“Terrible,” one guest said. “45 minutes. It was not good.”

A grand opening with grand wait times.

That was the biggest complaint from guests who descended into Thousand Palms to see comedians Dave Chapelle and Chris rock for the Acrisure Arena’s first night in business.

But lessons were learned.

Chris Granger, president of OVG360, apologized for any inconvenience Wednesday night and said they have spent the last 24 hours trying to make night two much smoother.

Now they’re doing a lot differently and wanted to give tips to people who come to the arena.

One is to come early.

Parking lots will now open at 4:30 p.m. and doors open at 6:30 p.m., hoping that will give more people time to get settled into their seats.

Two is to reserve parking ahead of time.

You can reserve parking at the main lot at the arena but they are now offering free parking at Xavier College Preparatory with shuttles.

Granger also said they will be more aggressive in guiding where people need to go up and down the roadways.

Granger said in part, “My intention is to get it right tonight, and if not tonight, it’ll be the next night and we’re going to continue to make it better and better.”

While traffic may have been a nightmare, guests loved the desert’s newest venue.

“It was great,” another guest said. “We like Chapelle. He is the best.”

Acrisure Arena Makes Parking Adjustments to Alleviate Traffic for Guests