OK - So I am staying at All-Star Sports, but want to park at the Poly instead of the TTC to go to Magic Kingdom. Is this allowed? Or do I have to make a dinner reservation to be allowed to park there as a non-resort guest?
They may not let you in the parking lot. Why do you want to park at Poly?
In some ways it feels like less hassle. Plus, I like walking through the lobby and taking the launch! Purely personal stuff; memories, etc.
You can book a meal and park there for a maximum of 3 hours for free.
You can book a meal and valet park all day. I’m not sure of the cost off the top of my head.
You can just valet park all day and not eat anything there.
You cannot park there all day for free.
You could park at TTC and walk over to the Poly. I did this for the first time last month and was surprised at how short the walk was. I took the tram from my car to the TTC to shorten the distance as much as possible, then strolled over to the Poly to explore and have a snack at Kona Island before heading over to MK.
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What would happen if we parked at WL to eat around 2pm and then took boat to MK for MVMCP? We potentially wouldn’t be back until midnight. Would we need to pay for valet parking (I believe is $25)?
Valet at Poly is $33/day.
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If you have an ADR at WL, you will be able to park and leave your car all evening. Without an ADR, you will need to pay for valet, and if you are doing that, valet at the Contemporary and walk over.
Yes, you would need to pay for valet parking. Three hours is the time limit for shopping/eating.
I wouldn’t mind so much having to pay for valet parking if I wasn’t already paying for a resort parking fee!
I think it is slightly bogus that they enforce a 3 hour limit.
Sorry for the short rant.
But then the people paying the resort parking fee at the resort you want to visit might not be able to park. So then they have to pay to not be able to park.
Sorry, I think resort parking should be limited to those staying there or with an ADR. Otherwise you can use the buses or Uber/Lyft.
We have often come back to Bay Lake after a day out, to find that we have to park in the CM overflow car park. I saw 3 cars get towed over New Year from the Contemporary, they’d apparently been there all day and finally at around 5pm, they were loaded onto the truck. There wasn’t much sympathy from onlookers for the owners.
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I understand and agree with what you are saying. I am just feeling slightly annoyed that if I book an ADR for WCC to eat before MVMCP that in order to stayed parked there that I will end up having to pay for valet parking. And I even understand why there is a need for it, but it still irks me that I pay the same amount after paying my own daily resort parking fee. I would feel better if there was a slight discount for valet parking for guests staying on property and already paying a parking fee.
This does seem to be a hole in their logic.
If you are already paying a resort parking fee, then just as you don’t have to pay to park in the theme park lots, you shouldn’t have to pay to park in the other resort lots.
I wonder if there is an exception for this. If you are paying to park at the resort, how, for example, do the parks know not to charge you? Maybe this same scheme would apply here, without the need to even pay for Valet parking.
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Last time we were there we used only Disney transportation so this is all new to me. And there were no resort parking fees then. But I believe that they scan your magic bands for entry into parking so they know you are staying on property. They are always watching you know!
I have heard that if you show up very early, way before park opening you can go right on in and not have to pay or show MB but who would want to actually do that?
I was wondering how they keep track of how long your car has been parked and when your 3 hours are up.
According to the FAQ on the Disney Website, they don’t specifically mention any time limit. They only say that Resort guests are allowed park in other Resort lots as “Day Guests” for various reasons (“entertainment”, “dining”, etc.)
So I wonder where this 3 hour specification comes from and, as you mentioned, how they enforce it. Overnight parking I can see being enforced easily. And it also seems like they can enforce people coming in to the resort to park when they don’t have reservations of any kind. Neither apply in this scenario.
I guess depending on how the lots are set up, mine could be the only day guest left at midnight! I know I would never chance it and may just book an ADR for elsewhere. It seems tricky to travel into WL unless driving right in. But I don’t want to pay $33 for parking on top of what I already paid for just a few hours. I am drawing a line! (of course that line may no longer be existent in a few days from now)
They don’t actually enforce the 3 hour limit. We park at the Contemporary every time we go to MK. Never had a problem and do this 6 times a year easily. You need an ADR though (you don’t have to go to it, just need it to get past the security guards).
Oh and we do the same at the Boardwalk to go to Epcot, again no problems.
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Normally it’s fine, but I refer you to my reply above. They do tow at times. As I say, it is a PITA to come back and find you can’t park. Same at the BC or BW. Why should you be able to park for free when we’re staying there and can’t get a parking space?
The Poly usually enforce much better, but it’s only a matter of time before they start automatically imposing a valet parking fee at best. If they install barriers at the exit and you have to scan to get out, they would know exactly how long you’d been there and charge it straight away. The overnight parking is step 1.
And it seems they are installing the technology to be able to monitor parking much better.
I believe you that there was towing, but it has not been my experience in all these years of trips. We go at busy times and never see it, including Easter Sunday of this year. As for the why should we get to park there, I guess I just think getting to MK should be a heck of a lot easier than it is, and this is another way to maximize time on an expensive vacation. I have stayed at the Contemporary and BC and never had trouble finding a spot. If they change things, I have no problem paying the valet fee, it still is more convenient to park at the CR than anywhere else when going to MK.
Is the TTC a hastle? I was trying to avoid it because it seems like it could be. I know there is the extra step of riding the monorail but is the parking lot huge and if we are going later would be parked far away and need to shuttle to get to the monorail?
One night if we go over after AK we could make it in time to see HEA. I heard TTC is a good place to watch it without dealing with the crowds. We could then monorail over to do a few rides.