Question on Parking at Resorts

[Nazran]

If I am staying at the Poly and I decide to drive my family to Fort Wilderness parking lot for a Trail's End breakfast ADR, can I then leave my Van in the parking lot while we take the boat to MK and make a day of it?

I do understand I can take the Monorail to MK and then Boats back and forth to Fort Wilderness.

We drove last time and I found it very liberating having our own Van on property but then again we were at POR. This time we are at Poly so I will rely less on my own Van. I am asking because having your own car there also means not having to wait, monorail breakdowns, boats sinking or whatever unknowns.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I think the rule is three hours for an ADR? But I'm not familiar with how tight parking is over there

I would find it easier to just drive back to the Poly but I see your point about wanting to get your day started

 

[Nazran]

I think the rule is three hours for an ADR? But I'm not familiar with how tight parking is over there

I would find it easier to just drive back to the Poly but I see your point about wanting to get your day started

Yeah I thought about that too... we are going with friends who are staying at CBR and they won't have on site transportation. I thought it would be cool to boat over so we can stick together. I dunno...

 

[Alesia]

You're not supposed to park for more than 3 hours.

Think of it this way: how would you feel if you came back to the Poly with sleepy kids ready for an afternoon nap and there wasn't a single parking spot to be found because all of the people who ate breakfast at 'Ohana decided to leave their cars there? Let that be your guide.

If you really want to take the boat to MK, you'll need to take Disney transportation to WL.

 

[Nazran]

You're not supposed to park for more than 3 hours.

Think of it this way: how would you feel if you came back to the Poly with sleepy kids ready for an afternoon nap and there wasn't a single parking spot to be found because all of the people who ate breakfast at 'Ohana decided to leave their cars there? Let that be your guide.

If you really want to take the boat to MK, you'll need to take Disney transportation to WL.

That is an excellent example! Thank you. I was unaware of the 3 hr rule.

 

[AngiTN]

That is an excellent example! Thank you. I was unaware of the 3 hr rule.

It's not so much a hard and fast rule but more a guideline for courtesy to others. As PP pointed out, nothing worse than not being able to park at the resort where you are a guest because non-guests are taking up spaces.
Disney is fine with folks going to various resorts to check them out, eat, etc. They want that as a matter of fact, so maybe you'll get the bug to stay there sometime. But they do not want Resorts parking lots to become Park parking lots. Park at the resort while you are doing business at that resort and that's it. When you leave, your car should leave. If everyone went by that rule then guests at a given resort will find parking.

 

[AngiTN]

Yeah I thought about that too... we are going with friends who are staying at CBR and they won't have on site transportation. I thought it would be cool to boat over so we can stick together. I dunno...

Why doesn't everyone meet up at MK and then boat to FW together?

 

[FastPasser]

The Fort Wilderness parking situation is unique to the resort. The vast majority of guests staying at the FWR are able to park, on average, one to two cars on their sites. The parking lots are for FW guest's additional vehicles/utilities trailers that won't fit at their sites, RV short term parking, and for day visitors who are dinning at the Trail's End restaurant, attending the HDDMR, or participating in one of the Fort's many activities.

Leaving your car there while spending the day at MK is discouraged but not because guests staying there won't find a space for their cars as they have guaranteed parking at their camping site or cabin. It's mainly because other visitors to the Fort may not find a space.

 

[goofy4tink]

Not to mention that you are going to have to take an internal bus to get to Trail's End. So much easier to just meet up at MK and then take the boat over to FtW...walk off the dock and up the path to Trail's End.

 

[supersnoop]

It's not so much a hard and fast rule but more a guideline for courtesy to others.

I wouldn't call it a "guideline." It is a policy; it's just not always enforced. At the near-park resorts, you're likely to be handed a 3-hour parking permit to display on your dash. I know they've been handed out at the Polynesian recently, and the Contemporary was still using paper parking passes for guests during my last visit.

 

[notrub98]

I wouldn't call it a "guideline." It is a policy; it's just not always enforced. At the near-park resorts, you're likely to be handed a 3-hour parking permit to display on your dash. I know they've been handed out at the Polynesian recently, and the Contemporary was still using paper parking passes for guests during my last visit.

No none is paying attention to the parking pass. Not saying it is right but the three hour parking pass is irrelevant. You just don't put it on your dash and presto! You are a guest. People do it every single day. Again, not saying I agree with it.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

If I am staying at the Poly and I decide to drive my family to Fort Wilderness parking lot for a Trail's End breakfast ADR, can I then leave my Van in the parking lot while we take the boat to MK and make a day of it?

I do understand I can take the Monorail to MK and then Boats back and forth to Fort Wilderness.

We drove last time and I found it very liberating having our own Van on property but then again we were at POR. This time we are at Poly so I will rely less on my own Van. I am asking because having your own car there also means not having to wait, monorail breakdowns, boats sinking or whatever unknowns.

remember even if you drive to Fort Wilderness you will have to use the internal bus to get to Trails End and again when you would come back from MK if you would be allowed to leave your car there. there is no car parking even handicapped at that end of campground. if you would decide to walk it is about a mile from parking lot to Trails End. the boat from MK is a short walk from boat dock to Trails End and back to the dock

 

[supersnoop]

No none is paying attention to the parking pass. Not saying it is right but the three hour parking pass is irrelevant. You just don't put it on your dash and presto! You are a guest. People do it every single day. Again, not saying I agree with it.

Like I said; at the resorts where they issue three-hour-passes, they also issue paper parking passes for guests.

 

[ChadInOKC]

When I checked in online, I didn't get squat to put on the dash of my rental car. Just emailed/texted my room number and I'm in. This alone makes me think this is hard to do at places other than contemporary or others.

 

[supersnoop]

When I checked in online, I didn't get squat to put on the dash of my rental car. Just emailed/texted my room number and I'm in. This alone makes me think this is hard to do at places other than contemporary or others.

The paper pass is usually handed to you by the security guys at the guard shack when you drive into the parking lot. Your band won't work to open the gate until it's been used on your room door.

 

[Alesia]

When I checked in online, I didn't get squat to put on the dash of my rental car. Just emailed/texted my room number and I'm in. This alone makes me think this is hard to do at places other than contemporary or others.

Where did you stay?

 

[goofy4tink]

I haven't been given a paper parking 'permit' at several resorts. I did get one at BLT just before Thanksgiving. But, I didn't get one at OKW in Sept, at SSR or CBR in early Jan. Didn't get one at CSR a few weeks ago.
So...it may be that paper parking permits are being handed out to guests at resorts that abut a park.
I asked at SSR, and was told, by security, and was told they are getting away from those.

 

[notrub98]

I have not received a paper parking pass for any of my Deluxe stays that I can recall. If I got them, I didn't use them. No issues.

 

[Marshel]

The overflow lot at FW is quite large and is never at capacity; if you asked at the security shack when pulling in for your ADR, I'm betting they'll tell you it would be ok to leave your car there, especially since you are a resort guest not trying to dodge paying for parking. The emphasis at FW is a little different, they are trying to keep people,especially day guests, from driving around the campground itself. Back in the day you didn't even have to go through security to access the lot and it served as the lot for both FW and River Country so it's a sizable lot.