Parking at other DVCs?

[Dano1182]

I think that if they want our money then we should be able to park. They opened up TOWL to DVC members becuase it was not making any money allowing only BLT guests in.
I doubt that the parking lot would be over run by hordes of DVC members.

 

[RachaelA]

I think that if they want our money then we should be able to park. They opened up TOWL to DVC members becuase it was not making any money allowing only BLT guests in.
I doubt that the parking lot would be over run by hordes of DVC members.

why should I when staying at BLT have to park at the back of the lot (or risk not having a spot at all) just because a ton of non-BLT DVC members are taking up all the spots to go to TOWL?

And if they open it up for TOWL, then people are going to start parking there to go to MK at night, hop the monorail to Epcot, etc?

I understand your point about them wanting TOWL to make more money, but its a slippery slope allowing people to park for other reasons.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Last week when i stayed at SSR i went to the TOWL and it was dead!!! It was so quiet in there that I took a cat nap!

 

[goofy4tink]

This is really pretty simple...you are entitled to park, for as long as you want, at the resort you are staying at. If you wish to go to another resort, and eat there or even swim (if a DVC'er) or shop? You are more than entitled to park there for the time you are using the amenities of that resort. Same goes for BLT and heading up to ToTWL.
BUT...you are not entitled to park at the Polynesian (for instance) have breakfast at 'Ohana, and then head off to MK for the day.
Nor can you self park at BW and head to Epcot for the day.
It's really not fair to those people who are paying good money (or using points) to stay there and avail themselves of certain perks...for instance, easier access to a park.

So, go and eat and shop and maybe even have a swim at the Polynesian. But please don't feel entitled to just self park your car and leave it there for the day. Really not too fair to those that are staying there to have to take parking spots further removed from the more desirable parking spots.

Do they tow? Sometimes, but not all that regularly. I have sat and watched in the morning from my balcony at BLT...kind of interesting really. I watched as security drove around the BLT parking lot around 8am...then again later on. They watched which cars had parking passes displayed. They took down numbers (I'm assuming since I watched them take out a notebook and write something down if no pass was displayed). Then, they would return later in the day...do the same thing. But I never saw a tow truck in there.
If security/Disney wants people to park for just three hours, then they should start giving out 3 hr parking passes again. They go on the dashboard in order to be seen. But, obviously there isn't a lot of concern.

And yes, you can pay to valet park for the day and no one will care where you go.

The way I figure it? If you're heading to the Polynesian for breakfast and then over to the MK for the day??? Park at the TTC and either walk or monorail over to the Polynesian and eat, then head to MK for the day. That's the 'right' way to do things.

 

[Murron]

This is so interesting. I learn something every day! Never even heard of a 3 hour pass after all the years we've been going! Not one gate guard has even muttered anything about a pass. If you have a DVC resort pass in the window, they just wave you on in most of the time. Usually we go to other resorts for dinner or to meet up with friends staying at different resorts. The only lot I've ever see crowded is BWV and, if we are not staying there, we'll use the lot across the road. Gotta love the boards!

 

[Deb & Bill]

This is really pretty simple...you are entitled to park, for as long as you want, at the resort you are staying at. If you wish to go to another resort, and eat there or even swim (if a DVC'er) or shop? You are more than entitled to park there for the time you are using the amenities of that resort. Same goes for BLT and heading up to ToTWL. ...

Not the same for going to BLT and heading up to TOTWL. DVC has specifically asked members not to drive to and park at BLT or CR when they visit TOTWL. DVC has instructed members who wish to visit TOTWL to take Disney transportation to BLT.

 

[Greysword]

here is the crux, the parking issue is with offsite visitors using the resorts for "free" parking. If we have a parking pass, it would be kind of silly to park at a resort instead of the park's lot, due to proximity, so I bet the WDW Security doesn't even pay attention.

Whenever we go to the BC/BW area during our stays, we usually park in the far left back area of BC (where no one is), and I have yet to receive a 3 hour pass from security. They ask why I'm there, and waive me in, usually simply for stating we are walking around the resort. If we wanted to drive to MK from SSR (let's say), I'd park in the TTC lot, as they have tram service if it is too far and easier to get to the TTC than any resort (other than CR) during crowded times.

In the end, I've yet to see any "enforcement" with this if the lot isn't full (other than being told to use the BW lot across the street), and I don't find it a problem if there are tons of spots around me. That said, we just bus it anyway

 

[bumbershoot]

This is so interesting. I learn something every day! Never even heard of a 3 hour pass after all the years we've been going! Not one gate guard has even muttered anything about a pass.

Same experience (but a shorter time than "all the years" for us). Well, this time a guard said something about a pass to our extended family traveling one car ahead of us (they just wanted to wander the lodge while we checked in and got squared away), but they told them for us to get an extra parking pass from the front desk when we checked in for their car. Nothing about 3 hours at all.

And the Poly guards said nothing to us about a time limit when we went to Kona in '10. When I asked the Poly concierge desk how to get to the TTC lot from there, so we could head to MK for a couple of hours before leaving for the airport, they actually never told me, because they were so busy telling me it was perfectly fine leaving my car in their parking lot and taking the monorail over. I was so resistant they even recruited another concierge CM to tell me it was OK.


I would never EXPECT that, and I don't tell people "this will happen to you" (after all, remember that in my experience I was asking to do the "right" thing per Dis people*), but it does get a bit weird to read posts about how they will always give you a 3 hour parking pass, etc etc etc, when one's own experience has been SO opposite that.

Just ask the guard and they will tell you what is going to happen on that day, under that guard's watch, during that time of year.




*Dis posts also got me all flustered waiting for ME home, because the bus was late and I was worried and chatting with CMs about it, and they guffawed at the idea that the time on the pickup sheet was the time the bus was leaving. They said it's the intent, but it rarely works that way, and that I was not to worry that it was now after 1:30 and our bus was not there. When we arrived at 1, the apparent 1o'clock bus was still there, waiting, for a good 15 minutes. I figured that bus was for us, from Dis advice! The CMs got a kick out of my nervous-nelly-ness that day at WL....

 

[Dano1182]

My experiecne is that most guards wave you through when the dvc parking permit is displayed.

I have never recieved or heard of a three hour pass.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Haven't any of you have to show a drivers license? I have, even with my DVC resort parking pass.

For the TOTWL I've parked at the MK and taken the monorail over to the Contemporary. It wasn't bad. I've also had dinner at GFloridian Cafe and gone over from there. I was well within the time limit for the 3 hour TIW parking.

 

[goofy4tink]

Not the same for going to BLT and heading up to TOTWL. DVC has specifically asked members not to drive to and park at BLT or CR when they visit TOTWL. DVC has instructed members who wish to visit TOTWL to take Disney transportation to BLT.

I did go to the DVC site to find this...and lo and behold, there it was. Now, I have to wonder why this is the case only at BLT. That parking lot is seldom close to full, so why not be able to park there for access up to ToTW? Why is it specified for BLT but no other DVC resort??? That irks me a bit.
There are plenty of non-DVC guests parking at the CR/BLT and then heading off for the day....I can't see why Disney/DVC is concerned about some DVC people heading up to the lounge.
But, it's really just as easy to park at the TTC and take the monorail over. Not a big issue. It's really just the principal for me!!