MK parking question....

[lman2b]

Hi, I'm brand new to this site and love it!!!! I am gearing up for a family trip to WDW 10/29-11/4 for my family and another family and its up to me to plan and prepare for. So any suggestions are much appreciated!!

My question on transportation is this: We are flying in and renting 2 cars for the trip as we are staying off-site. When we drive to MK on the morning I have character dining set up at 8:15 a.m. can you tell me how it works? I don't know where to park or how to get into the park. From what I've been able to tell on other posts, we have to park somewhere called TTC and take the monorail, but I don't know what the TTC is or where the monorail is or how far to ride it etc.

Also, if its okay to ask here, I have a question about the character dining that morning and when we should arrive to the park. Its a morning that gives resort guests an extra hour, so what time should we arrive for an 8:15 reservation so we have enough time to take some pictures in an empty park and get to the reservation a bit early?

Any info would be much appreciated!!

Thanks so much!!

 

[HolliePoppins]

Hi, I'm brand new to this site and love it!!!! I am gearing up for a family trip to WDW 10/29-11/4 for my family and another family and its up to me to plan and prepare for. So any suggestions are much appreciated!!

My question on transportation is this: We are flying in and renting 2 cars for the trip as we are staying off-site. When we drive to MK on the morning I have character dining set up at 8:15 a.m. can you tell me how it works? I don't know where to park or how to get into the park. From what I've been able to tell on other posts, we have to park somewhere called TTC and take the monorail, but I don't know what the TTC is or where the monorail is or how far to ride it etc.

Also, if its okay to ask here, I have a question about the character dining that morning and when we should arrive to the park. Its a morning that gives resort guests an extra hour, so what time should we arrive for an 8:15 reservation so we have enough time to take some pictures in an empty park and get to the reservation a bit early?

Any info would be much appreciated!!

Thanks so much!!

I think you have a problem. Since you are staying off site you cannot get into the park until 9:00. From 8-9 the park is open for resort guests only. Even if you have a ressie they will not let you in. You have to show resort ID to get in. I think the cm you made the reservation with did not realize you were staying off site. I would call them asap to see if you can change the time of your ressie. Good luck.

 

[lman2b]

I'll call tomorrow morning asap! I thought that anytime you have a reservation that is before the park opens, you just have to have your confirmation number in hand to show in order to get in early. I didn't realize you have to stay on site for that to work!

 

[dudspizza]

I'll call tomorrow morning asap! I thought that anytime you have a reservation that is before the park opens, you just have to have your confirmation number in hand to show in order to get in early. I didn't realize you have to stay on site for that to work!

I actually think you will be fine. Have your confirmation in hand and show it to the folks at the TTC if needed and at the gates. Where is your character breakfast? Is it at one of the parks or one of the resorts... big difference.

The TTC is the Magic Kingdom parking lot. You will pay for your parking and park your car. They will have trams that come to pick you up and they take you to the front of the lot. They used to sell all tickets there, but don't do that anymore..... the ticket booths are still there, but most tickets can be purchased at the MK gates.

Anyways... the tram drops you at the monorail. You simply take the monorail around to the MK entrance and head down.

Hope this helps. I would still call to make sure, but I think you will be fine.

Duds

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I think you have a problem. Since you are staying off site you cannot get into the park until 9:00. From 8-9 the park is open for resort guests only. Even if you have a ressie they will not let you in. You have to show resort ID to get in. I think the cm you made the reservation with did not realize you were staying off site. I would call them asap to see if you can change the time of your ressie. Good luck.

That would only apply if the Magic Kingdom is having AM EMH on the day the OP is going for the character breakfast. On non AM EHM days anyone can book a breakfast ADR before the regular 9:00 AM parking opening and even if an offsite guest books an ADR during AM EMH, if they show the confirmation # to a Cast Member at the TTC they would let them use the Resort Monorail to get to the Magic Kingdom.

 

[shellybaxter]

I thought anyone could book an early morning ADR even during an EMH day? My friends who live in Florida joined us for an early ADR once even though it was an EMH morning. They just had to go to the special entrance. We went with them and explained that they were having breakfast in the castle with us. The CM let us all through and wished us a good day.

 

[HolliePoppins]

That would only apply if the Magic Kingdom is having AM EMH on the day the OP is going for the character breakfast. On non AM EHM days anyone can book a breakfast ADR before the regular 9:00 AM parking opening and even if an offsite guest books an ADR during AM EMH, if they show the confirmation # to a Cast Member at the TTC they would let them use the Resort Monorail to get to the Magic Kingdom.

Well she did say in her post that the day they were going was an EMH morning.

 

[HolliePoppins]

I actually think you will be fine. Have your confirmation in hand and show it to the folks at the TTC if needed and at the gates. Where is your character breakfast? Is it at one of the parks or one of the resorts... big difference.

The TTC is the Magic Kingdom parking lot. You will pay for your parking and park your car. They will have trams that come to pick you up and they take you to the front of the lot. They used to sell all tickets there, but don't do that anymore..... the ticket booths are still there, but most tickets can be purchased at the MK gates.

Anyways... the tram drops you at the monorail. You simply take the monorail around to the MK entrance and head down.

