PrincessV
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2006
There was a thread on this subject a while back - I never posted, but read it with interest. I suppose I could search for it, but since it's been a while, anyway...
I'm fresh back from a week at WDW and can report that I had an equal number of times that I was asked to show ID with my AP for free parking and times that I was waved right through without showing ID.
The times that I did need to show ID, I was asked in what I would deem not particularly friendly manners. Not quite rude, either - just... militant-ish. Twice I asked why, as I'd never before been required to show ID for parking, and was told by one CM at the MK gate, "it's a new rule that went into effect 3 weeks go," and by a CM at DHS, "too many passholders were loaning their passes out to family and friends for free parking."
Note that I was asked for ID in the early morning and 3 hours before park closure. I was waved through without showing ID in the early morning and late afternoon. So I don't think time of day had anything to do with it. Maybe the "new rule" is being slowly released to the CMs in training/meetings?
The first time, I accidentally handed my son's AP instead of my own and received a dirty look when I showed my own ID... realizing my mistake, I apologized and showed my own pass. But it got me thinking... my 11yo son's AP includes free parking, too, and he was right there with me, so we certainly weren't in the wrong in using his pass. As an 11yo, though, he doesn't have a state ID card; I can't help but wonder how the interaction would have continued had I wished to use his card for parking.
Anyway, I suggest passholders just have their ID ready to show from now on. You may not need it, but if you do, things will move much more quickly if you don't have to get out of your vehicle and dig around the back seat for your wallet... like me.
I'm fresh back from a week at WDW and can report that I had an equal number of times that I was asked to show ID with my AP for free parking and times that I was waved right through without showing ID.
The times that I did need to show ID, I was asked in what I would deem not particularly friendly manners. Not quite rude, either - just... militant-ish. Twice I asked why, as I'd never before been required to show ID for parking, and was told by one CM at the MK gate, "it's a new rule that went into effect 3 weeks go," and by a CM at DHS, "too many passholders were loaning their passes out to family and friends for free parking."
Note that I was asked for ID in the early morning and 3 hours before park closure. I was waved through without showing ID in the early morning and late afternoon. So I don't think time of day had anything to do with it. Maybe the "new rule" is being slowly released to the CMs in training/meetings?
The first time, I accidentally handed my son's AP instead of my own and received a dirty look when I showed my own ID... realizing my mistake, I apologized and showed my own pass. But it got me thinking... my 11yo son's AP includes free parking, too, and he was right there with me, so we certainly weren't in the wrong in using his pass. As an 11yo, though, he doesn't have a state ID card; I can't help but wonder how the interaction would have continued had I wished to use his card for parking.
Anyway, I suggest passholders just have their ID ready to show from now on. You may not need it, but if you do, things will move much more quickly if you don't have to get out of your vehicle and dig around the back seat for your wallet... like me.