Parking at Contemporary

[e050377]

I heard you can only park at the Contemporary for 3 hours if you aren't staying there, but how long can you valet for? Is it the same? We are staying on grounds and will have my 84 year old Grama in a wheel chair. we are planning to go back into MK for a couple of hours before heading to Chef Mickey's for ADR. Just thinking it would be easier on her to push her over to MK and back in her chair rather than transport her from TTC to monorail to MK and back etc.

 

[FigmentsBiggestFan]

For valet, it's unlimited. They normally charge $10 to valet (not including tips), but may or may not charge you since you are onsite.

But if you decide to take her to the MK, you can take the resort monorail directly there. No need to push her that far!

Have a great time!!

 

[Sammie]

Valet parking is unlimited as long as you remain at the resort. However they do not provide parking for park attendance, unless you are a guest there.

DVC gets free valet at all DVC resorts and per the DVC website this is what it says about valet parking.

Valet Parking at the Walt Disney World® Resort
Valet parking is complimentary for Members staying at Disney's BoardWalk Resort, Disney's Wilderness Lodge, and Disney's Beach Club Resort. Just show your Disney Vacation Club Member ID Card. Parking is not available for Theme Park access.

Sometimes if they are not busy they don't enforce it but policy is no valet parking for theme park access.

 

[bavaria]

Frankly, it all depends....

You may not realize it but you have posted about a touchy subject. Parking at the Contemporary is a little tight sometimes with conventions, and with construction now it is getting very tight.

Having said that, I have been at the Contemporary many times for dining and/or business (I don't like the resort so I don't stay there). Usually when I drive in during off season I am not asked for ID; I either show my room key from another resort, or am not asked to show anything at all.

Usually I am given a 3 hour pass; sometimes I am not given any pass. I recently asked for a pass and the guard laughed and said 'come on in!!!'

During busy periods, they may ask for your reservation number and check against a list.

There is no 'official' time limit for using valet; the general message from WDW is that valet parking is for use while enjoying the resort (applies to any resort with valet parking)

I realize that I gave you a non answer, but in my many experiences I have not had issues. Others have been told very specifically that they could only park for 3 hours while dining, and yet others have reported seeing cars being towed.

Your safest bet is to park at the TTC, take the monorail to the Conteporary, and walk to the MK

 

[e050377]

Thanks for the quick replies. I will not chance getting my car towed or breaking any of the rules. Just trying to save a bit of hassle, but hey that what we signed up for bringing Gram and a 3&4 year old!!!!

 

[pilferk]

Thanks for the quick replies. I will not chance getting my car towed or breaking any of the rules. Just trying to save a bit of hassle, but hey that what we signed up for bringing Gram and a 3&4 year old!!!!

Just by way of information: I've never, ever, ever heard of anyone getting their car towed....has anyone else?

Especially when using valet, I'd be very confused as to how/why they'd tow your car. The fact is, they have no earthly idea what you're doing at the resort. You could be there for a convention, you could be "checking out the scenery", you could be dining, you could be shopping, you could be doing anything.

I'm not going to condone using the on-site parking as your personal theme park lot, since it does seem to violate the "rules".....but neither am I going to say that you will get "in trouble" if you do, or have some tangible "punishment" levied. About the worst you'd have to deal with, from what I've seen, is the flaming you'll take on this site. Do what you feel comfortable doing.....

 

[Trekker]

Another bit of information that you may not know - if you have the disabled plates or parking pass that hangs in the window there is no charge for valet parking.

 

[bavaria]

Just by way of information: I've never, ever, ever heard of anyone getting their car towed....has anyone else?

Especially when using valet, I'd be very confused as to how/why they'd tow your car. The fact is, they have no earthly idea what you're doing at the resort. You could be there for a convention, you could be "checking out the scenery", you could be dining, you could be shopping, you could be doing anything.

I'm not going to condone using the on-site parking as your personal theme park lot, since it does seem to violate the "rules".....but neither am I going to say that you will get "in trouble" if you do, or have some tangible "punishment" levied. About the worst you'd have to deal with, from what I've seen, is the flaming you'll take on this site. Do what you feel comfortable doing.....

I've never seen a car towed but some very regular posters reported that.

I have NO ISSUES with parking at the CR, and frankly if I listed all the things I have done while parked at the CR some posters here would release the hounds and drive me off this website

 

[pilferk]

I've never seen a car towed but some very regular posters reported that.

My only question is: How would anyone know WHY a car was being towed? Like a) how long it had been there and b) if it wasn't just having mechanical issues that required it to be towed. For all we know it could have been parked there for a week or had engine trouble.

I will offer up this, too: In the times we've stayed at the CR for conferences, when I've had a rental car, I've never given them the plate # to my rental...because I don't make note of it prior to check in. My parking pass often has not made it into my rental for days, because I don't use the vehicle that much (as a matter of fact, last time we just used DME..but that's neither here nor there). They certainly didn't tow my vehicle. I mean, I suppose they could've called in the plates, contacted the rental agency, found my name, and matched it up to the guest list...I SUPPOSE all that could have happened, but I rather doubt it did.

I mean...I'm just saying....

 

[bavaria]

I am in agreement with you! considering that my rental once died, and I had it towed and a replacement brought out - how would anyone know why the car was being towed?

I classify it under people being far too interested in what other people do and making assumptions.....

 

[Deb & Bill]

I heard you can only park at the Contemporary for 3 hours if you aren't staying there, but how long can you valet for? Is it the same? We are staying on grounds and will have my 84 year old Grama in a wheel chair. we are planning to go back into MK for a couple of hours before heading to Chef Mickey's for ADR. Just thinking it would be easier on her to push her over to MK and back in her chair rather than transport her from TTC to monorail to MK and back etc.

