Free Parking

[ClamshellBeach]

We are staying at the Dolphin soon and understand that we get free parking at the parks but have to pay at the Hotel. So, the logical question is can you leave your car overnight at one of the parks for Free and avoid paying for parking at the Dolphin?

I have searched this topic and some say "tell the guards and you'll be OK", others say "you'll get towed - you're a security concern", and still others say "you'll be fine". Are there any experts out there??

Is one park lot OK while others are not OK?

Thanks

 

[dolphindan1]

huh...really...confused

 

[cluvsdisney]

I am no where near an expert, but I really doubt that you would allowed to leave your car in a park lot overnight. And why bother having a car if you need to take Disney transportation to where the car is parked?

 

[baby1disney]

I don't know anything about this...or should I say..I haven't heard of this. My in-laws are DVC members and for every vehicle in our fleet..which is usually two or three...we get a paper that we place in our windshield. When the guard at the resort or the CM at the gates of the parks sees it..they just wave us thru. I would call S&D and ask them bout the parking.

 

[jpolak]

We are staying at the Dolphin soon and understand that we get free parking at the parks but have to pay at the Hotel. So, the logical question is can you leave your car overnight at one of the parks for Free and avoid paying for parking at the Dolphin?

I have searched this topic and some say "tell the guards and you'll be OK", others say "you'll get towed - you're a security concern", and still others say "you'll be fine". Are there any experts out there??

Is one park lot OK while others are not OK?

Thanks

The only fee for parking at a resort that I am aware of is the daily fee for valet parking. Self parking at WDW resorts is free.

 

[ElementCamper]

The only fee for parking at a resort that I am aware of is the daily fee for valet parking. Self parking at WDW resorts is free.

The Dolphin and Swan are not Disney run resorts. There is a fee for parking at these two hotels.

 

[crisi]

The only fee for parking at a resort that I am aware of is the daily fee for valet parking. Self parking at WDW resorts is free.

But the Swalphin is starting to charge. And its expensive.

But I wouldn't park overnight at the parks. I suspect that it is a security concern and you will get towed.

We just got back and it seemed like Disney was taking overall security much more seriously this year than in the past. So what people were able to get away with a year ago - or even this Spring - may have changed.

 

[Art 1]

The only fee for parking at a resort that I am aware of is the daily fee for valet parking. Self parking at WDW resorts is free.

Swan and Dolphin you have to pay to park. I went in 2 weeks ago and it was 12 or 14 I think.

 

[chartle]

To get free parking at the parks you have to get a parking pass from your resort.

To not pay for parking at the Dolphin you would have to tell them at check-in that you don't have a car. If you don't have a car how are going to the pass.

I don't see a way around this. So its not a question of overnight parking at a park its a question of how to get a pass from the hotel without paying for it.

ETA: One other thing. This was brought up in another thread that dealt with "parking outside the box". If you get into a park lot and leave it overnight, are you going to be able to sleep at night wondering if your car was still going to be where you left it the night before.

 

[POOHsie]

I have stayed at the Dolphin and I have a handicap tag on my car. The valet parking at the Dolphin was reduced from the overnight charge ($16) to $9/day.

 

[Suellen]

We HAVE left our car overnight at MK and it was there the next morning. We left it because there was a bus ready to leave and the monorail lines and boat lines looked to be about an hour long wait.

That being said... I was certainly worried after we did it that it would get towed.

 

[Planogirl]

Parking fees at hotels are getting out of hand. I really believe that Disney is bound to start charging too at some point.

 

[wdwfan1]

When we stayed at the Dolphin we had to pay to park. There were gates at all entrances to the parking lot and you had to insert your card to lift the gate. I dont know how you could park in the lot without paying.

 

[chartle]

When we stayed at the Dolphin we had to pay to park. There were gates at all entrances to the parking lot and you had to insert your card to lift the gate. I dont know how you could park in the lot without paying.

If you reread the OP they want to park at a park parking lot full-time to avoid the fee at the Dolphin.

 

[POOHsie]

We are staying at the Dolphin soon and understand that we get free parking at the parks but have to pay at the Hotel. So, the logical question is can you leave your car overnight at one of the parks for Free and avoid paying for parking at the Dolphin?

Parking fees at hotels are getting out of hand. I really believe that Disney is bound to start charging too at some point.

I think there is some mental trickery involved here. One thing you could do is accept your Dolphin room rate as costing $16 more than posted rate. Then you wouldn't get hung up on the parking fee. It's still much cheaper than YC, BC and BW next door with their "free parking."

I believe Disney doesn't charge separately, because it is a selling point. Considering that they own the property, not lease it like the Dolphin, it is cheaper for them. Also, their price point, which is higher than other local hotels, probably already has the parking cost "built-in" to the room rate.

 

[bradk]

leaving your car inside the parking lot at one of the theme parks overnight for one night is one thing. although i still wouldn't recommend it if you were certain you didn't want it investigated or towed, there's just no way they don't keep track of this even if they don't do anything about it immediately.

since i suspect OP wishes to leave the car parked at DHS for example *every* night of their trip (or most), I honestly wouldn't count on it working beyond 2 or more nights. At that point, I would seriously question any element of security. There is also a point at which the vehicle could simply be considered abandoned.

in fact, while I'm not going to bother looking up the specific local laws for WDW, here's a sample law from a township in NJ that I found through google:

Has remained on or about private property or public property without the consent of the owner or other person so in charge of the property for a continuing period of more than 48 hours;

the owner being the person that owns the private property, not the vehicle. ergo, you just leave a vehicle parked somewhere for an extended period of time, you could just lose it. and be subject to fines as well.

so unless you plan on getting expressed written consent from Disney Parks, I wouldn't recommend it. even you plan on moving the car each day just to be sneaky. you know the parking charge at the resort going in, so you'll either have to consider that as just part of the cost of staying at the resort or seek alternative plans.

that would be my advice.

 

[chartle]

since i suspect OP wishes to leave the car parked at DHS for example *every* night of their trip (or most), I honestly wouldn't count on it working beyond 2 or more nights. At that point, I would seriously question any element of security. There is also a point at which the vehicle could simply be considered abandoned.

This was my thought also, that you would have to move the car around. Even if you moved it around the same lot, after a few days security will realize its the same car. Any car still in the lot 2 hours after close is going to be noticed.

Also if you really wanted to use your car to get to a park it would take a big chunk of time out of your morning. Its kind of like parking at DTD to visit a park, yes you can do it but Disney puts enough hurdles in front of you to make it not worth your wild.

What it boils down to, is it worth the hassle to save $14 a day.

 

[Allison]

It won't work. In order to park for free at the parks, you need to have a parking pass from the resort. If you don't tell the resort you have a car, you don't get a parking pass. Once you tell them you have a car to get the parking pass, you'll be charged for parking.

Even if it did, it's too much work for whatever the daily charge is at the Dolphin. Just pay it.

 

[bradk]

all that argument might suggest to the OP is that it's still a lot cheaper to pay for WDW parking one day than resort parking for a week.

 

[mrbghd]

Seriously, if money is that big of an issue that you are trying to find a way to avoid paying for parking maybe a vacation is not right for you.