Any Tips & Secrets To Driving Own Vehicle In WDW?

[BigPoppa]

We are driving our own car to WDW in Jan 2011 for a 6 day stay at Pop Century. We purchased a WDW package with dining plan. All the action will occur within the WDW parks and resorts.

We plan on eating at 1900 Park Fare, Coral Reef, Crystal Palace, Cape May, Boma's and Le Cellier. We may also use quick service meals at some other resorts.

Are there any tips and secrets to driving/parking our own vehicle within the resort? E.g., will we be hassled if parking in a resort we are not staying in? Can I park at the Contemporary and use the monorail to enter MK? Any better places to park than others? Shortcuts? Thanks.

 

[Metro West]

 

[lovetoscrap]

I am not sure that there are many tricks for you. You are allowed to park at a resort for the time you are there visiting that resort. You will let the guard at the entrance know you have a dining reservation or are there to visit and show your ID and they will give you a limited time parking pass. The lots are well marked and it is pretty easy to figure out where you need to be. You are not allowed to park at the resorts and then go to the parks unless you are a guest at that resort and you do risk being towed if you do.

Parking at the parks is free for resort guests so you just show your resort ID at the gate and they let you in. If you leave to go to another park then you do the same. You don't get a lot of choice on where to park at the parks. You will be directed to the next available spaces. This may involve taking the tram to get to the park entrance. If you book your trip through AAA they have a special parking area at the parks that you need a special pass for for.

Driving around WDW is pretty easy. There are plenty of signs and they are pretty easy to follow. My advice would be to have a resort map with you or a list of which "park area" each resort is in. For instance knowing that the resort you are going to is an Animal Kingdom Area resort can be helpful.

Do you have Advanced Dining Reservations for the sit down meals that you are planning?

 

[Sweettears]

Welcome to DIS.

Keep your eyes on the road, hands on the wheel and watch out for 5-6 foot animals walking around on their hind legs with furry costumes.

No real tips. We always use WDW transport. Much more relaxing IMO.

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

The first thing you need to know is that there are roadside signs for everything in Walt Disney World. Every area that you want to go to have directional signs for them; every theme park, every water park, every resort, every recreation area and even Downtown Disney are pointed out on signs all over the Disney property. So, if you are leaving your resort to get anywhere that is Disney owned, you just start driving out of the resort, get to the main road and follow the signs.

When you check into Pop, they will ask if you have a vehicle and give you a parking pass that you need to display on your car dash. This is the same piece of paper you will show to the attendants at the park gates to park for free.

When you've been directed to your parking spot at each park's parking lot (you don't have a choice where to park as there will be a CM directing traffic), a good tip is to either write down the area and row you are parked in or take a picture on your cell phone or camera before you get on the tram. There's nothing worse than forgetting which row and area of the parking lot where your car is parked - especially since there will be multiple cars that will look exactly like your car!

There are trams that pick up up at the top of your parking row and then drop you off at the entrance to the parks. When you are ready to leave the park, you will wait for a tram at the designated area and they will drop you off by parking area (another reason you'll want to remember where you've parked).

If you have a reservation at another resort for lunch or dinner, just tell the gate attendant you are there for a lunch/dinner reservation. They may or may not give you a 3 hour parking pass and will tell you where to park. And unfortunately no, you cannot park at any of the monorail resorts and use the monorail to get to Magic Kingdom. You will need to park in the Magic Kingdom parking lot, take the parking tram to the TTC (Transportation and Ticket Center) then you will either need to take the monorail or ferry boat to the Magic Kingdom entrance. Unless you are staying at that particular resort, you risk the chance of being towed (thus the reason for the parking permit you display on your dash).

 

[mecllap]

Use the bus from PopC to go back and forth to MK -- but expect some wait time at night when you're leaving to return to Pop. (No, you can't park at Contemporary to go to MK). It can be a struggle to get back to your car in MK parking lot -- it's crowded getting out of the park, (sometimes going thru some of the shops is helpful), then you boat or monorail to TTC, then tram to your parking area, then hike to your car (if you end up toward the far end of your row) -- then if your Pop room is a hike from parking, you have yet another trek (we had one of those once -- I was pretty much in tears after a long park day, just getting back to the room]. I do prefer driving to the other parks, but not MK.

When you go through the resort parking gate the first time, ask for a WDW map (after you get your key, and are using the lift gate, you can still go that way to ask for a map -- sometimes they run out).

As noted, make sure everyone repeats what parking row you are in, and try to notice other cars around where you're parked -- tying something to your antenna can help.

Relax and have fun!

 

[manning]

Watch your speed, Law enforcement now patrol the roads in Disney. I've seen both state and locals sitting on the side of the road running radar. The busses now even obey the speed.

 

[SnowWhite10]

My family went this past Disney & drove our minivan everywhere. I mean everywhere. We did not use the bus at all, even going from one park to the next. It worked for us (btw, it was me, DH, and DDs4). We also used it to get to the one character meal we scheduled- and were given a guest pass to park, no issues. No real tips, though I do have to say I found the signs almost confusing to start out with. By the end of the trip, though, we were pros
Enjoy your stay at Pop- we were there, too. Loved it!

 

[speedyreb]

Newbie here, going to WDW in 20 days, so excited. Travelling with grandparents 70+, is there a place to drop them off closer to the parks prior to parking and walking those long distances? Thank you

 

[BigPoppa]

Wow! There's lots of nice people within these forums. Thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it.

We gotta start packing next week, the ADR's have been made, I'm feeling like I over-planned a bit. I have a little anxiety. Thinking bad thoughts sometimes, like envisioning the car breaking down in the mountains, blizzard shutting down I-75, the reservations magically disappearing from WDW computers, someone getting sick the night before...that sort of thing.

I keep telling myself, breath deep, relax, it's gonna be a nice vacation..........Yep, it's gonna be a great vacation. It's gonna rock! See ya!

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

Newbie here, going to WDW in 20 days, so excited. Travelling with grandparents 70+, is there a place to drop them off closer to the parks prior to parking and walking those long distances? Thank you

At the Magic Kingdom, when you pull up to the parking entrance, simply tell the Cast Member what you are doing, and they will direct you to Guest Drop Off/Pick Up. It is near the taxi stand at the Ticket and Transportation Center. They will still have to take either the monorail or ferry boat to the Magic Kingdom and you will have to loop around back to the parking lot and take the tram to the TTC to meet up with them..

I know the other parks have guest drop off but am not sure where.

 

[lovedvc]

I am sure most people here will agree that sometimes it's easier to just take the bus to MK. Dealing with the TTC can be a much longer haul. The 3 other parks are very easy to park at. If the other members of your group use a handicap sticker at home make sure you bring it, there is plenty of handicapped parking. Also, like a previous poster stated if you used AAA for either your booking or purchasing park tickets you are entitled to their Diamond Parking Pass. You would show that pass to the CM within the parking lot and they will usher you to the Diamond Parking area. Good luck and enjoy.