Parking at the Poly to eat/watch wishes

[tinker&belle]

I am trying to put together an idea of what park/what day for our trip for our ADRs. The first day I am trying to keep pretty low key since I don't know how tired we will be (super early flight.) I think we might go to MK for the fireworks but if we are tired my backup idea is to eat at the Poly and watch wishes from the beach. Since I want to keep it open I don't want to make any ADRs and we will do CS at either the MK or go to Captain Cooks at the Poly.

How does parking work here? Since I won't have an ADR for the CS restaurant will I be allowed to park? Is there a time limit? We will be staying at Pop.

 

[Traveliz]

I have a condo in the area and we like several items on the menu at Captain Cook's...many times I have pulled up to the guard gate, told them my intentions and have been waved through. In the many times I have done this I have never received a parking pass nor has my car been towed.

Try the Grown Up Grilled Cheese or Pulled Pork and the Chips are delicious...not a fan of Dole Whip but I know that brings a lot of people over to the Poly too. And the Poly is my very favorite spot to watch fireworks from.

You can not do this on nights surrounding July 4th or NYE however.

Liz

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

One place we like to eat at in the Polynesian is the Kona Island Sushi Bar and they don't accept ADR's, however when driving there we had no problems parking. So you shouldn't have any problems parking to eat at Captain Cook's.

 

[goofy4tink]

Since you don't have an ADR, and there's no way to be sure what the folks in the security shack are going to say, why not just park at the TTC and walk over??? You get free parking.
But, you will more than likely be able to park at the Polynesian. I'm really not trying to sound negative here, but this is the big issue with parking. There should be consistency. You should be able to know if you can park there or not...it shouldn't be up to the whim of the guard on duty. You can very easily get another person on duty, who feels they like things to be 'the letter of the law', so to speak, and they will tell you that you can't park there unless you have an ADR. It drives me nutty!!! Make a rule Disney and stick to it....sure would alleviate a lot of stress for people.

 

[seashoreCM]

Is the sign "not able to provide theme park parking" or something like that displayed 24/7/365?

You can think of the parking lots going into "stage 1 closure", "stage 2 closure" (ADR and room guests only), etc. as the theme parks do. There is no warning when that happens at the theme parks.

Common courtesy everywhere in the world calls for driving away when you leave a place you parked at. The management of a lot such as at Epcot may set limited exceptions and in the case of the latter, park hopping by bus is one exception.

The main advantage of having some proactive restrictions all the time is to avoid the need to get highly restrictive later that day.

Now I believe that having to detour far and wide (like be turned away from the Poly and having to go to the Magic Kingdom lot) is sufficient grounds for having a restaurant reservation honored tardy or a refund issued (guest's choice) despite the guest's failure to plan (i.e. preallocate a gob of time) for that uncertain* situation. Especially since that is almost+ always caused by inconsiderate behavior of other guests coupled with less than adequate management of the parking lot.

Disney hints: http://www.cockam.com/disney.htm

* A probability of 100% is called a certainty. (A probability of 0% is called an impossibility.)

+ I don't have a notebook full of stats and thumb drives holding videos of people streaming from International Gateway after Illuminations through Boardwalk to the latter's parking lot to be able to say "certainly".

 

[Missy29]

How about if you use the valet parking and did not have an ADR? Would that be a less of a hassle?

 

[goofy4tink]

How about if you use the valet parking and did not have an ADR? Would that be a less of a hassle?

That is, actually, very acceptable. I have asked at the majority of resorts and been told that if you pay to valet park, you are free to go wherever you choose to go, and for however long you choose to stay.
It is only self-parking that can be an issue. I suppose that if it's really busy, valet parking may be restricted to those who are either staying at the resort or have an existing ADR...but that just doesn't happen very often.

 

[Missy29]

That is, actually, very acceptable. I have asked at the majority of resorts and been told that if you pay to valet park, you are free to go wherever you choose to go, and for however long you choose to stay.
It is only self-parking that can be an issue. I suppose that if it's really busy, valet parking may be restricted to those who are either staying at the resort or have an existing ADR...but that just doesn't happen very often.

Thanks

 

[schoen]

People freak out about parking at the resorts on these boards, but it REALLY is not unacceptable to do what you are proposing. Sometimes they do close the parking lots around big holidays.

You are going to spend time, and MONEY at the resort, they will be happy to let you park there.

 

[goofy4tink]

People freak out about parking at the resorts on these boards, but it REALLY is not unacceptable to do what you are proposing. Sometimes they do close the parking lots around big holidays.

You are going to spend time, and MONEY at the resort, they will be happy to let you park there.

Well.....as your esteemed moderator, I do tend to ask this question at the resorts, so that I can report back here. I have also asked GS in the parks, specifically MK, about it as well. They all tell me that long term parking, more than a few hours while actively at the resort, is for the use of those paying to stay at that resort. The GS CMs tell me that if someone is planning on visiting a park, then they need to park in that park's parking lot....not at a nearby resort.

Close during holidays? Yep, they sure do. As well as at other busy times of year. Just try to self park at BW if you don't have a parking permit on your dashboard, if it's a weekend day or night, during Food and Wine...yeah, not going to happen. Same thing if there is a party over at MK....parking at the MK resorts is really hard for those not staying there.

As I've said...you want to spend a few hours there, eating, or even shopping? Fine, park there...that's just fine. But don't expect anyone to think that it's going to take you more than 3 hrs to eat a meal at any resort. Oh, and if you're talking about a really high end meal...CG or Victoria and Alberts??? Perhaps you should just spring for valet parking. If you are there, spending money, either shopping or eating, then I doubt anyone has an issue. And of course Disney wants you there, and parking if need be. BUT...once you leave that resort and head to a park, but leave your car behind??? You are no longer spending time or money at that resort. Move the car. Or valet park it.

Fair is fair people. But then again.....maybe it's time to make the self park lots key entry only. And then, each resort can have a smaller area for those 'visiting' the resort....after 3 hrs, you have to pay to park. Pretty simple if you ask me. And it would stop all this discussion.

 

[LSchrow]

maybe it's time to make the self park lots key entry only. And then, each resort can have a smaller area for those 'visiting' the resort....after 3 hrs, you have to pay to park. .

that is my dream
literally, on every single BWV trip, we have spoken to the GM and/or whomever has highest manager title at the time. as our esteemed moderator stated, it is amazing how the lot empties out after illuminations. personally, we try not to use our rental car on weekends simply b/c we hate driving around looking for a spot. the exception is during the F&WF weekends, when they refuse main lot access to non-resort guests (with a 2nd guard at that entrance) - it has really improved the resort guest parking during those times.

one of the worst situations we saw was last year, when there was a large group of teens, partying in the lot, drinking alcohol from one car's trunk. they were obviously inebriated, and likely mostly underage (looked like a prom at ADH).
it got even worse when some of them raced their pickup truck through the lot, yelling really foul language (the "trunk drunks" responded in kind).
aside from the frightening thought that those kids were going to be driving home soon, we were also very concerned that some innocent in the lot might get hit, and the language was some of the worst i've heard (more x rated than r).
we did speak to the GM, and quite a few ppl (including him) went to the lot. we did not follow them, but assume they took care of the situation as he said they would.

they really need not only to make all the "abused" resort lots accessible only by room key, but to also police the lots occassionally to ensure the same level of safety that we expect and get in the resorts and parks is also enforced in WDW resort parking lots.

tirade over