Beep beep! Parking Questions!

[kiwicake]

I have some crazy parking questions to ask..

So my family and I are not staying on property.. Nor can we afford parks this time around... BUT! The good news is we thought it would be fun to drive over and have breakfast at Boma's then explore the resorts all day which will be decorated for the holidays. Maybe ride the monorail a few times! Then afterwords we would have dinner at California Grill and watch the fireworks. A bit of Disney magic for our holiday vacation.


So my big question is.. How does one do this and park? If I remember right if you have reservations you can park at the hotel for free? But can I park there all day for free? Should I pay and park at MK for the day and use the monorail to get around? Parking is only like $15. at MK but ya know.. if it's free elsewhere that would be better for me!

 

[LisaCM614]

Wow! That sounds like a great way to work in some Disney Magic! You can valet park at a resort all day but I believe the fee is $20. You can park at Animal Kingdom Lodge for free for breakfast but you are not supposed to leave your car there all day. Also that would not be very convenient given you are ending your day at California Grill. Which again you should be able to park there for free at dinner time as well.
I would drive to Boma, have breakfast and explore AKL.
Drive to Beach Club or Yacht Club and look at the Epcot resort decorations - just tell the guard you are exploring and looking at decor.
Drive to WL, explore WL and the Fort
and finally drive to Contemporary and ride the monorail (stop and get Gingerbread at the Grand Floridian!) and enjoy your fabulous dinner at the California Grill!
bit of driving around but never leaving your car too long at any spot and in the end having your car with you when you are ready to leave.
Hope that helps. I'd love to join you

 

[lborne]

Usually they give you a 3 hr pass at the resorts for dinning. Although I have on many occasions not been given a pass and allowed to park all day - but it has to be a relatively quiet time of the year.

This may not be allowed, but we have parked at DTD and after shopping / eating, taken the bus to wherever else we wanted to go. I think the only time this is a "no no" is if you are trying to avoid parking for a theme park. Could someone else can chime in on that aspect please.

 

[kiwicake]

Wow! That sounds like a great way to work in some Disney Magic! You can valet park at a resort all day but I believe the fee is $20. You can park at Animal Kingdom Lodge for free for breakfast but you are not supposed to leave your car there all day. Also that would not be very convenient given you are ending your day at California Grill. Which again you should be able to park there for free at dinner time as well.
I would drive to Boma, have breakfast and explore AKL.
Drive to Beach Club or Yacht Club and look at the Epcot resort decorations - just tell the guard you are exploring and looking at decor.
Drive to WL, explore WL and the Fort
and finally drive to Contemporary and ride the monorail (stop and get Gingerbread at the Grand Floridian!) and enjoy your fabulous dinner at the California Grill!
bit of driving around but never leaving your car too long at any spot and in the end having your car with you when you are ready to leave.
Hope that helps. I'd love to join you

Yeah we were planning to just have breakfast at Boma's, animal watch for a while then drive over to the MK hotel area and just spend time around there all day. Hop on the boats that go around the resorts, monorail and odd things like that. Definitely visit the gingerbread houses!!! I was at Disney around the holidays in 07 and I remember there were some live performances at some of the resorts. We are also thinking about taking a bus to Downtown Disney too.

So my best bet would probably park at AKL for breakfast ( if they give you around three hours that should be plenty of time)Then driving over to MK and park there the rest of the day?

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Valet park at AKL. Take the MK bus to monorail at MK. Use that to get around.

 

[DebbieB]

Looking at your counter, you will be there around Christmas - New Years. They are more strict about parking during this peak time. Being that you have reservations, you should not have a problem with valet parking.

 

[kiwicake]

Is there any pros to valet parking verses parking myself?

Yes we are planning the day after christmas. I know the parks are crazy then so another plus to not going to the parks haha!

 

[LisaCM614]

Valet parking costs $20 and is all day, the method I described is free you just need to park in three different places but your car will end up where you are.
You could park at TTC and bus it or monorail it around but as you said that would cost $15.
Benefit to valet? you give them the keys but the car is there for the day and after dinner you'll need to catch a bus from MK to AKL to get the car - maybe this is not a problem for you?

