Parking for dinner at EPCOT resorts

[Vacation Kathy]

DVC member staying at SSR, if we have dinner reservations at Beach Club at 5:00, can park at BC and enter the back of EPCOT after dinner?

 

[maxiesmom]

No. They will give you a 3 hour pass. Your best bet is to pa to valet park. That way you don't have to mess around moving your car after your meal.

 

[River Country]

No. They will give you a 3 hour pass. Your best bet is to pa to valet park. That way you don't have to mess around moving your car after your meal.

I have never been given a pass at any resort i parked at

 

[Gracie09]

Maybe. Maybe not. The resort lots are small and not intended for theme park parking. The people that pay to stay there have a difficult time finding parking. Depending on the time of year (food and wine fest, flower show etc) the guards may strictly limit your access and give you a pass.
I would suggest parking in the Epcot lot and walking through to the restaurant or paying for valet parking at one of the resorts.

 

[goofy4tink]

Parking at a resort, for park access, is supposed to be for those paying to stay at that resort. You really aren't entitled to park there after you finish eating and head to the park.
Now....can you? Probably. But please be considerate of those paying to stay there, and park in a somewhat removed space. It's very disheartening to return to your resort only to find all the close up spots taken by those who aren't staying there. And yes, I have had this happen to me at BW.

 

[Vacation Kathy]

Can you valet park at boardwalk and enter through back of EPCOT for the evening during flower and garden? I am taking some older ladies for an evening and am afraid of the long walk from the front of EPCOT. But on second thought, is it much closer from BW?

 

[jaysmom4285]

We've stayed offsite several times and often driven to the Boardwalk to eat at one of the restaurants there. The parking lot attendant has just asked why we're there and waves us through without comment, except for "have a good time." Note that we always go to WDW at slower times of the year, and the parking lot is nowhere near full, and we try to park in a more remote corner. And we don't go to a park from there, we just eat and perhaps walk around a little and check things out. But nothing has ever said about a limit on parking time. Previous posters are correct that there is technically a three hour limit, but it only seems to be strictly enforced at busy times when the parking lot spaces are needed for resort guests and those with confirmed ADRs. If a guest isn't told that there is a three hour limit and isn't given a limited time parking pass, they can only assume that the parking lot attendant isn't really worried about the availabilty of parking spaces. Before this causes a uproar, I'm not implying permission for people to park at a resort and then go to a theme park all day just because the attendant didn't tell them they can't. That is trying to beat the system and is not acceptable. I'm only saying that people don't necessary have to stress about adhering to a strict three-hour limit on their visit to the resort unless they're told that it will be enforced.