Parking on Saturday

What in the H-ll was going on parkingwise on this past Saturday, June 22? I headed over the causeway as normal on my way to soak city when the tollbooths were somewhat backed up. This was not surprising or unusual for this time of year. However, once getting past the tollbooths, there was a vehicular bottleneck on the scale of the sack of Rome at the front of the main parking lot. There were two embarrassed looking parking employees standing, waving aimlessly and not making the traffic flow any better. Finally, I gave up trying to turn left altogether and chose to do things the "hard" way and headed right through the main parking area figuring I could then cut down the aisle in front of the handicapped area and pass center to catch perimeter road by the marina. To my disgust there were a bunch of non- bonded "cops" and yellow parking employees every twenty five feet or so trying their very best to create additional traffic ensnarlments in an already full parking lot. This pattern continued all of the way around the perimeter and into the soak city lot.

Honestly, I need to know what the strategy was. Everyone would have gotten where they were going without delay if not for the massive backups created by the parking crew. if Matt Ouimet was in an experimental mood and sent a crew of monkeys out there in yellow reflective vests to chase bumpers and randomly pick fleas off of each other, traffic would have been less ensnarled. I know it was busy, and a lot of cars were on the penninsula but the parking crews were creating the backups, not alleviating them. Any parking insiders here want to explain whose stroke of genius (or possibly just a stroke) caused this?

Not sure what time of day it was, but if it was after the rain, the chaos might have been the result of some areas of the lot and/or perimeter road being "flooded." I wasn't there, but I saw some pictures of some knee deep water in the Soak City lot

Actually, it was before, about 2-3 o'clock

I was there all weekend so not sure what you experienced. I know today the entire soak city lot was full. They had police doing traffic control back there. I saw that Sandcastle and Camper Village lots were full too. The police were parking cars in the maintenance shop area.

I think with Gatekeeper taking away some parking and how big the VIP parking area is I think there will be a lot more Saturdays with backed up traffic.

I was leaving around 2pm Saturday, it seemed to me that they were not letting anyone go down Perimeter road, forcing everyone into the overflow lot..

Although it was stupid of the Parking attendents in the yellow vest to do this; I saw them jump in front of cars three (3) times to stop them and force them into the overflow lot, while I waited about 15 minutes to just to exit. It was a mess.

Did anyone notice if the premium parking was also filled on Saturday? If it was not filled, perhaps they need to make it smaller.

Is it possible the Soak City lot was filled?

^ yeah, with water.....after it rained! :)

The soak city lot was not filled, that is where I actually parked. The parking monkeys seemed to be forcibly steering folks to park near the tollbooth, despite the fact that no one actually wanted to go there, as PB Reader said. The premium lot was about half full and the vip lot, by the old disaster transport site, was almost empty. A rent-a-cop tried to wave me out of the vip area as I was turning around and just about lost his hand in the process....

1. What is the vip lot for ( as opposed to the premium area) and why are they not parking cars there on busy weekends?

2. Why are the parking monkeys forcibly trying to park motorists where they have no interest in parking? If there are 30 cars wanting to go to Soak City or breakers or the beach, they simply arent going to park by the main toll booth, no matter how urgently you foppishly gesture at them, particularly if they are ticked off platinum passholders who know damned well that there is parking at the rear lot.

I may write to Park management about this. I am interested in hearing their take. (unless Mr. Clark is reading and would like to attempt to explain his bosses' snafu...)

Look, don't let something small ruin your experience....I'm sure the parking attendants were doing their best.

We need to get over the entitlement issue that somehow if we want something, we're going to get it.

If they're telling you not to park somewhere, you can bet there is a reason for it...visible or not.

cptedsdisciple2 said:

1. What is the vip lot for ( as opposed to the premium area) and why are they not parking cars there on busy weekends?

I think this is one of those self answering questions along the lines of "what time does the 10'o clock laser light show start."

There's another lesson to be learned, though --- now that people are travelling again and spending money again, don't expect to go to Cedar Point on a Saturday at 2:00 in the afternoon on a sunny day and find convenient parking. Plan your own day better.

That VIP lot near Gatekeeper has a lot of spaces in it, and I've never seen more than 2-3 cars in there. Not to mention, it's not blocked off like the preferred parking (which also sits mostly unused) is. Mostly people just seem to not notice it's all the way up there. I have no opposition to the preferred parking, but between that and the unused VIP lot, it's taking up a lot of real estate.

PB-Reader said:
Although it was stupid of the Parking attendents in the yellow vest to do this; I saw them jump in front of cars three (3) times to stop them and force them into the overflow lot

I've witnessed several occasions this season of parking attendants literally jumping in front of cars, and none were because they were trying to avert a potentially dangerous situation. I've never noticed that happening in previous years.

I was SOAKED in the soak city lot after the rain. I parked there, no way I was going to be in regular lot with how full it was. I even came in from the little Cedar Point Drive and just told the guy I was going to Soak City lot.

cptedsdisciple2 said:
If there are 30 cars wanting to go to Soak City or breakers or the beach, they simply arent going to park by the main toll booth, no matter how urgently you foppishly gesture at them.

I dont understand this either, because you don't "have" to purchase a park ticket to get into Soak City. So if I were a regular guest and I just wanted to hit SC for the day, I would have NO way of getting to SC from the main parking area without having to by a CP ticket.....

Not quite true. You can park in the main lot and take the shuttle over to Soak City. They drop you off right at one of main gates for the water park.

I think the shuttle is only for resort guests. Even if you could ride it you would have to walk to pet check to get a ride because it doesn't stop at the front gate. My guess is most guests aren't familiar enough with the service to know how to use it. Many likely don't know it exists.

kevkevdel said:
My guess is most guests aren't familiar enough with the service to know how to use it. Many likely don't know it exists.

LOL or even season pass holders like myself ;)

I think they are for resort guests, but they never have checked when I have ridden them. Anyway, it is a way to get around to the back side of the park when they are only allowing people to park up in the main lot. Plus the walk to Pet Check is good exercise....