Question re: Parking for non-park time

[donaldanddaisy]

Hi -- I did search but couldn't find an answer and this is new for me. I don't live locally so always just part where I am staying. This time, I will be in LA for the weekend so we are coming in to do Mother's Day dinner at the Disneyland Hotel. We also want to spend time in Downtown Disneyland. I think I read that I can get 3 hours of free parking at the DL hotel for the dinner, but the dinner and shopping combined will last more than 3 hours. If I park there, what will they charge me after the 3 hours? Is there a better option for parking for what we will be there for?

 

[LKing]

Did you look at the parking page? There is a separate lot for DTD parking. It is close very close to the DLH.

Downtown Disney District Parking​

Location
Downtown Disney District Parking is at the Simba Lot, located off of Disneyland Drive, between West Katella Avenue and Pixar Place Hotel.

The first hour of parking costs $10 USD. Validations apply after the first hour of paid parking.

Enjoy an additional 3 hours of same-day parking with a $20 USD-minimum purchase and validation from any Downtown Disney location—or up to 5 additional hours of same-day parking with validation from any Downtown Disney table-service restaurant.

Beyond these validations, each additional hour costs $14 USD, charged in 30-minute increments, with a minimum $7 USD. The maximum daily parking and lost ticket fee is $66 USD. Parking is subject to capacity.

Please note that restaurants and lounges within Disneyland Resort hotels do not validate for Downtown Disney District parking areas.



Hotel Parking
Daily Standard Rates

• Self-parking: $40 USD per vehicle for the first hour plus $10 USD for each additional hour, with a maximum rate of $80 USD
• Valet parking: $70 USD per vehicle for the first hour plus $10 USD for each additional hour, with a maximum rate of $140 USD
• Oversized vehicle parking: $45 USD per vehicle for the first hour plus $10 USD for each additional hour, with a maximum rate of $85 USD

Parking availability and prices are subject to change without notice. Not all table-service restaurants provide parking validation.

Parking for Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park and the Downtown Disney District is not permitted at hotel parking locations.

 

[donaldanddaisy]

I appreciate this information. Dining at the hotel won't give me 5 hours of validation. My question is -- if I park at the hotel and receive 3 hours of validation from dining there, how much am I charged if I go over that? Is it $10 for each extra hour? That would likely be a better price than parking at the Simba lot and getting 3 hours of validation.

 

[LKing]

I appreciate this information. Dining at the hotel won't give me 5 hours of validation. My question is -- if I park at the hotel and receive 3 hours of validation from dining there, how much am I charged if I go over that? Is it $10 for each extra hour? That would likely be a better price than parking at the Simba lot and getting 3 hours of validation.

Have you tried calling the hotel and asking them?

 

[lanejudy]

They may not be set-up to charge an hourly rate. It's a flat rate for overnight guests, and day guests get a 3-hour window. The info specifically states "Parking for ... the Downtown Disney District is not permitted at hotel parking locations." At WDW the guest is expected to move the vehicle to an appropriate lot after the meal (or park there to begin with).

 

[LKing]

They may not be set-up to charge an hourly rate. It's a flat rate for overnight guests, and day guests get a 3-hour window. The info specifically states "Parking for ... the Downtown Disney District is not permitted at hotel parking locations." At WDW the guest is expected to move the vehicle to an appropriate lot after the meal (or park there to begin with).

I don't know if this has changed, but I just returned from WDW and was told at multiple resorts, as well as by security at the transportation center, that I could park at the resort as long as I wanted. We were staying off site so paid for park parking in the morning and drove to the resorts for dinner. The GF gave me directions how to take the monorail to the parks and back while I left my car in their lot. Our meal at the Contemporary was when they first opened for dinner. They said I could leave my car there, go to MK and come back four hours later to watch fireworks from the restaurant.

 

[donaldanddaisy]

In case anyone else is wondering ... I did call the hotel and it is $40 for the first hour after the 3 hours. So it's probably cheaper to park at the Downtown Disney lot.

 

[irlandaise]

In case anyone else is wondering ... I did call the hotel and it is $40 for the first hour after the 3 hours. So it's probably cheaper to park at the Downtown Disney lot.

Or take a rideshare at least partway. That's what a friend did when he wanted to come have dinner with me at the GCH last year. Saved him oodles over parking at the hotel.

 

[LAS2AMS]

In case anyone else is wondering ... I did call the hotel and it is $40 for the first hour after the 3 hours. So it's probably cheaper to park at the Downtown Disney lot.

