Parking "Hacks"

[DisneyMim]

I didn't read the whole thread, but I have to agree with deegack. $14 is not a lot of money. Have you never parked in a city before?? Boston for example is much more than that. I don't like the idea of people staying off-site parking in a Disney resort or Downtown. Just not right. We pay to stay at a Disney resort and should not have to ride around looking for a spot because people are parking just to avoid paying $14. People should budget the money when they are planning their trip. Maybe this is a troll I don't know. People do seem to be asking questions lately that are starting issues. If people are really travelers then they would know that fees such as parking are not out of line with anywhere else in the world. Get over it.

 

[gator girl]

Here are your options:

A) park at DTD for free. Wait for bus, transfer to resort, wait for bus, transfer to park. Arrive at park hours after opening, when weather is hottest & lines are longest & superheadliner fastpasses are gone. Wait for bus, transfer to resort, wait for bus, transfer to DTD. Do this every day. Beg wife not to leave you over wasted hours of her vacation.

B) park at resort for free. Model "this is how we lie to others to get around rules so we can get what we want" for all the children in the car. Do this every day. Wait for children to become felons.

C) pay the dang $14.

 

[lurkernj]

I didn't read the whole thread, but I have to agree with deegack. $14 is not a lot of money. Have you never parked in a city before?? Boston for example is much more than that. I don't like the idea of people staying off-site parking in a Disney resort or Downtown. Just not right. We pay to stay at a Disney resort and should not have to ride around looking for a spot because people are parking just to avoid paying $14. People should budget the money when they are planning their trip. Maybe this is a troll I don't know. People do seem to be asking questions lately that are starting issues. If people are really travelers then they would know that fees such as parking are not out of line with anywhere else in the world. Get over it.

We just paid $40 per day to park in a hotel in Boston for two days. $80, now that's rediculous, $14 not so much.

 

[MoonFaerie]

Why do I care if someone does the DTD/resort/park thing? Couple of reasons:

1. If I want to run (drive) to DTD for an Earl of Sandwich lunch or dinner and can't find a place to park because the lots are full of people who parked free for the day
2. If I get on the bus back to my resort at a park and can't find a seat because people are just riding to my resort to grab a bus to DTD
3. Because I believe that a strong society is based on people following rules. There's no excuse for breaking a rule, especially with children observing. I don't care if "it's just parking" or "it's just fountain soda" or whatever, it's still breaking a rule.
4. Too many rulebreakers means too much scrutiny. I don't want WDW to turn into the airport TSA security screening. We've already seen things go away because of abuse/overuse.

So that's why I prefer that EVERYONE follow the rules.

We did that in Dec. Why? We didn't have a car, and we were trying to get from a park to DTD for a dinner ADR after Fantasmic. Sure, we could have walked back to BWI and caught a bus from there. We wanted to check out POR & POFQ though for this year's trip. We caught the bus to POFQ, walked to POR, and then took the boat to DTD. We're now doing a split stay this year - 4 nights royal room at POR, 4 nights club level BWI.

I'm pretty sure I wasn't breaking the rules.

 

[aleksandr]

I just recently got back from a trip to WDW (staying off-site). We had an AP holder in the family so got free parking anyhow.

On the first day we had a character breakfast at O'Hanas. When I drove up to the MK parking booths the CM directed me to stay to the right to go to the Polynesian. Didn't get asked to pay for parking or to show the AP.

At the Poly security gate had to show a driver's license and say we were having breakfast at O'hanas. We were told to park anywhere. We were NEVER told there was a 3-hour resort parking limit. In fact, this is at least the tenth time I've been to WDW and have never been told there is a 3-hour parking limit.

We ended up leaving the car at the Poly all day while going to MK after breakfast. Our car was there when we got back at the end of the day, too. Not to suggest that my experience is representative of everyone's, but...

I know that I would be extremely upset to find my car towed because of an unwritten, unstated 3-hour parking limit at a resort. I would also fight to the end to make sure that I didn't pay a cent of the towing fees.

So, if there really is a 3-hour limit, why are security attendants not informing people? Is my experience different because I have never been to WDW during a peak season?

 

[MoonFaerie]

My opinion? I get a lot out of Disney when I go there on vacation. Yes, it's a really expensive vacation, but I always come out feeling I got my money's worth. So I'm good paying for parking those trips that I've had to. There are a lot of places I go -- theater, sports events, malls, other attractions, etc -- that have parking fees. I have to say that I have never seen any sort of organized website that discusses how to beat Universal's parking fee, or how to avoid paying to park at the Citrus Bowl, or asking if it's okay to sneak in the back way in order to park at an arena for a concert. We all just pay those fees without a problem. Why is it that Disney is the one place that people think it's okay to not?

