DVC Resort Parking

[amybrian25]

Is parking free at the DVC resorts for non-DVC members?
We have friends using our points for a reservation at BLT. Will they get free parking, too??

 

[disneydreamer1980]

Yes

 

[musicguy856]

Disney-owned resorts don’t charge for self-parking anymore.

 

[sb127]

Do you have to pay to park at theme parks if you have a resort reservation? It has been so long since we had a car at Disneyworld we don’t know if they still have this benefit.

 

[cdirazonian]

No you don’t have to pay. They just scan your magic band

 

[sb127]

Thanks for the quick response!

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

Though... times they are a changin'. They have flirted the idea of paying for parking at Villas at Disneyland Hotel at some point. So hold onto your popcorn buckets.

 

[kes601]

Though... times they are a changin'. They have flirted the idea of paying for parking at Villas at Disneyland Hotel at some point. So hold onto your popcorn buckets.

Parking is built into the WDW DVC Resort dues. They can't "charge" us for parking on top of that. If they would have charged for parking at VDH it would have been because it was removed from the dues (like the transient tax).

 

[drusba]

Effective January 10, 2023, Disney did away with the resort parking fee for anyone staying at a WDW Disney resort, not just those on a DVC reservation, and thus we are not likely to see it come back at WDW.

 

[delwood16]

Is the free parking for the entire day? Or is it tied to check-in or check-out times? Does it depend on the time that you arrived (e.g. 24 hours after arrival)? I’m checking in to my first DVC stay at Grand Californian on 12/30 for one night only. I plan to stay for NYE and am not sure if I get free parking all day on 12/30 and 12/31, and whether I’ll be charged a day if I leave in the early morning hours of 1/1.

 

[TheLyinKing]

Is the free parking for the entire day? Or is it tied to check-in or check-out times? Does it depend on the time that you arrived (e.g. 24 hours after arrival)? I’m checking in to my first DVC stay at Grand Californian on 12/30 for one night only. I plan to stay for NYE and am not sure if I get free parking all day on 12/30 and 12/31, and whether I’ll be charged a day if I leave in the early morning hours of 1/1.

Parking does last the entire day, or at least it did at Aulani when we went last month. Not sure if you'll get charged if you leave early the following day though.

 

[CarolynFH]

Is the free parking for the entire day? Or is it tied to check-in or check-out times? Does it depend on the time that you arrived (e.g. 24 hours after arrival)? I’m checking in to my first DVC stay at Grand Californian on 12/30 for one night only. I plan to stay for NYE and am not sure if I get free parking all day on 12/30 and 12/31, and whether I’ll be charged a day if I leave in the early morning hours of 1/1.

At WDW, resort parking lasts from at least early morning on checkin day until midnight on checkout day, so people can check out but still visit the parks that day. I can’t swear VGC parking is the same, but it’s likely it is.

 

[drusba]

Is the free parking for the entire day? Or is it tied to check-in or check-out times? Does it depend on the time that you arrived (e.g. 24 hours after arrival)? I’m checking in to my first DVC stay at Grand Californian on 12/30 for one night only. I plan to stay for NYE and am not sure if I get free parking all day on 12/30 and 12/31, and whether I’ll be charged a day if I leave in the early morning hours of 1/1.

Disneyland, unlike WDW, does have parking fees for regular hotel guests ($40 a day for self-parking). However, DVC Members staying at VGC are not subject to the fee and have free self-parking (valet does cost). For both hotel guests and DVC members, you can keep your car parked at the resort on the day you check-out until midnight. What I do not know is what could possibly happen if the car is there after midnight, e.g., you do not come back to pick it up until 2 a.m. on the 1st. I assume you will likely be fine since no-one at Disney is likely to take notice and do anything, but technically, once Jan 1 begins, you no longer have any parking rights at the resort, and Disney could just have your car towed away.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Disneyland, unlike WDW, does have parking fees for regular hotel guests ($40 a day for self-parking). However, DVC Members staying at VGC are not subject to the fee and have free self-parking (valet does cost). For both hotel guests and DVC members, you can keep your car parked at the resort on the day you check-out until midnight. What I do not know is what could possibly happen if the car is there after midnight, e.g., you do not come back to pick it up until 2 a.m. on the 1st. I assume you will likely be fine since no-one at Disney is likely to take notice and do anything, but technically, once Jan 1 begins, you no longer have any parking rights at the resort, and Disney could just have your car towed away.

When you enter the parking lot, the CM pulls a ticket in order to raise the gate arm, but they also give you a dash card with your name and check-in date on it, indicating you are staying in the DVC tower. For us, they had two cards ready (I had indicated at check-in that we had two cars). We are locals, so we had a few in-and-outs over the 2-1/2 days we were there, with family coming and going to see the new tower and villas, but never had to give them the gate ticket to exit. They just saw the dash card and waived us through each time we left. I even asked the CM one time if I needed to hang on to the gate tickets (I had collected 3 at that point), and she said "no".

Plus, the self-parking lot at DLH has so many vehicles coming and going, and trucks and trailers and box vans parked there for conventions, that I am 100% positive no one would even notice a car sitting there for quite a few days.