Help with how to get around!

[Ware Bears]

We stay offsite but have treated ourselves to a couple of nights at the Yacht Club over New Year. On the 30th (December) we are hoping to book dinner at Chef Mickey's for about 7.30pm then walk to Magic Kingdom to watch the midnight fireworks.

We were going to drive and park at the Contemporary but staying to watch the midnight fireworks would mean we would outstay the 3 hour parking they allow, it would be more like 5 hours. Would this matter? Whenever we've eaten at a resort before we've left within the 3 hours so I don't know how strict they are. If it's a definite no-no then what would be the quicker way for us to get back to the Yacht Club ~ driving and parking at TTC and braving the ferry/monorail or catching a Disney bus there and back?

 

[hunty]

When we have tried to park at a resort at Christmas, they ask do you have a dinner reservation at one of the restaurants on site and they have a list of people who have booked, so if you have booked at Chef Mickey then you will have no problem.

They dont come and check how long you have parked for, you might be slow eaters

 

[wayneg]

Having been around a few resorts last Xmas/NY and knowing how busy the car parks get I would say you might be OK you might not, while most of year they are quite relaxed the week between Xmas~NY they are very strict at times at the monorail hotels. They put boards out saying resort/dining guests only instead of just welcoming anyone. Although they let us park at Boardwalk last Xmas just to look around we were told 3hrs max was being strictly enforced(didn't stay long enough to find out if true).
Personally I would find an alternative way or pay for valet parking at Contemp, I think its $15 and no restrictions on time.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Can you not walk to EPCOT via the International Gateway entrance spend a couple of hours there, leave using the main entrance and get the monorail to TTC and then head on to the Magic Kingdom area using monorail again, perhaps catch the bus back?

 

[Ware Bears]

Thanks for your help.

We don't wish to outstay our welcome regarding the parking and whilst I don't begrudge paying a few $$ for valet parking it does seem a bit ridiculous when the whole point of having a couple of nights on Disney property was so DH could enjoy a drink over the New Year and he'd probably like one with his dinner!

We have decided to either take the bus from our hotel to MK and walk to the Contemporary or if we are already in Epcot we will do as Johnny suggested and take the monorail to TTC then the resort monorail to the Contemporary.
We'll take the bus coming home, I've just checked and found it's MK EMH that night so hopefully there won't be too much of a queue as the park will be open until 3am. I don't think we'll be staying there that late, I think I'm too old for that lark these days, I'd never be able to get up in the morning!

 

[JohnnySharp2]

3am! blimey, Joshua gets up before 5 each day, wouldn't be any good for us at all.