Parking at The Contemporary / Bay Lake

[bmorr1963]

As a DVC member I see that members can park at all Theme parks and DVC Resorts for free. However Bay Lake I think is off the list. Has any one stayed at a DVC resort other than The Contempory and then was able to park at The Contemporary for free. Obvioulsy, this is helpful for the 'after the fireworks' drive home......

 

[Maistre Gracey]

We have valet parked many times at the Contemporary, but never for the sole purpose of going to the MK. We have walked over to MK either before or after dinner. We have never self parked.

MG

 

[La2kw]

As a DVC member I see that members can park at all Theme parks and DVC Resorts for free. However Bay Lake I think is off the list. Has any one stayed at a DVC resort other than The Contempory and then was able to park at The Contemporary for free. Obvioulsy, this is helpful for the 'after the fireworks' drive home......

Please don't do that. Parking is limited at the Contemporary, and guests actually staying there are entitled to the parking space. If you want to park near the MK, the best place is the TTC. If you are staying at a DVC resort on site, why not just take the bus? There is nothing more frustrating to a guest staying at the Contemporary than not being able to find a parking spot, then watching all the cars leave after the fireworks. I've had that happen to me a few times. It may be easier for you, but it's really not fair to the people actually paying to stay at that resort.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

The security guys at the Contemporary have always been sticklers about who is parking there, at least the ones I have encountered. Unless you have a room booked there or have a dining reservation at the Contemporary, I am not sure I would even attempt that.

 

[Tigger031266]

I was there about 4 weeks ago and the guard told me that he thinks there will not be enough parking. They did not expand the lot at all and took out spaces to put in the DVC resort. Lots of people drive in to go to Chef Mickeys and Arcade as well.

If DVCers come in to go to fireworks and parks, I am sure that people staying in the resort will have no spots or be very far away from rooms.

Does anyone know if there will be free Vallet for DVC members staying at the resort? Will there be free vallet for DVC not staying at resort???? If there is free vallet for DVCers not staying at the resort, I think it is ok to park there IMHO.

 

[disneynutz]

Parking at the resorts is available for Guests and Members doing business at the resorts. Being a registered Guest there, dining, shopping, or pool hopping, (if allowed). Parking at a resort for the purpose of going to a park is never allowed.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Please don't do that. Parking is limited at the Contemporary, and guests actually staying there are entitled to the parking space. If you want to park near the MK, the best place is the TTC. If you are staying at a DVC resort on site, why not just take the bus? There is nothing more frustrating to a guest staying at the Contemporary than not being able to find a parking spot, then watching all the cars leave after the fireworks. I've had that happen to me a few times. It may be easier for you, but it's really not fair to the people actually paying to stay at that resort.

 

[d-r]

Isn't parking for the Tower going to be under the bldg? My guess is you will need key card for that and the other parking would be subject to the current rules. Valet could be an exception, but even that would be limited.

 

[disneynutz]

Isn't parking for the Tower going to be under the bldg? My guess is you will need key card for that and the other parking would be subject to the current rules. Valet could be an exception, but even that would be limited.

Only Kidani has the under building parking, not BLT.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

I think parking is going to become a huge problem at BLT in the future that Disney is going to have to address. They were more strict in the past there than any other resort in the past and it isn't going to get better.

 

[drusba]

Parking for BLT will be the Contemporary lot. Contemproary lot cannot be entered without going through security and at Contemporary the security gate rule is that unless you are staying there or have a restaurant reservation at the Contemporary, you do not get in. Moreover, even if you have a reservation at a Contemporary restaurant, you get in for only 3 hours and you get something that goes on your car that reflects that. That usual procedure will not change with the opening of BLT.

Also note that the rule that if you are a DVC Member staying at a DVC resort you can park at any resort or theme park for free is not just a DVC privilege. Anyone stating at a WDW resort can park at any resort or the theme parks for free. The real issue is whether you can into a resort where you are not staying to park and generally you cannot unless you are doing something specific at that resort.

 

[Tigger031266]

Parking for BLT will be the Contemporary lot. Contemproary lot cannot be entered without going through security and at Contemporary the security gate rule is that unless you are staying there or have a restaurant reservation at the Contemporary, you do not get in.

Sorry, but I have been there a hundred times with no reservations or stay at the Contemporary. Unless they change things...

Mostly, I am there to take the kids to the arcade or eat at chef Mickeys ( no reservation). They ALWAYS give me the 3 hour sticker which no one every checks.

You can tell them shoping, you can tell them arcade, you can tell the eating and they let you in.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

Sorry, but I have been there a hundred times with no reservations or stay at the Contemporary. Unless they change things...

Mostly, I am there to take the kids to the arcade or eat at chef Mickeys ( no reservation). They ALWAYS give me the 3 hour sticker which no one every checks.

You can tell them shoping, you can tell them arcade, you can tell the eating and they let you in.

Depending on how busy and what time of year, I've had them check my Chef Mickeys reservation on a list at the gate. But most often they don't check anything and if you have a resort ID and a reason that makes sense, you're good to go.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

 

[twinklebug]

I'm not understanding why people find parking at the TTC so inconvenient. Why take up a parking space people staying at a resort need just so you can walk to the MK?

 

[DebbieB]

I parked there twice last week, once for Chef Mickeys and once for shopping. They did not check the reservation list, they just asked for my resort key (AKV). They did not give me a time limit (but it was late afternoon). I expect that this will change when BLT opens. I was thinking that I don't think there will be enough parking considering the size of both buildings. There were a ton of cars parked in a gated area close to MK, I don't know if that was valet or workers for BLT. That used to be always pretty empty.

 

[Tigger031266]

I'm not understanding why people find parking at the TTC so inconvenient. Why take up a parking space people staying at a resort need just so you can walk to the MK?

I totally agree. DVC or the Contemporary needs to take action before BLT opens or people staying in the resort will be parking at TTC.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I must be seeing things, but I was there in May and I swore I saw a shiny new parking lot next to BLT.

Am I just getting old?

MG

 

[Figment2]

I have a handicapped hang tag and was going to the Contemporary for drinks in early December a couple of years ago (Outer Rim makes a killer mojito). I was turned away by the guard and told to park at the TTC and take the monorail back. We ended up going elsewhere for drinks.



Cyn

 

[fla4fun]

Sorry, but I have been there a hundred times with no reservations or stay at the Contemporary. Unless they change things...

Mostly, I am there to take the kids to the arcade or eat at chef Mickeys ( no reservation). They ALWAYS give me the 3 hour sticker which no one every checks.

You can tell them shoping, you can tell them arcade, you can tell the eating and they let you in.

I understand that that has been your experience . Let me share mine. As a local, I often dine at Disney restaurants on my way home from work. Several times, I have been asked to give my ADR confirmation number and it was checked either against a list, or in a computer. I was allowed in and given the time limit pass, but others in the same line were not, so I assume they did not have an ADR or a CR resort ID. One evening, I had an ADR at the Concourse Steakhouse, and due to a convention at the resort, the guard refused me entry and told me I would have to turn around and park at the TTC - remember, that was WITH an ADR.

So while there have been times when security has been more lax than others, I am sure it will be fairly tight at least for a while, until they get a feel for how having BLT open affects the resort parking. Does anyone remember the restrictions at AKL when they first opened? I expect something similar for at least the first few weeks.

On the plus side, based on the number of rooms in the old north wing vs how many villas are in the tower, the parking situation should be comparable to what it was when the old wing was open. Granted, there were a lot of times I had to circle the parking lot looking for a space, but I usually could find one eventually. I have a reservation for opening day, and I imagine once I get a parking space, I probably won't be moving the car until check out day.