A poll about parking at resorts....

[goofy4tink]

Many of you may have seen the very long thread on parking at a resort you are not sleeping at over on the Theme Parks board. I'm just curious as to what the folks over here think about different scenarios.
When is it okay to park at another resort...and for how long.

 

[eliza61]

LOL, not surprisingly I voted "who knew". Generally we only visit other resorts to eat so other than that, we park at whatever park we're going to.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

We always rent a car (as you know, pollmistress) and park in the lot for the park or resort where we have plans. Typically, when we park at one of the monorail resorts for a dinner ADR, we're not heading to the MK after, so we leave when we're done dining and taking a spin around the resort monorail. My kids like to shop in the resort lobby stores so we do that after an ADR. If it's a breakfast ADR, it's usually the last day and we're headed elsewhere anyhow...

 

[seashoreCM]

Q: When is it okay to park at another resort...and for how long?
A: When you are involved in activities at that resort, and for the duration of those activities.

Enforcing the above precisely is difficult. A 3 hour pass covers the majority of situations. But it is perfectly reasonable for the guard to renew your 3 hour pass for another few hours when you see him in person. (Hardly anyone will go off to a park and also renew a 3 hour pass every 3 hours)

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Remember if you are not parked in the lot properly, even at the far off spot...you may get towed!

AKK

 

[goofy4tink]

Remember if you are not parked in the lot properly, even at the far off spot...you may get towed!

AKK

Well, I have spoken to various folks at WDW, at the resort level and the vast majority of them have told me that it would have to be pretty flagrant to have a car towed. Are cars towed from resort parking lots?? Possibly. But in all reality, what happens to the guest, at lets say BLT, that has parked his car in the lot, as he is entitled to do, but he forgets to put his parking pass on his dashboard. He figures he'll bring it down with him the next morning, but in all the excitement of hitting the parks, he forgets.
So..now this car has been parked there, for a very long period without any identifying paper on the dash. Is this car now going to be towed??? Hope not.

I just don't think towing of cars happens enough to worry about. Now, if when you said 'parked properly' you meant that the car was parked sideways, taking up three spots rather than head in, using just one space, then sure...you may quite possibly get towed....

 

[Lewisc]

Disney tickets aren't transferable. Years ago the tickets didn't have your picture. Disney didn't do the biometric scan. The tickets didn't even have a place to put your name. Disney decided they didn't want guests transfering tickets and instituted the finger system.

I've been to hotels that don't want pool "crashers". Your room key is swiped before you enter the pool area. Posters on DIS care more about pool hopping (with the exception of SAB) then Disney.

Same with parking. Disney wants to reduce parking abuse. Have a gate for hotel guests. Swipe a room key. Give other guests a timed parking ticket. 3 hours free parking then a $20 charge. Free parking if you get your ticket validated at a restaurant. Face it. Disney doesn't really care. There really isn't any reason why Disney could tell guests who want to visit a monorail hotel, even to dine, they need to park at the TTC and take Disney transportation.

Many offsite hotels charge for guest parking. Most onsite hotels, not run by WDW, charge for guest parking. SoG, Swan and Dolphin charge for parking. I'm pretty sure most of the DTD hotels also charge for parking.

A "solution" might include charging for parking.

 

[Traveliz]

Well, I have spoken to various folks at WDW, at the resort level and the vast majority of them have told me that it would have to be pretty flagrant to have a car towed. Are cars towed from resort parking lots?? Possibly. But in all reality, what happens to the guest, at lets say BLT, that has parked his car in the lot, as he is entitled to do, but he forgets to put his parking pass on his dashboard. He figures he'll bring it down with him the next morning, but in all the excitement of hitting the parks, he forgets.
So..now this car has been parked there, for a very long period without any identifying paper on the dash. Is this car now going to be towed??? Hope not.

I just don't think towing of cars happens enough to worry about. Now, if when you said 'parked properly' you meant that the car was parked sideways, taking up three spots rather than head in, using just one space, then sure...you may quite possibly get towed....

I agree witht his post. I have been to Disney so many times and experienced so many different situations and the only car I have seen towed is mine (twice at my request due to car problems). I have parked at every level of hotels and simply do what the guard tells me to do...once at Contemporary on Sunday of Spring Break we had three cars there for breakfast and NOT ONE OF US was given a parking pass. One NYE we had 7 PM Ohanas reservation and we were given a parking pass (not timed) at the gate and were told we were free to stay for the fireworks (midnight) and we did and our cars were still there when we went back.

I have stayed at every level and not gotten my parking pass on the dash for days and had no problem.

I have had two parking problems at Disney in all of my years - one when there were no spots at POP (yes POP) and people had to park on the grass amd once when a valet scratched my van at the Poly.

I have had two bus drivers on this forum PM me to tell me in all of their years of driving through hotel resort lots they have never seen a car towed.

Bottom line for me is I do what the guard tells me if I pull up to park at a hotel different than mine.

Liz

 

[Brian Noble]

I usually don't go directly to a park from an ADR at a nearby resort. In the few instances I have, I have always used the valet---and even that has only been for a few hours after dinner, or maybe to pop in after brunch and before heading to the airport. If I'm going to be somewhere for longer, I usually just drive there (and eat in the park).

