Parking at a resort other than your own

[supersnoop]

I've been searching all morning and found some conflicting information; or maybe it was just not specific enough.

We're planning to drive and stay at CSR. I understand we'll have free parking at the resort and any of the parks. But, if we go to breakfast at the Contemporary, can I park there for free, and, if so, for how long? Does the answer to that question hold true for all resorts?

I've read that, with an ADR, you can park for three hours, but I'm not sure if that's only for off-site people. There are times, either because of breakfast or dinner reservations, that I'd like to park at a different resort, but I'm not clear if I'll be allowed to park there the whole day.

 

[sam_gordon]

I've been searching all morning and found some conflicting information; or maybe it was just not specific enough.

We're planning to drive and stay at CSR. I understand we'll have free parking at the resort and any of the parks. But, if we go to breakfast at the Contemporary, can I park there for free, and, if so, for how long? Does the answer to that question hold true for all resorts?

I've read that, with an ADR, you can park for three hours, but I'm not sure if that's only for off-site people. There are times, either because of breakfast or dinner reservations, that I'd like to park at a different resort, but I'm not clear if I'll be allowed to park there the whole day.

From a technical standpoint, you are allowed to park at a resort you're not staying at for 3 hours. However, that might or might not be enforced.

If you'd like to park all day at a resort you're not staying at, the "proper" thing to do is pay for valet parking.

I also suggest getting your flame suit on.

 

[gdrj]

I also suggest getting your flame suit on.

and add that you have friends coming for breakfast off-site to meet you at the hotel.

 

[figment_jii]

I've read that, with an ADR, you can park for three hours, but I'm not sure if that's only for off-site people.

In this situation, the rules are the same for on-site and off-site guests. It might be easier to think of it as "staying at that resort" versus "not staying at that resort" guests rather than "on-site" versus "off-site". You don't have to have an ADR to be allowed to visit the resort (e.g., plenty of folks just like to visit resorts to see the holiday decorations), but they do sometimes ask if you have one.

As the PP indicated, this can be a pretty heated topic here on the transportation board.

 

[Hopefully]

The "rule" is generally stated to be 3 hours parking at a resort to eat, shop, browse etc. If you want to stay longer you can pay to Valet Park, which is usually about the same cost as a theme park lot, plus the tip.
The resort lots just aren't big enough to handle resort guests and theme park guests. They were never intended to be.
If non resort guests park at a resort all day/evening, they are taking a space mostly intended for a resort guest. From personal experience it is very frustrating to be paying top dollar to stay at a resort and not be able to find a spot to park.

 

[maxiesmom]

You can only park at your own resort all day. At all other Disney resorts you will be given a 3 hour parking pass, unless you pay to valet park, if valet is offered.

The lots at the monorail hotels are not huge by any means. If other resort guests left their cars all day long there would not be parking spaces for people who have paid to stay at those resorts. If you park at the Contemporary you will either need to pay to valet, or move your car once your meal is over.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

At the Contemporary since the parking lot is small you will be asked for your name to verify if you have an ADR. Our neighbor just went over Christmas and was asked this.

 

[seashoreCM]

The rules for parking at a resort vary a little, even from day to day, depending on anticipated crowding.

Most of the time you are told you may park for 3 hours at the resorts around Magic Kingdom.

If you are still at a resort after 3 hours, say, for a wedding reception, most likely they will re-up your 3 hour pass when you go over to the resort front desk. (You can try to re-up early instead of time it exactly.)

The general rule that applies everywhere in the world is that when you drive to some place, when you are ready to go somewhere else, then you should drive. This is a very easy rule to follow. As exceptions, Disney does let you leave your car at the resort you are staying at and to leave your car at a theme park lot

 

[goofy4tink]

You can park at any resort, other than your resort, for the period of time that you are using the facilities of that resort. It's pretty simple....park there while you eat or shop, or just loom around. When you're done, move the car.
Resort parking is not intended for park access.. By this I mean, you can't eat at Chef Mickeys at 7:30am, then walk over to MK and spend the day, then return to the CR later in the day/night and drive away. Same goes for the Polynesian, GF, BW. YC/BC....park while you enjoy that resort, the. Move the car in order to go to a park.

As someone said, the resort parking lots are not large enough to handle park access parking...not to mention its really not fair to those who are paying high rates to stay at BW (for instance). They pay top dollar for the perk of having direct access (foot or boat) to DHS and Epcot. It's so annoying to return to the resort and find few parking spots that are close to the resort....but later in the evening, after IllumiNations, there are plenty of spots...go figure.

 

[supersnoop]

Thanks for all the information. It sounds like 3 hours is the official policy, while common courtesy dictates to take your car with you when you leave.

