Paying for MK parking just for dinner?

[CallaLily]

On our upcoming December trip, my DH and I have a dinner reservation at California Grill at 7:20. Earlier in the day, we will be in MGM. My question is do we have to pay for parking for the Magic Kingdom if we're only going to the Contemporary for dinner. Normally, I would just use my AP to get in free, but there is a MVMCP that night, so they would charge me. Do resort guests still park for free on party nights? I hope this wasn't too confusing because I can't respond until after work.

P.S.-I can't change our park for the day and we might not get over to the MK area before the party officially starts.

 

[plutolovr]

You can park at the Contemporary. They will issue a 3-hour parking pass so you can enjoy your dinner.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

If you are just going for dinner, why not park at CR? Tell the parking attendant you are headed for CR for dinner and they should wave you on to the resort. The resort gaurd will give you a parking pass(or not depending on how busy they are)for 3 hours.

 

[helenk]

If you are a resort guest at any WDW resort you do not have to pay for parking at the parks. But as other posters indicated you'd be better off parking right at the CR.
When you go through the booths for the MK you just need your WDW resort parking card in your windshield and you will be waved on through.

 

[cherylp3]

Do you have a DDE? - you can get free parking with a DDE, just bring the parking receipt to dinner.

 

[raven69david]

Tell the toll-booth operator that you have a lunch/dinner ADR and they will usually let you go without having to pay the fee. If you're a little bolder, just tell them that you're checking in to one of the monorail resorts, WL or SOG and they will waive you on threw without any further questions. You will not need to provide any proof of ressie or anything else; done this quite a few times via tips from DIS members even though i had a resort parking pass which i did not display to test this theory.