Can I park at other resorts if I don't have a Ps...use it as a "base"??

[IvyandLace]

Here's the situation: DH and I are going to WDW from August 4-14 and are staying at POP. Since we are driving down, we will have a car available to use, a luxury that we don't usually have in "the World". On one day, we plan to go to MK for the morning with lunch at Kona Cafe. I was wondering if it would be worth it for us to drive to the Poly, park there, take the monorail to MK, and then after lunch, just drive back to POP. We are pretty sure we are going to drive to DTD and Typhoon Lagoon/Blizzard Beach as long as we are just going there and back from POP. I'm so used to "park hopping" using Disney transportation that I'm nervous that I'll feel "tethered" to a park because we left the car there. Make sense?? Can I park at any resort in WDW for free even if we don't plan to eat there?

Thanks!
IVY

 

[Lesley]

Most resorts will give you a 2 or 3 hour parking pass....generally they don't require you to have a ps, but its intended to give you enough time to eat/shop and leave. WDW resort parking is not supposed to be used for going to the parks...there just isn't enough capacity and the spaces need to be available for guests of that resort.

 

[TDC Nala]

Usual procedure is for the Polynesian and the Contemporary to allow parking for folks with a PS, but to issue a 3 hour parking pass to prevent the parkers from absconding to the MK for the rest of the day.

 

[NotTooGoofy]

Since you were going to ride the monorail over to MK from the Poly, you could just park at the TTC and take the monorail over to MK.

As an aside, when we stayed at a WDW resort, say CSR, it seemed the only time we were stopped from visiting another resort (or were given a 2 hour pass) was when we were going to the Boardwalk. Otherwise, we were waved in if our CSR resort parking pass was on the dashboard. Has this policy changed recently?

 

[goofyernmost]

That's what I was thinking...why not just park in the MK parking lot (it doesn't cost anything if you are staying at the resorts) and do the tram to the TTC and then the Monorail.

Since you are staying at PoP you can park anyplace for free, but it wouldn't be fair to take up a parking space at the Poly when you are not staying there.

 

[DebbieB]

When I was there in late April, we had a PS for Chef Mickey's for breakfast, the guard checked the list before letting us in. We did not get a 3 hour pass. If you have a lunch PS, the guard may not let you in early in the morning.

 

[jennymouse]

It's my understanding that you can valet park, $6, and do what you're planning to do, otherwise, you'll get the 3 hour pass.

 

[Dznefreek]

The only resorts that actually give you a written parking pass are DAKL and the Poly. The one for DAKL also states "Pool Priveleges not included."

 

[RyMickey]

We always drive down to the "world" and we always drive to the waterparks and Downtown Disney.

However, that being said, if you're not going to the waterparks early, the parking lots fill up and you won't be able to get in. So, if you're heading over 2-3 hours after park opening, it would probably be best to bus over.

Also, Downtown Dis is always packed at night. We've never not found a spot if we head over later in the evening (8ish or 9ish), but we've driven around for a long time to find a spot. If you're heading over before that, though, it's definitely just quicker to drive.

As for the Poly situation, whenever we go to Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary, we always are given a three-hour pass. The last time we ate at the Poly (when we weren't staying there) we parked at the TTC and monorailed or walked over to the Poly (there is a marked pathway towards the left side of the TTC).

RyMickey

 

[fac]

We were in POP and Boardwalk last week, however, we had visited WL, CR, BC, CSR either for lunch, rent a boat or just check out the resort. We were never questioned at the gate, and were never given a 3 hour parking. However, we had the parking permit from POP or Boardwalk on the dashboard.