leaving car at CR after breakfast at C

[donahue5]

parking for the day after chef mickeys. we are staying onsite but are meeting family at chef mickey's for breakfast. We will then go to DHS not sure if they can leave their cars there and take transportion to the parks or if they have to drive over. We will be using the transportation but not sure if they can use it if they are not staying onsite? Sorry for this confusing post.

 

[newtodis]

Can you leave your car there? Yes.
Will it be there after a day at the park? Not sure.

You will get a paper for your window that is a three hour parking pass. I don't know how strict they are about patroling those and getting rid of them after three hours. I would say it's probably not a good idea personally. I know we wouldn't do it. For us, it's much easier to just drive - especially if you're going to DHS (riding the bus) as opposed to the monorail. Now I will say that we had a VERY late dinner (almost 9:00) in Feb when we were there and specifically asked when leaving our car for the valet if we would be able to take a quick monorail ride when finishing our meals. The gentlemen there said they expected us to! We did mention it was our friend's first night (and first time) at Disney so maybe that had something to do with it. We closed GFC (I know we're rebels! ) and did ride the monorail around the loop and our friend's little guy (and family) got to drive. Now, we asked before just leaving the car there and risking it and it was also the end of the night so really we couldn't have left our car there that long. As for leaving it for the day, I don't think I could take the chance of my car being towed after a long day at the parks.

 

[HdnMickeyGrl]

I agree with the PP. You will get a three hour parking pass. The idea is this gives you enough time to eat, wander the resort, and (Disney is hoping) shop. I understand what you are saying, in that you are not trying to cheat out of paying for parking because you are already a resort guest but CR parking is for CR guests and people visiting CR. I would not risk leaving my car beyond the three hour mark on the parking pass. It could be towed. I have also heard that Disney is more likely to enforce the towing provision at the monorail resorts or Boardwalk Resorts because parking in either location is a convenient way to get to MK or Epcot and DHS. I've heard it's less likely that they would tow at say AKL because there's really no advantage to leaving your car there.

I'd drive to DHS. It will make for a more direct trip back to your resort when you are tired from a long day at the park.

 

[LisaNJ25]

Have them Valet park at the CR

 

[donahue5]

thanks for all the information. Great idea about valet. I will have to check that out. One more thing.....can you use transportation without staying onsite?

 

[beroh2253]

You can buy hopper tickets and not stay on site, and also make ADR's to all the restaurants and not stay on site so how would you get from one place to another if you didn't have a rental car. Also don't need tickets to get on the bus or momo-rail.

 

[JMD]

Your not supposed to park at the resort all day, but people do it all the time. And even though the parking pass is for 3 hours I've never heard of anyone being towed. Your best option is to just pay for valet parking if your want to leave you car.

My advice would be to just drive over to DHS from The Comtemporary. That way you'll have you car when you leave.

 

[HdnMickeyGrl]

thanks for all the information. Great idea about valet. I will have to check that out. One more thing.....can you use transportation without staying onsite?

Absolutely! You can use any disney transportation once on property regardless of if you are staying onsite. We have never stayed onsite and we have used the monorails (of course), MK ferry (of course), boat launches that run between MK and the MK resorts, boat launches that run between DHS, the Boarwalk Resorts and Epcot, and the buses. I think that pretty much covers all of Disney Transportation. The only thing that would be exclusive to resort guests would be the Magical Express that takes you to and from the airport and your resort. Everything else if fair game.

If you don't want to drive DHS. You can take a cab to CR and then take a bus to DHS and then a bus back to your resort. Just an idea.

 

[mom2rtk]

We had the same question last summer. We were having dinner at 1900 PF at the GF, and heading to the MK just for the Pirate & Princess party. I wanted to leave the car there for the rest of the evening. I called the hotel directly and talked to several people. Eventually they got ahold of someone in parking who HIGHLY recommended that we not try leaving it. They do a sweep of those parking lots at times, especially when spots are running low.

The other posters are right. You will have a 3 hour pass. I wouldn't exceed it. And I don't know if they will even let you valet park it there if you are not staying the night.

You can park at the T & T center, take the monorail to CR, eat at CM, then take the buses from CR to the park of your choice. Then at the end of the night, you can return the same way.

 

[bangzoom6877]

Valet it...we are considering this when we go on our next trip since Bay Lake Towers is a DVC resort and we get free valet parking at DVC resorts since we are DVC members and will be staying on our points, so all it will cost us is a tip for the valet.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We went to CM's two weeks ago and they never gave us a 3 hour parking pass. We just ate and left and thankfully our car was there when we came back!

