Free Parking ALL free?

[jodyruble]

We are staying at AoA in December. We would like to check out the Christmas decorations at the other resorts on our arrival day after we check in. Is parking free at all of the resorts for guests of any resort?

Also is parking at the parks also free for resort guests?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Deb & Bill]

We are staying at AoA in December. We would like to check out the Christmas decorations at the other resorts on our arrival day after we check in. Is parking free at all of the resorts for guests of any resort?

Also is parking at the parks also free for resort guests?

Thanks for your help!

With your reservation you get free parking at the theme parks, Downtown Disney and your resort. You are not entitled to park at the other resorts, but they usually let you if you have an ADR at that resort. If you park at the Swan or Dolphin, you will pay to park.

 

[greengeen]

During peak times and holidays, parking is sometimes restricted at the resorts... for example, we have been turned away from CR, BC, and BW due to "special events". Just be forewarned. May be better to use Disney transportation.

 

[lbv7]

You will never be turned away from a resort if you have an ADR, particularly as many of the restaurants now require a credit card guarantee to reduce the number of no shows. Can you imagine being refused entry to the CR if you have an ADR at the California Grill? I don't think so.

Also, unless the lot is full or it is Xmas, New Years, etc., you will always be allowed to visit any of the resorts. You might need to to show the guard your room key, and then you are free to go in and visit.

 

[greengeen]

You will never be turned away from a resort if you have an ADR, particularly as many of the restaurants now require a credit card guarantee to reduce the number of no shows. Can you imagine being refused entry to the CR if you have an ADR at the California Grill? I don't think so.

Also, unless the lot is full or it is Xmas, New Years, etc., you will always be allowed to visit any of the resorts. You might need to to show the guard your room key, and then you are free to go in and visit.

You're using "always" and "never" way too freely... screening at the parking gates has become stricter recently. We've been turned away and YES people with ADRs get turned away too. Just. Be. Forewarned.

 

[lbv7]

You're using "always" and "never" way too freely... screening at the parking gates has become stricter recently. We've been turned away and YES people with ADRs get turned away too. Just. Be. Forewarned.

And if you are turned away with an ADR for a restaurant that requires a credit card guarantee, who pays for the cancellation fee if you are a no show?

Also, I just recently came back from WDW, and I was never turned away from visiting the CR, GF, WL, and the Poly.

If the screening is becoming stricter, I never saw it, and why do they allow people to park in the overflow lot at the Boardwalk who go to Epcot for Food & Wine? I thought you were not allowed to park at a resort to avoid park admission

 

[staceyeileen]

YES people with ADRs get turned away too.

Source?

 

[Sammie]

There are times that parking is very restricted at certain resorts and certainly during most all of December due to the decorations that will be the case.

However if you have an ADR, your name will be on a list and as long as it is, you will be allowed to park for 3 hours to have your dinner.

If the self parking lots are full or restricted to guests, and those with ADR then your only choice is to valet or take Disney transportation.

If you valet you can use it at any resort that offers valet for that entire day.

 

[greengeen]

Source?

Security guard at YC gate! During an "event". Look folks, you can choose to disbelieve, I don't care. We're DVC, live in Florida, visit every 4-6 weeks during all seasons, always stay on property, drive our own car. I don't make this stuff up.

 

[Bell30012]

Just got back from a split stay at POP/AoA. I was never turned away or charged for parking at any resort. Not even CR, GF or Poly. They did look at our parking permit a little closer than ever before one officer noticed I still had the POP one up when it was a day later. It was okay, I had the AoA one there too.

Parking at GF sucks. You have to park in the back 40... quite literally.

 

[rock_doctor]

Source?

I have seen this also. Places like the Poly will completely fill and they will turn everybody away. In that case we just parked in the MK lot and walked over. There is always a way to do what you want if you think ahead.

 

[fall08CP]

Source?

We were turned away with an ADR at yacht on new years eve. They told us to park elsewhere and take disney busses. We ditched the reservation because every park was just as hectic!

 

[Sue M]

I can see being turned away due to full parking during holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years if the lots are full. And who would want to drive in that crazy traffic anyway. Always best to take wdw transportation during those times.
But normally, you wouldn't have a problem parking at a resort for an ADR. And it is free, same with the parks. If you stay on site, you get free parking.

