Can this be True?

[grace&philipsmom]

We are coming this August and will have a rented car. We were fortunate enough to secure 8:05 am dining reservations at Tusker house and Hollywood and Vine for the days we were planning on touring AK and DS. I was very excited about getting into the parks before opening and was planning on driving from the Poly (where we will be staying) to AK and DS. I thought it would be great that getting there so early would get us a really convenient parking spot, and we could avoid the buses. We are planning to return to the resort around noon as we will be touring with a 2 year old who still needs a nap.

Anyway to my question: I just read on the Mom's Panel that the parking lots for the the parks don't open until 15 minutes prior to park opening. Is this true? Will we have to take a bus after all? How do people with 8:00 am ADR's staying off-site manage?

TIA

 

[Pumbaa_]

I am going to move this over to the transportation board for the experts to weigh in

 

[jlewisinsyr]

You'll have no issues driving over.

 

[MariDisney]

Last September we did have to wait quite awhile for them to open the lot at AK. We had 8:05 ADRs for Tusker House. It as a 9:00 park opening. They opened the lot a bit after 8:00. By the time we got up to TH it was around 8:20 or I think. No problem with the ADR, but I did send DH out for an EH FP, when I had planned on all of us heading over at RD.

 

[SondraC]

We are coming this August and will have a rented car. We were fortunate enough to secure 8:05 am dining reservations at Tusker house and Hollywood and Vine for the days we were planning on touring AK and DS. I was very excited about getting into the parks before opening and was planning on driving from the Poly (where we will be staying) to AK and DS. I thought it would be great that getting there so early would get us a really convenient parking spot, and we could avoid the buses. We are planning to return to the resort around noon as we will be touring with a 2 year old who still needs a nap.

Anyway to my question: I just read on the Mom's Panel that the parking lots for the the parks don't open until 15 minutes prior to park opening. Is this true? Will we have to take a bus after all? How do people with 8:00 am ADR's staying off-site manage?

TIA

Nope not true. We have stayed both off site & onsite with rental cars. We always get to the parks 45-60 minutes before park opening to stand in line for rope drop.

 

[Alesia]

I have read quite a few reports of people not being able to enter the AK lot until after 8:00.

 

[wdwgoofeeee]

I have read quite a few reports of people not being able to enter the AK lot until after 8:00.

This happened to us on our last trip. We had an early ADR at the AK. The front desk of our Disney resort told us (in error) that there would not be an early bus available. We grabbed a taxi outside our resort and told the driver we were going to the AK. He immediately told us that he had people trying to get to the AK a couple of days back and he had to leave them at the parking lot entrance. We deicided to try the taxi and hope for the best. We were about fifth or so on line at the AK parking lot and were told only Disney buses would be allowed through. Our driver and others got out to ask the CM whey we could not enter. This took quite a while and the line behind us grew very long. Finally the CM relented and started letting cars through.

Bottom line for the AK is if you are staying on site take the early breakfast buses. The CM at the lot has to option of letting cars in early or making them wait. Not a good way to start the day.

 

[Robert P]

Anyway to my question: I just read on the Mom's Panel that the parking lots for the the parks don't open until 15 minutes prior to park opening. Is this true? TIA

No, it is not. AK lot opens at 8, when that park opens at 9. Opening just 15 minutes before park opens would make no sense.

 

[dburg30]

Well at least there is a crystal clear answer in these posts... NOT!!!

 

[MariDisney]

Well at least there is a crystal clear answer in these posts... NOT!!!

True....but I think this sums it up...

For a 9:00 opening, you'll be let in in plenty of time. For an 8:05 with a 9:00 opening you might be delayed at the toll plaza.

 

[dacky041208]

No, it is not. AK lot opens at 8, when that park opens at 9. Opening just 15 minutes before park opens would make no sense.

To quote the unofficial guide:

"The Animal Kingdom parking lot often opens only 15 minutes before the park, causing long lines and fristration for drivers."

