Question about valet parking with the TIW card

[bangzoom6877]

I just found out that a friend of mine is staying at BLT during the same time we will be at WDW this summer. We want to have dinner together in the Contemporary, and then she said we should hang out with them in their villa and watch the fireworks from their room (MK view). We will have the TIW card and use it for our dinner (we're talking about going to The Wave), and I know that there is complimentary valet parking at the resort where you dine, as long as you show your receipt when you leave. If we go to dinner around 6 but then hang out at BLT for a few hours with our friends, will they still let us valet park for free? Or should we not even bother, and just self-park the car just to be sure they don't charge us for parking for longer than the meal took?

It would just be so much easier to valet it, so I thought I'd ask. We tip generously for valet, but I don't want to have to pay the valet charge on top of the tip.

 

[Tony-NJ]

You should be fine to valet.

 

[disney minnie]

Ask when you get there. usually you have three hours

 

[cbg1027]

Technically, you're only allowed 3 hours, but I've gone way over that many times without any problems.

Also, just an fyi I discovered -
Most of the valets I've used (GF, CR, Poly, AKL) would rather see your TIW card when you pull up. They don't even bother with the receipt afterwards.

And for some reason, the BWI valet seems to be the only place that likes to play by the rules, and they always ask me a for a dining receipt there.

 

[ttstroker]

i've parked at POLY and BC and each time the valet told me I could leave my car there for the rest of the day if I decided to head to a park afterwards. Showed my TIW when I pulled up and receipt when I left. Tipped at drop off and pick-up.

 

[tndisneyfan]

Sorry, not trying to hijack this thread but had a valet question too. So if I want to use valet at one of the resorts I just show them my TIW card and they don't make me pay anything there. I don't have to pay then get reimbursed? Sorry if this is a silly question, I've only valet parked in Vegas and that was free, except for tip of course. Do you tip when you drop off and pick up or just when you pick up?

 

[bangzoom6877]

Sorry, not trying to hijack this thread but had a valet question too. So if I want to use valet at one of the resorts I just show them my TIW card and they don't make me pay anything there. I don't have to pay then get reimbursed? Sorry if this is a silly question, I've only valet parked in Vegas and that was free, except for tip of course. Do you tip when you drop off and pick up or just when you pick up?

I'm not sure how payment for valet works whether you use the TIW card or not...but as far as I know, the written rule is that you have to show the receipt from the restaurant where you dined, when you pick up your car. As far as tipping, you tip how you are comfortable, but for me, I would tip both when dropping off and picking up the car. Let's not make this into a tipping discussion though, there is a Sticky for tipping.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Technically the valet for TIW card holders is ONLY when you are dining at a particular resort.
Our experience is the same as cbg1027--I usually tell the valet we're parking for so and so restaurant and they seem to make a note of it such that we rarely are asked for a dining receipt. But it DOES happen and I always make sure I have the receipt with me when we pick up the car.

 

[Wigit12]

We just used valet with TIW at BWV and they didn't question our time at all. We walked around the boardwalk for a good bit after dinner.
But, you may find it easier to park at BLT as opposed to CR valet if you'll be watching fireworks anyway. There's a large parking lot there that was never full. Was easy to walk to our car. Seems more convenient that walking back over to CR.
BTW: Loved The Wave for dinner.