Have PS at BOMA, pay $7. for parking for off-site guest?

[TimNDansMom]

We won't be checking into our Disney Resort until the next day, but have a PS at BOMA the night before. I always thought you were given a 3 hour pass for dining but the CM at Disney Dining just told me that I have to pay $7. for parking?? I discovered this when asking if I could get a PS for the Tambu Lounge (but ps' not available here) over at the Poly for after dinner drinks and asked about parking at the 2 resorts.

Anyone have any experience with this? This is the first time I've booked 'dining', before we've checked into our Disney resort but as I said, I always thought you received a 3 hour parking pass at the resort security gate. The CM I spoke to on the phone even went and checked with (I think) her superior.

 

[DeeCeeSW]

I don't know who gave you that info., but it's bogus. You will not have to pay for parking at the AKL to eat at Boma, nor would you have to pay at the Polynesian. If you have a PS, the security person at the resort will look up your name and give you a three-hour parking pass. Even if you don't have a PS, you can get a pass. $7 parking is for the parks, not the resorts or their restaurants. If you made a PS for a restaurant in the parks, then, yes, you would have to pay $7 for parking (but you are staying in a WDW resort, so it's free) as well as admission to that particular park. I seriously doubt that this is a new policy since I for one wouldn't bother to eat at any of these places if they charged a parking fee.

 

[Lewisc]

The CM is either mistaken or it's a new policy. Offsite hotels are starting to charge for parking (even for hotel guests) and Disney may be testing the waters.

 

[TimNDansMom]

DeeCeeSW, the thing is, we won't be staying on-site until the next day. But still, I have never heard of paying for parking at a Disney resort if one has a PS at that resort's restaurant.

Lewisc, I asked if this was a new policy, but the CM didn't know and that is why she confimed it with someone else, who I thought was her superior, but maybe it was just another CM.

I wonder if the CM misunderstood me and thought I was going into a Disney park, where I would have to pay the $7 for parking, since I was off-site and could use that parking pass for dining at the resorts????

 

[DeeCeeSW]

Staying on or offsite makes no difference in this case. I think you just got an inexperienced CM. I remember being told by a CM that I could only pick up my Hoop Dee Doo tickets at Fort Wilderness when making a PS (in truth, I could also pick them up 2 days prior at my WDW resort). When I questioned her on this, she actually hung up on me. I called back and asked for a supervisor who apolpgized profusely, explained that there were a lot of new CMs still in training, etc. When we got to HDDR six months later, I had seats dead center, second row from the stage. There are things that we know from being on these boards that some CMS are unaware of...

 

[clkelley]

When you go to the Poly, you have to go through the Magic Kingdom parking gates. Sometimes, the folks at those gates have the PS lists, sometimes they don't. So you may have to pay the $7 there.

To get to Animal Kingdom Lodge, you don't go anywhere near a Theme Park parking area, so there is definitely no fee to park at the AKL.

Unless, of course there is a new policy we don't know about.

Hope this helps.

Carol

 

[DeeCeeSW]

You do not have to go through the MK gates to get to the Poly. We go to dinner there several times during our trips. There are other ways of getting to the Poly and GF w/o going thru those gates. One way is to take the road that goes past Fort Wilderness to get directly to the resorts. I have a map somewhere and can give you the name of the road...

 

[TimNDansMom]

Oh yes, I forgot that you have to go through the MK gates to get to the MK Resorts, clkelley. Maybe that's the confusion with the CM??

I know the road you mean, DeeCeeSW as I've taken a Disney Bus through there. Is it not available, though, just for Disney transportation, not the general public?? I'd appreciate the name of the road if you can find it.

 

[DeeCeeSW]

That road is not just for buses. If that were the case, then no one could drive to Fort Wildnerness in their car. There is a security post on this road prior to reaching the resorts--sometimes there is a guard there, sometimes not. If there is, you just give him/her your info. regarding your PS. You do not have to go through the MK gates to get to the resorts, and I think it's horrible that some people may have been subjected to paying a $7 parking fee for no reason. . .

I will go look for the map. I believe that it's Bonnet Creek Parkway to the end (going towards OKW) and then a left--this road takes you past the golf courses and Fort Wilderness to get you directly to the monorail resorts.

