I LOVE OUR DVC, BUT THIS I HAVE TO POST :(lengthy)

[erionm]

Curious about the answer to this question. We have been BWV owners for quite a while. We have never had a car, but read tons of posts regarding the parking. If you wanted to meet friends for dinner/drinks/ice cream on the Boardwalk, without an ADR/Open Table, is there a place to park?

There is an overflow parking lot behind the Speedway gas station.

 

[DeeCee735]

After reading this entire thread I am surprised that no one mentioned that valet parking is free for TIW cardholders. Since the valet lots are almost always empty this is a fantastic perk if you have one. You could pay for the TIW in 1 week long trip using Uber. Of course this would only work for people with cars. All you have to do is show your card and return with a dining receipt. Be sure to tip the valet.

We don't own points at BWV but we like to stay there as often as we can. We always drive and parking situation is the absolute worst there. I agree that the Boardwalk is a "destination" especially at night for dining and entertainment and it's unfortunate that there isn't parking to accommodate visitors.

We used to use TIW but haven’t in a long time. This trip it may have been worth it since it was just our family of 7 and we weren’t traveling alone. I didn’t think of it honestly, we had a lot of disney gift cards (Chris

You will get a lot of debate on the Families board, but we have been taking the kids on Disney transportation without car seats since they were babies. And an occasional taxi or uber as well. We live in NYC, where we use public transportation ALL the time - subways, city buses, and to a lesser extent, taxis and car services. Then again, I am also the person who has taken my kids on 50+ flights without car seats.

If you're staying on site, Disney transportation is fine. We have taken DME with the kids many times. This last time since we had a split stay (Dolphin/BLT) we used FL tours which provided a booster and car seat for the airport transportation. We took uber one night to go to AK, a bus one day to go to AK, and then walked to the other parks (EP, HS, MK).

It is up to you, of course, but millions of people have taken their babies and toddlers on mass transit - at WDW and elsewhere - without car seats and have been fine. Nowhere is it required (and at Disney, not allowed on DME) to have your kids in a booster or car seat on mass transit or public transit. As you see from above - to/from the airport in a car, yes, we get the car seat and booster, but for a short trip at relatively low speeds in clear weather, we made the assessment that the very small risk was one we were willing to take.

Thanks for the info. My daughter and her husband are first time parents, which is beside the point I guess, since it’s up to them anyway. I will pass the info on to them. She asked and I didn’t have the answer, thanks to you guys, now I do!

 

[erionm]

Valet, guards, housekeeping are NOT Disney employees.

Housekeeping & security are Disney employees. Valet is a 3rd party.

 

[crisi]

There is an overflow parking lot behind the Speedway gas station.

But it may be closed due to skyway construction. If you are staying onsite, you can park at the studios and walk or boat down - its a longish walk. but not unreasonable by Disney standards. If you park at Epcot, you'll need to have a park pass that will get you through.

 

[DeeCee735]

So related question. We're going down in 3 weeks, staying at OKW with a car. We love Ample Hills creamery... is there any parking option we can use over there? Is the overflow lot across the street from Boardwalk open to the public? Is it ok to park in the mini golf lot? I understand we can use Disney transportation, but round trip with transferring somewhere can eat up a lot of time just for an ice cream sundae.

I wish they had offered alternate options from the start, i.e. valet, 2 hour time limit or overflow lot, instead of telling us to leave. I would suggest going to the gate and seeing if the 2 hour limit is even in place.

As I stated in a previous post we went in two nights prior and they didn’t even ask. As a matter of fact, I originally had a late lunch, 4:10 reservation at ESPN, (they take lunch reservations on MdE)but we cancelled it and just went later in the evening for dinner there with no reservation at all. There was apparently no restriction on parking at that time.

Had I known all this from the getgo, that sometimes it’s limited and sometimes it isn’t, I would have definitely handled it differently. I believe the woman at the gate didn’t know either because leaving was the only option she presented.

Good luck and enjoy your ice cream!

