According to paperwork filed with York County, Busch Gardens is planning on adding over 500 parking spaces to the existing overflow parking lots (Scotland/Bavaria). See the news article here: News article from the Williamsburg-Yorktown Daily
Park to Add Over 500 New Parking Spaces
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I was close with my parking space count! I think it is interesting that they are adding parking spaces; however, I am not too crazy about the GeoPave pavement. It just looks to me to be fancy gravel lot. In the article it mentions the lot will be grassy, what happens when it gets overused? No grass anymore? Dead grass?
Again, plenty INSIDE the park that needs more attention instead of using money for a once-in-a-while parking lot. So, if money is available, this means they are choosing NOT to tend to these "neglected" areas. 
^Not entirely. Think of all those summer days when they run out of parking and are turning people away. That is money they are turning away. It will take them no time to cover the costs of expanding parking and soon will be making more by having what could be over 1,500 extra people in the park per day when those spaces are used.
I'm going to have to go with JMU on this one. Although the park is already extremely cramped and packed when the Aux lots are used they will make a lot more money if they can cram more people into the park. Its something they've needed to do for a long time IMO.
If you build it, they will come.
(Had to be said.)
(Had to be said.)
Nic said:
Very true also will help they hope from turning people away like Shane said and others. This may also help with special events in use with parking and using the trams to get to areas faster and more conviently.
More parking more parking fees which means more spending they hope.
Where exactly are these 500 so space going? Looking in Google via Satellite, I see no space, unless the plan to completely tear up the Bavarian parking lot and renovate it to replace the space plus add the new spaces.
Have any of you been to the park while it's at capacity? It's a miserable hell hole. Can the park support 500 additional cars full of people on those days?
I've heard time and time again from people on the inside that have told me that one of the main goals of old post-Verbolten five year plan (which has since been delayed by a good number of years/burned in a fire somewhere) was to expand the interior capacity of the park and then, following that physical expansion of the park's area, to expand the park's parking lots to provide the space to fill that new real estate with guests. The fact that the latter is happening while the former isn't even on the horizon tells me that this is, once again, another chance for the park to make a few more bucks at the cost of the in-park experience.
I've heard time and time again from people on the inside that have told me that one of the main goals of old post-Verbolten five year plan (which has since been delayed by a good number of years/burned in a fire somewhere) was to expand the interior capacity of the park and then, following that physical expansion of the park's area, to expand the park's parking lots to provide the space to fill that new real estate with guests. The fact that the latter is happening while the former isn't even on the horizon tells me that this is, once again, another chance for the park to make a few more bucks at the cost of the in-park experience.
GREAT!! Now I have to add 500 to my trivia question on the BGW Trivia!!
I wonder if they are doing things backwards (since they are on a crazy and no-logical trend) and adding more parking spaces and then expanding the prk. It doesn't make sence, but now-a-days, that's normal. :dodgy:
I wonder if they are doing things backwards (since they are on a crazy and no-logical trend) and adding more parking spaces and then expanding the prk. It doesn't make sence, but now-a-days, that's normal. :dodgy:
Just one more reason why, after Christmas Town, I will be sending in my cut up season passes with a respectful but honest letter about why they have lost my business. 2014 will be a significant step in the wrong direction, and I will not support it with my money.
You figure an average of...3 people per car? The park struggles - and normally fails - when it reaches max capacity now. What does it expect with another 1500+ people?
You figure an average of...3 people per car? The park struggles - and normally fails - when it reaches max capacity now. What does it expect with another 1500+ people?
^ This is why I am asking about capacity. I have heard various different people giving me bunches of answers. I have heard the following:
1) Park reaches capacity means 36K people are in the park, no more is being let into the turnstiles.
2) Park reaches capacity means parking lots are full, cars being turned away.
People have argued that the park itself doesn't have a capacity limit because it is open space, while others still say the park does have a limit.
I honestly think that the park does have a limit of 36K people through the turnstiles. Because the park is a confined space and you can only have but so many people in the park safely. What I think happens is, when they get close to capacity, they turn cars away to reduce the amount of people coming into the park, that way if they do reach capacity, they won't have a large crowd building up just outside the turnstiles.
I am going to be doing more research into this, but if 1 is correct then no matter how many parking spaces they add, there will never be more than 36K, but if 2 is correct, it means they will squish more people together.
1) Park reaches capacity means 36K people are in the park, no more is being let into the turnstiles.
2) Park reaches capacity means parking lots are full, cars being turned away.
People have argued that the park itself doesn't have a capacity limit because it is open space, while others still say the park does have a limit.
I honestly think that the park does have a limit of 36K people through the turnstiles. Because the park is a confined space and you can only have but so many people in the park safely. What I think happens is, when they get close to capacity, they turn cars away to reduce the amount of people coming into the park, that way if they do reach capacity, they won't have a large crowd building up just outside the turnstiles.
I am going to be doing more research into this, but if 1 is correct then no matter how many parking spaces they add, there will never be more than 36K, but if 2 is correct, it means they will squish more people together.
I am going to go out on a limb and do a little speculating here.
BG may be building/refurnishing the old lots to be in compliant with the new stormwater regs that go into effect next year. Once those lots are done, then they can renovate the closer lots (France/Germany/Italy/Ireland) to the same porous pavement. By doing the satellite lots first, it gives them places to park people while upgrading the closer lots. Also by doing this, it give BG more ability to do things inside the park without negatively affecting the existing reservoir and it's stormwater controls. The Rhine can only hold a finite amount of stormwater both for quantity and quality purposes.
BG may be building/refurnishing the old lots to be in compliant with the new stormwater regs that go into effect next year. Once those lots are done, then they can renovate the closer lots (France/Germany/Italy/Ireland) to the same porous pavement. By doing the satellite lots first, it gives them places to park people while upgrading the closer lots. Also by doing this, it give BG more ability to do things inside the park without negatively affecting the existing reservoir and it's stormwater controls. The Rhine can only hold a finite amount of stormwater both for quantity and quality purposes.
Interesting. Sounds pretty plausible actually. Thanks for the insight Celticdog!
Why do you think they would update lots during the season? I could see them doing it because all the parks decisions make no sense anymore so you're probably right. Well I guess if they closed down one lot at a time then it wouldn't be that bad of a problem. How long do you think it would take to re-do each lot?
For what it is worth, the England lot was literally flooded Saturday. If this can mitigate that problem, I am all for it.