The only park I wouldn't drive to is MK. You must park at the TTC, then take a tram from parking lot to get on either monorail or boat to MK. Faster to take the resort bus that drops you off right at MK.

To check out holiday decorations at MK resorts, it would be better to take your resort bus to MK, you can walk over to CR to look around, then hop on monorail to look at Poly & GF (the resort monorail goes from CR, TTC, Poly, GF, MK. From GF, you can take the bus to DHS, then hop on the Friendship boat to BWI, YC & BC. Or walk from DHS.
I forgot to add, from CR there is a resort boat that will take you to WL, which is beautifully decorated too. Just walk to the back of the resort past pool and you'll see the boat dock. This should take up most of the day!
Have fun.

 

[Sammie]

As I said, yes if the lot is completely full, and you don't wish to pay to valet, then yes the guard has no recourse but to turn people away.

However those times are very few and far between. Even during Food and Wine and that huge convention going at the Yacht and Beach and Swan and Dolphin recently we were allowed in with our ADR but we did have to be on the list and were told only 3 hours.

Also if you are doing Signature dining and the lot is full, you could possibly get your Valet comped but you would have to pay and take it up with a manager.

 

[creamypuffs]

If you valet you can use it at any resort that offers valet for that entire day.

Is this really true? If I valet at CR for breakfast ADR, I can use valet at Poly for dinner same day and not pay valet again? Do they provide a ticket that shows you have valet access all day? Ever run into issues for this? Thanks!

 

[vicki_c]

Is this really true? If I valet at CR for breakfast ADR, I can use valet at Poly for dinner same day and not pay valet again? Do they provide a ticket that shows you have valet access all day? Ever run into issues for this? Thanks!

Yes it's true. Ask at the first location for a receipt, show it at the second. You need to tip at both locations.

 

[NJRRK]

Yes it's true. Ask at the first location for a receipt, show it at the second. You need to tip at both locations.

Only tip for good service, tip well for great service.

 

[goofy4tink]

Security guard at YC gate! During an "event". Look folks, you can choose to disbelieve, I don't care. We're DVC, live in Florida, visit every 4-6 weeks during all seasons, always stay on property, drive our own car. I don't make this stuff up.

I may not go every 4-6 weeks, but I do go fairly often. I own at both BLT and BWV...so have a pretty good grasp of the parking issues at both. I have seen people turned away from BW during Food and Wine...especially the weekends!!! You can always park behind the Hess station...that never gets full. But, if you try to park at BW, without a valid room key, on a weekend during F/W, then you had best be prepared to be turned away!! But really? Other than that? I have never seen anyone turned away...and that irritates me no end.
I would imagine that any resort will turn you away if you aren't staying there, and there is some type of event going on. You can always valet park. Self parking is never promised!!!

Is this really true? If I valet at CR for breakfast ADR, I can use valet at Poly for dinner same day and not pay valet again? Do they provide a ticket that shows you have valet access all day? Ever run into issues for this? Thanks!

Absolutely! Just hold onto your original receipt and show it at the next resort.

 

[ms mouse]

Source?

Well I don't have a source but I will tell you we had ADR at California Grill last year on Christmas Eve to eat and see the fireworks. When we pulled into the lot there was a long line of people being turned around. When we pulled in we told them where we were eating, they asked for a id and checked a list. We were then allowed to park.

 

[lbv7]

I may not go every 4-6 weeks, but I do go fairly often. I own at both BLT and BWV...so have a pretty good grasp of the parking issues at both. I have seen people turned away from BW during Food and Wine...especially the weekends!!! You can always park behind the Hess station...that never gets full. But, if you try to park at BW, without a valid room key, on a weekend during F/W, then you had best be prepared to be turned away!! But really? Other than that? I have never seen anyone turned away...and that irritates me no end.

This is what I don't understand. If you are not allowed to park at any of the resorts and then make your way to the parks, why can you park, for free, at the overflow lot at the Boardwalk, and then go to F+W at Epcot? Do people not avail themselves of the other attractions at Epcot besides F+W? Do you not think that some people who take advantage of this not care about F+W, but just use this as a way to park for free and then go to Epcot? Doesn't make sense to me.

I know you are not allowed to park at the CR, eat at any of their restaurants, and then walk or Monorail to the MK. The same for the Poly and the GF. You cannot self park in their lots all day and then go to the MK. What makes the Boardwalk with respect to F+W any different?