Driving from Resort to parks question???

[Wendi]

Hi!

I was wondering if you are staying on property and want to drive to the parks, do you have to pay to park? Also, do you get to park closer to the actual park being a resort guest or do you just park with everyone else? I hope someone can help.
Thank You,
Wendi

 

[Disney1-30-98]

No you don't have to pay to park at the parks if you are staying at one of WDW's resorts on property. You will get a parking permit for your resort when you check-in. When they see this on your car dashboard they will wave you through the gate where you pay to park. No closer parkings though. Sometimes through AAA they have some deal for parking but I think its a gold status or something.

 

[alphaGeek]

If you're an AAA member you may be able to get a parking pass from them. I don't know if you need to book part of your trip thru them, maybe even just ordering your passes. Maybe you can just stop in and ask for one. But if you get this pass it gets you into a special parking closer to the parks. At MK you still need to take the monorail/ferry. We haven't used the pass for a while because it just seems easier to use Disney transportation. Especially with kids, they think the bus ride is a ride in itself!

Have a great time!

jeff

 

[MikeVarney]

On our last trip, my son (4) thought that the parking lot tram was one of the best rides!

With the AAA parking - - when I asked at AAA they said that both the Diamond Lot parking (the close parking at the MK) and access to the AAA lounge at the MK were via a pass that could only be received by purchasing a PACKAGE at AAA - - not even making a room-only reservation thru AAA counted. You actually had to by a whole package.

-- M

 

[Tromba]

Not true! I booked our upcoming Christmas trip through AAA Texas, but it was a room-only booking--no package. They did not give me a Diamond Parking voucher, and in fact told me I had to book a package to get it. Then I shopped around on the internet to buy our 5-day hoppers, because the price our Texas AAA office quoted was the same as Disney. Finally I found great prices from the Missouri AAA office ($221 per adult, $176 child), and lo and behold, along with the hoppers came a Diamond Parking voucher. But I was not successfull in getting a pass for the AAA lounge in MK, or vouchers for special viewing areas for parades & fireworks. Evidently these are perks offered for packages. But, you never know!

So the bottom line, I think, is that each state AAA office has their own rules with regard to these things. It pays to shop around!

 

[Ambassador]

We always use the excellent World public transportation system, but another family we know from the diplomatic corp always have their car valet-parked at the Grand Floridian. Talk about your priority space! I just hope he doesn't read my post about his secret perk!

 

[alphaGeek]

I just talked to my local AAA Minnesota rep, and she said that any AAA member can use the MK lounge, you just need to show your card. She said they will only let you use it once a day and that it's not open on holidays or weekends (she wasn't sure about the weekends). Is this lounge in TomorrowLand, near SM and CoP? I think I was in it once a few years ago.

As for the diamond parking pass, she said if we ordered either a package or a room with park passes we'd get the parking pass. Since we only did a room reservation (they don't sell annual passes) I couldn't get the parking pass. Although I still have my old parking pass from a few years ago, and I don't remember seeing any expiration date on it, I wonder if it would still work? Finally, she said special viewing areas for fireworks were available only if you bought a package.

So does anyone know if any other AAA offices sell APs?

jeff

 

[pooh6890]

We buy our AP's at the AAA office here in Miami. Have done so every year that we have purchased them.

 

[betterlatethannever]

Originally posted by alphaGeek
I just talked to my local AAA Minnesota rep, and she said that any AAA member can use the MK lounge, you just need to show your card. She said they will only let you use it once a day and that it's not open on holidays or weekends (she wasn't sure about the weekends). Is this lounge in TomorrowLand, near SM and CoP? I think I was in it once a few years ago.

jeff

WOW. This is different information than any of the Disney palnning brochures you get from AAA, and isn't what happened to people I know who have booked a package.

With the package you get ONE pass good for everyone in your party (at the time of the visit) for one visit to the lounge during your trip. If you booked a package for 5 (for example), but there were only two with you when you went to the lounge, the remaining people cannot go to the lounge.

Showing your AAA card does not work. I've tried that.

Yes, the lounge is in Tomorrowland.

Ed

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Anyone been in the AAA lounge?

How about the special parade spots?

Heard about the lounge but what is in there?

TIA

 

[alphaGeek]

thanks for the clarification! The AAA agent I talked to seemed pretty knowledgeable. Oh well, thanks again.

jeff