Telsa Full Self Driving feature's impact on Disneyland Parking Logistics/Operations

[Disney Irish]

I'd be right there with you if this conversation was being had in 2015. Even 2020. Self driving cars?!? A robot car that comes back from the nether regions of the Costco parking lot and gets you at the front door when you're done shopping?

That's the stuff of dreams and glitzy World's Fair exhibits. It'll never happen in my lifetime! And then it did.

And in 2026, automakers are now selling hundreds of thousands of cars per year that can do it. And those 2026 cars also have the absolutely incredible ability to update their own software via over-the-air automated upgrades in 2027, and 2031, and beyond. Just that part alone is something I couldn't have believed a decade ago.



It sounds like you are saying local municipalities, like Anaheim's Resort District, would pass legislation that would demand proprietary software from private automakers not work within their city boundaries, or in some sections of their city.

Not sure how legal that would be, off the top of my head. Seems like it would need to come down from the Federal level, not up from the local level.

Doesn't a self driving car owner paying DMV highway taxes deserve the same right to public roadways as other drivers?



Not sure what warranties or other things have to do with this. It's a feature on a growing number of new cars, and automakers are working on making it better and more widely available at a range of price points. It's not going away.

Not going to go around again with you on this. You're just wrong on this, you still don't know what you're talking about. And no matter how much you keep insisting that you do is going to change that.

But as the proof is in the pudding as they say you're not going to end this until someone shows you, so I tell you what do a real world test since you keep insisting this will work. Have your friend that showed you this feature in their Tesla take you to your local multi-level parking garage, I'm sure there is one not that far from you, park on the top floor, and then walk up the street from the garage to mimic being picked up on Harbor and have them use the Smart Summon feature to call the car to them down the street without having to interact with the app beyond just requesting it. And you tell me if it works or not, and I want you to take video of it as proof. Don't even have to wait until a busy time like after fireworks, you can test this at 10am, 1pm, 6pm, etc. Do that now in 2026 and show the video of the results (we already know it won't work because of many reasons already went over but tell show us anyways), then come back in Feb 2027 after your precious "over-the-air automated upgrades" and do the same test and show the video of the results, then come back here in Feb 2028 after more of your precious "over-the-air automated upgrades" and do the same test and show the video of the results. I think you're going to be surprised.

 

[TP2000]

Yup, as I expected, even with California's very high electricity rates, it would cost you $10 or less to charge up your Model Y for 100 miles of travel. Two round-trips to Disneyland of 25 miles each way = $10. Call it $15 to add insurance and tire wear.

Would you rather pay $15 in electricity/insurance and get dropped off and picked up on Harbor Blvd. by your chauffeured robot car, or would you rather pay $40 to park in Mickey & Friends with a 5 minute walk to an escalator down to tram loading?

I already know which one I would choose.

 

[Disney Irish]

It sounds like you are saying local municipalities, like Anaheim's Resort District, would pass legislation that would demand proprietary software from private automakers not work within their city boundaries, or in some sections of their city.

I'm going to pull this piece out and ask you a few questions which will answer this for you.

What is the range of Tesla Summon?
What is the maximum time that Summon can run before stopping?

And then I'm going to leave you with this, this is the California DMV website on who is legally permitted to run Autonomous Cars in California -

Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit Holders - California DMV

Permit holders who are allowed to test autonomous vehicles

www.dmv.ca.gov

Tell me is Tesla permitted to run their cars without a driver in California?

All 3 have to be answered in such a way that they will be able to run in Anaheim from up to 5 miles away without a driver for up to an hour due to traffic.

 

[Disney Irish]

Hell, now that I type that out loud and miss that lady at the Harbor Blvd. International House of Pancakes, perhaps the issue will be both at morning drop-off and at evening pick-up?!?

Disneyland Parking is already $40 per day for Mickey & Friends! $60 if you want to be "close" to an escalator.

What would it cost for your robot car to drop you off in the morning on Harbor, drive back to Yorba Linda or West Covina or Long Beach and wait for you all day at home, then be requested to awaken for a 10:00pm pickup back on Harbor Blvd.?

Even with California's highest electricity costs in the nation, that's got to be less than 40 bucks. And certainly less than the 60 bucks for "Preferred" closeness to an escalator to let you fight your way onto a tram at the end of the night.

