a disaster and caused less customer service. But that is just my opinion.

Not to mention if I left MK at 9:20 PM I would be fighting the closing traffic of Epcot if Epcot didn't have their own parking lot. So now not only do you have to worry about what time the place you are leaving opens and closes to avoid those rushes, you have to worry about every other place on property.

:saywhat: I see no valid point here. It is a mess and it has always been.

 

[IzzyB]

:saywhat: I see no valid point here. It is a mess and it has always been.

I don't understand what is a "mess"? As someone who drives a car, I much prefer parking somewhere that I can walk or just need to use one mode of transportation to get to my destination. With your one parking lot for everything, you would not be able to drive and walk anywhere. I think this would cause people who stay off site or people who have APs to go less to the parks because it would be a pain in the butt to have to park, ride a tram, then ride a monorail/boat to your destination.

Getting out of Disney parking lots is the easiest of all the parks. Very rarely do I hit traffic driving out of a parking lot at a park. The issue is always the transportation lines getting out. Adding more modes of transportation to getting out and to your car adds more congestion points.

 

[epcyclopedia]

The lines are so long for transport intentionally to prevent the road traffic problems.

They can run more monorails and boats - they choose not to.

 

[Ultranel]

I much prefer parking somewhere that I can walk.

So walk ok, but UO stairways a no, no.... okay got it!

With your one parking lot for everything.

Actually it was Walter Elias Disney's idea, but thank you for the compliment you just made my day :thumbsup:

 

[Ultranel]

I haven't been to DS Town Center area yet, but by looking at pictures.... Where they trying to copy Vineland Premium Outlets' look? It's very Florida trip mall generic construction that you see everywhere.

 

[Nick]

So walk ok, but UO stairways a no, no.... okay got it!

I'm fine with both. I'd much rather park directly at the location i'm going to than Walt's idea. Walt was a genius, but that system would never work today.

 

[SeventyOne]

I've always had a tried and true method for leaving crowded areas when they close (ie. Sports events, concerts, theme parks etc.) One word, "Don't"....At closing we sit and people watch until nearly everyone is gone. By the time we hit the parking lot, the gridlock is over. When you leave a massive crowd event or facility, when everyone else is leaving, all you do is sit in traffic. I'd rather sit at the venue & relax.

They did. For an hour (after working an 8 or 9 hour shift). This isn't like a concert let out or a park closed--this is Disney Springs. The new garages are adequate, but the surrounding roads are a mess (in addition to being torn up, misleading signs and the like) and undo whatever good the new garages do.

 

[SeventyOne]

I haven't been to DS Town Center area yet, but by looking at pictures.... Where they trying to copy Vineland Premium Outlets' look? It's very Florida trip mall generic construction that you see everywhere.

Most of the new shopping area definitely has that feel. Except two of the new restaurants and the new customer service building feel like the world's most expensive Cracker Barrel. The contrast is jarring.

 

[GAcoaster]

Wow, just got back from Disney Springs and there are so many things to say about this place.

First off, let me say overall I thought it was nice overall. It was an improvement (almost anything would be) over what was there.

Now the criticisms:

• Why open on May 15th when things are far from ready to open? Half the stores and spaces still under construction. Why open and why advertise when it's still a work in progress?
• It's a mall, nothing more. Yes, it's a fancy and nice mall, but it's just a mall.
• The "theme" is mall southern outdoor mall, nothing more. The story is pointless.
• Theme elements are so random, phony and forced. All of Disney is an artificial environment, but at least the rest of Disney has some air of authenticity or heart or something that DS is missing.

I'm sure most people will love it. It just felt like it's the stores of Millennia set in one of the outdoor outlet malls.

 

[Mad Dog]

Wow, just got back from Disney Springs and there are so many things to say about this place.

First off, let me say overall I thought it was nice overall. It was an improvement (almost anything would be) over what was there.