 

[Networth]

To the OP a future thank you for not "abusing" MK resort parking lots. I hate being a guest of the resort and having to park in no mans land because some ******** lied to the guard about only wanting to walk around the resort but than really takes the monorail to MK for the day.

 

[OKSTATE99]

I am a castmember and I have a question for you parking lot experts.

When have you ever seen someone towed out of a disney parking lot after the three hours?

I used to work in parking at a theme park and the rule there was once they are in they are good. (and no not everyone paid for parking like they were supposed to. Plenty claimed to be handicapped or to be picking up someone when they werent)

And I have never seen some one punished.

Flame away if you want, but you either blame the game or the player.

 

[aubriee]

I am a castmember and I have a question for you parking lot experts.

When have you ever seen someone towed out of a disney parking lot after the three hours?

I used to work in parking at a theme park and the rule there was once they are in they are good. (and no not everyone paid for parking like they were supposed to. Plenty claimed to be handicapped or to be picking up someone when they werent)

And I have never seen some one punished.

Flame away if you want, but you either blame the game or the player.

Actually we saw a car being towed at the Contemporary Feb 2011. We were walking from MK over to Contempory, when my 3 y/o GS suddenly yelled "big truck" and threw a fit to go watch it. We walked over into the parking lot and watched while they towed the car up onto a big flatbed tow truck. It had one of those wheel block thingy's attached to one of the tires. All that was there was two CMs in suits and the tow truck driver. We heard the tow truck driver laugh and say,"someone is not going to be happy" and one of the CM's say something like, "then they should have paid to park in the MK parking lot, you'd be surprised at how many people try to park here to get out of paying the parking fee".

As far as your handicap comment, even the handicap pay to park. My mom has a handicap tag. We are annual passholders, so get free parking, but if not for the AP perk, we'd be paying the parking fee, just like anyone else. Being handicap doesn't exempt you from the parking fee.

 

[maxiesmom]

I am a castmember and I have a question for you parking lot experts.

When have you ever seen someone towed out of a disney parking lot after the three hours?

I used to work in parking at a theme park and the rule there was once they are in they are good. (and no not everyone paid for parking like they were supposed to. Plenty claimed to be handicapped or to be picking up someone when they werent)

And I have never seen some one punished.

Flame away if you want, but you either blame the game or the player.

No flames. But to be blunt, we all know that CMs don't know everything about every position or place at WDW. And saying that because you used to work parking at another theme park, so you know how it works at WDW is like saying you used to work on the farm so you know how produce is presented at the market. The comparison makes no sense.

 

[Gracie09]

I am a castmember and I have a question for you parking lot experts. When have you ever seen someone towed out of a disney parking lot after the three hours? I used to work in parking at a theme park and the rule there was once they are in they are good. (and no not everyone paid for parking like they were supposed to. Plenty claimed to be handicapped or to be picking up someone when they werent) And I have never seen some one punished. Flame away if you want, but you either blame the game or the player.

My husband use to work parking at a theme park and when someone said they were dropping off or picking up they would radio the license plate and description ahead to the lot supervisor who would be stationed at the drop off/pick up spot. If the person didn't show they would go find the car, not too hard since they parked cars by row as they came in, and would have them pay up or boot the car and tow it.

 

[goofy4tink]

I am a castmember and I have a question for you parking lot experts.

When have you ever seen someone towed out of a disney parking lot after the three hours?

I used to work in parking at a theme park and the rule there was once they are in they are good. (and no not everyone paid for parking like they were supposed to. Plenty claimed to be handicapped or to be picking up someone when they werent)

And I have never seen some one punished.

Flame away if you want, but you either blame the game or the player.

Not sure where the 'towing' issue came from. No one here mentioned it, not that I can see anyway. Have I seen cars towed from parking lots at WDW resorts? Yes. But, I can't tell you why they were towed! They may have had mechanical issues, who knows. I did sit out on my BLT balcony once...eating my breakfast, watching the resort wake up. I looked down at the parking lot and noticed a guy in his little WDW car, driving slowly up and down the lanes of the lot. Every so often he would get out and jot something down. I watched mid-day as the same car drove around, slowly, taking notes of something down there. Not sure if the CM was looking for cars that didn't have CR/BLT parking permits on the dash or what..but he wrote stuff down.

Okay. So, another evening, we were sitting out, watching the fireworks end at MK. Enjoying a nice glass of wine. Well...don't I see 3 different groups of people, walking back from MK, go to cars parked below, towards the side nearest MK, stuff their bags into the car and hop in and drive away! Obviously they were parked there for park access...they were not resort 'residents'.

Who do we blame for this practice? Disney!!! If Disney made resort parking lots key accessible only, then non-guests wouldn't be able to park there. They could easily make a smaller lot for non-guests to park in, for a small fee that would be negated if they show a validated purchase receipt. Easy.
But it obviously doesn't bother Disney that much. They do nothing about this practice.