Maybe a stupid question about parking at WDW

[MammaMoe48]

So, even though we haven't even taken our WDW trip this August yet, we were thinking of looking into Universal Studios next summer. Anyhow, google maps shows that the closest resort in WDW for driving to US is SSR so my question is, what's the parking situation there? And do members still park for free? I know some resorts have limited parking and I heard rumors about free parking going away. Thanks.

 

[erionm]

And do members still park for free?

Free parking at the theme parks has never been a member perk. Disney Resort Guests and Annual Passholders can park at a theme park for free.

I know some resorts have limited parking and I heard rumors about free parking going away. Thanks.

I believe Disney did a very limited test of paid self parking at one or two resorts for those not staying at one of those resorts.

 

[hakepb]

The only part of SSR with limited parking is THV (as there is not quite 1 spot per treehouse). But there is plenty of available free parking in other SSR lots if you stay in a THV.

There was a survey mentioning resort fees with the typical cash grab "fee includes parking" wording, but even resorts like Grand Californian and Aluani that charge a parking fee to cash guests don't charge DVC points stays.

 

[MammaMoe48]

Free parking at the theme parks has never been a member perk. Disney Resort Guests and Annual Passholders can park at a theme park for free.

I believe Disney did a very limited test of paid self parking at one or two resorts for those not staying at one of those resorts.

Not parking at the parks, parking at the resort. I should have been more specific.

 

[MammaMoe48]

The only part of SSR with limited parking is THV (as there is not quite 1 spot per treehouse). But there is plenty of available free parking in other SSR lots if you stay in a THV.

There was a survey mentioning resort fees with the typical cash grab "fee includes parking" wording, but even resorts like Grand Californian and Aluani that charge a parking fee to cash guests don't charge DVC points stays.

OK, that's what I thought. Like I said, we haven't even done our first WDW trip but I'm a planner so....
We would rent a car and stay at WDW then drive to Universal for the day then come back. As I understand it, you can pretty much get all of US done in 2-3 days so we would then spend a couple of days at DS and EPCOT.

 

[pinklotusflower]

When we stayed at SSR in the Congress Park area a lot of people were parking there to walk to DS so we didn't always get a space depending on the time of day. Have you considered staying at one on the US hotels as you get express pass at some and the budget ones early entry to the park and usually Harry Potter.

 

[supersnoop]

Not parking at the parks, parking at the resort. I should have been more specific.

I don't understand your question. Are you asking about parking because you're going to be staying at SSR? Reading your original post, it sounds like you just want to park at SSR, but I can't tell if you're planning to stay there.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

In my experience, there is plenty of parking at most DVC resorts. I think this is partly because people who fly use the bus. I haven't parked at SSR, though.
Last March at VGF, we brought 3 cars between us and my two daughter's families. And it was no problem.

 

[MammaMoe48]

I don't understand your question. Are you asking about parking because you're going to be staying at SSR? Reading your original post, it sounds like you just want to park at SSR, but I can't tell if you're planning to stay there.

Yes, we would stay there and drive to US so I was asking about parking at the resort. When you talked about parking at the parks I thought you misunderstood me. Anyway, there seems to be enough parking at SSR.

 

[MammaMoe48]

When we stayed at SSR in the Congress Park area a lot of people were parking there to walk to DS so we didn't always get a space depending on the time of day. Have you considered staying at one on the US hotels as you get express pass at some and the budget ones early entry to the park and usually Harry Potter.

We are DVC members so we would use our points and not have to spend money on a room.

 

[bumbershoot]

As I understand it, you can pretty much get all of US done in 2-3 days so we would then spend a couple of days at DS and EPCOT.

You *can*, but why would you want to? And it's way easier to do that if you have unlimited Express Pass and early entrance to Wizarding World, which you get by staying onsite at Portofino, Hard Rock, or Royal Pacific.

We are DVC members so we would use our points and not have to spend money on a room.

I think that most of us reading and posting on this particular forum are DVC members.

Those of us who want to do Universal *right* will use cash to stay onsite there. The benefits of onsite at Uni are worlds beyond the so-called benefits of onsite at WDW. I would gladly stay at Uni and visit WDW rather than do it the other way.

The moment Uni opens a timeshare that's like their deluxe resorts is the moment we put our DVC up for sale.

Use the cash; stay over at Uni. Stay onsite one night and you get two days of early entrance and unlimited Express Pass. Stay for 2 nights and you get 3 days worth of it.

Now, Uni hotels do charge parking fees. WDW does not (has nothing to do with DVC, but whether or not you're an onsite guest). But in this fellow DVC owner's eyes, a parking fee at Portofino is worth driving up and back I-4!

