Parking at Boardwalk

[PrincessMe]

Is free parking at the Disney Boardwalk limited to 3 hours like it is at the other resorts?

DH and I are arriving on 12/1 and staying at AoA. We will mainly be using our rental car as I don't do so well on buses. After checking in, we plan to spend the afternoon at Epcot followed by a 7:55 ADR at Kouzzina. Will we be charged for parking if we leave the car at the Boardwalk all afternoon and just walk to and from Epcot? Would it be better to just park at Epcot for the afternoon and then drive over to the Boardwalk before dinner?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jestocost]

Is free parking at the Disney Boardwalk limited to 3 hours like it is at the other resorts?

DH and I are arriving on 12/1 and staying at AoA. We will mainly be using our rental car as I don't do so well on buses. After checking in, we plan to spend the afternoon at Epcot followed by a 7:55 ADR at Kouzzina. Will we be charged for parking if we leave the car at the Boardwalk all afternoon and just walk to and from Epcot? Would it be better to just park at Epcot for the afternoon and then drive over to the Boardwalk before dinner?

Thanks in advance!

Self parking at BWI generally is more restrictive than other resorts and is limited to BWI guests. Valet parking is available and you also can frequently park by the Hess station across the street.

 

[wdw lifer]

I would park at the YC instead. As long as there isn't a convention you could park there all day without an issue.

 

[AliceIn]

Is free parking at the Disney Boardwalk limited to 3 hours like it is at the other resorts?

DH and I are arriving on 12/1 and staying at AoA. We will mainly be using our rental car as I don't do so well on buses. After checking in, we plan to spend the afternoon at Epcot followed by a 7:55 ADR at Kouzzina. Will we be charged for parking if we leave the car at the Boardwalk all afternoon and just walk to and from Epcot? Would it be better to just park at Epcot for the afternoon and then drive over to the Boardwalk before dinner?

Thanks in advance!

If you want to park there beyond the 3 hours, you would have to pay for valet parking. For me, the convenience of doing that is worth the cost.

 

[goofy4tink]

Generally speaking, parking at resorts is for those using that resort, not for park access. There are times during the year that there is no way you can park at a resort if you aren't paying to stay there...FandW weekends at the Epcot resorts for instance. The parking entrances are actually blocked off and you can only get in with a room key!!!
At other times of year, it is easier. But, I seldom recommend parking at any resort in order to get to a park. I would really recommend one of two things...
1. park at Epcot and then move the car to BW
or
2. park at BW but use the lot behind the Hess Station, or pay to valet park.

 

[aubriee]

Generally speaking, parking at resorts is for those using that resort, not for park access. There are times during the year that there is no way you can park at a resort if you aren't paying to stay there...FandW weekends at the Epcot resorts for instance. The parking entrances are actually blocked off and you can only get in with a room key!!!
At other times of year, it is easier. But, I seldom recommend parking at any resort in order to get to a park. I would really recommend one of two things...
1. park at Epcot and then move the car to BW
or
2. park at BW but use the lot behind the Hess Station, or pay to valet park.

We are going to be down there Oct 27th-Nov 4th and have dining reservations at Cape May. Where are we supposed to park? We would not be using it for park admission, but need to park somewhere long enough to eat. Do they still allow people with ADRs to park long enough to eat or are we going to have to park all the way over at the Hess station?

 

[wdwrich]

We are going to be down there Oct 27th-Nov 4th and have dining reservations at Cape May. Where are we supposed to park? We would not be using it for park admission, but need to park somewhere long enough to eat. Do they still allow people with ADRs to park long enough to eat or are we going to have to park all the way over at the Hess station?

You will be permitted to park at BC while dining at Cape May. There's no problem doing that.

 

[PrincessMe]

Thank you so much for the advice! We will just plan to park at Epcot for a few hours and then move the car before dinner. DH worked as a valet in college and won't go near a valet stand now!

 

[figment_jii]

We are going to be down there Oct 27th-Nov 4th and have dining reservations at Cape May. Where are we supposed to park? We would not be using it for park admission, but need to park somewhere long enough to eat. Do they still allow people with ADRs to park long enough to eat or are we going to have to park all the way over at the Hess station?

As the PPs have said, you are allowed to park any resort for up to three hours while enjoying the amenities of that resort. So you can park at the YC or BC (I forget which one has Cape May) for three hours while you eat. Just tell the guard at the gate you're eating at Cape May and they'll let you in (they may ask to see ID or take down your license plate).

 

[purple figment]

I would park at the YC instead. As long as there isn't a convention you could park there all day without an issue.

The same rules apply at the YC - 3 hours while you're dining, shopping and enjoying activities at the resort. I don't understand why you think it would be okay to park here all day.

