free parking

[matsterrocks]

Parking at downtown disney before 6pm is it a day charge or a hourly charge? We will get to downtown disney around 4-5. Can you use disney transport to check out the differant resort hotels? Dose Rainforest cafe downtown Disney take reservations?

 

[RyMickey]

Parking at Downtown Disney is free. You can get on busses to travel to different hotels, although you might be better just driving to them. If you're staying onsite, this won't be any problem - you'll have a paper in your windshield saying you're staying onsite. If you're staying offsite, in all actuality, you're not supposed to be riding the busses to hotels - they are for resort guests - but I've never had anyone check for a room key id.

I just read recently that they do accept reservations at DD's Rainforest Cafe

RyMickey

 

[matsterrocks]

If parking at Downtown disney is free all the time don't they have problems with people parking there and hitting the parks for the day?

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by matsterrocks
If parking at Downtown disney is free all the time don't they have problems with people parking there and hitting the parks for the day?

Yes they do and it does not help that this info is shared to thousands on the Internet.

Hopefully ID's will be checked in the future on a more regular basis.

 

[matsterrocks]

What ID would they check?

 

[safetymom]

You can't take a bus directly to the parks from Downtown Disney. The buses run to the resorts only. So you would have to go to a resort first then transfer to a park bus.

They did this because so many people were parking at DTD to avoid the park parking fee.

So if you are staying off site I would recommend just paying the parking fee. You pay once and it is good for all parks that day.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

That isn't exactly correct. If you have a pass (be it Annual, Hopper, etc), you are allowed to ride the Disney Transportaion. It is sort of a loop hole in the system. I am not saying to park there to save the parking fee...it isn't worth it, it will take at least 45-60 minutes to get to a park, what I am saying is that the Disney Transportation System is included in your park pass admission.

 

[safetymom]

You are correct about using Disney transportation but the car has to be parked somewhere.

It doesn't seem right to park at DTD to avoid the parking fee.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Originally posted by safetymom
You are correct about using Disney transportation but the car has to be parked somewhere.

It doesn't seem right to park at DTD to avoid the parking fee.

I agree with you totally! That is why I said it the way I did...it is is sort of a "loop hole" in the system. I am not telling anyone to do it either...there is nothing worse than going to DTD & you can't find a spot! That has happened many times to me... and I know there are people who have parked there for the parks & it isn't fair.

 

[safetymom]

I was agreeing with you about parking in DTD in case others were thinking of doing it.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Originally posted by safetymom
I was agreeing with you about parking in DTD in case others were thinking of doing it.

Sorry... I did read it wrong... now that I have re-read it, I see... now lets make sure everyone else understands it.. LOL.. I really do hate when there isn't any parking...I live in SW Fl & my Mom & Sister live in the NE section. When I go to visist (or on my way home), I like to stop there. I have a friend who works at the Pin Store there... and there is nothing worse than spending 15 minutes to look for a spot, or worse yet, parking by the West Side, just to stop for 20-30 minutes....say hello & take a fast look around (for any bargins LOL) and head back on the road. I know when I am staying onsite Disney, I hate to drive there due to the lack of spots & since they have opened up the Toy Store..it is worse!!!
So people, please be considerate & spend the $8 to park at one of the parks...If you spend $100-$1000 to go to Disney, isn't it worth the $8 to save 45-60 minutes travel time each way???

 

[n2mm]

A Mickeyfan--if someone has an AP why would they want to park at DTD to go to the parks, since AP holders (all) get free parking at the parks. Yes, holding any ticket entitles you to use of Disney transportation. I also heard it was a problem, that's why there are no buses that go directly to any of the parks anymore from DTD. I'm sure it still goes on, but would think that it has dropped some, since it's a hassle to bus to a resort, then to a park. Would think the closest resorts, i.e., POR/FQ would be hit the hardest.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by matsterrocks
If parking at Downtown disney is free all the time don't they have problems with people parking there and hitting the parks for the day?

That is why they stopped having buses go from the parks to DTD. People were taking the buses to avoid the parking fee. The buses now only go to the resorts. Now if you want to do that you would have to be insane. Buses going from DTD to the resort are the most slowest buses around. It can take up to an hour! The buses not only go to two stops at DTD but also goes to Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon. I can't imagine being that cheap to save a few bucks and totally wasting hours of precious time.

 

[The Sweetness]

The last time I was at WDW (5years ago) I avoided parking in the tremendous parking lots at the parks, but not to avoid paying!

One day I valet parked my car at the Polly and had breakfast there before going on to the parks for the day (using monorail)
I did the same another day at the GF. Also, one day when I went to Epcot I used the valet parking and had breakfast at the Yacht club, then took a super quick little boat to Epcot.

This wasnt to avoid parking fees. I tipped twice each day, and dont remember if I also payed a fee when picking up the car that evening. The point was to avoid the massive amount of cars leaving the park at the end of the day. If WDW didnt want me doing this, they would have said so. (telling me that I had to come back for my car within a certain amount of time.) MAybe this will be the case on my next trip. Then Ill just have to join the stampeede. Oh well, whatever happens happens...

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Originally posted by n2mm
A Mickeyfan--if someone has an AP why would they want to park at DTD to go to the parks, since AP holders (all) get free parking at the parks. Yes, holding any ticket entitles you to use of Disney transportation. I also heard it was a problem, that's why there are no buses that go directly to any of the parks anymore from DTD. I'm sure it still goes on, but would think that it has dropped some, since it's a hassle to bus to a resort, then to a park. Would think the closest resorts, i.e., POR/FQ would be hit the hardest.

If they had an Annual no...they wouldn't have to pay the $8. I put that pass in to show that not only the annual but all of the other tickets have the same policy with the Transportation
System, free parking or not. In my opinion the hardest hit are the monorail & Epcot resorts... since once there, you don't have to board another bus.. and yes, I do think it has cut since the bus routes have been changed, but when you take into account that they recently took away many many spots to build the new Toy Store, you are sort of back to the same situaton sort of????

 

[Bojangles]

The busses from DTD to the resort hotels have the longest waits. Even when we stay onsite, we drive to DTD to avoid having to wait 45-60 minutes for a bus. If you want to check out the resorts, you should drive. They don't have resort-to-resort busses so you would have to go back to DTD or a theme park to get to the next resort you wanted to look at.

 

[sters]

When my cousin, a native Floridian, visted us while we stayed at ASMo, he parked at our resort and joined us on the bus. I imagine that you could avoid parking fees if you drove to the budget or moderate resort and claimed that you were checking in, you could use the busses to go to the parks. Whether to do so or not is up to your conscience.