I had already ditched Mickey & Friends for Uber 7 years ago. It wouldn't take much for me to ditch the idea of a "parking structure" entirely if I had a robot car capable of all that in five years or less.

BTW, what you just described is Waymo, which you can get right now in Anaheim. No need to purchase a Tesla, just download the Waymo app on your phone and order one, and likely less than that $40 parking fee at M&F.

 

[TP2000]

And then I'm going to leave you with this, this is the California DMV website on who is legally permitted to run Autonomous Cars in California -

Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit Holders - California DMV

Permit holders who are allowed to test autonomous vehicles

www.dmv.ca.gov

Tell me is Tesla permitted to run their cars without a driver in California?

All 3 have to be answered in such a way that they will be able to run in Anaheim from up to 5 miles away without a driver for up to an hour due to traffic.

What did the DMV website say about self-driving car rules in 2020? 2018?

What do you think the DMV website will say about self-driving car rules in 2030?

 

[TP2000]

BTW, what you just described is Waymo, which you can get right now in Anaheim.

No, Waymo isn't available in OC yet. Nor is it in San Diego, or Las Vegas. According to their App it's only in a small chunk of west LA right now. Waymo apparently avoids the, shall we say, more exciting parts of LA. Especially after dark. Can't say I blame them.

No need to purchase a Tesla, just download the Waymo app on your phone and order one, and likely less than that $40 parking fee at M&F.

When Waymo is finally available in Orange County later this year or in '27, what would the average cost be for Waymo from Long Beach to Disneyland, I wonder? Apparently as I expected, a slight surcharge to the usual $40ish Uber fare for the same trip. For Waymo, it averages about $60 bucks with moderate traffic one-way.

So the SoCal family of 4 with a savvy knack for avoiding anything about Disneyland that annoys them, would have the following options for getting to and from the park from their SoCal home 25 miles from Disneyland:

Self Driving Car 2-Way to Harbor = $25 ($10 electricity charge for 100 miles, plus $15 for a day's insurance and wear/tear)
Dad Drives To Mickey & Friends = $60 ($10 gas, $40 parking fee, plus $10 for day's insurance and wear/tear)
Waymo 2-Way to Harbor = $120 ($60 each way for a 25 mile trip)

Something tells me the SoCal family would rather take the $25 option via their own robot car. I knocked off five bucks for the gas car, since a late model gas Camry probably has cheaper insurance rates than a late model Tesla.

The mid priced option is Dad driving the Camry to Mickey & Friends, but you're removing an extra hour of park time for the day due to Mickey & Friends drama; waiting, lines, and travel time via over-crowded trams each way. Which brings us right back to why they'd chose to let their robot car come get them on Harbor Blvd.

 

[Disney Irish]

What did the DMV website say about self-driving car rules in 2020? 2018?

What do you think the DMV website will say about self-driving car rules in 2030?

You missed the point yet again. And you didn’t answer the questions, because I think you know the answers don’t work for the narrative you’re trying to push here.

Come back in 2030 and tell me if things have changed.

 

[Disney Irish]

No, Waymo isn't available in OC yet. Nor is it in San Diego, or Las Vegas. According to their App it's only in a small chunk of west LA right now. Waymo apparently avoids the, shall we say, more exciting parts of LA. Especially after dark. Can't say I blame them.

View attachment 909288



When Waymo is finally available in Orange County later this year or in '27, what would the average cost be for Waymo from Long Beach to Disneyland, I wonder? Apparently as I expected, a slight surcharge to the usual $40ish Uber fare for the same trip. For Waymo, it averages about $60 bucks with moderate traffic one-way.

View attachment 909289

So the SoCal family of 4 with a savvy knack for avoiding anything about Disneyland that annoys them, would have the following options for getting to and from the park from their tract home 25 miles from Disneyland:

Self Driving Car 2-Way to Harbor = $25 ($10 electricity charge for 100 miles, plus $15 for a day's insurance and wear/tear)
Dad Drives To Mickey & Friends = $60 ($10 gas, $40 parking fee, plus $10 for day's insurance and wear/tear)
Waymo 2-Way to Harbor = $120 ($60 each way for a 25 mile trip)

Something tells me the SoCal family would rather take the $25 option via their own robot car. I knocked off five bucks for the gas car, since a late model gas Camry probably has cheaper insurance rates than a late model Tesla.