I already pay over $200 for my parking pass at my university. When I go to football games, I still have to pay to park. Even over 1 mile away, it's still $25. Actually on campus is reserved for season pass holders, or RVs can park on the ag campus for $250. Makes Disney's parking seem like a bargain.

 

[gator girl]

This is kind of like when I asked some of my buddies whether they prefer using the rocket launcher or sniper rifle in Halo, and they all chastised me for even thinking of using the rocket launcher, because it's a cheap way to win, using such an overpowered and unsophisticated weapon. Long story short, I kick butt with the rocket launcher.

In all fairness, the Halo designers planned the rocket launcher and the sniper rifle to both be legitimate and equivalent weapons choices for players. Whereas Disney has taken *multiple active steps* to discourage guests from doing what you suggested.

Actually, this is more like:
OP: I'm using a rocket launcher!
DIS: But the Halo designers rigged rocket launchers to occasionally explode in your face & kill you! Why don't you just use a sniper rifle instead? It does the same thing and it's right there next to the rocket launcher. See? Pick it up.
OP: I've used a rocket launcher before & I didn't die.
DIS: Well, that was blind luck. The sniper rifle definitely won't blow your face off. The Halo designers clearly wanted to discourage you from using the rocket launcher, which is why they made the sniper rifle so much less explode-y.
OP: Sniper rifle bullets are expensive. I found some free rockets.
DIS: Those rockets belong to your teammates. You're just going to *steal* them from your teammates?
OP: Well, duh. Because I WANT THEM.

Maybe I'm just overthinking this metaphor...


OP, you're basically asking lots of strangers on the internet to comment on whether or not it's a great idea for you to either waste hours of your family's vacation each day or to deliberately lie, in order to save the cost of a burger & drink. Not many people are going to say "Oh yeah, sure! Great plan! You're SO SMART!" And, honestly? I've seen some snark. No one said you deserve to be waterboarded or anything.

 

[RMulieri]

yeah they want to make more money. has nothing to do with people getting around paying for parking.

First, Disney DOES charge for parking for resort guests, they just build it into the resort cost per night and call it a perk.Second, if you have ever stayed a t a Universal resort, you will see how small the parking areas are comparably.If people are complaining about how much Disney or Universal charges, they should try going to NYC or Washington Dc with a car..I paid $40 PER NIGHT to park my car in DC.Disney and Universal are relative bargains in comparison

 

[blainekyle]

Here are your options:

A) park at DTD for free. Wait for bus, transfer to resort, wait for bus, transfer to park. Arrive at park hours after opening, when weather is hottest & lines are longest & superheadliner fastpasses are gone. Wait for bus, transfer to resort, wait for bus, transfer to DTD. Do this every day. Beg wife not to leave you over wasted hours of her vacation.

B) park at resort for free. Model "this is how we lie to others to get around rules so we can get what we want" for all the children in the car. Do this every day. Wait for children to become felons.

C) pay the dang $14.

A) Assume someone has children because you have children, and probably think that everyone else wants children too. Also probably believe that they are so cute and everyone loves them even when they are putting their gross hands all over everything.

B) Go on message boards and be snarky and sarcastic with no just prompting. Model "this is how we act like jerks on the internet so that we can feel like we are better than other people." Wait for children to become obnoxious entitled Goofuses.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

If you don't want to pay to park stay at a hotel that has a shuttle.

 

[Wadecool]

A) Assume someone has children because you have children, and probably think that everyone else wants children too. Also probably believe that they are so cute and everyone loves them even when they are putting their gross hands all over everything.

B) Go on message boards and be snarky and sarcastic with no just prompting. Model "this is how we act like jerks on the internet so that we can feel like we are better than other people." Wait for children to become obnoxious entitled Goofuses.

This from the self proclaimed "owner of the internet". Might want to edit that tag before climbing up onto that white horse of yours.

 

[Sunny37]

A) Assume someone has children because you have children, and probably think that everyone else wants children too. Also probably believe that they are so cute and everyone loves them even when they are putting their gross hands all over everything.

B) Go on message boards and be snarky and sarcastic with no just prompting. Model "this is how we act like jerks on the internet so that we can feel like we are better than other people." Wait for children to become obnoxious entitled Goofuses.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

I just recently got back from a trip to WDW (staying off-site). We had an AP holder in the family so got free parking anyhow.

