Anyone currently at Boardwalk?

[BillPA]

Yes, your car get a photo, of the license palate when you enter a resort. Big Brother IS WATCHING.

 

[Murron]

OK...they scan the plate. Now what? How do they find out who it is? I have never had to register my car or rental at the resort. They asked if you need a resort parking pass. (and with magic bands, I'm not sure that's even done anymore) Local police are not going to look up license plates all day for Disney. Private companies are usually not allowed into the license plate data base (especially multiple states). And if you are allowed, each state is a separate $$ contract which is auditable to prevent misuse. OK. So now.....even if Disney starts to record your license plate at check in...jeez...administratively what a PITA! More data, expense, labor to enforce... They need to think this through. How about a nominal parking fee ($10) for those not staying at the resort, with a ticket of some sort issued that you can insert in a machine upon leaving. If you leave within the two hour (or three) time frame, you get reimbursed. Otherwise the fee stands. That's just off the top of my head. I'm sure there are better solutions.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

OK...they scan the plate. Now what? How do they find out who it is? I have never had to register my car or rental at the resort. They asked if you need a resort parking pass. (and with magic bands, I'm not sure that's even done anymore) Local police are not going to look up license plates all day for Disney. Private companies are usually not allowed into the license plate data base (especially multiple states). And if you are allowed, each state is a separate $$ contract which is auditable to prevent misuse. OK. So now.....even if Disney starts to record your license plate at check in...jeez...administratively what a PITA! More data, expense, labor to enforce... They need to think this through. How about a nominal parking fee ($10) for those not staying at the resort, with a ticket of some sort issued that you can insert in a machine upon leaving. If you leave within the two hour (or three) time frame, you get reimbursed. Otherwise the fee stands. That's just off the top of my head. I'm sure there are better solutions.

Seeing as though probably 50%+ of the cars are registered to a rental company, I can't see how they can track you personally in real time.

MG

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I hope they finally address the parking issues at the BWV. We stay there multiple times per year, and I am so tired of having to park out by the road and walk by an almost empty valet lot on the huge hike to the villa. The valet parking lot is way too big and the parking lot for DVC members is way too small.

We find security at BW/BWV extremely tough when we visit. They really don't let just anyone park there freely.
We are there to visit the Boardwalk and it's always a battle. Not sure what they expect visitors to do. We have even been denied the auxiliary lot.

MG

 

[svecchitto]

We find security at BW/BWV extremely tough when we visit. They really don't let just anyone park there freely.
We are there to visit the Boardwalk and it's always a battle. Not sure what they expect visitors to do. We have even been denied the auxiliary lot.

MG

I agree! We stayed on site without much issue, but when we were visiting the boardwalk staying at another resort it's been difficult. I don't think we've ever just been waved through without an interrogation!

 

[Wakey]

From a technical perspective it is very easy. All over the UK are ANPR cameras (automatic numberplate recognition), a country wide network run by police. There are also networks of them run by private parking areas for private car parks owned by commercial organisations. Literally the police in the UK can input a registration and see exactly where and when that car has been picked up. They can put an alert on a registration plate, so if wanted criminal x is caught driving past an ANPR then they can scramble interception police. They even have it linked to tax and insurance databases and can pull cars over if they get alerts no tax or insurance.
Private parking companies ANPR works the same way. When you go in a car park there will generally be a sign, setting out a contract. It will typically say for example, you may stay for 1 hour free at McDonald's car park, but if you stay more than 1 hour you agree to pay the parking company $100. The ANPR then detects the number plate and knows if you have been there for more than the free time. The software will then contact our DVLA who keep details of registered keeper addresses, and write to the keeper asking them to pay up. If they don't (or of they deny they were driving if they don't identify the driver) the company may issue a civil claim for breach of the contract in court.
It looks like in USA Disney may have difficulties getting access to the registered keeper, so all they could do is keep a banned list of number plates. The software like used in the UK could easily recognise this list and flash up a banned notice to the guard to prevent entry. The big problem they have with this is that half the cars maybe will be rentals.
This leads me to the conclusion that their only options may be to enforce a strict time limit with tow aways, or charge.

 

[Wakey]

These ANPR cameras are also mobile, and your security services are bound to have the same. I recall after some terrorist bombings in the UK years ago not long after 9/11, some of these scumbags had lived near my home city. In the days flowing there was a blacked out van with what looked to be an ANPR camera parked up near the main entrance to the motorway (interstate) out of the City. It was there all week, only to then disappear, never to be seen again.

 

[CarolMN]

We find security at BW/BWV extremely tough when we visit. They really don't let just anyone park there freely.
We are there to visit the Boardwalk and it's always a battle. Not sure what they expect visitors to do. We have even been denied the auxiliary lot.

MG

You can valet (seldom full) or park at DHS & walk over. You can pay to park at the Swan or Dolphin & walk over.

If there isn't enough parking at the Boardwalk (and there often isn't), those who are actually staying at the BWV or BWI need to be accommodated before those who are not.

FWIW, the problem isn't really those who want to eat, drink or play at the Boardwalk like you. It's the people who want to go to EPCOT and either don't want to pay for parking or prefer the convenience and easy access of the IG entrance. When parking isn't carefully controlled, the lots empty out a few minutes after IllumNations ends. It even happens when parking is controlled. I can testify! (It's very obvious when you stay in a standard view villa).