 

[kboo]

Thanks for the info. My daughter and her husband are first time parents, which is beside the point I guess, since it’s up to them anyway. I will pass the info on to them. She asked and I didn’t have the answer, thanks to you guys, now I do!

I should have added this in my initial post:
When I was a first-time mom, I forbade DH (LOL) from ever taking our ODD in a taxi, because no car seats, etc. She rode in a taxi maybe <5 times before she was 2. So I get it, it really is a very personal choice and definitely up to them. Now that we have 2, it is really impractical to lug a car seat and a booster anywhere (who can hold the kids' hands at that point??). But if you look at it statistically, it really is millions of people who have taken their babies on mass transit/public transit without incident. That helped me, a lot.

 

[sgtdisney]

There is an overflow parking lot behind the Speedway gas station.

So, is that one typically open, or can that one be shut off as well?

 

[DeeCee735]

I think Disney expects you to use Disney transport. You can boat or walk from HS or Epcot and bus from MK, AK and DS. They don't want offsite or local folks driving in and parking to use pool or to go go Epcot or HS.
I see Bill and I had similar thoughts.

I’m glad they take those measures as well, we always show our DVC membership cards along with our photo ID at the gate.

I don’t disagree with the policy. I disagree with the way it was presented. The security guard needs further training, the manager needs reminding that whether or not she feels making faces is warranted, don’t do it where everyone can see it. It’s just not professional.

I also wish I knew more about the situation at BW so we weren’t taken by surprise like that, we would have handled it differently. It was just weird after driving to all the other areas during the week with no problems. I probably would have told the guard about the two hour limit had I known. She obviously was unaware of it herself.

 

[sgtdisney]

I don’t disagree with the policy. I disagree with the way it was presented. The security guard needs further training, the manager needs reminding that whether or not she feels making faces is warranted, don’t do it where everyone can see it. It’s just not professional.

I think this is the crux of the whole thread. None of us are denying or are upset that Disney can and will refuse parking at a high demand smaller parking lot like BWV. That happens. But there is a way to deliver a message to a paying customer and a way not to. I can understand if someone is getting belligerent, that someone may get an attitude. Even then good customer service, which Disney is famous for, requires decorum. But from all we're read here that is not the case. Whether any employee is a Disney Employee or not, they are, at that moment, representing Disney. Disney should make sure they train their employees to be able to deliver a cohesive message and explain the whys and offer solutions. The manager should have known better. An apology goes a long way when dealing with customers, even if it's not warranted. Not saying it wasn't warranted here, but I think you get my point. Had the manager or the guard had handled this differently, we'd probably not be discussing any of this at all. Just my .02 cents.

 

[peabody58]

Staying at BWV in May and we are well aware of parking issues there. Our traditional check-out day breakfast is at the Wave (BLT is our home resort). From experience we know that we could walk into the Wave without an ADR, but knowing the rules and parking restrictions at CR/BLT, we went ahead and made an ADR. Knowing is part of the planning process.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I guess I haven't been paying attention much lately either. So for some resorts, they absolutely won't allow you to park in the lot to visit the resort, have a snack or visit the gift shops? For us, in recent years, they would give you a 2 hour pass before when we've gone to the Polynesian or CR. What do you do if you wanted to, say, visit the Top of the World one afternoon or get a Spiked Dole Whip at PV? Do you have to only use the internal transportation now. Just asking because we're going this summer and were hoping to visit a few resorts. Someone mentioned this is all on the member site, any tips where i can find it.

The Top of the World Lounge isn't open in the afternoon except for special events like the painting and wine events. You can't just bop up to the lounge in the middle of the afternoon. It isn't open until 6PM for the evening. And then you are required to use Disney transportation to get there. From the member website:

Parking & Transportation

Parking is only available to those staying at Bay Lake Tower or Disney's Contemporary Resort. Members traveling from other Resorts must use Walt Disney World Transportation.​

We've also gone to the Polynesian to eat at Capt Cook's with our CM son (when he worked there) and were not permitted to park at the resort. I guess you need to plan to take Disney transportation to the DVC resorts that are directly adjacent to the theme parks and drive to AKV, SSR and OKW where it is usually easier to park if you want to dine there.