The mid priced option is Dad driving the Camry to Mickey & Friends, but you're removing an extra hour of park time for the day due to Mickey & Friends drama; waiting, lines, and travel time via over-crowded trams each way. Which brings us right back to why they'd chose to let their robot car come get them on Harbor Blvd.

They are expanding into Anaheim as we speak.

 

[TP2000]

You missed the point yet again.

Come back in 2030 and tell me if things have changed.

I got the point. Things will have changed dramatically by 2030.

The DMV website had no rules up about self driving cars 5 years ago because they weren't available yet.

The DMV website five years from now will have been updated repeatedly to reflect whatever the current technology is at that time.

I know you seem to work for a Bay Area tech company that has stopped all R&D and has decided that evolving or improving their product in a free market system is too much trouble, but most companies that last more than a year aren't like that.

The cars at the 2030 Anaheim Auto Show won't look or act like the cars at the 2025 Anaheim Auto Show. And the DMV website will also be updated to reflect that.

 

[TP2000]

They are expanding into Anaheim as we speak.

I've just downloaded their App tonight, just to have it for when they eventually get to San Diego. I'm going to make myself try it, just for the kicks.

I'll tell you when it goes live for OC. As of now, Waymo is only available in a section of West LA. Want to go to East of the 5 Freeway or South of the Century Freeway? Don't ask. Not even Pasadena.

 

[Disney Irish]

I got the point. Things will have changed dramatically by 2030.

The DMV website had no rules up about self driving cars 5 years ago because they weren't available yet.

The DMV website five years from now will have been updated repeatedly to reflect whatever the current technology is at that time.

I know you seem to work for a Bay Area tech company that has stopped all R&D and has decided that evolving or improving their product in a free market system is too much trouble, but most companies that last more than a year aren't like that.

The cars at the 2030 Anaheim Auto Show won't look or act like the cars at the 2025 Anaheim Auto Show. And the DMV website will also be updated to reflect that.

Again you don’t know what you’re talking about. California DMV first set the regulations for Autonomous Vehicles in September 2014 after legislation was passed in 2012, and started approving applications in 2018.

Come back in 2030 and give me an update.

 

[donaldtoo]

Technology, schmechnology. It’s sooooo darn far behind. From what I heard in the 60’s and 70’s, I expected to have a coupla’ self-flying hover cars in my garage, by at least the turn of the last century…?!!!

 

[Phroobar]

In 2030, we will still be riding gas powered go karts at Disneyland's Autopia. So much for Tomorrowland.

What's so hard about electric autopia cars with no rail and sensors to keep the car from going off road or crashing?

 

[Andrew C]

In 2030, we will still be riding gas powered go karts at Disneyland's Autopia. So much for Tomorrowland.

What's so hard about electric autopia cars with no rail and sensors to keep the car from going off road or crashing?

Probably not hard. Assume it’s about prioritization and costs.

 

[Parteecia]

1. Might make more sense to send your car to a local mall or box store with free parking to await your summons. That way anyone coming from any distance could get around Disney parking.

2. Please, no flying cars ever. I see how bad impaired drivers and neglected cars are in 2 dimensions. Although it would be fun to fly it into Disneyland, buzz the Matterhorn. They'd have to build a dome.

 

[lazyboy97o]

1. Might make more sense to send your car to a local mall or box store with free parking to await your summons. That way anyone coming from any distance could get around Disney parking.

The big idea was that people could have their car switch into a taxi mode and offer rides to others instead of just sitting idle. This talk has largely faded away as the technology did not develop as quickly as hoped and the hardware cost remained quite high. This was part of Tesla’s pitch for buying Full Self Driving, that soon it would also include Robotaxi and you could make money on your vehicle by turning it into a taxi. Robotaxi finally sort of launched last year but it’s now switched to an entirely corporate owned fleet of vehicles.

