Parking at the Boardwalk and walking to Epcot

[Ronniz]

We are staying off-site and will drive to the parks. I am concerned about the crowds at Epcot after Illuminations and have heard that you can park at the Boardwalk and walk from Epcot. Has anyone ever done this successfully?

 

[DanenRox]

It's my understanding that you can not park at the Boardwalk to go to Epcot. You can park at Boardwalk to go to Boardwalk restaurants though.

 

[Halle]

You'll get flames on this one. Boardwalk parking is for guests staying at the Boardwalk, dining there or taking part in Boardwalk activities.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

When parking at a resort, you must have a dining reservation there and you are limited to 3 hours. You can't park at a resort and go to the park for the day unless you are a guest at that resort.

 

[goofy4tink]

We are staying off-site and will drive to the parks. I am concerned about the crowds at Epcot after Illuminations and have heard that you can park at the Boardwalk and walk from Epcot. Has anyone ever done this successfully?

I am going to try and remain calm as I post this...this is a huge pet peeve of mine. Soooo...
parking at resorts is NOT provided for park access. You are allowed to park at a resort if you are eating or shopping there. You are then supposed to move your car. If you would like to pay to valet park your car, then you are free to do that and then head to a park. But you are not supposed to self park your car and head to a park.
I truly resent it when I can't find a parking spot that is close to the walkway at Boardwalk. Why can't I? Because non-resort guests feel the need to 'avoid the exiting Epcot crowds' and park there. If that's what they want, then they should be paying for that priviledge by staying at that resort. Plain and simple.
Yep..huge pet peeve of mine. I own at BWV and truly think that the parking lot should be card entry only. If someone wants to park there, that isn't staying there, then they should be charged to park. I think it should be that way at all resorts that have direct access to parks...YC/BC, BW, GF, Polynesian, CR/BLT. If you are there to eat or shop, then you can get parking validated and you don't have to pay if you stay less than 3 hrs.

 

[Debi]

I own at BWV and truly think that the parking lot should be card entry only. If someone wants to park there, that isn't staying there, then they should be charged to park. I think it should be that way at all resorts that have direct access to parks...YC/BC, BW, GF, Polynesian, CR/BLT. If you are there to eat or shop, then you can get parking validated and you don't have to pay if you stay less than 3 hrs.

I agree with you a million percent. I own at BWV also and have the same frustrations. The only reason you should park at BWV/BWI is if you're a paying guest or if you have an ADR. If you plan to head to Epcot after your ADR, please move your car. Boardwalk parking lot is NOT for Epcot parking.

 

[granmanh603]

how about owning and staying and not being able to park your own car there. I think they are getting better at asking if you are staying there and showing room key since there is no longer free valet parking.

 

[klynn]

We stayed at the Boardwalk for 8 nights during Christmas. I was annoyed that so many non-guests were parking at the Boardwalk. I came to that conclusion because they did not have Boardwalk parking passes. Many times I did not have a place to park and had to pay to valet park. I paid big bucks to stay at the Boardwalk and to not have a place to park was very frustrating to me.

 

[n2mm]

first post.

 

[goofy4tink]

first post.

.
I hear ya.....and I'm watching!!!

 

[Cleocat]

Dw and I stayed in BWV in Oct. and can totally agree with all posters. When we arrived the s.p. lot was close to full capacity. It seemed to be a stragety on when to leave and have a spot when you returned. Loved the resort don't get me wrong, but the parking left a bad tatse with DW. But now we own at BLT should'nt have to worry about parking there, the lots seem to have more room. We'll find that out come November I could be wrong.

 

[pamjb]

We are staying off-site and will drive to the parks. I am concerned about the crowds at Epcot after Illuminations and have heard that you can park at the Boardwalk and walk from Epcot. Has anyone ever done this successfully?

You can avoid the crowds by waiting about 15-20 minutes for the "herds" to leave from the park. We did this by taking the long way back to FutureWorld after watching Illuminations in England. Took us about 20 minutes, and the crowds were just about gone. This was in June 2009.

 

[GranddadTom]

I own at BWV also and I agree with Goofy4Tink. We pay for that lot and why is it that others feel free to use it even if it means that the owners and Inn guests are denied the use of it? I’m all for tougher enforcement of the parking rules there. In my opinion, the same goes for our pools. Guests at the other villas can use ours but we can’t use theirs?

 

[goofy4tink]

I own at BWV also and I agree with Goofy4Tink. We pay for that lot and why is it that others feel free to use it even if it means that the owners and Inn guests are denied the use of it? I’m all for tougher enforcement of the parking rules there. In my opinion, the same goes for our pools. Guests at the other villas can use ours but we can’t use theirs?

I guess it's only SAB and the pools at AKL that we can't access. But you're right....why do they get to use our pools but we can't head to theirs?? But, this isn't the right forum for that discussion.

In any case....all you have to do is head out to that parking lot about 15-20 mins after IllumiNations ends. There is usually a huge parade of cars leaving. And you know those cars aren't BW guests heading to DTD for the night. It's non-BW resort guests leaving after their day at Epcot. Really isn't fair. And it would be nice if Disney did something about it.

 

[richmo]

Honestly, the crowds leaving Illuminations aren't that bad. If you'd like to save a few minutes, watch Illuminations somewhere between Canada and Mexico and it shouldn't take you long to exit.

Boardwalk seems to be one of the tighter parking lots and, whether you can get away with it or not, it really isn't fair to the folks staying there to take up a parking space so you can go to Epcot.

 

[goofy4tink]

I don't truly believe the OP is trying to avoid the 'huge' crowds leaving Epcot. I think he is trying to avoid the parking fee for off-site guests.

 

[Missytara]

Honestly, the crowds leaving Illuminations aren't that bad. If you'd like to save a few minutes, watch Illuminations somewhere between Canada and Mexico and it shouldn't take you long to exit.

I have been there with my mom several years ago and it wasn't so much the multitude of people leaving and the amount of buses there to return you to the resort for me - it was the fact that they were cramming enough people into each bus, so many people were standing.

When it got to be our turn to get on the bus, my mother and I would have had to stand. I told the bus driver I would wait for the next bus, and he said it was that bus, or get to the end of the line and hope when my turn came around again, that we wouldn't have to stand. He said every bus is going to be filled with both seats and the aisleways.

I called a taxi.....

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I don't truly believe the OP is trying to avoid the 'huge' crowds leaving Epcot. I think he is trying to avoid the parking fee for off-site guests.

agree...and it seems strange to only ask about parking at the boardwalk....the beach or yacht club's are closer to the international gateway.....agree with the suggestions to wait 15-20 min..do some shopping...then head out to the Epcot parking lot and get your car