 

[DisFlan]

Valet it...we are considering this when we go on our next trip since Bay Lake Towers is a DVC resort and we get free valet parking at DVC resorts since we are DVC members and will be staying on our points, so all it will cost us is a tip for the valet.

This occurred to us, too. But if too many DVCers get the same idea (and they will), I can see some limitations being put in place. Sort of like not pool hopping to SAB.

DisFlan

 

[catne]

Not sure what the advantage would be about leaving cars at the Contemporary when you're going to DHS -- would add a lot of time to your transporation to take a bus from there to DHS & then take a bus back to the cars. For that scenario, I think it'd be easier to drive to DHS - to leave the car at the Contemporary all day you'd have to pay anyway. Save the extra bus trip back & forth & just drive it. They do enforce the parking passes.

At Animal Kingdom Lodge, not only did we get a 3 hour parking pass to put in the car window, but the guard at the kiosk told us to make sure we had it very visible in the front window because they had been towing cars all day! That was in September.

Anyway, we always valet park when we're going to the parks near the hotels we're visiting: like if we're eating at restaurants in the Epcot resorts (and then can walk over to Epcot through International gateway) and we also valet park at the monorail resorts when eating there. So much nicer at the end of a park night to avoid the mass exodus to the parking lots. Instead you walk or monorail to the hotel you parked at, the valet guy brings your car to you and then you get to drive out of lot all by yourself instead of waiting in a line with hundreds of other cars all exiting at the same time. Well worth the $12 + tip.

We have seen cars getting towed from the Contemporary lot, by the way. And it wasn't even a really busy time of year. Also saw a tow truck in the Grand Floridian lot when we were there. So it does happen.

 

[Koren34]

Why not park at the TC and take the monorail to the CR? Then monorail back to TC and bus to DHS? Then your car is safe and sound all day long and you can use Disney transportation to go wherever you want until your ready to go back to your resort. There is also no charge for parking at TC if your staying onsite.

We've done meals at the Contemporary and have gotten the pass and have been told the parking limit was strictly enforced but I've never seen a tow truck...at any resort actually? We've also been during times the guard did not mention it or give us a pass....so we left the car there.

 

[princessgirl2238]

whenever i eat at a hotel, i always leave my car at the hotel and then go play in the parks. they really don't give out 3 hour parking permits anymore and even if they do, there's not really a time on it- if i get a permit (which i haven't in about a year, and i go to eat at the resorts all the time- i live in orlando) i normally just "forget to put it on the dashboard".
they don't really do anything- it's more of a scare-tactic to keep people away from parking there.

 

[mom2rtk]

I guess it just depends on whether you're a risk taker! Some people have posted that they have parked and never seen a tow truck. I do know that I have driven into 2 of the monorail resorts and each time they checked my name on a list of ADR's for the day, then given me a 3 hour pass. After the prior post saying someone HAD seen a tow truck, I think I wouldn't risk it! The last thing I need after a fun day at the park is to wonder whether my car is still there!

 

[KatMark]

Your not supposed to park at the resort all day, but people do it all the time. And even though the parking pass is for 3 hours I've never heard of anyone being towed. Your best option is to just pay for valet parking if your want to leave you car.

My advice would be to just drive over to DHS from The Comtemporary. That way you'll have you car when you leave.

I've seen people towed--at the CR and also at the Polynesian.

 

[PrincessMomto2]

It really is not the right thing to do. I have had a car at the Polynesian many times and sometimes it was difficult to find parking when we returned to our hotel. I agree with a previous poster I don't see the advantage of leaving a car at the CR and heading off to DHS. I would think that the CR is probably watched more than any other resort since it is so close to the MK.

I would never do it.

 

[catne]

whenever i eat at a hotel, i always leave my car at the hotel and then go play in the parks. they really don't give out 3 hour parking permits anymore and even if they do, there's not really a time on it- if i get a permit (which i haven't in about a year, and i go to eat at the resorts all the time- i live in orlando) i normally just "forget to put it on the dashboard".
they don't really do anything- it's more of a scare-tactic to keep people away from parking there.

We got 3 hour parking passes at AKL & Beach Club in September 2008, and at Grand Floridian in January 2009. The pass plainly said 3 hours on it. As I said before we did see a tow truck loading a car in the lot at the GF, and a tow truck in the lot at the Contemporary when we were staying there in January. Maybe the owners were having their broken down cars towed in for service.

Park at your own risk, folks. Hope you don't get towed.