 

[TimNDansMom]

Thanks for your help, DeeCeeSW!

 

[DeeCeeSW]

I take Bonnet Creek towards OKW, and a left at Vista Blvd. which brings me to World Drive. You will be past the MK gate. Then make a right onto World Drive (the monorail track will be above you) and follow the signs to the Poly or GF (on the left).

 

[clkelley]

I had forgotten about that road. We drive very little at WDW. We pull into our resort, park the truck, and there it sits for a week. The only time I have driven near the MK area was the two times I stayed at Ft. Wilderness, and then the same thing, go through the main gate, park the truck at Ft. Wilderness, and there it sits for a week.

Carol

 

[GoldenOldie]

Why is everyone getting up in arms? This isn't something new. It's been happening for years. There's a very simple solution to the $7 parking fee. You pay it and bring your parking receipt into the restaurant. Your server will refund your $7 to you. You could also take it to the resort Guest Services desk and have it refunded there as well.

Just a word of caution: this will not work if your parking receipt is time stamped for many hours prior to your seating. If you parked all day and then go to dinner, they will not refund your parking.

 

[TimNDansMom]

I'll go dig out one of my transportation maps and take a look. If it goes by a golf course, I'm sure Dh knows of it!

Edited to add: Thanks for that bit of info, GoldenOldie! I'm learning a lot simply by wanting to have dinner and drinks while not checked into our Disney resort yet, nor going into a Disney park on that day!

 

[Jungle Skipper]

Hmm...never had to pay to park at the resort...that's really odd. The only thing I can think of is the CM on the phone meant for Valet Parking...which I think is $6-7 a day. Maybe thats what they meant.

Jungle Josh

 

[TimNDansMom]

That thought about Valet parking crossed my mind too, Josh, but then when she went on to say that paying for parking at AKL for BOMA would also get us parking at the Poly, I lost my train of thought! Keep in mind that this is all because we won't be checking into our Disney resort until the next day!

 

[cheerdaddy]

Unless it's an extremely new policy, there is no charge to park at any of the disney resorts(with the exception of valet) whether you have a PS or not, whether you're an on-site or off-site guest...Let's try and end this once and for all: You do NOT have to go through the MK parking entrance to get to the poly/CR/grand floridian resorts! I cannot remember the name of the road, but, its the one that POFQ/POR resorts are off of...take that road down until it T's; make a left hand turn at the T, you will almost immediately see the entrance for the Bonnet Creek golf course; you will soon come to a guard shack right before the entrance to the Ft. Wilderness campground, you go past the campground and the road basically ends just on the other side of the MK parking entrance....you can also access the road(sorry can't remember the names, Im thinking bonnett creek pkwy) that goes by the golf course and ft.wilderness from the downtown disney area by going to the right instead of going left toward TL and the EPCOT resorts....I know this can be done, we've done it many, many times.....

 

[Eeyore1954]

Originally posted by TimNDansMom
That thought about Valet parking crossed my mind too, Josh, but then when she went on to say that paying for parking at AKL for BOMA would also get us parking at the Poly, I lost my train of thought! Keep in mind that this is all because we won't be checking into our Disney resort until the next day!

It does sound like the CM is referring to valet parking. If you pay to valet park at one WDW resort, you can use the valet parking ON THE SAME DAY at any other WDW resort without paying again. Just hang onto your receipt from AKL.

If you want to self-park, that's always been free.

 

[DeeCeeSW]

Cheerdaddy--is there an echo in here, LOL? My posts say exactly the same thing and I have even provided the OP with the names of roads she needs to take. I, too, have taken this route many times w/o a problem. Why go through the hassle of paying $7 at the gate so you can waste time at your restaurant looking for someone to validate your receipt and refund your money? I don't understand that logic.

 

[GoldenOldie]

Originally posted by DeeCeeSW
...Why go through the hassle of paying $7 at the gate so you can waste time at your restaurant looking for someone to validate your receipt and refund your money? I don't understand that logic.

You don't "waste time at your restaurant looking for someone to validate your receipt and refund your money", your wait person does it. How simple is that?

Works for me. YMMV