Can we park at other Disney Resorts? Guard at Contemporary says no

[eelvira]

Hi

I thought that when you stayed at a Disney Resort that entitles you to park at other Disney resorts. I stayed at POR last week and on my last day I had a character breakfast at Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary. The guard at the entrance was very rude and when I got there immediately said that I cannot park there. I had on my dashboard the paper they gave me at POR that had worked at every other resort I visited. It clearly stated that it was valid until the 23rd, the day I was visiting the Contemporary. I explained that I had a PS for Chef Mickey's and that I understood that because I stayed at another Disney resort I thought I could park there too. He got a very superior attitude that "he is the one that decides who can park there and no one else". To give him my last name to see if I was in the list.

I thought what is this??? Studio 54 at the rope where they check if you are good enough to get in? He found me on the list and gave me a paper that said that I could park there for 3 hour and he said "NOT A MINUTE MORE". What kind of attitude is this? I had a great stay until that point. I don't know what was his problem. I was very polite through the whole thing but he ticked me off.

So my questions is IF you are staying at a Disney Resort (like POR in my case) are you NOT allowed to park at the Contemporary parking lot?

All I can think is that maybe people try to park there to go to the park. If that is the case still that was not my intention, nor should they have a very rude person doing this. They should just state any special parking issues with the CR.

He had a badge like a police one but no Disney tag where I could read his name. Is that typical?

I was disappointed that they make you feel like a criminal for going to a character breakfast in your car.

Thanks for listening
Eric

 

[oogieboogie]

Sorry that you had to deal with rude security. There's no excuse for rudeness. That being said, the policy is that you're allowed to park at other resorts for up to 3 hours. The MK resorts I find are the strictest in enforcing this policy, most likely because they have the most intrusion of people trying to park for free. They will check you against a list of confirmed PSs for a particular restaurant. This is even stricter during busy and crowded times.

I've gone to many resorts and they usually just wave me in, except the MK resorts (including WL).

 

[jctwizzer]

Typically, at busy times they limit parking at the resorts by visitors at that resort....ie. your 3 hour pass. That started probably 3 or 4 years ago. During non busy times there's usually no problem. And you can always use valet parking at those resorts that have it. At busy times, a few of the resorts have a hard time finding parking spots for their guests, much less visitors. On the other hand, assuming there were no extenuating circumstances, the guard you ran into was in need of an attitude adjustment....I think I would have stopped by guest relations and expressed my opinion....

 

[Ilovestitch]

I'm surprised they let you in at all. When it gets to be peak crowd times at the magic kingdom (like around the holidays), they stop letting other people park there. Too many people park there and then walk/take the monorail over to the MK- its not fair to the people who are paying to stay at that resort and can't find a parking space. There was a thread awhile back about a lady who was mad they wouldn't let here into the WL parking lot b/c she wanted to pick up a souvineer. Its just a fact that around super crowded days, you might not be able to park at a resort that you aren't staying at.

 

[momm2four]

That would be a downer. When we went in Oct 2002, we stayed offsite, but were allowed to park at the Contemporary when we ate at Chef Mickey's with no problem. We also parked at the Grand Floridian for the Pirate Cruise. Maybe they've tightened up a little bit since then.

Sorry you encountered the "The Parking Gestapo"

Lori P.

 

[inkkognito]

We often dine at the monorail resorts and have never run into someone with an attitude problem like that. I would NOT be happy if we did...that is totally uncalled for! We just tell them we are there to dine, and the most they've ever asked is if we have a priority seating (we always do). They give us our three-hour pass and all is well. It's awful that you were subjected to such a rude third degree.
Barb

 

[sherry8253]

That sounds like the guard who hassled my DH and me when we were having lunch at the Concourse Steakhouse last December. We were staying at the Swan and they don't give you anything for your dash like the Disney resorts do. We told him we were going to the Steakhouse for lunch but we did not have a PS. He grilled us like we were criminals and told us if we parked there a minute longer than we were authorized we would be towed and we better not be trying to sneak into the MK because we don't want to pay for parking. My DH pulled out his AP and told him we wouldn't have to pay to park to go into the MK and all we wanted to do was have lunch in the CR and if he had a problem with that he should call his supervisor so we could explain it to him/her. Guy muttered something again about our being towed and allowed us to go through. I think he is a want-to-be policeman or secret service man.

 

[eelvira]

My post had dissapeared from the Resorts board and now I got an email that showed me it was in the Transportation board. Sorry if I posted in the wrong place.

