The "KEY" word here is "CRUSING" . It's not a "Static" car show.
Ya miss SO much just sitting all day in the park, you're only experiencing a fraction of what the Dream Cruise has to offer. The Cruise isn't just a place to see, but to be seen. If you don't show off your Crossfires, how is anybody ever going to know they exist?
Both Ford and Chevrolet have great displays.
There is a huge car show that begins just North of Lincoln St. where "Old Woodward Ave. South" angles off on the West side of Woodward Ave. It's too far to walk from the park, but we've never had a very hard time finding a place to park on the side streets near by.
As for the old complaint about Woodward becoming a "parking lot" and you can't get much cruising done later in the day, yes that happens in certain areas. But when it does just turn down a side street and take the back roads around the conjested area.
Socializing with fellow forum members is one of the best parts of our GTG's, but that's what the party in the hotel parking lot, and dinners at the restaurants are for.
Heck, one of the biggest compliments I've got at Woodward, is when "Steve Magnante" approached me in our hotel parking lot last year and spent 5 minutes asking me all about my Crossfire. He told me he really liked my mods, and the Crossfire in general. Never know who you're going to meet at the Cruise.