Parks Parking late in the day, FREE?

[roryc]

I was at a convention at an offsite hotel two years ago, and I had twilight convention tickets. Two nights I got to Magic Kingdom at 7 PM or later and they let me enter the parking lots for free on both evenings without talking with the attendant. It appeared that anyone who was arriving at that time were just waved through the parking lot turnstiles. This was a really nice perk. Does anyone know if free parks parking exists after a certain time, still?

 

[yulilin3]

I was at a convention at an offsite hotel two years ago, and I had twilight convention tickets. Two nights I got to Magic Kingdom at 7 PM or later and they let me enter the parking lots for free on both evenings without talking with the attendant. It appeared that anyone who was arriving at that time were just waved through the parking lot turnstiles. This was a really nice perk. Does anyone know if free parks parking exists after a certain time, still?

yes but it doesn't have a set time. I have arrived at all parks with about 2 hour before closing time (no special party nights) and there is no one at the booths or just wave you in

 

[CAS239]

It's a daily thing but like Yulilin said there's no set time. You could show up at 6pm and find the parking attendant booths closed and just drive right in, or you could show up at 8pm and their still there.

You won't know until you head to the park and pull up to the window

 

[snowwhitenyc]

Yes, this doesn't seem to be well-known and it's funny to see people slowly creeping through the toll booth and then taking off like they committed a crime

As everyone else has said there isn't a schedule, but I go to Epcot a lot in the evenings and 7pm is usually when they stop collecting parking fees. The major exception is during Food and Wine (they will keep charging for parking right up until closing) and maybe other super busy days (major holidays). The booths are also unattended very early in the morning. I've arrived at MK, Epcot, and HS super early (for good reason, mostly ) and was able to drive right in. I wouldn't recommend it as a strategy, but if you ever had a burning need to see the MK parking lot at 6am you likely wouldn't have to pay to get in.

 

[Ambehnke]

It has also happened to me in the morning when arriving at Epcot for a PPO breakfast! That was a little pixie dust for us! Enough to buy us a beer and pretzel in Germany

 

[roryc]

Thank you all for your responses. I knew it likely wasn't an everyday thing, but after it happened twice, it had me wondering if there was an unofficial FREE parking lot entry time. I won't be going at 6AM , but I might try to make it closer to 7PM than 6:30PM ; particularly if MK is open until midnight! If it's free, great. If not, no harm done. But that beer and pretzel is a great bit of pixie dust!

 

[Accident]

Thank you all for your responses. I knew it likely wasn't an everyday thing, but after it happened twice, it had me wondering if there was an unofficial FREE parking lot entry time. I won't be going at 6AM , but I might try to make it closer to 7PM than 6:30PM ; particularly if MK is open until midnight! If it's free, great. If not, no harm done. But that beer and pretzel is a great bit of pixie dust!

I'd say from jan til about now it was about 6pm but it's been varying lately. basically if it's dark when you reach it, it's probably free unless it's a very late close that night (like weekends)

 

[snowwhitenyc]

Thank you all for your responses. I knew it likely wasn't an everyday thing, but after it happened twice, it had me wondering if there was an unofficial FREE parking lot entry time. I won't be going at 6AM , but I might try to make it closer to 7PM than 6:30PM ; particularly if MK is open until midnight! If it's free, great. If not, no harm done. But that beer and pretzel is a great bit of pixie dust!

Unfortunately I don't think MK lot will be free at 7pm if the park is open until midnight (Epcot closes at 9pm most nights, so there aren't many arrivals after 7pm which is why I assume they think it makes more sense not to staff the booth). But you're right that it won't hurt to try!

 

[Marshel]

Besides the MK, when the booths are closed they aren't directing you to a space so you can park at the first open space towards the end of the aisle if you're riding the tram in (towards the end of the day, I'm always riding the tram )

 

[CAS239]

Besides the MK, when the booths are closed they aren't directing you to a space so you can park at the first open space towards the end of the aisle if you're riding the tram in (towards the end of the day, I'm always riding the tram )

They do this at MK too. If you show up later in the evening the parking lot CM's are gone and you can park wherever. This usually happens before the parking booth CM's leave

 

[mrzrich]

They do this at MK too. If you show up later in the evening the parking lot CM's are gone and you can park wherever. This usually happens before the parking booth CM's leave

Oh this is good to know, I am going the DIS 20th Anniversary and thinking of driving. One of my concerns was having to walk very far to my car at 1Am. So if I arrive at 830ish, I would be able to search for a closer spot?

 

[Klayfish]

Oh this is good to know, I am going the DIS 20th Anniversary and thinking of driving. One of my concerns was having to walk very far to my car at 1Am. So if I arrive at 830ish, I would be able to search for a closer spot?

Probably, yep. Like others said, it's not a set time. I'd presume that it has to do with when the incoming volume really drops off. The attendants in the lot leave too, so you can park wherever you want. You can always find spots up front because the rope drop people are leaving by late afternoon/early evening.

 

[Accident]

Oh this is good to know, I am going the DIS 20th Anniversary and thinking of driving. One of my concerns was having to walk very far to my car at 1Am. So if I arrive at 830ish, I would be able to search for a closer spot?

Usually yes but don't be surprised if you can't.

 

[CAS239]

Oh this is good to know, I am going the DIS 20th Anniversary and thinking of driving. One of my concerns was having to walk very far to my car at 1Am. So if I arrive at 830ish, I would be able to search for a closer spot?

Very likely but nothing guaranteed. There's been times when we've went to the park at 5 or 6 and the CM's directing parking were already gone and we were able to park wherever. Later the better though