checking out the poly and animal kingdom

[carolrie]

We are going to be staying at the all stars movies and would like to check out the poly and animal kingdom for a future trip (hopefully next year) We will have a rental car, but I know you can't just park at those resorts unless you have a ps there. Here is my question. Should I get a ps at 'ohana and animal kindgom and park hoping that two hours will be long enough to eat and look around? (We would like to see the boat parade from the poly too) or should I park somewhere else so we have more time? Can I park somewhere close to the poly and take the monorail in? I'm sure the all stars has okay transportation to the animal kingdom since it is so close. My concern about using busses and maybe even the monorail is that we have two kids 4 and 1 and so we have to lug a stroller and diaper bag around. It is so much easier and nicer to take our own car than load and unload, fold up strollers, etc. off of other transportation. Let me know what you think!

 

[wdw4us2]

If you are staying at AS, you will be given a parking pass to put on your dashboard. If you want to go to another resort, they will give you a 3 hour parking pass for that resort. It is usually not strictly enforced unless you are at one of the Monorail Resorts - particularly the Contemporary.

You should have plenty of time to eat and check out the resorts!

Lisa

 

[jcanary]

For the Poly you can park at the transportation center which is right next to the poly. When we have stayed at the Poly we sometimes walk to the ttc and catch the monorail to epcot or the big boat to MK. Our brick is actually between the Poly and the TTC. You can then take the monorail to MK and hop on a bus to AKL. It's fun exploring. Have a good time. I also believe that since you are staying at a disney resort there is no charge for parking.

 

[sgtdisney]

You don't 'need' a PS to be able to get access to either the Polynesian or AKL. When you go up to the entrance gate you just inform the guard that you wanted to visit the resort, check out the gift shops, etc. Just be honest... If you want to eat there and don't have a PS, tell them as much. They WILL almost definately still give you a 3 hour parking pass. Disney understands that people like to visit their resorts, they are very popular. Disney is also in the business of making money and if you are seriously there to visit and possibly spend some cash in the resort they will not turn you away. They mainly want people to not use the parking lots to leave their cars and then head into the theme parks. The three hour limit is just to deter people who abuse the parking privledges at the resort.

We were at WDW last month and went to the CR without a PS and were allowed in. We had planned on walking up to Chef Mickeys and waiting for a table and told the guard as much. They had no problem with it, in fact they didn't even give me a parking pass that time, of course it was after 8:30PM. Disney isn't trying to deny access to their resorts, they just want the guests who have rooms at the resort to be able to park there cars there.