HELP!!! Early parking at Animal Kingdom for ADR!

[Pixiedust530]

So, the more and more time I spend here on the DIS the more I learn. I keep reading varying reports about the parking lot at Animal Kingdom not opening until about 15 minutes before park opening. I've read that cars just line up at the gates/booths until they open them.

The day we are planning to go to Animal Kingdom the park opens at 9:00am, but we have an 8:00am ADR at Tusker House for Donald's Safari Breakfast. Will I be able to get in to park for my early ADR? Is there a seperate "bypass" line for folks with ADR's? I don't want to get there that morning only to find out we can't get in and subsequently miss our ADR with Donald and Friends! My DS4 would be SOOOO disappointed....not to mention I would be one mad Mama!

Does anyone have any experience with driving to AK for and early ADR before park opening? PLEASE HELP!!!!

 

[goofy4tink]

You may have an issue getting into the parking lot in time to get to an 8am ADR. The lots should open an hour or so before the park opens...so, this means by 8 on a day the park opens at 9. BUT...you will need time to park the car, get to the turnstiles, get into the park, then walk to Tusker House. That all should take at least 15 mins, and closer to 20. Especially with restaurants asking that you get to the restaurant podium a bit before your ADR time.
Are you staying onsite??? If so, I would just take the bus there. Or, if not...try to park at the AKL, paying to valet park..and then just take their bus to AK...get to AKL by 7:15ish though.

 

[lawgs]

So, the more and more time I spend here on the DIS the more I learn. I keep reading varying reports about the parking lot at Animal Kingdom not opening until about 15 minutes before park opening. I've read that cars just line up at the gates/booths until they open them.

The day we are planning to go to Animal Kingdom the park opens at 9:00am, but we have an 8:00am ADR at Tusker House for Donald's Safari Breakfast. Will I be able to get in to park for my early ADR? Is there a seperate "bypass" line for folks with ADR's? I don't want to get there that morning only to find out we can't get in and subsequently miss our ADR with Donald and Friends! My DS4 would be SOOOO disappointed....not to mention I would be one mad Mama!

Does anyone have any experience with driving to AK for and early ADR before park opening? PLEASE HELP!!!!

our experience is that they usually open the "booths" around 7:30 am

there are no trams running usually at this time so you will probably have to walk to the entrance...

at the entrance, there should be a cast member with a list of those people who have ADR for tusker house....

you should be OK....

 

[seashoreCM]

The current consensus is that you should do the best you can if you are staying offsite, although without huffing and puffing and sweating, to get to the restaurant from the parking lot. So I would pray and hope* that the maitre d' seats my family as an ADR and not as a walkup when I quietly mention that the parking lot did not open early enough.

By the time you decide to get out of the AK tollbooth line and head for Animal Kingdom Lodge to take the bus, it's too late. If I went earlier I would self park at the AK Lodge and if it was a busy time that they issued a 3 hour parking pass, have one family member return to retrieve the car. Leaving AKL straight onto Osceola Parkway, stay in the left lane and there is a small opening in the median to turn across and into the toll booth entrance.

Disney really ought to leave one lane open at the toll booth and let people park for free if there is no attendant on duty.

I wonder what Guest Relations would suggest if an off site guest telephoned in advance and asked about this, prior to arriving to start his vacation.

* With a complaint to Guest Relations as an ace up my sleeve.

 

[Alesia]

Are you talking about the October trip in your signature? If so you should just take the bus since you're staying onsite.

 

[Pixiedust530]

You may have an issue getting into the parking lot in time to get to an 8am ADR. The lots should open an hour or so before the park opens...so, this means by 8 on a day the park opens at 9. BUT...you will need time to park the car, get to the turnstiles, get into the park, then walk to Tusker House. That all should take at least 15 mins, and closer to 20. Especially with restaurants asking that you get to the restaurant podium a bit before your ADR time.
Are you staying onsite??? If so, I would just take the bus there. Or, if not...try to park at the AKL, paying to valet park..and then just take their bus to AK...get to AKL by 7:15ish though.

I know the parks "should" open an hour or so before the park, but I have read more than 1 person say that they were in their car waiting at the toll booth until 15 minutes prior to park opening. That is what worried me. Of the accounts I read, none of them mentioned ADR's so I didn't know if there was a seperate entrance/line to the parking lot (sort of like the bus entry) for people with ADR's.

our experience is that they usually open the "booths" around 7:30 am

there are no trams running usually at this time so you will probably have to walk to the entrance...

at the entrance, there should be a cast member with a list of those people who have ADR for tusker house....

you should be OK....

Thanks!

The current consensus is that you should do the best you can, although without huffing and puffing and sweating, to get to the restaurant from the parking lot. So I would pray and hope* that the maitre d' seats my family as an ADR and not as a walkup when I quietly mention that the parking lot did not open early enough.

By the time you decide to get out of the AK tollbooth line and head for Animal Kingdom Lodge to take the bus, it's too late. If I went earlier I would self park at the AK Lodge and if it was a busy time that they issued a 3 hour parking pass, have one family member return to retrieve the car. Leaving AKL straight onto Osceola Parkway, stay in the left lane and there is a small opening in the median to turn across and into the toll booth entrance.

Disney really ought to leave one lane open at the toll booth and let people park for free if there is no attendant on duty.

* With a complaint to Guest Relations as an ace up my sleeve.

I would definitely have a complaint ready for Guest relations...however I would prefer that it not come to this. I am staying onsite, so paying to park isn't even the issue...just getting INTO the lot.

Are you talking about the October trip in your signature? If so you should just take the bus since you're staying onsite.

Yes. I am referring to my October trip in my signature. We are staying onsite, but really prefer to drive to the parks rather than use the bus system. It saves a lot of time, energy and effort IMO! If I HAVE TO use the bus system then I will, but I was hoping someone here on the DIS had personal experience with this specific situation. Surely I am not the only person with an in park ADR at AK prior to park opening who drives to the park?!?!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

There are many threads here already on this same subject. If you do a search, you will get a great deal of advice.

 

[Alesia]

Yes. I am referring to my October trip in my signature. We are staying onsite, but really prefer to drive to the parks rather than use the bus system. It saves a lot of time, energy and effort IMO! If I HAVE TO use the bus system then I will, but I was hoping someone here on the DIS had personal experience with this specific situation. Surely I am not the only person with an in park ADR at AK prior to park opening who drives to the park?!?!

Sometimes the parking lot opens early and sometimes it doesn't. There is no way of knowing what will happen on the day you're there. If you're comfortable with the possibility of being late for your ADR, then you should drive. I would rather take the bus than risk it.