on site hotel - do we get free parking at the parks

[Ann Marie McDonald]

My husband and I are going in December and we will have a car rental. There are times we are going to prefer to drive to the parks rather than rely on their transportation. Can we still park for free since we are staying at an on site resort?

Ann Marie

 

[vicki_c]

Yes.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Whenever we have a car we still bus it. Part of the charm and misery. Getting in a car and driving myself takes me out if Disney mode.

A car would be convenient if you hate the buses.

 

[Fizban]

yes that's one of the perks.

 

[Linda M]

You do, but I'm not sure why you'd want to drive rather than take the Disney transit which will drop you far closer to the park entrances.

Maybe it varies depending what resort you're staying at but we were at the GF in what was probably one of the busiest weekends of the year, over July 4th, and we never had to wait long for either the monorail, the buses, or the boat.

 

[soniam]

You may have to scan your magic band. I thought that's what we did in March. Driving was really great compared to the agony of waiting on the buses. Plus, you've got convenient storage instead of having to ship stuff to your hotel or paying for a locker.

 

[disnut8]

You may have to scan your magic band. I thought that's what we did in March. Driving was really great compared to the agony of waiting on the buses. Plus, you've got convenient storage instead of having to ship stuff to your hotel or paying for a locker.

Which is true but you would have to take your stuff out to your vehicle during the day and then returning to the parks and having the things you bought at the parks in your hot vehicle during the day. You don't have to have your items shipped to the resort as you can just have them taken to the front of the park to be picked up before you leave the park. You could pay for a locker but then, again, you would have to go to the locker area to store those purchases and have them in a locker for the rest of the day.

 

[BillyBuff]

I'm just driving from resort to resort since I have an ADR at one of the resort's restaurants.

 

[drwadadli]

I'm just driving from resort to resort since I have an ADR at one of the resort's restaurants.

I think this is a great idea if you have your own car. To get from resort to resort you would have to take a bus to a park and then wait for another bus from the park to the resort.

But if I was flying into Orlando, I personally wouldn't waste getting a car. Take the Magic Express to your resort. We have stayed at POR and All-Star Music and have no problems with the bus system.

Ann Marie, if it is just you and your husband then I would recommend not getting the car. If you plan to go from resort to resort, just allow about 15-20 minutes extra time. If you are park hopping, use the bus or other transportations. If you are hopping to the MK then take a bus to the Contemporary and walk over to the MK.

 

[ilovevacation]

I find this post interesting as it is a conversation my husband and I just had. We went for a week last year sort of last minute when my husband was going for work. It was my first time staying off site. I was shocked how much more efficient it was to have a rental car. I have taken magical express and worried about making our breakfast reservation in time. Although it's a long hike to the car at MK, I think the remainder of the parks is easy to get back and forth to the car and other destinations. Although wdw isn't the easiest to navigate I didn't have much of a problem with Google maps. We just decided to go over thanksgiving this year and given incredibly affordable rental cars in Orlando we are absolutely get a car again.

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

We are some of the few that stay on site and prefer driving to the parks. Our first MK day on this trip, we did the bus and just found it to be annoying. We didn't have a bad experience - the buses were timely, the drivers friendly, and we enjoyed chatting with our fellow POR guests. But it was just kind of irritating - it's nice to feel like you have your car as a "home base," I guess. So we drive to Epcot and our second MK day and enjoyed that much more.

Plus we love the free parking!

 

[drwadadli]

We are some of the few that stay on site and prefer driving to the parks. Our first MK day on this trip, we did the bus and just found it to be annoying. We didn't have a bad experience - the buses were timely, the drivers friendly, and we enjoyed chatting with our fellow POR guests. But it was just kind of irritating - it's nice to feel like you have your car as a "home base," I guess. So we drive to Epcot and our second MK day and enjoyed that much more.

Plus we love the free parking!

I find this post interesting as it is a conversation my husband and I just had. We went for a week last year sort of last minute when my husband was going for work. It was my first time staying off site. I was shocked how much more efficient it was to have a rental car. I have taken magical express and worried about making our breakfast reservation in time. Although it's a long hike to the car at MK, I think the remainder of the parks is easy to get back and forth to the car and other destinations. Although wdw isn't the easiest to navigate I didn't have much of a problem with Google maps. We just decided to go over thanksgiving this year and given incredibly affordable rental cars in Orlando we are absolutely get a car again.

As wish everything else on DISBOARD, personal opinions differ. Don't get me wrong, I have driven many times into WDW with a rental car. My wife and I just had this discussion the other too and concluded that if you one is staying on the monorail loop (GF, Poly, CR), then get a rental car (at least for us) didn't make any sense. It is a monorail ride to MK and EPCOT and only have to wait for a bus to AK or HS or DTD. If you are staying at any of the other resorts, then getting a rental car or not is totally personal preference. If you like having more of a freedom to come and go then absolutely get a rental car. If you are more for being casual and not caring too much on when the bus arrives or how long it takes to get somewhere, then the bus system is better. My wife and I, personal, are into letting Disney handle it plus we use the transportation system to our advantage...ie - park hopping (I know, that is totally a different discuss and not one I am starting here).

