parking

[hugabearjo]

I am going to risk getting some negative responses. But, I am trying to plan a truly budget trip for 5 of us so staying onsite is out because you have to stay at a deluxe to get enough room. I simply can't afford that.

One of the most expensive things that are extra is parking. Can anyone tell me if you can park at cross roads and walk to the DTD hotels and take the buses? or can you get a way with parking at a water park and taking the bus. Has anyone come up with any creative parking options.

We have stayed off site, and they have a shuttle but, we have found that they don't run late enough to see the firework shows at the parks. Is this still the same or has it changed.

Thanks. I am really trying to find a cheaper way so we can play this spring.

 

[Von Drake]

Why not purchase points from a DVC member? You will get Deluxe size rooms in the DVC studios and a much lower cost.

 

[mickaholic4077]

Valet park at one of the deluxe resorts. It costs 7 dollars a day,and with a 2 buck tip it is 1 dollar less than parking in the parking lots.

 

[Thumper_ehhhhh]

You don't have to stay at a deluxe hotel for 5 All Star Music has family Suites that will suite you and are within reason pricewise. Off property. Call the hotels dirrectly before booking and ask what is the shuttle hours. You will find some have later hours than others.

 

[TDC Nala]

Valet park at one of the deluxe resorts. It costs 7 dollars a day,and with a 2 buck tip it is 1 dollar less than parking in the parking lots.

There is a notice up on the window at the top of the boards about that price changing, apparently it will be $10 now.

 

[helenk]

The POR resort has rooms that will hold 5 people, that is a moderate resort.
As another poster said the Allstar Music has the family suites and the cost is about the same as booking 2 rooms in a value. You can also consider booking 2 connecting rooms in a value.
You can not get to a park on the buses from DTD, the buses only go back to the resorts. So if you park in DTD, you would have to take a bus to get to a resort and then get off at the resort and wait for a bus to go to a park, it will take forever....at that rate I'd rather pay the $8 to park.
I am not sure about the water parks, I would think that there is a charge to park there , but if there is no fee to park there, then the buses will not go to the parks they would go to the resorts.

 

[The Sweetness]

Would it be worth the time wasted, getting a bus to a resort (from DTD) and then another bus (or whatever) to the park? I would think that extra time would be worth the 8 bucks, when on vacation (and I know how expensive one can be)

 

[TDC Nala]

Parking at the theme parks is $10, not $8. Apparently the valet parking fee has just been raised to match that.

 

[Thumper_ehhhhh]

Would it be worth the time wasted, getting a bus to a resort (from DTD) and then another bus (or whatever) to the park? I would think that extra time would be worth the 8 bucks, when on vacation (and I know how expensive one can be)

To us no it is not worth the time to take there buses from the hotels. If you fly you dont have a choice. We drive to Disney so we drive from the value resorts to the parking lots. PARKING IS FREE IF YOU STAY AT ONE OF THERE HOTELS. Its great. You buy a mug from the hotel fill it every morning drink it on the way to which ever park your going to rince it out with a bottle of water and leave in in the our van. We end up saving 3/4 of the transportation time by driving to the parks ourselves. We are also not crammed into the buses at the end of the day like sardeens. If we park hop we just drive to the next park. It is still better than staying off property and cheaper in the long run.

 

[CarolA]

The very reason Disney does not have buses going to the parks from DTD was this "abuse" of the "free parking" Also, remember that buses FROM DTD to anyplace don't start running until after DTD has been open for a few hours, same for the water parks. They assume that you need to get to DTD starting at 8:30 but the last time I took that bus a family got on who wanted to transfer at DTD to PO. The bus driver pointed out that it would be quite a while before regular service started BACK to the hotel and recommended they take a park bus because there are dispactchers at the park to notice you waiting while there are not dispatchers at DTD and the water parks.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Seriously, if the cost to park has such an effect on one's budget that it is necessary to investigate 'creative parking', maybe delaying the trip is a better idea.

The seven Downtown Disney resorts share a transportation system. Guests of these resorts are provided with ID cards to show that they're entitled to use the HPB bus system. While people using those buses may not be required to show the card, they may be.

So, you could, I suppose, walk from Crossroads to Downtown Disney, then take a Disney bus from there to a Disney resort, then change buses at the resort to go to a park. Do you really want to start your park touring several hours after any park opens every day? Do you think that's the most cost-effective use of your park admission?

Couple of other thoughts: 535 is a VERY busy street to cross, as is oh shoot I can't remember the name of the street Downtown Disney is on - crossing these streets at night (on your way back to your car) could be extremely risky, even with walk lights. Plus, there's always the chance Crossroads bans parking except by its customers.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

Seriously, if the cost to park has such an effect on one's budget that it is necessary to investigate 'creative parking', maybe delaying the trip is a better idea.