 

[Disney Irish]

The big idea was that people could have their car switch into a taxi mode and offer rides to others instead of just sitting idle. This talk has largely faded away as the technology did not develop as quickly as hoped and the hardware cost remained quite high. This was part of Tesla’s pitch for buying Full Self Driving, that soon it would also include Robotaxi and you could make money on your vehicle by turning it into a taxi. Robotaxi finally sort of launched last year but it’s now switched to an entirely corporate owned fleet of vehicles.

Not to mention there was some backlash about who is responsible when accidents happen, damage to the owners car by the riders, and a bunch of other things and made the idea of a turning ones own property over to the autonomous network less appealing and most opting out.

And also brought into question, if really there is a bunch of taxis rolling around does one even need to own a car anyways especially in a metro area, hence why as you said Robotaxi is using a corporate fleet, not to mention the better monetary incentive for car companies due to the subscription model.

Lots of stuff still need to be worked out before we have a world full of Autonomous Vehicles roaming around cities let alone worrying out a potential Disneyland Parking issue that is likely still decades off in the future.

 

[TP2000]

1. Might make more sense to send your car to a local mall or box store with free parking to await your summons. That way anyone coming from any distance could get around Disney parking.

The same scenario occurred to me too. And it's exactly why I started this thread . Also, I screwed up the legally approved nomenclature on what plebes like me call a "self driving car". I'm so stupid sometimes!

But... you could send your car to the WalMart a few miles away in west Anaheim, or more safely/wisely, the WalMart in Orange a few miles away, and let it wait for you there. Or anywhere a mile or two away really.

Maybe that's a good use for the mostly empty Anaheim Stadium surface parking lot for 10,000 cars?

The point is that a car that drives itself, and can be summoned to come get you a mile or more away, is going to revolutionize the way Americans move around their environments. And the way Disneyland's uniquely huge and sprawling Parking Operation is set up, it could be bizarrely disruptive.

And if anyone is going to find a shortcut and cheat code for that Disneyland Hack real quick, it's going to be the Southern California Magic Key Community.

At the least, it infuriates and hinders the operation of the mom n pop businesses in the Resort District. At worst, it causes gridlock and havoc like the Leap Day event. Either way, the local community and economy suffers.

 

[Disney Irish]

The same scenario occurred to me too. And it's exactly why I started this thread. Also, I screwed up the legally approved nomenclature on what plebes like me call a "self driving car". I'm so stupid sometimes!

But... you could send your car to the WalMart a few miles away in west Anaheim, or more safely/wisely, the WalMart in Orange a few miles away, and let it wait for you there. Or anywhere a mile or two away really.

Maybe that's a good use for the mostly empty Anaheim Stadium surface parking lot for 10,000 cars?

The point is that a car that drives itself, and can be summoned to come get you a mile or more away, is going to revolutionize the way Americans move around their environments. And the way Disneyland's uniquely huge and sprawling Parking Operation is set up, it could be bizarrely disruptive.

And if anyone is going to find a shortcut and cheat code for that Disneyland Hack real quick, it's going to be the Southern California Magic Key Community.

At the least, it infuriates and hinders the operation of the mom n pop businesses in the Resort District. At worst, it causes gridlock and havoc like the Leap Day event. Either way, the local community and economy suffers.

This has always been about the tech, and your lack of knowledge on the subject and making assumptions that aren't even close to being accurate.

And just like the local hotels that prevent "free" parking, I imagine that the day that we have 1000s of "self driving cars" buzzing around the streets of Anaheim that the local malls will also start to crack down on "free" parking. By doing things like putting in pay gates (validated at one of the shops so its free for mall users) with a time limit enforcement so you can't spend 12+ hours at Disneyland. This is already happening at many malls across the country already, so not hard to implement using today's infrastructure.

So yeah its going to be hard to summon that car if its got no place to park.

 

[TP2000]

So yeah its going to be hard to summon that car if its got no place to park.

So send it home to wait 10 hours for you. That's going to be the cheapest option anyway.

Self Driving Car 2-Way to Harbor = $25 ($10 electricity charge for 100 miles, plus $15 for a day's insurance and wear/tear)
Dad Drives to Mickey & Friends = $60 ($10 gas, $40 parking fee, plus $10 for day's insurance and wear/tear)
Waymo 2-Way round trip to Harbor = $120 ($60 each way for a 25 mile trip)