That said, I don't do this because I think my car will get towed. I suspect the number of "involuntary" tows is near zero in any given year. I do this because it is my understanding of Disney's policy, and (more importantly) the courteous thing to do. I'm not one who subscribes to the the philosophy that "anything not prevented is allowed."

FWIW, I don't re-use old mugs, claim my ten year old is nine (or, for Free Dining purposes, that my nine year old is ten), pool hop, or "borrow" pool towels at DVC resorts, either. It's not that I am without vices---I have many. Rather, these are not among them. I do routinely come back to the fastpass return queue after my fastpass window has ended, for example.

 

[goofy4tink]

Disney tickets aren't transferable. Years ago the tickets didn't have your picture. Disney didn't do the biometric scan. The tickets didn't even have a place to put your name. Disney decided they didn't want guests transfering tickets and instituted the finger system.

I've been to hotels that don't want pool "crashers". Your room key is swiped before you enter the pool area. Posters on DIS care more about pool hopping (with the exception of SAB) then Disney.

Same with parking. Disney wants to reduce parking abuse. Have a gate for hotel guests. Swipe a room key. Give other guests a timed parking ticket. 3 hours free parking then a $20 charge. Free parking if you get your ticket validated at a restaurant. Face it. Disney doesn't really care. There really isn't any reason why Disney could tell guests who want to visit a monorail hotel, even to dine, they need to park at the TTC and take Disney transportation.

Many offsite hotels charge for guest parking. Most onsite hotels, not run by WDW, charge for guest parking. SoG, Swan and Dolphin charge for parking. I'm pretty sure most of the DTD hotels also charge for parking.

A "solution" might include charging for parking.

You must be reading my little pea-brain. IF Disney had an issue, these would be terrific solutions. I have suggested them myself on a regular basis. But, at the end of the day...I don't think Disney cares, one way or the other.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Well, I have spoken to various folks at WDW, at the resort level and the vast majority of them have told me that it would have to be pretty flagrant to have a car towed. Are cars towed from resort parking lots?? Possibly. But in all reality, what happens to the guest, at lets say BLT, that has parked his car in the lot, as he is entitled to do, but he forgets to put his parking pass on his dashboard. He figures he'll bring it down with him the next morning, but in all the excitement of hitting the parks, he forgets.
So..now this car has been parked there, for a very long period without any identifying paper on the dash. Is this car now going to be towed??? Hope not.

I just don't think towing of cars happens enough to worry about. Now, if when you said 'parked properly' you meant that the car was parked sideways, taking up three spots rather than head in, using just one space, then sure...you may quite possibly get towed....

Hi goofy 4 tink

I can see the official position being not to tow...but there have been reports of resorts having illegally parked cars and the lots full..........and have had cars of non guests/diners towed.

As to a guest staying at the resort and getting towed..............they do have a record of the license plate numbers.


However I do totally agree with you, its not likely!...The question is ...........is it worth the chance?


Not to mention its wrong to park in the resort lots to avoid parking fees at the parks..........basicly its stealing.........

Just my opinion........

AKK

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I have never done the pay the valet option, but see no problem with it. Otherwise I move the car after my diner.

Honestly with the possible exception of CR the hotel lots aren't that much closer. (I tend to arrive late at the park and just drive near the front to park anyway however!) The "vaunted" Boardwalk parking lot is really just as far as the main Epcot lot for example! I have parked there when I stayed there and it's not that much better.

I think Disney will eventually do something. However, I think that something may be charging us all to park (like the Swan/Dolphin did)

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

This past December there was two times we parked at the Contemporary. The 1st time it was to eat at the Contempo Cafe and the 2nd time was going to the Bay View Gifts store so my Mom could purchase a new watch that we only saw being sold there. Later on during our trip we then went over to the Polynesian to eat at the Kona Island Sushi Bar and we also parked at the Grand Floridian to eat at Gasparilla's Grill & Games. Now each time we parked in the self parking lots of each resort and weren't given any 3 hour parking passes, although the Cast Member at the security shack asked to see a Key To The World card from the Boardwalk Inn and saw our parking pass from there. Plus we weren't on any list of guests with ADR's, since the locations we went to don't accept them. However we didn't park at any of those three Resorts to get easier access to the Magic Kingdom, because after staying at the Contemporary and Polynesian we know how hard it can be on some nights to get a parking spot.

 

[Brian Noble]

Disney tickets aren't transferable. Years ago the tickets didn't have your picture. Disney didn't do the biometric scan. The tickets didn't even have a place to put your name. Disney decided they didn't want guests transfering tickets and instituted the finger system.

But, tickets have *never* been transferable---the multi-day tickets have included non-transferable language for as long as I can remember. The difference is that now there is a mechanism (beyond guests just being honest) to *enforce* the rule.

