Passholder Preview Night

I think the issue always was those parking there with the excuse of going to Bay Harbor or Famous Daves, but never really going. To be honest I hope they no longer allow even those individuals to park there, they can park back by the Pet Care facility, or in the general lot. I know my cousin in law used to take advantage of that loose policy against parking there.

Now we just need the weather to change, its been officially spring for 3 weeks now. Waxing the boat (even indoors) is not easy in the cold.

You will no longer be allowed to park in the marina parking lot to go to Famous Dave's. You will need to either park in the south basin lot or the marina overflow lot across from Millennium Force for Famous Dave's. To access the marina lot to eat at Bay Harbor, you will need to pay a $20 fee (even platinum pass holders) at the main toll both to receive a bar coded slip that will allow you to park in the marina lot for Bay Harbor. You will get a $20 credit off of your bill. The gate will not be active until after 4pm which is when Bay Harbor opens.

I think they have thought through the issues and have addressed on how people have abused the marina lot over the years.

Excellent news Steve!

To eat at Famous Dave's, you will have to park at the Marina Overflow Lot? That's crazy! Hopefully that doesn't hurt business. By "Marina Overflow Lot" I assume you are talking about the West side of perimeter road. That's almost half a mile away, depending on how close you can actually park. I guess they figure the only people going there are park guests. If it wasn't, it probably will be now. I very often will go to the restaurant on my way home, which is usually before the park closes. And since I generally park in back, I will drive there. I guess that won't be happening. Hopefully this is something that is being enforced earlier in the day more than later in the day. :-)

Am I the only one who parks in the main parking lot every time I visit the park? I have been visiting now for 20 years and have never parked anywhere else. I don't have a boat in the marina and I haven't gone to Soak City/CP Shores. Why would I park anywhere else but the main parking lot?

Jason Hammond said:

That's almost half a mile away, depending on how close you can actually park.

Measuring using Google Maps, it comes out to around 1,300 feet, including walking from among the furthest parking spots to the other side of the FD building where the entrance is. That's less than a quarter mile, or around a 5 minute walk.

I've parked and walked much further in many downtown areas. I mean, not for decidedly-average food like FD's, but still. I don't think it's that big of a deal.

Jason Hammond said:
Hopefully this is something that is being enforced earlier in the day more than later in the day. :-)

It should be enforced all the time. That would prevent confusion and hassles in the future, a main part of the problem was the haphazard enforcement over the years.

One of the primary benefits for Marina and Resort guests is the free parking, and obviously it should be relatively close to your stay. If regular park guests want closer parking they can pay for the up charge premium parking.

No, it should be enforced only as often and as aggressively as the park deems necessary.

The only time I can recall parking in the CPS Lot when not going to CPS was MS Last Rites and CPS was closed anyway. Going weekdays I rarely have to park more than a row to two back from the security tower so the walk is insignificant compared to what we will doing in the park.

There is however the phenomenon of the walk back to the car seeming like a death march. Once we hit the exit I can really notice the soreness in the feet. ;)

Jason Hammond said:

Hopefully this is something that is being enforced earlier in the day more than later in the day. :-)

Since its now an automated gate that you need an access card to activate, it will be enforced all the time. There is no longer a staff person at a control booth. In fact, the control booth was totally removed. djDaemon is correct, its at most a 5 minute walk from the parking lot to Famous Dave's.

An unmanned gate? That's gonna make it ridiculously difficult for associates to move into Cedars when the time comes... In the past, we would park outside the building, unload our stuff, then move our vehicles to South Basin parking, which im sure you all know is quite the walk, especially with a bunch of stuff.

Have they announced where patrons should park for Passholder Preview Night? I realize that only Frontier Town will be operating but I wouldn't mind parking in the main lot and getting a good walk in while wandering around the whole park. (did I say whole?) I suppose they will park us closer to Frontier Town & restrict access to the Frontier Trail & RR crossing to Gemini. Too much potential for trouble if they allow people to roam.

Whatever it is, I am looking forward to it.

This will not bother us in the least, as we've never abused the Marina Lot except when we go explicitly to Bay Harbor or Famous Dave's to eat. (When we do visit the park, we either park in the main lot or in the back lot: that's often in the evening, so Shores has already closed up by then.)

We do live fairly close and enjoy Famous Dave's for dinner (without the amusement park) once or twice a month, and won't mind having to park in the Marina Overflow lot (by Millennium Force). I wonder if it will be an issue parking there to do so (i.e. will we have to check-in somewhere), or whether we'll be able to do so without worry. I guess we'll find out come summer.

For the First Rider Event, we are supposed to park in the CP Shores lot and enter through the resorts gate. I assume it will be the same for Passholder Preview night. Im sure instructions will be on the ticket.

As far as the marina overflow lot, that has always been open parking so I wouldn't think that would change. Its not being gated so should be as it has been.

djDaemon said:

Measuring using Google Maps, it comes out to around 1,300 feet, including walking from among the furthest parking spots to the other side of the FD building where the entrance is. That's less than a quarter mile, or around a 5 minute walk.

Am I wrong about the location of the overflow lot? Are we talking about the lot next to Millennium? If that's the case, then it's about a 1/2 mile walk to Bay Harbor, which I don't frequent, but still seems crazy.

I've parked and walked much further in many downtown areas. I mean, not for decidedly-average food like FD's, but still. I don't think it's that big of a deal.

I hate going downtown for that and many other reasons. If going out for a relaxing dinner is going to include 20 minutes of extra walking, it better be some darn good food. Am I lazy? Probably. But, aren't most consumers today? This will almost certainly eliminate any post-park dining on-site for me. I agree that the lot shouldn't be used by people just going to the park. But, I have to say, of all the times I have parked there for legitimate reasons, it's never even been close to full.

Bay Harbor guests don’t have to park in the overflow lot. They pay enough for their food to get premium parking.

It is the lot next to Millenium, a fairly short walk to Famous Daves. For Bay Harbor, as explained by Steve earlier, you will pay $20 at the toll booth for a bar code to get you into the Marina lot. When you pay your tab at the restaurant they will reimburse the $20. You still get free parking in the Marina lot when dining at Bay Harbor.

I think some people may not understand theres a walkway from the overflow lot that goes in between Cedars and the docks. Its probably a shorter walk to Dave's from the far end of the Marina lot than it is from the overflow lot.

That's not as bad, but I'll still probably plan my day accordingly to avoid having to park there. And, I don't frequent Bay Harbor often, but if I were going after leaving the park, I'm not going to drive out of the park and back in just so I can park closer.

Who cares about the distance of the walk from a parking lot to Famous Dave’s? A lot of people can benefit a nice walk after successfully completing a feast for 2 dinner. :)