Now the criticisms:

• Why open on May 15th when things are far from ready to open? Half the stores and spaces still under construction. Why open and why advertise when it's still a work in progress?
• It's a mall, nothing more. Yes, it's a fancy and nice mall, but it's just a mall.
• The "theme" is mall southern outdoor mall, nothing more. The story is pointless.
• Theme elements are so random, phony and forced. All of Disney is an artificial environment, but at least the rest of Disney has some air of authenticity or heart or something that DS is missing.

I'm sure most people will love it. It just felt like it's the stores of Millennia set in one of the outdoor outlet malls.

Disney Springs is furthest from where I want to go while on an expensive vacation. Just not my thing. No doubt, I will never set foot there.

 

[UNIrd]

Wow, just got back from Disney Springs and there are so many things to say about this place.

First off, let me say overall I thought it was nice overall. It was an improvement (almost anything would be) over what was there.

Now the criticisms:

• Why open on May 15th when things are far from ready to open? Half the stores and spaces still under construction. Why open and why advertise when it's still a work in progress?
• It's a mall, nothing more. Yes, it's a fancy and nice mall, but it's just a mall.
• The "theme" is mall southern outdoor mall, nothing more. The story is pointless.
• Theme elements are so random, phony and forced. All of Disney is an artificial environment, but at least the rest of Disney has some air of authenticity or heart or something that DS is missing.

I'm sure most people will love it. It just felt like it's the stores of Millennia set in one of the outdoor outlet malls.

That's what I said. I felt seriously duped by all those stupid Disney bloggers I follow on Instagram. I was like why did no one mention that it's still mostly walls and Coming Soon signage?

 

[Nick]

That's what I said. I felt seriously duped by all those stupid Disney bloggers I follow on Instagram. I was like why did no one mention that it's still mostly walls and Coming Soon signage?

Disney announced that only those stores would open on May 15 back in April or March. Most of the rest will be opening sporadically through the Summer and Fall.

 

[GAcoaster]

The point is, why open on May 15th and why are they advertising it like it's all open when it's still very much work in progress? Why not open July 2nd and give the tenants more time to move in? If they wanted to open on May 15th, they should have told the tenants they needed to be ready as well. Everything is very unfinished, so why open?

 

[Nick]

The point is, why open on May 15th and why are they advertising it like it's all open when it's still very much work in progress? Why not open July 2nd and give the tenants more time to move in? If they wanted to open on May 15th, they should have told the tenants they needed to be ready as well. Everything is very unfinished, so why open?

You seem to not understand how malls work. Stores sign contracts wanting to make money ASAP. Zara, Under Armour, UGG and the many, many more locations that are OPEN weren't going to not make money when the store was finished. A mall opened near me in Tampa last year and it was the same thing. If you were ready, you opened with the mall. If not, you opened over time. If Disney told the 20-30+ vendors that opened "you gotta wait for the other guys", you better bet there would've been problems.

Also, how are they misleading? They have stated publicly what the deal is and signs are on the windows for the non-open stores. What did you desperately want to see that wasn't open? I mean of all the complaints, this is the pettiest.

 

[IzzyB]

You seem to not understand how malls work. Stores sign contracts wanting to make money ASAP. Zara, Under Armour, UGG and the many, many more locations that are OPEN weren't going to not make money when the store was finished. A mall opened near me in Tampa last year and it was the same thing. If you were ready, you opened with the mall. If not, you opened over time. If Disney told the 20-30+ vendors that opened "you gotta wait for the other guys", you better bet there would've been problems.

Also, how are they misleading? They have stated publicly what the deal is and signs are on the windows for the non-open stores. What did you desperately want to see that wasn't open? I mean of all the complaints, this is the pettiest.

Agreed, Disney had no options but to open it. I really don't understand this complaint. The list of stores open is well advertised. If a store you wanted is on the Coming Soon list then wait to go there until your store is open.

Expecting every retail space to be open on day one is just not realistic.

 

[AlexanderMBush]