 

[Minniesgal]

If you are staying at SSR you can park there otherwise not really

 

[Minniesgal]

You *can*, but why would you want to? And it's way easier to do that if you have unlimited Express Pass and early entrance to Wizarding World, which you get by staying onsite at Portofino, Hard Rock, or Royal Pacific.



I think that most of us reading and posting on this particular forum are DVC members.

Those of us who want to do Universal *right* will use cash to stay onsite there. The benefits of onsite at Uni are worlds beyond the so-called benefits of onsite at WDW. I would gladly stay at Uni and visit WDW rather than do it the other way.

The moment Uni opens a timeshare that's like their deluxe resorts is the moment we put our DVC up for sale.

Use the cash; stay over at Uni. Stay onsite one night and you get two days of early entrance and unlimited Express Pass. Stay for 2 nights and you get 3 days worth of it.

Now, Uni hotels do charge parking fees. WDW does not (has nothing to do with DVC, but whether or not you're an onsite guest). But in this fellow DVC owner's eyes, a parking fee at Portofino is worth driving up and back I-4!

We are the opposite we would far rather stay in our DVC 2 bedroom and drive to universal than stay there. We often take a room at HRH for express pass if it works out cheaper than buying it but far prefer the facilities of our 2 bedroom villa than framing into the tiny universal rooms.

 

[MammaMoe48]

You *can*, but why would you want to? And it's way easier to do that if you have unlimited Express Pass and early entrance to Wizarding World, which you get by staying onsite at Portofino, Hard Rock, or Royal Pacific.



I think that most of us reading and posting on this particular forum are DVC members.

Those of us who want to do Universal *right* will use cash to stay onsite there. The benefits of onsite at Uni are worlds beyond the so-called benefits of onsite at WDW. I would gladly stay at Uni and visit WDW rather than do it the other way.

The moment Uni opens a timeshare that's like their deluxe resorts is the moment we put our DVC up for sale.

Use the cash; stay over at Uni. Stay onsite one night and you get two days of early entrance and unlimited Express Pass. Stay for 2 nights and you get 3 days worth of it.

Now, Uni hotels do charge parking fees. WDW does not (has nothing to do with DVC, but whether or not you're an onsite guest). But in this fellow DVC owner's eyes, a parking fee at Portofino is worth driving up and back I-4!

I forgot that I posted on the DVC board.

I don't know if Uni has on site transportation to take you from your hotel to the parks or if it's walkable from hotel to parks. I'm assuming they do so if we stayed on-site, we wouldn't need a car. We would only have needed the car if we were staying at WDW and driving to US. That said, staying on site at Universal vs. staying at WDW and driving is something to think about.

On the plus side, it gives me the opportunity to do some planning and make up some spreadsheets! Woo Hoo!!!! (I love me my spreadsheets)

 

[Lynne M]

If you rent the points you would have used for your DVC stay, I bet you'd get enough to cover your stay at a US resort, with maybe some left over.

 

[MammaMoe48]

If you rent the points you would have used for your DVC stay, I bet you'd get enough to cover your stay at a US resort, with maybe some left over.

I thought of that but then I heard that if you rent out your points and the person renting doesn't pay their room charges and Disney can't get them to pay they will go after you.

 

[MouseOfCards]

You *can*, but why would you want to? And it's way easier to do that if you have unlimited Express Pass and early entrance to Wizarding World, which you get by staying onsite at Portofino, Hard Rock, or Royal Pacific.

Those of us who want to do Universal *right* will use cash to stay onsite there. The benefits of onsite at Uni are worlds beyond the so-called benefits of onsite at WDW. I would gladly stay at Uni and visit WDW rather than do it the other way.

The moment Uni opens a timeshare that's like their deluxe resorts is the moment we put our DVC up for sale.

Use the cash; stay over at Uni. Stay onsite one night and you get two days of early entrance and unlimited Express Pass. Stay for 2 nights and you get 3 days worth of it.

Now, Uni hotels do charge parking fees. WDW does not (has nothing to do with DVC, but whether or not you're an onsite guest). But in this fellow DVC owner's eyes, a parking fee at Portofino is worth driving up and back I-4!

Good tip. Thanks! Our kids are still young (under 5). What age would they be good for Universal?

 

[zavandor]

The moment Uni opens a timeshare that's like their deluxe resorts is the moment we put our DVC up for sale.

I would consider to buy a small contract there too (if anyone from Universal is reading, think about it, please!). However I really don't think they would give the Express Pass, probably just the early entry.

 

[supersnoop]

I thought of that but then I heard that if you rent out your points and the person renting doesn't pay their room charges and Disney can't get them to pay they will go after you.

That's not true.

 

[MammaMoe48]

That's not true.

I would hope not, I'm just going by what I read on here. It doesn't make sense to me that Disney would go after the member if the renter didn't pay their room charges.