ITA.

Not to be rude or insensitive but you are only talking $70 for an entire week of parking. If this is not an option than maybe you should consider either traveling 1 less day or postponing your trip altogether until it wouldn't be such a burden.

 

[Funwith4kids]

We have stayed at the Doubletree near DTD and we were given a Id/pass to use when using the bus system.

Not trying to be rude here, but considering the cost of a Disney trip for a family, daily parking of $10 (or less) should not make or break someone. If so, there will be little or no room for any contingencies.... With that said, you can be responsible when planning the trip (as previous posters listed and doing searches on this great board).

However, when at Disney time is money. Would you rather save $10 and spend several hours a day on buses or spend those several hours admiring what the parks have to offer?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Another good point, Fun.

An adult one day base pass costs $71
A child pass costs $60

Since there are five people in the OP's party, let's figure two adults, two children and an infant

Say their park of choice is open for ten hours one day.

If they arrive at opening and stay all day, it's costing $7.10 per hour per adult and $6.00 per child per hour.

If, on the other hand, they spend four hours getting TO the park, that raises their per-hour cost to $11.67 per adult and $10 per child - not a good value on a budget trip.

 

[hugabearjo]

Well, after some soul searching I realized you guys are right and I will have to keep saving and dreaming until I don't have to worry about a budget at WDW and we can just do it all and park and everything. I will keep reading here and dreaming. Hope to see it in 2008.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Nobody said not to worry about a budget, or to spend wildly.

Posters in this thread have offered several reasonable suggestions.

You started this thread by stating "I am going to risk getting some negative responses." and in another place mention "get[ting] away" with something. It'd appear that you'd be prepared for any, and not reply with anything other than thanks.

Call Crossroads management (I'm sure there's a phone number available somehow) and see what THEY say, remembering the reasons posted here against parking there.

100% seriously, if $70 or whatever is going to make SUCH an impact on your vacation funds, it might be reasonable to wait until it's not, or at least until the extra money is available.

 

[gigi1313]

hugabearjo, may i suggest that you check out the budget board here on the dis if you've not already been there... they have some great ideas of ways to save when you're in the world as well as how to get extra cash to go to the world... they post freebies and coupons and sales and all kinds of things to help one save for a wdw vacation...

the question i did not see answered is "what will you be parking? your own car or a rental?" if a rental, compare the difference between renting and staying at POR or two rooms at a value, you may be pleasantly surprised

 

[hugabearjo]

Obviously, my last post about waiting until I didn't have to worry so much was taken as rude. I didn't mean to suggest that posters on this board had no budget constraints. I just meant that I realized after reading your responses, that if I was having to stress over pinching $70 and other places maybe 2008 would be a better choice for my family. I don't like to go in the summer because of crowds and the fall because it is too hard on kids to miss school right at the beginning of the year. So off season has always meant Spring to us.

I have been to the budget board and they have been helpful.

Lastly, I am not a sneaky person, so to "get away" with something, means I ask permission that is why I posted. It was only meant as was it not a problem. If I really wanted to just "get away" with something I wouldn't ask. I knew there would be some negative responses to me. I wasn't faulting that. I was just trying to let you know I had made a decision and that there was no reason to keep posting.

Again, I am sorry if I offended anyone by this or any other post. It was in no way intended that way.

Thank you

 

[Brian Noble]

What's your total budget, and for how many people? Most importantly, how flexible are you about dates?

If you are willing and able to visit during the really really slow time (say, September), I think it would be easy to get a condo big enough for all of you for $500 or possibly quite a bit less for a week. That's less than a rack rate Value room in Value season, and might be able to fit in your budget. Read the Orlando Hotels And Attractions board to get some ideas.

Then, don't buy hoppers. Don't eat table service meals. Eat some meals in your condo. Don't buy the mouse ears.

It's tough to visit Disney on-site with 5 people affordably. But, off-site, you can really make it work during the slower times.

The other way to think about an "affordable" trip is to wait for Free Dining to come around (as many think it will) and book a single room in Port Orleans-Riverside for the five of you. Lodging will be more expensive (about $1150) and it will be very very tight space-wise, but it will include all your food and transportation. Not quite as inexpensive as you could do it if you were willing to forgo table-service dining completely, but a VERY inexpensive way to go if you are not willing to do so.

 

[Brian Noble]

Just saw your most recent post. Unfortunately, spring is *not* the off-season in terms of prices, unless you are talking about May, and even then it's not super-cheap.

When do your kids start school? The second week of August might be the ideal time; crowds are starting to thin out, and prices drop significantly. The later into August you can go, the lower the crowds.