How to save $$$ on parking?

[Eric Julie and Hailey]

OK, call me cheap, but $8 to park X 3 days = $24 just to park our car. And, my wife is begging for valet -- $14 * 3= OUCH!

How can I save some $$$ on parking? I already have my tickets (took advantage of play like a child/pay child price thru AAA).

For example, if we eat lunch at Citywalk, can I get "validated"?

Thanks!

 

[rangebob]

You park you must pay. If you arrive after 6 pm there is no parking fees though. Even if you are staying at one of the hotels there you pay to park.

 

[robvia]

You park across the street in the Holiday Inn parking lot on Kirkman Road. There is a TGIFridays Restaurant, plenty of spaces near the intersection. Crossing Kirkman road is the only thing to watch out for, it's 10 lanes of traffic. After crossing, walk to the garage and enter thru a side door. Go up to the 3rd floor and get on the moving sidewalks. If your wife is asking for Valet, she probably won't let you do it. Or, you drop them off, go park the car and walk.
The way you get free parking is with season passes. Before I had them, I parked and walked. And you're right, it adds up when you visit the park many times.

 

[USO2003]

If you know an Annual Pass Holder and get him to go with you you don't pay anything. Any place across the street will do, I use to walk from Pointe Orlando to Universal all the time for fun when I work there, but any place around Universal is a good place to park and walk, I don't doubt you can walk across the street properly but follow the signs. I see alot of tourists who don't know how to cross the street run out into on coming traffic and almost cause accidents.

 

[PatMcDuck]

We are doing 3 nights at Universal (HRH), then Disney. We will not rent a car until day 3, the day before we move down the road....... we will take a cab from the airport......... it will save us rental $$, bring us to under a week rental, and save us those stupid parking fees!

 

[jims123]

I am a annual passholder and know we don't have to pay for parking at the parks. But I still am charged to park at the hotels. Can you leave your car in the parking garage overnight and just walk to the hotel? I usually never yuse my car while in the hotel.

 

[USO2003]

That is so stupid to charge for parking at a hotel, that is just dumb.

 

[rangebob]

Yes if you have an annual pass they will charge you for parking at the hotel. I know some people that do park in the regular garage and then walk over to the park and jump onto the bus. If you do this make sure that you see what time the busses run until or you will be doing some walking.

 

[Ludwig Von Drake]

PatMcDuck - love your plan! I was thinking on the same lines for our upcoming trip to HRH and Disney. Which company are you renting from, and what location. I understand the on-site hotels have car rental desks, but don't know which company! Want to make some reservations!

 

[damo]

USO2003, I do not find it dumb at all. Most hotels include the parking into your room price whether you park or not. Usually, I do not rent a car, so why should I be automatically charged for parking? I think it is great that parking is a user fee. It saves me $$$!!!

 

[Dznefreek]

if we eat lunch at Citywalk, can I get "validated"?

I believe only Emeril's validates.

 

[USO2003]

Originally posted by damo
USO2003, I do not find it dumb at all. Most hotels include the parking into your room price whether you park or not. Usually, I do not rent a car, so why should I be automatically charged for parking? I think it is great that parking is a user fee. It saves me $$$!!!

That's true but lets look at it from this point, you pay to park there, then you go to the park and pay to park there, then go back to the hotel to pay again if you have a car.

How much is parking at the Hotel and do you pay per day?

I mean Universal would know were your spending your money if you stay at a Universal Hotel so why push people into pay hotel parking fees.

Most people will take a bus, or taxi to the hotels so that's nothing for them to be concerned with. I just think its greedy to take advantage of people staying onsite when Universal knows where your spending your vacation and money.

That's my opinion on it.

 

[Cindy B]

I saw some people walking from Wet n Wild.. yes, a healthy walk..

In fact I saw some people walking from Universal Blvd., they were walking from Universal Blvd., past Wet n Wild, and going on that bridge...

Personally I wouldn't do that, you do so much walking from the garage to the parks, and around the parks... its worth it to me.


At least the $8 is in a nice security equipped garage, where as other entertainment establishments in orlando just let your car bake in the sun....

 

[PatMcDuck]

I have not booked the car rental yet, it is too early to get a good deal for the summer I think. We have a trip of 8 days, so I wanted to bring the rental in under a week to save $$ anyway. And I will likely not need the car at Universal at all, but I do use it at Disney.. You can look for locations on each companies website. It looked like National had one right nearby in another hotel (off site)

 

[rangebob]

You only pay per day when you park at the hotel. I think it is $8.00 but I'm not 100% positive. There is no reason to go over to the main garage since they have bus and boat transportation for you to get to the parks. The bus drops you off right next to the main entrance to the studios. If you take the boat the drop you in front of the carosel near city walk. If you decide to go to the main garage they don't charge you for parking if you are a guest at the resorts there.

 

[damo]

USO, why would you go and park in the parking garage when you are staying at the resorts? It's almost closer to walk from the resorts to the parks than from the parking garage to the parks.

I really don't feel that Universal is being greedy at all. The parks make you pay for parking even though you are paying a hefty fee to get in. In fact, for a family of four, you pay more to get into the parks for one day than you pay for a one night's stay at RPR or HRH. Still you pay for parking. Would you rather they hiked up the gate fees? ( of course it would be nice if there were no parking fees but I think this is a great system!)

 

[USO2003]

Originally posted by damo
USO, why would you go and park in the parking garage when you are staying at the resorts? It's almost closer to walk from the resorts to the parks than from the parking garage to the parks.

People do that stuff, same as people go to a park spend more on a Muti-Day pass then they would pay on a year pass. Then say we'll only be here for a few days, those few days you get discounts and you never know if you'll be back in a year.

People do dumb things like that. That's is another thing I say why would you take that deal.

 

[Metallicat]

I can see why they would charge to park in the parking garage. I'm sure those parking decks cost a fortune to build and maintain and really, its better than letting your car get rained on and sit in the hot sun and the people movers are pretty nice. I'm glad don't have to pay since I have an annual pass.
Now, paying $6.00 a day to park my car at HRH is a different story. I think if they were going to charge guests extra to park, they could at least put us an elevator in so we wouldn't have to climb all those stairs to get into the hotel which btw, the lobby and elevators are on the 3rd floor so is that 3 flights of stairs just to get into the hotel from your car. that stinks! also, why on earth do you have to insert your room key to get out of the lot? makes no sense to me unless they want to know WHEN your leaving your room. Hmm... Linda