On the first day we had a character breakfast at O'Hanas. When I drove up to the MK parking booths the CM directed me to stay to the right to go to the Polynesian. Didn't get asked to pay for parking or to show the AP.

At the Poly security gate had to show a driver's license and say we were having breakfast at O'hanas. We were told to park anywhere. We were NEVER told there was a 3-hour resort parking limit. In fact, this is at least the tenth time I've been to WDW and have never been told there is a 3-hour parking limit.

We ended up leaving the car at the Poly all day while going to MK after breakfast. Our car was there when we got back at the end of the day, too. Not to suggest that my experience is representative of everyone's, but...

I know that I would be extremely upset to find my car towed because of an unwritten, unstated 3-hour parking limit at a resort. I would also fight to the end to make sure that I didn't pay a cent of the towing fees.

So, if there really is a 3-hour limit, why are security attendants not informing people? Is my experience different because I have never been to WDW during a peak season?

The Poly has a really small parking lot.....I would of moved my car after breakfast as a courtesy to the guest staying at the hotel.

Every time we stay there it takes us forever to find a spot. I think they should enforce the 3 hr rule. But since they do not seem to tell people about the "rule" they can not really enforce it.

 

[blainekyle]

In all fairness, the Halo designers planned the rocket launcher and the sniper rifle to both be legitimate and equivalent weapons choices for players. Whereas Disney has taken *multiple active steps* to discourage guests from doing what you suggested.

Actually, this is more like:
OP: I'm using a rocket launcher!
DIS: But the Halo designers rigged rocket launchers to occasionally explode in your face & kill you! Why don't you just use a sniper rifle instead? It does the same thing and it's right there next to the rocket launcher. See? Pick it up.
OP: I've used a rocket launcher before & I didn't die.
DIS: Well, that was blind luck. The sniper rifle definitely won't blow your face off. The Halo designers clearly wanted to discourage you from using the rocket launcher, which is why they made the sniper rifle so much less explode-y.
OP: Sniper rifle bullets are expensive. I found some free rockets.
DIS: Those rockets belong to your teammates. You're just going to *steal* them from your teammates?
OP: Well, duh. Because I WANT THEM.

Maybe I'm just overthinking this metaphor...


OP, you're basically asking lots of strangers on the internet to comment on whether or not it's a great idea for you to either waste hours of your family's vacation each day or to deliberately lie, in order to save the cost of a burger & drink. Not many people are going to say "Oh yeah, sure! Great plan! You're SO SMART!" And, honestly? I've seen some snark. No one said you deserve to be waterboarded or anything.

First, I don't think you understand Halo very well. It's not your fault; I wouldn't expect many people here to know Xbox games.

Second, maybe because we're on page 7 now, it seems like you are responding to a different post than I made. I'll re-post the original message here:

I was just looking into parking rates, and ways to save money on parking, since I will be taking an "off-site" trip with my wife's family later this year. I read that the rate is $14 per day (is that current?), which isn't too bad, but for multiple days that will still add up to a hefty toll in the end.

Some tips I found were parking at Downtown Disney, and parking at the resorts. Both ideas give me pause, for different reasons. For one, I am wondering whether buses from DTD run directly to the parks, or if we would have to ride from there to a resort and then switch to a resort bus. I am not interested in that kind of hassle.

As for the resort idea, the tip I read said that you just have to show an ID at the security gate and tell them that you want to look around because you are considering staying there. This seems a little dishonest, and also like it might raise some suspicion, but at the same time I'm thinking, "Hey, I actually would like to check out the other resorts!" I've only ever stayed at Pop Century, and once at Port Orleans Riverside, and I would love to visit some of the moderate resorts. Actually, I really want to check out the deluxe resorts to, but I couldn't honestly claim to be considering a visit there, because that is just not in any budget I could imagine justifying unless I have a major change in social status sometime.

Anyway, I guess my questions are:
1) Do the buses run from DTD direct to the parks (and are they as frequent as at the resorts)?
And 2) Is it "kosher" to pull the resort parking trick described above? Do they check your plates and tow or ticket if you end up parking there all-day? Or, do they maybe log your name when they check the ID, and put you on a list if you do it multiple days in a row?

I think I made it pretty clear that I was hesitant at either notion (DTD or resorts) and gave the reasons. For me, though, this was the first time I had heard of these "strategies," which is why I turned to the DIS. I am not trying to cheat anyone. I also wasn't lying when I said that I actually want to check out some of the resorts I've never stayed at--primarily the moderate and value resorts. Because, yes, I will actually be coming back, and staying at a Disney resort, as is my family's MO, and my preference. I've given the reason why I'm staying off-site for this trip, and it's not because I'm cheap.