According to my Disney experience and the manager, and the woman from DVC member satisfaction, Big River Grille does not accept reservations. If I’m missing where I can make them, please let me know. I’ll be back in a couple of months....without a car ROFL, and we want to have lunch there.

I was going to mention Open Table as well. Just checked it on line and there are a few Big River Grilles, so make sure you put in the Lake Buena Vista location.

There is an overflow parking lot behind the Speedway gas station.

Since they took away the CM parking lot by the BC (and built the villas), that overflow lot behind the Speedway is the CM parking lot. With all the jobs at the BW, they need somewhere to park. We had a reservation at BWV in October one year and the entire parking lot by the convention center was closed to guests because of an ongoing convention. And there were almost no cars in the lot. Frustrating. It's why we avoid the BWV, parking is horrid there.

 

[DeeCee735]

I think this is the crux of the whole thread. None of us are denying or are upset that Disney can and will refuse parking at a high demand smaller parking lot like BWV. That happens. But there is a way to deliver a message to a paying customer and a way not to. I can understand if someone is getting belligerent, that someone may get an attitude. Even then good customer service, which Disney is famous for, requires decorum. But from all we're read here that is not the case. Whether any employee is a Disney Employee or not, they are, at that moment, representing Disney. Disney should make sure they train their employees to be able to deliver a cohesive message and explain the whys and offer solutions. The manager should have known better. An apology goes a long way when dealing with customers, if if it's not warranted. Not saying it wasn't warranted here, but I think you get my point. Had the manager or the guard had handled this differently, we'd probably not be discussing any of this at all. Just my .02 cents.

Agreed. And this has been my point all along.

That being said, I’m disappointed in myself as well. I shouldn’t have let it get my nerves up. I should have seen it for what it was and handled it differently.

It’s our most favorite place anywhere we’ve ever been, a place we’ve raised our children at and now the future holds many trips for our adult kids and our grand baby and any future grandchildren. I let them steal the magic and allowed myself to go on the “defensive” instead of just rolling with it. I really have to try harder when situations like this present themselves.

It didn’t ruin our day, just our hopes of experiencing the boardwalk that afternoon (and Ample Cream!) We just changed our plans and enjoyed other things. It was just an unfortunate situation. And one all involved need to learn from.

 

[DeeCee735]

Since they took away the CM parking lot by the BC (and built the villas), that overflow lot behind the Speedway is the CM parking lot. With all the jobs at the BW, they need somewhere to park. We had a reservation at BWV in October one year and the entire parking lot by the convention center was closed to guests because of an ongoing convention. And there were almost no cars in the lot. Frustrating. It's why we avoid the BWV, parking is horrid there.

Eventually they’ll come up with a solution to solve the problems of guests visiting, staying or those with reservations having parking issues. Maybe they need to build more parking or re route conventioneers somehow. I don’t know the lay of land around the convention center much, I just see that this has been an on going problem, something else I was not aware of.

 

[Chuck S]

Eventually they’ll come up with a solution to solve the problems of guests visiting, staying or those with reservations having parking issues. Maybe they need to build more parking or re route conventioneers somehow. I don’t know the lay of land around the convention center much, I just see that this has been an on going problem, something else I was not aware of.

Perhaps, but a parking structure would not fit in with the styling of the resort...underground parking is likely not an option because of the high water table and possible flooding. Is it worth it to Disney to build a parking structure or larger lot in a nearby, unused location and provide some sort of transport, like light rail or busses? Would that actually solve the problem? Maybe a centralized parking structure serving both Y/BC and BW/BWV with small automated transport system, like a peoplemover?

