Free Downtown Disney parking...

[Ratherbeatdisneyland]

Where exactly is it? It's 3 hour parking right?

 

[ehrawn]

Map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Downtown+Disney+Parking+Lot/@33.810982,-117.925048,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xaf671539751a02c8?sa=X&ei=7kjAVOfgFYnToATrk4D4Bg&ved=0CIwBEPwSMA4

Free Parking


The Downtown Disney District parking lot is conveniently located next to the action and offers free parking for up to 3 hours—or up to 5 hours of free parking with validation from participating locations.
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/destinations/downtown-disney-district/

 

[Disneyluvr2]

Do you need to eat at one of the DTD restaurants to have your parking ticket validated, or how does that work?

 

[figment_jii]

Do you need to eat at one of the DTD restaurants to have your parking ticket validated, or how does that work?

Yes, most all of the reports indicate that you can only get validation at the table service restaurants or if you see a movie.

 

[Disneyluvr2]

I wonder if Trader Sam's is considered a table service restaurant? I have a friend driving in to meet me at the park next weekend. We'll go to the park for a few hours and probably eat in DTD. I wasn't sure where to tell him to park, so this sounds like a option rather than paying for parking for a few hours.

 

[Angrose]

Parking in DTD is always free for the first 3 hours. You get an additional 2 hours with validation from a table service restaurant. I would call to see if Trader Sam's validates.

 

[starry_solo]

I wonder if Trader Sam's is considered a table service restaurant? I have a friend driving in to meet me at the park next weekend. We'll go to the park for a few hours and probably eat in DTD. I wasn't sure where to tell him to park, so this sounds like a option rather than paying for parking for a few hours.

Not sure, but you can also go buy a concession item at the movie theatre and they will validate your parking for the extra 2 hours free

 

[Fantaluminishes]

Duplicate post

 

[Fantaluminishes]

Over on the WDW boards, there's often chatter discouraging people from parking at places like the Boardwalk, or the Monorail resorts to avoid paying for parking when they are going to the parks for "a few hours". I think the same thing applies here to DTD at Disneyland.

DTD parking is intended for DTD. If you are going to spend more time in the park than at DTD, you should either pay to park at one of the main lots, or pay the hourly parking rate at DTD after the free period has expired. Having a validation for dining at a TS restaurant is a valid exception. Buying a soda at AMC without seeing a movie and then heading into the park for 5- hours is not.

 

[TheLanes]

Over on the WDW boards, there's often chatter discouraging people from parking at places like the Boardwalk, or the Monorail resorts to avoid paying for parking when they are going to the parks for "a few hours". I think the same thing applies here to DTD at Disneyland. DTD parking is intended for DTD. If you are going to spend more time in the park than at DTD, you should either pay to park at one of the main lots, or pay the hourly parking rate at DTD after the free period has expired. Having a validation for dining at a TS restaurant is a valid exception. Buying a soda at AMC without seeing a movie and then heading into the park for 5- hours is not.

I would wholeheartedly disagree with you. Using DTD parking for a few hours of DL is fine, and if you asked any CM, they wouldn't argue with you

 

[Ratherbeatdisneyland]

We will be spending time at DTD the night before we go in the parks. I kind of have to agree. It makes parking really limited for those just going to DTD...doesn't seem fair to me...hopefully there is a spot available when we go!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I wonder if Trader Sam's is considered a table service restaurant? I have a friend driving in to meet me at the park next weekend. We'll go to the park for a few hours and probably eat in DTD. I wasn't sure where to tell him to park, so this sounds like a option rather than paying for parking for a few hours.

In my experience, Trader Sam's does not validate for DtD parking. We recently planned a group dinner which required validation for 20 people. Our options were the TS hotel restaurants (e.g. Storyteller's Cafe, Napa Rose, S55, etc.), the TS DtD restaurants (e.g. Naples, Jazz Kitchen, Tortilla Jo's, HOB, etc.), or seeing a movie. We asked about Trader Sam's and were told that they would not validate for our group. The last time we saw a movie at the AMC, a CM checked our tickets before validating our parking. So it would not have worked to have gone to concessions without a ticket (you can't get by the entrance CM without a ticket) and gotten a validation.

 

[emily94]

I assume Trader Sam's doesn't validate because it is at the DLH and not a DTD restaurant... If you want to park at one of the hotels, its pretty pricey "Self-parking: $17 for the first hour plus $9 per hour per vehicle, with a maximum rate of $53"

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I assume Trader Sam's doesn't validate because it is at the DLH and not a DTD restaurant... If you want to park at one of the hotels, its pretty pricey "Self-parking: $17 for the first hour plus $9 per hour per vehicle, with a maximum rate of $53"

The answer we were given is that Trader Sam's does not validate for DtD parking because it is not considered a Table Service restaurant. The other TS hotel restaurants do validate (see my response above: e.g. Steakhouse 55, Napa Rose, Storyteller's Cafe, etc.) because they are "table service." We've validated from S55 and NR many times, so we know the hotel restaurant validations can be used for DtD parking. (If you forget your validation, but have a receipt from a TS restaurant, DtD or hotel, from your meal, you can show that to the parking booth CM and it will count as a validation.)

 

[puregreddy]

I would wholeheartedly disagree with you. Using DTD parking for a few hours of DL is fine, and if you asked any CM, they wouldn't argue with you

Actually, if you read the sign(s) that are posted as you enter the DTD parking area, they all tell you that Theme Park parking is not allowed.

But then again nowadays, it seems that people don't pay attention to signs when they are driving....too busy on their cell phones or distracted with others in the car.

And your disagreement does stand true; asking a CM and they won't bother you. That's because, well let's face it, they'd rather have you in the parks having fun, they want your money, regardless of whether you can read signs or not!

 

[emily94]

The answer we were given is that Trader Sam's does not validate for DtD parking because it is not considered a Table Service restaurant. The other TS hotel restaurants do validate (see my response above: e.g. Steakhouse 55, Napa Rose, Storyteller's Cafe, etc.) because they are "table service." We've validated from S55 and NR many times, so we know the hotel restaurant validations can be used for DtD parking. (If you forget your validation, but have a receipt from a TS restaurant, DtD or hotel, from your meal, you can show that to the parking booth CM and it will count as a validation.)

This is really interesting, thanks for sharing! Definitely seems like a well-kept secret since one might assume to park at the specific hotel their TS restaurant is at.