The parks weren't that crowded yet on the 23rd and I had gone to the GF, WL, BC and AKL to see the Christmas decorations as so many people in this board had recommended. I didn't have any problems at any of them. Everywhere they looked at the paper in my dash and pointed me to where to park, very nicely. That's why this surprised me. If this happened the first day I was there I would have thought that is the way it works at all the resorts. In contrast WL was the first resort I visted as I had a sleigh ride appointment the night of my arrival. On that one I went to the wrong line with my car as I thought that my room key would open all the gates (rookie mistake). The lady at the gate was super nice as I backed up and explained that my key only works at my resort. To just drive to the guard side and show them my pass in the dashboard and that would work fine. I was the one embarrased that time, I guess she must see a lot of people making this mistake. The point is that she was nice about my ignorance.

If there is indeed a 3 hour policy that should be mentioned somewhere. When I read the benefits of staying onsite it just says that you can park free at all Theme parks and any resorts hotels. I don't have a problem with the policy, just that it would have been nice to know AND to have a person communicating this nicely not like this very unhappy guy during Christmas.

Thanks for all the info and making me feel better at the situation.

Eric

 

[jenjersnap]

The CR was the only place where we experienced the 3rd degree too. However, the guard was a nice British man (his tag said John from Leicester, England). I mention this because he couldn't find our name on the Chef Mickey's list (eventually it turned up - my name was wrong on the PS) and we were showing up 2.5 hours early anyway to, yes, walk over to MK. We were quite honest about our intention, but he cheerfully gave us our 3 hour tag. We were parked a bit more than 3 hours with no consequence. We're newbies and if I had known it was a problem we would have valeted it without a thought.

So sorry you had a dragon, that was really uncalled for! Maybe they should have a restaurant only parking section so they can keep a closer eye on it to make sure those people are really going into the restaurants?

 

[DebbieB]

We were able to park at the Contemporary with a Chef Mickey's PS last April with no problem. It wasn't a crowded time though. Can you imagine if they let everyone who had a WDW resort pass park there no questions asked? It's much easier to park there and walk to MK than to park in the MK lot, take a tram to the TTC & then the monorail or boat. I've received 3 hour passes at the Polynesian. They have to control it. I've been on the other side when we could not find a parking space when we stayed at Boardwalk. No excuse for rudeness though.

 

[zulaya]

I don't think parking at ALL Disney resorts at any time during your stay for unlimited amounts of time is what the Disney advertisment implies. I feel it says that you are entitled to free parking at the resort you are personally registered and staying at.

I have stayed at the Polynesian before, and even during non-peak periods the parking lot was always nearly full. I distinctly remember a couple times having a difficult time finding a parking spot and as a paying customer of that resort, it did irritate me.

I have read on the Theme Parks board people who totally think that they can stay off site and park at a resort for free and get out of the parking charge. This is what the gate guards are trying to prevent.

Yeah, the guy probably had an attitude problem, but he has a job to do. People at the Contemporary pay big bucks for the convenience to stay there. Aren't they entitled to their own spot in the resort they are staying at?

And I have been to other resorts for meals and each and every time, even in slow times like September, I have been given a parking pass with the time expiring 3 hours later. I never question it. 3 hours is plenty of time for me to eat and look around the resort if I choose to and not infringe upon the rights of the guests staying there.

Technically, the guard is right. You don't just park at other resorts IF you are gonig to the parks. Which means you can't just park at the monorail resorts if you are going to MK and you can't park at BW or BC if you are going to Epcot. Just because you are staying on property doesn't give you that right to park there indefinitely. But they do allow you to park there for 3 hours to enjoy a meal.

 

[eelvira]

Zulaya, I don't know what post you read because you are talking about stuff I did not do. I did not go to a park that day at all, nor intended to go to one. All I did was go to a Character Breakfast, didn't stay there even 2 hours and was treated very badly by a guard. Are you implying I'm guilty until proven inocent? I thought I was on vacation enjoying my time, not at a place where I have to prove that I'm not going to sneak to a park.

I read at this very board that you get to park at the different resorts when you stay on site at Disney, thus my question. I stayed at Port Orleans Riverside. That's on site and you start attacking people who stay off site trying to sneak in, I did not. No one there ever mentioned the 3 hour limit to me. Maybe they should have mentioned it if that is how it works. How would I know otherwise? Therefore, I come to the forums to ask how it is supposed to work. I don't want to abuse any system I just want to learn how it works.

I don't know why you are saying that I went to MK or Epcot. Please read the posts before bashing people. I don't know if resorts have a problem with parking for their guests. According to you I shouldn't even have a right to ask a question. Relax we are here to enjoy WDW and I just want to learn.

