Parking with 1/2 hours left before park close

[diznish]

If wanted to visit in the evening with only 1/2 hours left before park close, do they still charge you for parking? Or is there a cut-off period? I know pre-covid sometimes there would be no one at the entrance near closing and you could just drive in. Just wondering if that's changed.

 

[CarolynFH]

If wanted to visit in the evening with only 1/2 hours left before park close, do they still charge you for parking? Or is there a cut-off period? I know pre-covid sometimes there would be no one at the entrance near closing and you could just drive in. Just wondering if that's changed.

We’ve driven into AK at least an hour before closing (maybe longer, can’t remember) and found the parking booths empty, so we simply drove right in.

 

[musicguy856]

I’ve gotten to HS about 2 hours prior to closing and all the booths were closed. They had cones directing everyone to the oversized entrance on the far left hand side there.

 

[DVC-Don]

I've found that after 6PM no one is in the booths.

 

[abbyandangel]

I don’t mean to hijack this thread but it confuses me about how the parking lot is opened and closed. If the booths are unmanned and the lot open for parking at the end of the evening, does someone come back and close the lot later. Past trips we often arrived very early from an overnight drive and found the booths unmanned and the lot open. Now I keep reading the lot will be closed when we arrive and we may be turned away until an hour before the park opens. Way back we were even family of the day once because we were the first ones there. I understand that has been discontinued and is a nonissue. I just want to park when I get there. So much has changed since previous trips precovid. I feel like I don’t even know how to arrive and park.

 

[CarolynFH]

I don’t mean to hijack this thread but it confuses me about how the parking lot is opened and closed. If the booths are unmanned and the lot open for parking at the end of the evening, does someone come back and close the lot later. Past trips we often arrived very early from an overnight drive and found the booths unmanned and the lot open. Now I keep reading the lot will be closed when we arrive and we may be turned away until an hour before the park opens. Way back we were even family of the day once because we were the first ones there. I understand that has been discontinued and is a nonissue. I just want to park when I get there. So much has changed since previous trips precovid. I feel like I don’t even know how to arrive and park.

There aren't any physical barriers at the parking entrance booths. In the morning, CMs are there to prevent guests from entering until some designated time prior to park opening. In the afternoon/evening near park closing time, the booths are closed, no CMs are there, and guests can drive right in.