 

[chartle]

I would just park at the TTC after driving from AKL and keep it there all day.

Just so you know since you won't have a ticket, the best way to get to the epcot resorts is by bus from the MK.

 

[illinidp]

If you pay to valet park save your receipt and you can valet park all day at any resort. I would do that since you want to resort tour.

 

[DebbieB]

I would just park at the TTC after driving from AKL and keep it there all day.

Just so you know since you won't have a ticket, the best way to get to the epcot resorts is by bus from the MK.

Problem is if they are going during the Christmas-New Years period is the TTC could close due to capacity.

 

[chartle]

Problem is if they are going during the Christmas-New Years period is the TTC could close due to capacity.

Yes OP when are you going, getting around from a few days before Xmas to a few days after NYD at WDW could be a challenge.

 

[kiwicake]

Right. So my options are,
A. Valet park all day for $20 (probably at CG after breakfast at AKL)
B. Park at TTC for $15 (that's the park's lot right? Sorry I'm new to driving usually we fly and bus it while we visit WDW) If they aren't full capacity...

The free option isn't going to work because we only have two reservation's and I'm sure we will take longer then six hours

I think I'm going to park at AKL for breakfast then move to one of the park's parking lots. I don't mind the bus rides to the other resorts. If worse comes to worse I could just spend the extra and park at the Contemporary if the park lots are full.

Do any of you happen to know how late you can stay parked at either place? Like do we need to leave the park's parking lot when the park closes? Or the hotels, do they make you leave by midnight or something?

Thanks for all the help so far guys! You are all awesome.

 

[goofy4tink]

I would seriously consider just choosing a resort and valet parking there for the day. Use that resorts transportation. I would head to the CR...valet park there. Then, walk over to MK, get on a bus to AKL and have breakfast. Just be sure to leave enough time. Then you can bus to wherever you want, finishing up at the CR. Your car will then be there, ready to drive out.
There are no restrictions as to time when you valet park.

 

[kiwicake]

I would seriously consider just choosing a resort and valet parking there for the day. Use that resorts transportation. I would head to the CR...valet park there. Then, walk over to MK, get on a bus to AKL and have breakfast. Just be sure to leave enough time. Then you can bus to wherever you want, finishing up at the CR. Your car will then be there, ready to drive out.
There are no restrictions as to time when you valet park.

This sounds like the perfect plan! Thank you!!! I'm so excited!

 

[kiwicake]

Usually they give you a 3 hr pass at the resorts for dinning. Although I have on many occasions not been given a pass and allowed to park all day - but it has to be a relatively quiet time of the year.

This may not be allowed, but we have parked at DTD and after shopping / eating, taken the bus to wherever else we wanted to go. I think the only time this is a "no no" is if you are trying to avoid parking for a theme park. Could someone else can chime in on that aspect please.

I'm going during a really busy time so they will probably be pretty strict.

 

[richmo]

Another possibility, if you have time early, would be to park at Downtown Disney (free), then get a bus to AKL for breakfast. You mentioned you might want to hit Downtown Disney somewhere along the line, so maybe start and finish there...

 

[wdwrich]

Another possibility, if you have time early, would be to park at Downtown Disney (free), then get a bus to AKL for breakfast. You mentioned you might want to hit Downtown Disney somewhere along the line, so maybe start and finish there...

There's a possibility that buses from DTD to the resorts may not be running early enough to get to a resort breakfast.

 

[Traveliz]

I would valet park at the first spot AND then valet at each and every other hotel area you want to visit. One valet price for the day. You will have the tips to pay but so much more time saved than busing everywhere. Once you valet at the MK resorts (pick whichever one you want) then monorail around to the others. At Epcot resorts pick a hotel to valet at and then walk to the others along the lake. Very easy.

Liz

 

[spiceycat]

you have a reservation for dinner so you get to park free at the resorts for at least 3 hours. now because you are going during a popular time - you might get told to park at TTC and ride the monorail back to your reservation.

but first try to park at the resort you are eating at.

don't really think you need to valet park - but even when DVC members got it for free - hardily ever did it. Don't like strangers driving my car.