Eric

 

[DMRick]

I think if you do a search, you'll see that it's been mentioned many times that the 3 hour limit has been enforced. I can see your frustration, however if you didn't know it. We go 4-5 times a year, usually off times. We almost always get asked what we are planning to do at the resort, if it is a MK resort..usually just the Poly and CR. We just about always get a three hour pass, and if it's a busy time, we have been told to put it on our dash, so we don't get towed. During busier times, we have been asked to verify our ressie. Perhaps the guard was new and over zealous, or perhaps he just watched someone park, after they told him they were there to shop, and head for the MK sidewalk. I see it all the time, when we are there just waling around after shopping or a meal.
Almost no problems at the other resorts, and we hit them all. The only exception is if it's mid day at WL, since many people park there and take the boat over to MK, they may ask if we had lunch plans. We usually say no, we are just there to check out the resort, and they seem to be fine with that.

 

[Augustheather97]

Has anyone ever been actually towed???? Just wondering

 

[Tigger&Belle]

My post had dissapeared from the Resorts board and now I got an email that showed me it was in the Transportation board. Sorry if I posted in the wrong place.

The lady at the gate was super nice as I backed up and explained that my key only works at my resort. To just drive to the guard side and show them my *** in the dashboard and that would work fine. I was the one embarrased that time, I guess she must see a lot of people making this mistake. The point is that she was nice about my ignorance.


Eric

Hmmm, I'm hoping that it's your "pass" that you showed them through the window...if it's what got bleeped out that could be the problem.


Seriously, though, the problem was with the attitude of the guard. He could have gotten the point across to you without being rude.

My 11yo son wants to go to Chef Mickey's when I bring him next month and since I'll be renting a car I will probably drive. Hopefully I won't encounter this guy, but if so I'll get his name (even without a nametag they should give it to me if asked). Hopefully he was just having a bad day and he's not normally so rude. Sorry that you had to experience it, though!

T&B

 

[ducklite]

Has anyone ever been actually towed???? Just wondering

They have towed from teh PR and CR lots in the past. There was a hook at the PR when we were checking in this year on July 4th. Not sure why it was there though.

The Polynesian simply wasn't letting ANYONE park there who wasn't staying there, even if you had a PS. In that case they were directing you to teh TTC and telling you to walk or monorail back to the PR. I would imagine exceptions were made for disabled guests.

Anne

 

[rkmassa]

We ate Chef Mickey's on December 24th, 2003. We had no problems parking. We were not staying on site. The guard just checked my DH picuture ID and waved us in. This December we stayed onsite from the 18th to 23rd. We only received a 3 hour parking pass at the Poly. All the other resorts just waved us in. I don't think the guard needed to be rude to you, and I definitely would have spoken to someone about it. People like that keep acting that way because they can. Guest need to complain.

 

[beattyfamily]

Although the guard was indeed rude and you weren't doing anything wrong, I absolutely LOVE hearing stories of the guards at the monorail resorts enforcing the 3 hour pass and not letting people park there to head to MK. I've stayed at GF and Cont 3 times now and have had a hard time self-parking due to people parking there and walking to MK for the convenience they didn't pay for.

I'm staying at the Cont again next November and I sure hope they are enforcing the 3 hour pass policy then and not letting people who are trying to sneak in and get away with something get away with it.

That being said, I would have complained to someone if I was treated the way you were.

 

[Becky2005]

Although the guard was indeed rude and you weren't doing anything wrong, I absolutely LOVE hearing stories of the guards at the monorail resorts inforcing the 3 hour pass and not letting people park there to head to MK. I've stayed at GF and Cont 3 times now and have had a hard time self-parking due to people parking there and walking to MK for the convenience they didn't pay for.

I'm staying at the Cont again next November and I sure hope they are enforcing the 3 hour pass policy then and not letting people who are trying to sneak in and get away with something get away with it.

That being said, I would have complained to someone if I was treated the way you were.

I agree!! Doesn't give him a right to be rude to you about it but I have read about the 3-hour parking pass for quite a while now (I've been planning for 2 years). It's possible he just had several people try to go into MK that way and I know you weren't doing that.

I keep reading these threads about the 3-hour parking pass but that it's not necessarily enforced (although sometimes) and just cringe because we are going to be staying at the Contemporary in July, no less....and we are driving down to Disney. I'm already having nightmares of not being able to find a parking spot in the resort that we are paying to stay at because of people extending their 3-hour pass PS to oh, all day long. DH is already not thrilled to go to Disney and if he can't find a parking spot, it will not be pretty.

 

[eelvira]

Hi

Becky2005, don't worry too much about finding parking because on the 23rd when I got in, there were easily a dozen empty parking spots clustered where I parked around 11 AM and more around.

Question, many of you say to complain. The question is to whom? When I went in, the checkin area was pretty crowded, at least a dozen people. Would they be the right people? Would they even care? Who should be the right person to tell anything about this?

It's good to know about the 3 hour limit through this thread. In the 2 months I've been reading DIS I hadn't seen it but this was also the time when the search function wasn't working for a while. I probably didn't have any problems at GF and WL because I went at night.

Thanks to all,
Eric