I know the UG isn't alway 100% accurate, and personally I always take the bus to AK, so I don't know for sure, but I've seen enough people complain about it on these boards alone to believe that at times they don't open the lot until 8:45. I'd take the bus.

 

[grimley1968]

Bottom line for the AK is if you are staying on site take the early breakfast buses. The CM at the lot has to option of letting cars in early or making them wait. Not a good way to start the day.

I agree with this. It's your safest option if you wish to get to your ADR on time, or for being in the park for rope drop if that is what you want to do. Disney transportation always runs at least one hour prior to park openings and also has special buses just for certain places that open early in the parks. They don't guarantee the same early access for driving yourself, so I wouldn't take the chance.

 

[goofy4tink]

Many guests have had issues getting into the AK parking lot for early morning ADRs. Enough people have reported these same issues that I wouldn't even consider driving my car over if I had to be at an ADR before 8:30. I would always take the bus.
Is it etched in stone that the parking lot opens only 15 mins before park opening? No. Is it etched in stone that the parking lot opens early enough to allow thos with 8am ADRs plenty of time to get to those ADRs? No.
I would suggest taking the bus to AK if I had to be there for an early ADR.

 

[clkelley]

I have "seen" while riding the bus to AK for an early ADR, the cars stopped at the toll plaza waiting to get in. The buses go in a different entrance and are not held up at the toll plaza.

Take the bus to AK for an early ADR.

All other parks there is not really as much of an issue.

 

[grace&philipsmom]

I guess we will take the early breakfast bus after all. Kind of a strange system, offering early ADR's and making it difficult to get to them. Thanks Everyone!

 

[Robert P]

To quote the unofficial guide:

"The Animal Kingdom parking lot often opens only 15 minutes before the park, causing long lines and fristration for drivers."

I know the UG isn't alway 100% accurate, and personally I always take the bus to AK, so I don't know for sure, but I've seen enough people complain about it on these boards alone to believe that at times they don't open the lot until 8:45. I'd take the bus.

We take the bus as well sometimes, however:

We usually make the AK our last park of the trip before hitting the road for home, so we load up the car and drive to AK the last day. We leave BW or BC around 8:00, and park, take the parking lot tram or walk, and are waiting in the front gate lines between 8:30 and 8:40 a.m.. This is in the Fall season, October/November. We have never been held up at the parking booths following that routine.

While the unofficial guide may be right or wrong, I do not post on these boards unless I am pretty sure of what I am posting.

 

[dacky041208]

We take the bus as well sometimes, however:

We usually make the AK our last park of the trip before hitting the road for home, so we load up the car and drive to AK the last day. We leave BW or BC around 8:00, and park, take the parking lot tram or walk, and are waiting in the front gate lines between 8:30 and 8:40 a.m.. This is in the Fall season, October/November. We have never been held up at the parking booths following that routine.

While the unofficial guide may be right or wrong, I do not post on these boards unless I am pretty sure of what I am posting.

Unfortunately, it seems some people have had experiences that haven't been as good as yours. Although I do agree with your original thought, it really doesn't make any sense for them to open the parking lot so late.

 

[seashoreCM]

1. Park normally, then expect to be seated in sequence of actual same size ADR party arrivals at the restaurant if not sooner upon quiet explanation to the maitre d'. Do report any ADR problems to Guest Relations immediately. If you can't report to GR immediately then you did not have a problem!

2. Park at Animal Kingdom Lodge (say you are having breakfast there) and take the bus over to AK. If you are given a 3 hour pass, one person can come back and retrieve the car. Straight through the light out of AKL, stay in the left lane and don't go that fast to find a hard to see last time I saw it median U-turn that gets you to the AK parking lot entrance.

Disney hints: http://www.cockam.com/dispass.htm

 

[vellamint]

Anyone know WHY they do this in this parking lot?

 

[zippehsmom]

I have attended many 8 am breakfast ADR's (Crystal Palace, H & V, Donalds, now Tusker House. The only park we were not let into the parking lot early was AK. We were held at the gates two times, now I always take the bus to AK for our early ADR's.