When we brought my mother and she used a wheelchair, we used the park transportation all the time. The bus was great. So you could take the bus to the MK (Gramma in the w/c secured on the bus) and then the monorail over to Chef Mickey's. Then take the monorail back to the MK to go back to your resort. It was really very easy.

If you take the monorail over to Chef Mickey's, you won't have to take elevators up and down except from the monorail down to CM. Then back up one floor to the monorail. If you valet park, you'll have to get on the elevator with all the guests going up to CM.

 

[jenseib]

I was there at Chef Mickeys last Tuesday. They checked our names, and ID's against the reservations list. We also got the 3 hour pass. We had planned on going from there to the MK via monorail, but since it was a 3 hour pass, (which I had never heard about before hand) we decide to drive back and catch the bus. Our 2YO ended up falling asleep on the way back, so DH stayed with her i nthe room a few more hours then. So all worked out fine for us. She was not getting enough sleep and this was a nice catch up for her. I didn't even see Valet parking. And I know you had to go through the gate to get anywhere on the site, so maybe it's not availabe right now with the construction going on? There was only one way on and out that I could see. One way in was blocked.

 

[ducklite]

Just by way of information: I've never, ever, ever heard of anyone getting their car towed....has anyone else?

I"ve seen cars towed out of the CR lot and the Polynesian lot. The weird thing with the CR lot was that it was around 11:00 am on a not so busy day. The tow truck cruised around and then the driver and a WDW security guy got out and hooked up a car and left. About 15 minutes later they were back again and hooked up another car.

I've also seen cars towed out of teh Polynesian lot.

Especially when using valet, I'd be very confused as to how/why they'd tow your car. The fact is, they have no earthly idea what you're doing at the resort. You could be there for a convention, you could be "checking out the scenery", you could be dining, you could be shopping, you could be doing anything.

They won't tow a valet parked car, BUT if the resort is full they can and will turn away anyone who isn't staying there and send them to the TTC for parking. Several people on these boards have reported being turned away for parking even if they had advance ADR's.

Anne

 

[SueM in MN]

When we brought my mother and she used a wheelchair, we used the park transportation all the time. The bus was great. So you could take the bus to the MK (Gramma in the w/c secured on the bus) and then the monorail over to Chef Mickey's. Then take the monorail back to the MK to go back to your resort. It was really very easy.

If you take the monorail over to Chef Mickey's, you won't have to take elevators up and down except from the monorail down to CM. Then back up one floor to the monorail. If you valet park, you'll have to get on the elevator with all the guests going up to CM.

I agree with Deb & Bill.
If you are staying at one of the WDW resorts, the bus is the easiest way to get to MK. The bus takes you directly to an area close to the park turnstiles. From there, you can either go into the park or take the resort monorail to Chef Mickeys.

PS. The poster who said valet parking was free with a handicapped parking permit was correct. It's a benefit for the resort; if they didn't do it, they would have to have a line of handicapped parking spaces right out in front of the resort.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Speaking as someone who always stays at the Contemporary it can be frustrating to park there some nights because of all the cars who park for Chef Mickey's, Concourse Steakhouse and the California Grill. On top of that there are there are also the small number of guests who leave their cars parked in the regular lot and go off to the Magic Kingdom for a few hours eventhough it's not allowed. Since we never use valet parking if you want to leave your car in the valet lot and go to the Magic Kingdom I guess there is nothing stopping you from doing that, however my personal belief is that if the regular parking lot is only for the Contemporary then it should be the same for valet parking lot. Also including the tip it will cost you more to valet park then it would pay the $10.00 flat fee to park at the TTC and to take the Resort Monorail over to the Contemporary.

 

[Donaldsfan176]

We are staying at the CR this July. At the end of our stay at the CR we will be checking into the pop. DO I have to move my car to the pop on that day or can I leave it at the CR untill about 1 or 2 o'clock?

 

[bavaria]

my personal belief is that if the regular parking lot is only for the Contemporary then it should be the same for valet parking lot.

regardless of your belief, unless WDW disallows it, there is no restriction currently in place in regards to valet parking and leaving the resort.

I can assure you that WDW does a very good job of analyzing and taking advantage of every potential revenue stream. If they believe that there is an opportunity to implement a charge or change a policy without negatively impacting guest satisfaction, they will do so.

Until WDW changes their policy, there is nothing to prevent a guest from valet parking and going to another location.

If I choose to valet at VWL, for instance, there is nothing restricting me from walking to Fort Wilderness, or taking the boat to Contemporary, or even taking a bus to Epcot.

 

[DebbieB]

We are staying at the CR this July. At the end of our stay at the CR we will be checking into the pop. DO I have to move my car to the pop on that day or can I leave it at the CR untill about 1 or 2 o'clock?

Your Contemporary parking pass will be good until midnight.

How much of the lot closest to MK is open now? With the construction, most of it is closed. Walking from the south lot is a pretty good distance.

 

[bavaria]

Debbie, I was there in Jan and Feb and the 1/3 of the lot closest to the main building was closed off.

I am wondering if as high season continues they will relocate the CM parking which is near the former tennis courts to an offsite location to make more room for guest parking.

 

[fla4fun]

They often moved the cast parking during busy season, even before the North Wing Demolition. If you stayed on World Drive past the cast member parking lot entrance, and go around the curve in the road, there's an entrance to what I call the backstage junkyard. They used to park them there during holiday periods. I think the friend of mine who worked there called it "Pluto Park" when they did that. He hated it. They have also had cast members park at Stolport and bus them to the resort. He didn't like that any better (probably because his shift ended about midnight). So they do have some precedents for that.