This gets back to what I was saying. There are two ways to look at "what is allowed." One is: "If I'm not prevented from doing something, it is allowed." The other is: "If there is a policy against it, then it's not allowed." I happen to be in the latter camp. And, looking at the poll results so far, it would seem most others are too. But, there are a few who are not. There's no question what the "official policy" is at the resorts---and if you think there is, you could have 100 people ask Guest Communications over the course of a year to see what happens. I bet you'll get 100 identical answers: you can't park at a resort at which you are not a registered guest in order to visit the theme parks. But, most of the time, at most resorts, Disney doesn't bother enforcing this restriction for one reason or another, because it's not worth their time.

Ultimately, this is what it comes down to for any of these un-enforced policies: mug re-use, pool hopping, towel borrowing, etc. etc. etc. As long as only a few people take advantage of the system, it's not worth it for Disney to spend the money to enforce it. However, if the abuse becomes significant to the point of impacting guest satisfaction, *or* there is clearly money being left on the table, Disney will react.

The precipitating event with the tickets was the change from the Parkhopper/Parkhopper Plus model to the MYW model. In the PH/PHP days, there was a fairly small discount on "extra" days, so the margin available to someone wanting to resell their tickets was modest. In the MYW scheme, an extra day is only a couple bucks after the first several, so the margin is much higher, and the motivation to resell much more compelling. There hasn't been a similar precipitating event for parking, though the "three hour tags" at Poly and Contemporary plus the lot restrictions at Boardwalk during F&W weekends suggest that it has at least risen to the attention of the Powers That Be. Likewise, at the water parks, Disney has gone to the trouble to stop mug re-use from one day to the next---in part because within the park, you are a captive audience member. At the resorts, there hasn't been the same desire, presumably because Disney believes that there are not enough mug scofflaws to be worth going to the barcode system there as well.

 

[sam_gordon]

You missed an option... those who don't drive to ADRs and use Disney Transportation!

That being said, I would not park at a resort and just go right to a park (in order to not pay the parking fee). If I had an ADR and was going to a park after that... I'd probably go to the ADR, then drive to the park. I generally schedule resort ADR's for AFTER our park touring is done for the day though, unless it's the resort I'm staying at.

 

[Traveliz]

Hi goofy 4 tink

I can see the official position being not to tow...but there have been reports of resorts having illegally parked cars and the lots full..........and have had cars of non guests/diners towed.

As to a guest staying at the resort and getting towed..............they do have a record of the license plate numbers.
However I do totally agree with you, its not likely!...The question is ...........is it worth the chance?


Not to mention its wrong to park in the resort lots to avoid parking fees at the parks..........basicly its stealing.........

Just my opinion........

AKK

I suppose that is the case since they sometimes seem to take that down as we enter - not always though.

But when we have gone over to other resorts (either staying onsite or off) and have just been waved through we have not had our license plate number taken down.

Liz

 

[goofy4tink]

Hi goofy 4 tink

I can see the official position being not to tow...but there have been reports of resorts having illegally parked cars and the lots full..........and have had cars of non guests/diners towed.

As to a guest staying at the resort and getting towed..............they do have a record of the license plate numbers.


However I do totally agree with you, its not likely!...The question is ...........is it worth the chance?


Not to mention its wrong to park in the resort lots to avoid parking fees at the parks..........basicly its stealing.........

Just my opinion........

AKK

Hmmm, I have never had my license plate number taken down...either at the front desk or at security upon entering the resort. Now, on the other hand, I did sit out on my balcony at BLT one morning, watching a security person driving around the parking lot. Every so often he stopped his golf cart, got out, and inspected a car. Late that day, I ate my late lunch out there, again just watching the monorail coming and going. But I also watched the security cart going around again...and stopping and checking. There were several cars that they got out at and took out a pad or notebook, and wrote in it. Perhaps they were tracking certain cars that didn't have the BLT parking pass on the dash. But I never saw a tow truck in there.

I have never done the pay the valet option, but see no problem with it. Otherwise I move the car after my diner.

Honestly with the possible exception of CR the hotel lots aren't that much closer. (I tend to arrive late at the park and just drive near the front to park anyway however!) The "vaunted" Boardwalk parking lot is really just as far as the main Epcot lot for example! I have parked there when I stayed there and it's not that much better.

I think Disney will eventually do something. However, I think that something may be charging us all to park (like the Swan/Dolphin did)

Those that park there, for Epcot access, are only going to WS (at least the vast majority), and plan on watching IllumiNations. They arrive late in the afternoon/early evening, and then drive off about 10 pm....only one reason for that...IllumiNations. It's easier to park at BW and then have clear exits vs the crowd at Epcot.

You missed an option... those who don't drive to ADRs and use Disney Transportation!

That being said, I would not park at a resort and just go right to a park (in order to not pay the parking fee). If I had an ADR and was going to a park after that... I'd probably go to the ADR, then drive to the park. I generally schedule resort ADR's for AFTER our park touring is done for the day though, unless it's the resort I'm staying at.

I usually use DME and take the buses as well. But there have been times I've had a car...if I'm heading to visit my ds or my dad. Much prefer the buses to worrying about parking.

 

[sotoalf]

As a Florida resident, my cousin qualifies for a 20% discount on all meals and free valet parking at any resort with the purchase of a special ticket. He will often, as he did last week, drive from Ft Wilderness to the Contemporary, leave the van at valet, and walk to the MK.