 

[EpcotBill]

I visit resorts I'm not staying at all the time. It's been YEARS since I was told there is a 3 hour time limit when parking at any resort. I've parked at Contemporary, Polynesian, BoardWalk, Beach Club, Grand Floridian, and all the Mods. to name a few.

The guard asks if he can help me, I tell him why I'm there and he waves me through after I show him my ID. Maybe that's not the case all year. I'm usually there August, September, January or May. Perhaps during peak seasons they're more strict about parking.

Disney wants people to visit BoarkWalk and spend their money. I don't think they expect you to park at the Hess station and walk from there. I never do.

 

[Sammie]

Parking at the resorts to dine or shop, is allowed. What is not allowed is parking at the resorts to access Epcot or Hollywood studios.

 

[Sammie]

I visit resorts I'm not staying at all the time. It's been YEARS since I was told there is a 3 hour time limit when parking at any resort. I've parked at Contemporary, Polynesian, BoardWalk, Beach Club, Grand Floridian, and all the Mods. to name a few.

The guard asks if he can help me, I tell him why I'm there and he waves me through after I show him my ID. Maybe that's not the case all year. I'm usually there August, September, January or May. Perhaps during peak seasons they're more strict about parking.

Disney wants people to visit BoarkWalk and spend their money. I don't think they expect you to park at the Hess station and walk from there. I never do.

You were lucky as we are DVC members and have been turned away or had to park in the lot behind the Hess station.

It really depends on the occupancy levels of the hotel, whether there is a convention going on and certain times of the year.

I think we would all agree guest staying at the resorts should have precedence for parking over those visiting.

 

[lbv7]

You were lucky as we are DVC members and have been turned away or had to park in the lot behind the Hess station.

You might be a DVC member, but I assume that you weren't staying at the Boardwalk Villas. Because if you were there is no way you would be turned away or forced to park behind the Hess station.

 

[wdw lifer]

The same rules apply at the YC - 3 hours while you're dining, shopping and enjoying activities at the resort. I don't understand why you think it would be okay to park here all day.

Well... For one I've done it. Before we started staying there we made a reservation for breakfast at cape may. Then ventured over to Epcot for the rest of the morning. Had lunch at LeCelier spent a few more hours in the WS and returned to the car around 5pm.

We did have a resort parking pass and and the lot by the convention center was almost empty. Not sure how often they check but I've never had a problem. We usually go during the slowest times of the year as well. Being able to do this is the reason we now stay at BC/YC. If we hadn't we might not have seen the benefits.

 

[Sammie]

You might be a DVC member, but I assume that you weren't staying at the Boardwalk Villas. Because if you were there is no way you would be turned away or forced to park behind the Hess station.

Where you there, I don't think so, we ended up having to valet and then had to speak to a manager to get it comped.

It was during food and wine and literally there was no place to park except the over flow lot. Since then they have started at certain times such as Food and Wine making non resort guests park in the lot behind the Hess.

 

[lbv7]

Where you there, I don't think so, we ended up having to valet and then had to speak to a manager to get it comped.

It was during food and wine and literally there was no place to park except the over flow lot. Since then they have started at certain times such as Food and Wine making non resort guests park in the lot behind the Hess.

No, I wasn't there, but in your original post you said.

You were lucky as we are DVC members and have been turned away or had to park in the lot behind the Hess station.

You didn't mention anything about getting free valet parking, and you actually staying at the BWV. There are thousands of DVC members that visit the Boardwalk, but don't actually stay there.
I assume that the lot was full of people who didn't actually belong there, so Disney Security was not doing their job of policing the parking.

 

[LilyWDW]

I know when we took a taxi to Flying Fish on our last trip (during Food and Wine and on a Friday Night), ONLY those who were actual guests of the Boardwalk were being allowed into the main parking lot. All other cars, including dining reservations, were being directed to the overflow lot.

 

[purple figment]

Well... For one I've done it. Before we started staying there we made a reservation for breakfast at cape may. Then ventured over to Epcot for the rest of the morning. Had lunch at LeCelier spent a few more hours in the WS and returned to the car around 5pm.

We did have a resort parking pass and and the lot by the convention center was almost empty. Not sure how often they check but I've never had a problem. We usually go during the slowest times of the year as well. Being able to do this is the reason we now stay at BC/YC. If we hadn't we might not have seen the benefits.

Just because you've done it, doesn't make it right and should not be something you recommend that others do. As I said and others have also said on this thread, parking at the Epcot resort lots is for dining, shopping and enjoying the resort and NOT for all day theme park parking.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

]

All the resorts have a 3 hour limit for dinner and visits, If you stay longer you may be towed. There have been more and more reports on cars being towed.

The bottom line is people staying at a resort want to be able to park there.

AKK