Hope this helps. I would still call to make sure, but I think you will be fine.

Duds

We have always been told you need to show your resort ID to get in for EMH. What would be the point of EMH if they let everyone in. We and many others on this board have seen people turned away if they were not staying onsite. The CM should not have booked it before 9 if they are staying off site. Hopefully they can change thier ADR.

 

[dburg30]

We have always been told you need to show your resort ID to get in for EMH. What would be the point of EMH if they let everyone in. We and many others on this board have seen people turned away if they were not staying onsite. The CM should not have booked it before 9 if they are staying off site. Hopefully they can change thier ADR.

Their ADR is their early entry. You dont have to be a resort guest to get a pre-opening ADR. Or from reading lots of posts, I've never heard / saw that mentioned before..


edit: Although looking at your first reply I see what you are saying. But that still would be a bummer if you cant do that, but I do see the loophole there, so you very well may be right.

 

[safetymom]

There will be a separate line for early ADR's at the park. They would need to go through that line. Disney isn't going to turn away offsite guests that are paying for a meal.

 

[CleveRocks]

I think you have a problem. Since you are staying off site you cannot get into the park until 9:00. From 8-9 the park is open for resort guests only. Even if you have a ressie they will not let you in.

Respectfully, you are mistaken here.

Pre-opening ADRs for mornings when a park has morning EMH are not restricted to WDW resort guests. I don't know where you got that idea, but it is entirely incorrect.

I'm 100% sure of this fact.

But you don't have to take my word for it ... call Disney and ask them yourself. I know that Walt has my back on this one.

 

[dburg30]

When you enter as a WDW resort guest for early EMH do you get a band or something? Or what's to keep folks from making an ADR when staying offsite, to get in the park early?

 

[HolliePoppins]

Respectfully, you are mistaken here.

Pre-opening ADRs for mornings when a park has morning EMH are not restricted to WDW resort guests. I don't know where you got that idea, but it is entirely incorrect.

I'm 100% sure of this fact.

But you don't have to take my word for it ... call Disney and ask them yourself. I know that Walt has my back on this one.

Actually I got this idea from Disney since they are the ones that say EMH is for RESORT GUESTS ONLY.

When you enter as a WDW resort guest for early EMH do you get a band or something? Or what's to keep folks from making an ADR when staying offsite, to get in the park early?

No you do not get a band because you are not supposed to get in unless you show resort ID. That is exactly what I was thinking. An offsite guest could make an early ADR and then skip it and go on rides and Disney would be none the wiser. Not exactly magic if anyone can get in.

 

[goofy4tink]

When you enter as a WDW resort guest for early EMH do you get a band or something? Or what's to keep folks from making an ADR when staying offsite, to get in the park early?

I guess they could but there are only so many spots so they would have to book early enough in order to get one before park opening.
I wonder if there might be a time when Disney does change this. It seems like yet another loophole that may need to be closed. The time may come when they ask for your room key, to prove on-site guest priviledges, before allowing you early entry. But, it would have to be stated when you made the ADR as well..part of the '....arrive at the podium 20 mins early, park entry is neccesary....'

 

[CleveRocks]

Actually I got this idea from Disney since they are the ones that say EMH is for RESORT GUESTS ONLY.

But you are making an incorrect interpretation in this case. An incorrect assumption.

Seriously, call Disney and ask this question. I just did.

Think of it this way ... you make an 8 a.m. ADR. You're not going to be out of the meal by 9 or so, anyway, so it's not like they're getting any advantage from being inside the park early.

 

[kaytieeldr]

To answer the other part of the OP's question - I don't think you will be able to get into the park early enough to take pictures of an empty park. If that is important to you, you really need to make your reservations for a day when the Magic Kingdom does not open early for resort Guests.

 

[shellybaxter]

To answer the other part of the OP's question - I don't think you will be able to get into the park early enough to take pictures of an empty park. If that is important to you, you really need to make your reservations for a day when the Magic Kingdom does not open early for resort Guests.

Unfortunately, I agree with this statement. On an AM EMH day everyone will be let in at 8:00 together - park guests and dining guests

 

[lman2b]

I realized that when I called But our pictures will have much less people right? How big are the crowds during that hour? We have 8:15 reservations, so hopefully we'll still be early enough for neat pictures.

I called Disney and they said we would get in with our confirmation # despite staying offsite. I figure that if it becomes a problem where people are being sneaky and making early adr's just to get into the park for that extra hour, they would know as people wouldn't be showing up during that hour to eat. There can only be so many diners during that hour so if many of the tables are empty they might have to change the policy. Hopefully that doesn't happen and us honest offsite guests can still eat early!!!

 

[goofy4tink]

The crowds are substantial during the EMHs. No, not as big as they would be at 9:00 regular opening, but still large enough to not be able to get 'empty park' photos. The only time I have been able to get those shots is when I have had an early ADR, with the park not opening until 9.
The other thing is that I never get early morning ADRs in the park that has an EMH that morning. But, I do get an ADR for one of the later breakfast seatings....then I get to the park for the 8:00 EMH (being a resort guest of course), do the stuff I want to do for a few hours, then I head off to breakfast around 10:00, as the park gets even busier.