Parking at Resort other than your Own

[jamescanuck2001]

Staying at Saratoga Springs.
For Magic Kingdom day, will have a dining reservation at Whispering Canyon. Would we be permitted to park at Wilderness Lodge, go to MK, come back for dinner, then back to Saratoga Springs?

Anyone have experience with this? I have heard a 4 hr limit on parking for dining reservations, but loosely or not at all enforced.

 

[FCDub]

This is a very contentious issue every time it pops up. In one corner, you have people who are adamant your car will be towed after three hours. In the other are people who call that an urban legend.

At best, this is an inconsistently enforced rule. All depends on your risk tolerance.

 

[SkyGuy]

Staying at Saratoga Springs.
For Magic Kingdom day, will have a dining reservation at Whispering Canyon. Would we be permitted to park at Wilderness Lodge, go to MK, come back for dinner, then back to Saratoga Springs?

Anyone have experience with this? I have heard a 4 hr limit on parking for dining reservations, but loosely or not at all enforced.

Your issue isn’t the time limit; they will not allow you to park at the hotel so far ahead of your reservation. If your reservation is for, say, 5pm, you are not going to be allowed to park at the hotel at noon. You will be allowed to enter around 4-4:30.

 

[scrappinginontario]

From the Disney website. Clearly states only while at the resort.

 

[Giraffe_Zen]

Staying at Saratoga Springs.
For Magic Kingdom day, will have a dining reservation at Whispering Canyon. Would we be permitted to park at Wilderness Lodge, go to MK, come back for dinner, then back to Saratoga Springs?

Anyone have experience with this? I have heard a 4 hr limit on parking for dining reservations, but loosely or not at all enforced.

As others have stated, you won't be permitted to park there that far in advance to go to MK before dinner. Your two options that I can think of is riding the SSR bus to MK and then taking either the Wilderness Lodge bus from MK after your time there, or the Wilderness Lodge shuttle boat if it's running from MK.

The other option would be parking at TTC, and going to MK then WL boat or bus there and back. You could also just drive after MK from TTC to WL if you wanted so you were assured your car was with you when done with dinner.

 

[Mazz519]

Three weeks ago we had Chef Mickey reservations for 730am, we were staying at the Boardwalk , we drove to Chef Mickeys parked our car in the lot and left it there all day while we went to the MK. No issues

 

[gottalovepluto]

I wouldn’t risk it. Go to MK by bus in the morning and take a rideshare to your hotel after dinner.

 

[karmic]

Not fair to registered guests at the Contemporary
Maybe consider valet

 

[SharonZ]

I would pay to valet park.

 

[nole1]

Three weeks ago we had Chef Mickey reservations for 730am, we were staying at the Boardwalk , we drove to Chef Mickeys parked our car in the lot and left it there all day while we went to the MK. No issues

Just because you could doesn't mean you should. You were permitted to park for your breakfast reservation not your entire park day. People doing things like this is why they have needed to be so restrictive with resort parking.

 

[focusondisney]

Three weeks ago we had Chef Mickey reservations for 730am, we were staying at the Boardwalk , we drove to Chef Mickeys parked our car in the lot and left it there all day while we went to the MK. No issues

Totally different situations. You were allowed into the resort in a timely fashion for your ADR. The resort/ security did not follow up on if you left after. The OP is asking about parking early in the day for a dinner adr, many hours later. You are allowed into a resort a reasonable amount of time before an ADR. Arriving in the morning for a dinner ADR isn’t likely to be considered a reasonable amount of time by the security guard. Try that next time & let us know how it goes.

 

[DaniPoppins]

Really, it all depends on the cast member at the resort entrance gate! Some are super nice and will let you in without even checking what time your reservation is, others, not so nice!

Maybe park at the TTC in the morning, then get your car and drive to WL for your dinner res. Then, you will have your car to easily head back to SSR after dinner.

 

[Beer Me]

This is a very contentious issue every time it pops up. In one corner, you have people who are adamant your car will be towed after three hours. In the other are people who call that an urban legend.

At best, this is an inconsistently enforced rule. All depends on your risk tolerance.

It is contentious but I can relate my personal experience.

I once visited WL with a breakfast ADR. Speaking with the parking attendant and informing them of our plan to visit MK later they instructed us to just leave our car there and take the boat (in a very inviting and friendly manner for what it’s worth). Otherwise I would have been perfectly willing to move to the TTC. He did point us to a part of the lot most distant from the resort and there were tons of empty spaces so that may be relevant as well. We were also staying at an onsite resort.

Personally I wouldn’t do this at the monorail resorts (we drove to a chef mickeys adr once and didn’t even think about staying after our meal) but everything else seems a bit more loose. I would never lie or otherwise be sneaky about it but I don’t see the harm in asking if it’s ok.

 

[DaniPoppins]

It is contentious but I can relate my personal experience.

I once visited WL with a breakfast ADR. Speaking with the parking attendant and informing them of our plan to visit MK later they instructed us to just leave our car there and take the boat (in a very inviting and friendly manner for what it’s worth). Otherwise I would have been perfectly willing to move to the TTC. He did point us to a part of the lot most distant from the resort and there were tons of empty spaces so that may be relevant as well. We were also staying at an onsite resort.

Personally I wouldn’t do this at the monorail resorts (we drove to a chef mickeys adr once and didn’t even think about staying after our meal) but everything else seems a bit more loose. I would never lie or otherwise be sneaky about it but I don’t see the harm in asking if it’s ok.

I completely agree with you on this! Never hurts to just ask.

 

[starousse]

A few years ago and on one of the only occasions that I've stayed off property and had my car with me, we had a dinner reservation at Ohana. When I drove in, I stated I had a dinner reservation. The man at the gate asked if I was planning on visiting MK afterward. I told him most probably. He pointed over to the area where I should park and told me to "feel free to hop on the monorail at the Poly". I asked if my car would be okay and he smiled and said of course it will.