My wife and I are staying at the GF this December for a week. We have planned two days when we are hopping but the rest of the time is 2 days at EPCOT, 2 days at MK and 2 non-park days. We are going to AK for morning EMH and then EPCOT in the afternoon and the other day is morning at HS for EMH and then MK in the afternoon. Since you can't go from resort to resort, we find another way around it. The first day....take a bus from GF to AK and when ready to go to EPCOT, take a bus from AK to Beach Club Resort and walk in the back entrance at EPCOT. The second day....take a bus from GF to HS and when ready to go to MK, take a bus from HS to CR and walk to MK or bus to Poly or GF and monorail to MK (depending on which resort bus shows up first --- CR or Poly or GF).

For us this works and I know for others it doesn't. Also, it is just my wife and I. If we had a bigger family and kids, we would probably be getting a rental car and staying off the monorail loop. When I surprised my wife with a long weekend during F&W two years ago, we stayed at POR and used the bus system. Waits were longer but again since we didn't have pressing things to get to, it worked for us.

I love reading everyone's opinion and we have changed the way we do some things basis on some of these opinions. But if anything, it gives you a different way to think about things around WDW too.

 

[AGlassSlipper17]

We are driving down and staying on the monorail loop. Was thinking of driving to AK.. how does the free parking work. .is it on your magic band?

 

[Princess Leia]

We were there this July. We just held up our parking pass for our resort to attendant at the booths for each park. It does depend on what resort you are at. For instance when we stayed at WL we used the boat to MK and were able to access the MK resorts easily. We used the car to get to other resorts for ADRS. When staying at YC we were very handy for Epcot and Hollywood Studios which included lots of dining options. This time we were at Old Key West and used the car quite a lot. OKW has multiple bus stops and it could take a while to get round all the bus stops. I always take a bus when going to MK when not staying at a MK resort as it gets you in so much closer. I like that the parking is included at the parks and at resort. I did object to paying $20 a night for parking when at a Universal hotel.

 

[missnic]

We prefer to drive to the parks if we're staying off the monorail loop. It's just so much more convenient to leave when we want to and not have to wait for a bus. Plus, we usually stay at Pop, which is usually the furthest bus stop from the park entrance. It seems like the parking lot isn't much further to walk to.
Now, when we stay on the monorail loop, we usually don't even move the car once it's parked until we leave.

 

[bumbershoot]

Part of the charm and misery.

Not sure if you meant that word or not, but Disney buses and misery go hand in hand in our minds.

We drive. Even to MK.

If we stayed at WL we'd likely take the boat to MK, because you end up taking a boat/rail anyway from the lot, but apart from walking (though the walk from BW to Epcot seems longer to me than the walk from where we have parked in the Epcot lot to the entrance, but I haven't mapped it) we're car people.

I like that the parking is included at the parks and at resort. I did object to paying $20 a night for parking when at a Universal hotel.

If you weren't using a car, you're paying for everyone else's parking, though. I actually prefer a hotel that charges the people that use a service for that service, and don't charge *everyone* for it.

 

[cliveywolves]

We mix it up all depended on time of day and what other plans we have, it works well with free parking as an option...

 

[Haygar2]

We always use our own car. The first time we went, we threw our stuff in our room and caught the bus to AK. We were staying at POR. Anyway, we had to stand and we all felt queasy by the time we got to the park. The bus was not only crowded but hot. Our trip, which would have taken us, if we had driven, about 20 minutes(give or take). On the bus, it took twice as long. We like being able to come out of a park and get into our own car. No having to wait for buses. No cramming in(sometimes) like sardines. No extra stops. When we checked into our resort, they gave us a print out of our stay and resort name. They told us to put in on our dashboard, right in front of the steering wheel. We drove up to the entrance, they saw our paper and waved us through. Easy.

 

[westfield13]

We always rent a car - though we discuss it endless before each trip, wondering if we should take advantage of the Magical Express.

We joined the Emerald Club at National (for free) and love getting off the plane, going right to the rental garage, picking out a car and driving away (no wasted time at the car rental counter). On the way to the resort, we make a grocery stop at the closest Publix, for a case of water, other drinks, beer, wine, a few snacks and some quick breakfast items. Once at the resort, we'll use Disney transportation about 50% of the time to the parks.

We also really enjoy eating at the other resorts, so having a car makes it much easier getting to our reservations without having to build in so much extra time or worry about being late. Same goes for the times we visit Downtown Disney - I really appreciate having a car then!

 

[midge3426]

In recent years the buses do not seem to come as often. One day we waited almost thirty minutes and we decided to take our car and it was a lot quicker. We will usually take the boat from WL to the MK, but this year I may not. Last year, at the end of the day, they had one boat operating to both the campground and WL. They were really filling up the boat and there were people everywhere. All seats were filled and the aisles were covered with people standing. I am silly, but it really made me nervous that we were going to sink.