Any personal exp. with parking?

[mkymouse4ever]

Read all the guide books, and site info about parking with a placard, but wondering if there is any personal recommendations or info we should know?
Thanks for your help. mky

 

[SueM in MN]

What do you have questions about?

Most of the things I would recommend are in the parking information in the disABILITIES FAQs thread (post number 8).

 

[mkymouse4ever]

already read that post thank you.

Wondering about personal info: How the cm's might direct you? Are they helpful or not? Do you recommend to park in the hc lot or ask to park on end near tram? which is actually closer, easier?
Do you just have your placard hanging, any problems being out of state?
Which lots are easier more acessible than others?
Is it really easier to take the bus, vs. driving & parking?

Basically, I am interested in anything in particular you may have learned that you thought "we are doing that next time!"

Thank you, mky

 

[Cheshire Figment]

If you have a wheelchair or ECV you cannot take them on the tram and would need to park in handicap parking.

It is important to put your hang tag on after you get through the toll plaza. At AK and MK just stay to the right and follow the signs. For EC and MGM go along with everyone else and then a person directing traffic will point you in the correct direction.

A disabled tag from any state, as well as the UK "Blue Badge" is accepted, leave it hanging from the mirror as the lots are patrolled by the County Sheriff's Office and it is a $250 fine.

If you do not have a wheelchair or ECV, and can negotiate entering and leaving the tram just go with the flow and ask the first person in parking (who will be near the tram lane) if you can park in a close spot.

For MK it may be easier to use Disney transportation as the buses (and monorail) go directly to the park entrance while if you park it is actually at the TTC and then you have to take a monorail or ferry to/from MK. At the other parks disabled parking is actually very close to the tram stops.

 

[SueM in MN]

already read that post thank you.

Wondering about personal info: How the cm's might direct you? Are they helpful or not? Do you recommend to park in the hc lot or ask to park on end near tram? which is actually closer, easier?

When you come to a CM, if they see your handicapped hangtag or handicapped license plate, they usually will just point you in the correct direction without saying anything.
Whether to park at the hc lot or at the end of the row near the tram depends on whether you have a wheelchair, ECV or other mobility device. If you have a walker or small, foldable wheelchair, and can step up on and sit on the tram, it may be a good alternative. If you are planning on renting a wheelchair or ECV in the parks, it is usually a shorter walk from where the tram leaves you off than from the handicapped lot.
There is no tram service from the handicapped lot. There are some wheelchairs that can be used to get from the handicapped lot to the wheelchair rental area, but whether or not there is one there when you need it is variable.

If you have an ECV or a wheelchair that can't be folded, your only option is the handicapped lot.

Do you just have your placard hanging, any problems being out of state?

Just hang the placard as you would at home.
No problems with out of state (we come from Minnesota). If you have a placard or license plate that is valid for handicapped parking in your home state, it is recognized in Florida.

Which lots are easier more acessible than others?

MK is the least accessible because you still have to take the monorail or boat to get to MK. The bus drops you off in the same area as the monorail and boats drop you off. So, by taking the bus, you skip the monorail or boat portion of the trip.

For the other lots, a lot depends on when you get there and how far into the lot you have to park. If you are at the far end of the lot, you will have a much farther walk than you would have by parking in the regular lot and taking the tram.
The Studio has a lot the is just behind (so just a little farther than) the area where buses and trams drop people off. That lot is not that large though and sometimes fill up, so we have sometimes had to drop off DD and someone else to stay with her while DH parked in the regular lot.

Epcot's lot is very close to the tram area and is a shorter walk than taking the bus.

The farthest part of the AK handicapped lot is pretty far out, but the walk is about the same (although in different direction) than the bus. The trams let you off closer.

 

[barrysprot36]

A disabled tag from any state, as well as the UK "Blue Badge" is accepted, leave it hanging from the mirror as the lots are patrolled by the County Sheriff's Office and it is a $250 fine.

The UK "Blue Badge" is not accepted now, have a look at this thread on UK Forum

Caron

 

[leanan]

If you do not have a chair I recomend (especially at epcot) flashing your placard and asking for an end close to the tram spot. The walk from the disabled spots to the entrance at Epcot is beyond hideous.

I have had problems with attitude recently when in BFs car about wanting the closer spot due to the pregnancy. Once I tell them my intent is to rent an ECV once inside the park they typically let me be.

 

[SueM in MN]

The UK "Blue Badge" is not accepted now, have a look at this thread on UK Forum

Caron

Thanks for the reminder.
I found that thread a couple of weeks ago and added a link to it to the disABILITIES FAQs thread (post 8 in that thread, about parking).