 

[sgtdisney]

The Top of the World Lounge isn't open in the afternoon except for special events like the painting and wine events. You can't just bop up to the lounge in the middle of the afternoon. It isn't open until 6PM for the evening. And then you are required to use Disney transportation to get there. From the member website:

We've also gone to the Polynesian to eat at Capt Cook's with our CM son (when he worked there) and were not permitted to park at the resort. I guess you need to plan to take Disney transportation to the DVC resorts that are directly adjacent to the theme parks and drive to AKV, SSR and OKW where it is usually easier to park if you want to dine there.

Thanks this is good to know. Didn't realize it opened at 6PM, so that is something to keep in mind. Last time we were in Disney in 2016, we stayed at the Poly for a few days after 6 days at OKW so we saved all out Polynesian things for when we stayed there. In years past we used to be able to park there for two hours if we let them know that we were planning on eating at Kona, etc. Sounds like that's all changed and the parking has gotten worse.

 

[CarolMN]

IMO, most of the parking problem would go away if they charged everyone except BWV/BWI guests or convention attendees an hourly parking fee. Restaurants could validate tickets for 2 - 3 hours. Rates after 4 PM should be high enough to deter those headed for EPCOT.

 

[sgtdisney]

IMO, most of the parking problem would go away if they charged everyone except BWV/BWI guests or convention attendees an hourly parking fee. Restaurants could validate tickets for 2 - 3 hours. Rates after 4 PM should be high enough to deter those headed for EPCOT.

I think this is a great idea. It may solve a lot of problems.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I expect to NEVER be able to park at a resort near a park, because of parking abuses. I thought that was standard policy at this point?

As a BWV owner for 17 years, who stays at BWV unless there’s no availability, I know all too well what we’ve had to deal with over the years with trying to find a parking space. Not pleasant.

 

[crisi]

So, is that one typically open, or can that one be shut off as well?

Typically its open, but all things at Disney are subject to closure - they need to resurface the lot once in a while - they probably use it as a staging area for certain events - and it sounds like its currently having a skyway built on it.

Your best bet when visiting any resort at which you are not a guest is to arrive without a car - a cab or uber, Disney transportation.....even if you have an ADR.

 

[tjkraz]

This is a tough one. While I can understand those who say that Boardwalk parking is first and foremost for guests of the resort (and having been a guest have been frustrated by the parking there), it's also apparent to me that Disney created the Boardwalk as a sort of destination unto itself. Why have Atlantic Dance Hall or Jelly Rolls if just for the guests of the adjacent resorts? And what about the DVC pool hopping privileges? If I want to use BWV's pool, does that mean I have to drive?

Disney hasn't really marketed the BoardWalk itself as a destination for many years. Atlantic Dance Hall and Jellyrolls are kept around mostly for conventioneers. Between BW, YC, BC, Dolphin and Swan, they are convenient venues which groups can reserve for evening outings or to which they can simply refer attendees.

Curious about the answer to this question. We have been BWV owners for quite a while. We have never had a car, but read tons of posts regarding the parking. If you wanted to meet friends for dinner/drinks/ice cream on the Boardwalk, without an ADR/Open Table, is there a place to park?

Not reliably, no. As stated, they can and do turn people away if there are capacity concerns with the parking lots. If you want a guarantee, take Disney transportation, Uber, Minnie Van, etc.

I probably would have told the guard about the two hour limit had I known. She obviously was unaware of it herself.

The "2 hour pass" is not a standard offering. Disney is not equipped to police such things. They don't drive around seeking to tow violators, nor is the resort set-up to charge some fee at exit if 2 hours is exceeded. Valet is dicey too (from a security/access standpoint) because once you're past the guard shack, there's nothing to prevent you from just driving into self parking.

BW gets dozens of visitors per day who try to talk their way past security, solely for easy access to Epcot.

So Epcot is a draw. The BoardWalk itself is a draw (restaurants, clubs, performers, etc.) Yet parking is insufficient to support these groups and the resort layout makes it difficult to police guest traffic. Even if they did expand parking and relax these policies, abuse would rise. Communications could improve, but functionally security is often forced to take a hard-line approach with visitors who are not registered guests.