I'm not cheap, but if I can save $14 per day legitimately, I will-because I'm not wasteful. If not, well that's fine, too. I don't think raising the question warrants a wave of snarky attacks, though.

Oh, and you think there is no snark here? Who was it that implied that my wife should leave me if I suggest we park at DTD? Oh, that's right...

 

[Belle0101]

Another comparison for parking -

NAVY PIER PARKING GARAGE RATES
Monday – Thursday: $21
Friday – Sunday: $25

Navy Pier is in Chicago. It's sort of like DTD in so far as there is shopping, a couple rides and entertainment venues.

 

[blainekyle]

This from the self proclaimed "owner of the internet". Might want to edit that tag before climbing up onto that white horse of yours.

Key difference here, friend: My tag was written in light-hearted humor, with no intention to deride another individual. I thought it would be a funny thing to put there, but if you don't think it's funny, that's okay. You don't have to. Not everyone has a sense of humor. Unfortunately, there is as yet no surgical solution.

 

[Wadecool]

Key difference here, friend: My tag was written in light-hearted humor, with no intention to deride another individual. I thought it would be a funny thing to put there, but if you don't think it's funny, that's okay. You don't have to. Not everyone has a sense of humor. Unfortunately, there is as yet no surgical solution.

And yet that's just what you did. Fyi, "But they did it first" isn't a valid reason.

Humor has to exist in the first place...

 

[mrsdrake625]

Hey - I totally get why you used the word "hack." Your goal is not to beat the system, it's to be more efficient with your cash. I think you can do that by not trying beating the system, though, and here's why -

If you paid for 6 day tickets, then you're spending $43 dollars a day per person, even without the park hopper option. Trying to do the DTD bus thing, or even the resort bus, is going to "cost" you two hours (or more) of that time, time that you've already paid for. It's a sunk cost. So, you can save $14 cash, but LOSE time in the park. What has more value to you - cash, or time at Disney? You're traveling to get here, so you aren't going to get a chance to visit Disney next week, or two weeks from now - it's a very limited resource compared to cash money, which you'll have in your wallet to spend on other stuff as soon as you get home. You've already paid for your time at Disney, so I would recommend budgeting your trip around getting the most value out of that. Yes, it's more of a cash outlay in the end, but depending on how you value cash vs. time in the parks, what you get could be worth more.

Having access to your car during the day ALSO means you can pack snacks and water bottles, and not feel like you have to spend so much money on food in the park. That could save you more than $14 a day, easily - especially if you're planning to spend all day there.

We are total cheapskates but in the end when we broke everything down, paying for Disney parking had way more advantages, cash-wise and time-wise, than doing anything else.

(We looked into taking the LYNX city bus, if you were interested in that - it's a great option in the morning as far as bus stops that are open and the frequency of busses, but in the evening it would be extremely difficult to use, and your risk of missing the bus and being stranded is a lot higher. Just a heads up for you.)

I think the vitrol on the board is a result of (a) people already being understandably frustrated that they've paid so much money for their vacation, and (b) they feel like when people try to "work the system," they are getting something for free that that person has already paid for - AND are taking up their (paid for) spot on the bus/boat/monorail/donkey/clown car/whatever. I get it. But, I also don't think it's necessary to be rude - sorry that's happened to you.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[blainekyle]

And yet that's just what you did. Fyi, "But they did it first" isn't a valid reason.

Humor has to exist in the first place...

You're a really funny guy. On a completely unrelated note, don't you just hate how sarcasm doesn't come across in text?

And I'd have to disagree with you about the validity of the argument that my contrary tone was justified for not having been initiatory. To quote the immortal words of some rapper whose name escapes me because I never knew it, "Don't start no {edit}, won't be no {edit}."

And if someone wants to tell me that I should "take the high road," or "turn the other cheek," I will say that you are free to your own philosophies, as am I to mine. And my philosophy includes never backing down. I don't care what Jesus or anyone else has to say about it.

 

[aleksandr]

The Poly has a really small parking lot.....I would of moved my car after breakfast as a courtesy to the guest staying at the hotel.

Every time we stay there it takes us forever to find a spot. I think they should enforce the 3 hr rule. But since they do not seem to tell people about the "rule" they can not really enforce it.

I don't disagree that the lot is small, but at least half of it (maybe even 3/4) was empty the entire time...