 

[Murron]

We find security at BW/BWV extremely tough when we visit. They really don't let just anyone park there freely.
We are there to visit the Boardwalk and it's always a battle. Not sure what they expect visitors to do. We have even been denied the auxiliary lot.

MG

BWV is one of my home locations, so we do go there very often....but for full disclosure, it's usually in early May or late September. Might account for why I don't get the interrogation that others have mentioned. I DO get interrogated at Contemporary/Bay Lake.

 

[CarolynFH]

As one who usually stays at BWV, I've been following this thread in hopes of finding out whether any new parking controls of any kind have actually been implemented or not. Sounds like not, at least not yet!

I do think that Disney's in something of a quandary that they created, given that they promote Boardwalk as a destination in itself (although I'm not sure they promote it as heavily as they used to), and the parking is inadequate to handle Inn & Villa guests as well as those who just want to visit Boardwalk and those who want access to Epcot through the IG, especially during F&W. They could implement a parking fee for day/evening visitors (equal to or greater than the fee for parking at the parks) and waive it for those who stay no more than two or three hours (and maybe require a receipt from a BW restaurant or shop - but what about those who just want to walk around BW and enjoy the entertainment?). But then if there's a fee, those who want to park there to spend the day at Epcot will justifiably feel entitled to do so, and the problem will be worse! And as much as I'd love to see the valet lot reduced in size (it always looks empty, or at least a whole lot less crowded than the regular lots, to us), I can't see Disney doing that either. Finally, it seems that the auxiliary lot is no longer available either - if it were, they could use that for visitors and run a shuttle for those who can't walk the distance to the BW entrance.

 

[goofy4tink]

You can valet (seldom full) or park at DHS & walk over. You can pay to park at the Swan or Dolphin & walk over.

If there isn't enough parking at the Boardwalk (and there often isn't), those who are actually staying at the BWV or BWI need to be accommodated before those who are not.

FWIW, the problem isn't really those who want to eat, drink or play at the Boardwalk like you. It's the people who want to go to EPCOT and either don't want to pay for parking or prefer the convenience and easy access of the IG entrance. When parking isn't carefully controlled, the lots empty out a few minutes after IllumNations ends. It even happens when parking is controlled. I can testify! (It's very obvious when you stay in a standard view villa).

Absolutely true! I've returned to the resort in the late afternoon....parking lot isn't crowded at all. Then, around 7pm-ish, the lot gets fuller. Sit and watch what happens about 15 mins after Epcot closes? A ton of cars are now leaving the parking lot!!! I've always felt badly for those BW guests, that are paying a lot of money to stay there, have to find parking spaces in the back area of the lot because there are none closer to the front. Then, at 10:00, there are plenty!!!

It's really a simple fix. BW guests can use the MB swipe method to get in and out. Those that are not guests, have to stop and get a parking ticket. Then, that ticket could be validated by the restaurant/bar that you are at. Then, if it's for under a set time, say 3 hrs, then fine, you don't pay to park. But, if you don't get that ticket validated, at the Boardwalk area, you have to pay to park...less than valet but enough to make it something you think about before doing. Maybe $10-15. I think that all resorts in close proximity to a park should do this.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

You can valet (seldom full) or park at DHS & walk over. You can pay to park at the Swan or Dolphin & walk over.

If there isn't enough parking at the Boardwalk (and there often isn't), those who are actually staying at the BWV or BWI need to be accommodated before those who are not.

FWIW, the problem isn't really those who want to eat, drink or play at the Boardwalk like you. It's the people who want to go to EPCOT and either don't want to pay for parking or prefer the convenience and easy access of the IG entrance. When parking isn't carefully controlled, the lots empty out a few minutes after IllumNations ends. It even happens when parking is controlled. I can testify! (It's very obvious when you stay in a standard view villa).

Valet can indeed work, but with a twist... there's a $25 charge, plus tip.
Now for us most of the time the $25 is a non issue if we are using TIW, but not all places on the BW accept Tables.
Drinks at Abracadabar comes to mind.

Generally if you can show a dinner reservation they will let you park, but often we eat at Big River and they don't accept ressies.

I agree guests staying at BWV/BWI should have priority, but I'm also not in favor of forcing a guest to park at DHS or pay $30 to valet.

The PP's suggestion of validating tickets might work, but would need to be thought out carefully. Where would they draw the line? A piece of pizza from the window? A $20 merchandise purchase? A $200 meal at Flying Fish..??

I've had similar difficulty at the Poly while trying to visit Trader Sam's.

MG

 

[n2mm]

We stayed there feb 16-18 and nothing going on during that time. We parked in the lot near tennis court. There was a second guard checking after you go pass the kiosk. The lot was not full because of the second check stop. We never saw any work nor heard anything about parking. They did have the poles up preventing entry on the one side.

We have discussed the parking issue often. I agree that there should be parking for those with dining reservations. I think it would be easy to have the dining restaurants validate the parking fee for those eating there. There is a lot of parking abuse at Bwv. We stay here a lot and won't move our car in the evenings because getting a parking spot is hard esp during food and wine.