This is very much YMMV -

Every single time we’ve eaten at DLH and presented our validation, they’ve waived us through the exit. We go over 3 hours every time and haven’t paid a penny.

Obviously not something you can expect…

 

[felice]

We used the Simba parking lot for the first time during our recent trip from the UK; I have to say that it works wonders. There are attendants at the paying areas - who can (and do) help if there are any queries from customers. We'd spent a bit at World of Disney and also the new sweets store within DTD so more than qualified for the ticket validation.

 

[donaldanddaisy]

Just to follow up -- we parked at the hotel and stayed longer than three hours. As we left, the parking attendant said it would be $40, but asked if we had been visiting someone at the hotel. We didn't get it and said no. She asked what we did, my husband said shopping, but he hung out at the hotel (true.) She said, oh so you went to the Terrace and then just waived us through. So: just say you visited someone staying at the hotel and you will be fine.

 

[LKing]

Just to follow up -- we parked at the hotel and stayed longer than three hours. As we left, the parking attendant said it would be $40, but asked if we had been visiting someone at the hotel. We didn't get it and said no. She asked what we did, my husband said shopping, but he hung out at the hotel (true.) She said, oh so you went to the Terrace and then just waived us through. So: just say you visited someone staying at the hotel and you will be fine.

Thanks for coming back and letting us know.

 

[LAS2AMS]

Just to follow up -- we parked at the hotel and stayed longer than three hours. As we left, the parking attendant said it would be $40, but asked if we had been visiting someone at the hotel. We didn't get it and said no. She asked what we did, my husband said shopping, but he hung out at the hotel (true.) She said, oh so you went to the Terrace and then just waived us through. So: just say you visited someone staying at the hotel and you will be fine.

We eat at one of the DLR hotels multiple times per year. As I mentioned in my previous post, we always stay longer than three hours (sometimes as many as 5 or even six) and not once have we been charged. That said, they’ve never even questioned us - just waive us through once we present our validated ticket.

They never had a time limit, then they added a 5 hour limit. A few years ago, it changed to 3. I suspect the limit is there as a deterrent to prevent people from parking there and visiting the theme parks. That said, there could always be a random employee who does indeed enforce the time limit.

WDW does not do validations nor have a time limit. Many people make dining reservations and then cancel them once they’ve parked.

 

[felice]

As far as I understand it, you can get 3 hours free as long as you get the ticket validated for shopping.

However, if you are eating in a restaurant on the site & ensure you get your ticket validated, it's actually 5 hours free.

 

[LAS2AMS]

As far as I understand it, you can get 3 hours free as long as you get the ticket validated for shopping.

However, if you are eating in a restaurant on the site & ensure you get your ticket validated, it's actually 5 hours free.

That’s DTD . If you dine at an eligible restaurant at one of the hotels, you can park onsite at that hotel for three hours with validation.

 

[Evita_W]

As a local here, I can tell you things aren't as cut and dry as the appear at first, the minimum you will get free with validation is 3 hours. Certain locations at the hotels (i.e. the more expensive places like Napa Rose) give 5 hours free validation. Officially if you go over that, it is $10 for each additional hour, up to $80 for self parking or $140 for valet parking.

Now the reality is that in our experience, the attendants can and do often make exceptions if you have your receipt with you when leaving and there isn't an excessive amount of time from the time on it to when you are leaving when self parking. There have also been many instances where there was no one at the exit to check and the gate was just open. But please do not plan for this to happen, these are what we consider pixie dust when they occur.

 

[LAS2AMS]

As a local here, I can tell you things aren't as cut and dry as the appear at first, the minimum you will get free with validation is 3 hours. Certain locations at the hotels (i.e. the more expensive places like Napa Rose) give 5 hours free validation. Officially if you go over that, it is $10 for each additional hour, up to $80 for self parking or $140 for valet parking.

Now the reality is that in our experience, the attendants can and do often make exceptions if you have your receipt with you when leaving and there isn't an excessive amount of time from the time on it to when you are leaving when self parking. There have also been many instances where there was no one at the exit to check and the gate was just open. But please do not plan for this to happen, these are what we consider pixie dust when they occur.

If you go over, it’s $40 (self) or $70 (valet) for the first hour.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/parking/

As I indicated, it’s very much YMMV but I’ve never come across somebody who was whacked $40 or $70 for going over. That said, some employees may do so.