PS at Chef Mickeys...not staying on property..HELP!

[funfamx6]

We have PS for Chef Mickeys at 7:40 am on our first morning at Disney. We are staying off property and have a car.

My question is this...what time can we park at MK? We thought we could just take the monorail to CR for PS. But can we get in the parking lot that early? It is for December 5th..park opens at 9 am. I know we could park for 3 hours at CR, but since we are going to spend the morning at MK, don't want to have to move the car, because by then the lot will probably be full at MK?

Any suggestion GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Park at the MK, and take the Monorail to the Contemporary. Parking lot opens at 7:00am and Monorail starts service at 7:00am.

 

[mochabean]

Tyler,
I've got a related question. I have a 7:00 am PS at Chef Mickey's, and we'll be going to the MK afterwards. If the MK parking lot doesn't open till 7, I can't do what you suggest, although that is what my original plan was. We are staying at OKW, is there a bus from OKW to MK early enough that I can walk to the CR for my 7:00 am breakfast? Or will I just have to park at CR for breakfast then move the car to the MK lot afterwards? If that is the case I may change my PS to 7:30am just so I won't have to move the car. How firm is that 7:00 am parking lot opening (since it's the same toll plaza as the MK resorts) and monorail start time, especially on MK EE days? Also, will they let you on the resort monorail at the TTC if you tell them you are having breakfast at the CR? I know they used to hold people behind the main gates at the TTC until very close to MK opening time.
Thanks!!

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by mochabean
Tyler,
I've got a related question. I have a 7:00 am PS at Chef Mickey's, and we'll be going to the MK afterwards. If the MK parking lot doesn't open till 7, I can't do what you suggest, although that is what my original plan was. We are staying at OKW, is there a bus from OKW to MK early enough that I can walk to the CR for my 7:00 am breakfast? Or will I just have to park at CR for breakfast then move the car to the MK lot afterwards? If that is the case I may change my PS to 7:30am just so I won't have to move the car. How firm is that 7:00 am parking lot opening (since it's the same toll plaza as the MK resorts) and monorail start time, especially on MK EE days? Also, will they let you on the resort monorail at the TTC if you tell them you are having breakfast at the CR? I know they used to hold people behind the main gates at the TTC until very close to MK opening time.
Thanks!!

They will not hold you back at the Toll Plaza. When we say that it opens at 7:00am, we mean that transportation begins at that time. With a PS, they will let you past the gates and into the Monorail.

Buses to the MK Area for character breakfasts will begin around 6:30am, daily from OKW. At that hour, they will take you direct.

 

[mochabean]

Tyler,
Thanks for the very quick response!

Does that mean that the monorails don't start till 7 even on MK EE days?

And what would I do if I was staying at the Polynesian and had to get to Chef Mickey's for a 7:00 am PS? Does the resort monorail run earlier than 7:00?

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by mochabean
Tyler,
Thanks for the very quick response!

Does that mean that the monorails don't start till 7 even on MK EE days?

And what would I do if I was staying at the Polynesian and had to get to Chef Mickey's for a 7:00 am PS? Does the resort monorail run earlier than 7:00?

The resort monorail does not begin service until around 7:00am. That is when the doors to the monorail platform get unlocked. Note that while service begins at 7:00am, actual train arrival time may vary. It's also possible that there might be early morning delays (usually very brief) as the trains typically do thier morning safety checks prior to 7:00am, and they can run over.

Remember though, that a Priority Seating is NOT a reservation. If you are a few minutes late, it is NOT a big deal. Priority Seatings differ from Reservations in that when you check in at the podium, you get put in queue, and seated at the next available table for your size. It's like a Fast Pass for restaurants, but instead of a published time frame window, they give you a fixed time. If you arrive before hand, or a few minutes late, it makes no difference. You get placed in that queue for the next available table.