Resort parking question. Is this ok or flameworthy?

[daisylove]

I do not want to get Flamed but I did want to ask this question for future reference.
If I go to Swan or Dolphin for breakfast and valet park (meaning I pay the $15) is there a time limit?
I know it is not meant for park parking so please do not flame me. But what if you were visiting friends/family at the hotel etc and stayed all day? I know at the MK hotels and Boardwalk you have a time limit but what if you valet? Is Valet timed?

 

[gepetto]

maybe your friends can get you a guest parking pass.

 

[TammiMcMan]

Friends or family visiting the resort is handled differently than if you were just stopping by for a PS. Just check with guest services on getting them the appropriate parking pass. I thought that I had read that the Swan/Dolphin is now charging a fee to their resort guests for parking, so you would probably need to pay that for your visitors too.

In reference to Valet parking, I know that our receipt shows the time and date so I would think that they monitor the time, but don't know that for sure. Not all, but most of the resorts that would attract people to park there while visiting the parks, usually stop you and ask what your purpose is for staying. As the security gate is well before the entrance and valet parking, you might still need to have your name on the list as an expected visitor or a restaurant reservation before being allowed to pass through.

 

[Mary Anne]

We have paid to Valet park all day and never had to move. Also, you can valet at say the Boardalk Area in the morning and then later in the day, drive over to the Poly area and Valet there for free as they will give you a Valet Pass that is good for the whole day.

 

[sandyneck]

We have used the valet at Grand Floridian many times to take the monorail to Disney. I am totally upfront at the gate, and ask them if it is OK to do this. When I was there I was told that I could pay for valet and it is good to leave my car there the whole day. This is not a "flameworthy" post, because valet is not taking parking spots away from guests, which is usually what causes the flames. There is a seperate parking area just for valet.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you valet park at the Swan and Dolphin, you will still have to pay to valet park at the other Disney resorts. It's not the same as when you valet park at the Disney resorts.

 

[cjsmith]

We have used the valet at Grand Floridian many times to take the monorail to Disney. I am totally upfront at the gate, and ask them if it is OK to do this. When I was there I was told that I could pay for valet and it is good to leave my car there the whole day. This is not a "flameworthy" post, because valet is not taking parking spots away from guests, which is usually what causes the flames. There is a seperate parking area just for valet.

Valet is also for guests. It isn't okay at all the resorts either, there is a sign up at the gate by the YC saying that you can't park there for the parks. Whenever we go by car to another resort for breakfast, even with my current valet parking, I still get a time limit from the resorts so I'm surprised that you can do this.

 

[TammiMcMan]

This is not a "flameworthy" post, because valet is not taking parking spots away from guests, which is usually what causes the flames. There is a seperate parking area just for valet.

I was kind of curious when I read this also. I'm sure that even valet doesn't have an unlimited supply of parking spots, so technically yes, you are still taking a spot away from a resort guest if that guest chooses to use the valet service. We usually stay at the GF with a rental car and even as resort guest, we do take advantage of valet parking. Especially there because the self park lot is quite a long walk.

 

[daisylove]

How much is valet parking at the different resorts?

 

[sandyneck]

Concerning taking away valet spots from guests, I highly doubt any guest has been told they cannot use valet parking because they are full. I may be wrong, so please let us know if this has happened to anyone. It seems all resorts are different, and like I said before, if you are upfront about what you are doing, they will tell you whether you can do it or not, and since the guests do not manage the parking, no one could flame you for doing something the resort said was OK.

 

[TammiMcMan]

Concerning taking away valet spots from guests, I highly doubt any guest has been told they cannot use valet parking because they are full.

But where does the overflow go if the valet parking lot is full, into the guests self parking lot? If that's the case, then yes I'm sure no guest would be denied valet parking, but you are ultimately taking spots away by using monorail & Epcot resorts as a day lot while visiting the parks. If you're a resort guest, you can park for free at any of the official lots.

You said you were up front in telling the guard that you were using valet to spend the day at the MK and if he said that was fine, I'm not saying that you were wrong. Perhaps it's at his discretion based on the resort occupancy or how many parking passes have been issued for that day. There do seem to be some guards who are much more strict than others and certain resorts are really cracking down on issuing time limits. If the OP is up front about her reasons for wanting to park all day at the Swan/Dolphin and they allow her, then that's good for her. It's just not a standardized policy and handled very differently from resort to resort and my guess is, seasonaly also.

DaisyloveAt the Disney resorts it's $6 or $7 plus tip. You'll get a valet card that shows you have paid the fee for that day and you'll only be responsible for tipping at other resorts that you choose to valet park at (that day only). I don't know what the fee is at the Swan/Dolphin.

Tammi

 

[cjsmith]

Concerning taking away valet spots from guests, I highly doubt any guest has been told they cannot use valet parking because they are full. I may be wrong, so please let us know if this has happened to anyone. It seems all resorts are different, and like I said before, if you are upfront about what you are doing, they will tell you whether you can do it or not, and since the guests do not manage the parking, no one could flame you for doing something the resort said was OK.

You may highly doubt it, but that's not true. When we were there in January, the valet parking lot was full. They still offered to valet our car and not charge us the $7 charge, but my car would be in the general parking lot. I drive my own car and it's new and an expensive one so I prefer having it in the valet parking lot so I get less door dings. So if everyone parked at the different resorts using the valet lots to go to the parks, the valet lots would get full as they're not that big at some of the resorts. This does indeed take away spots from guests who are at the resort.

The valet parking is meant for those guests staying at the resort, dining at the resort, or visiting friends staying at the resort. They are not meant to be parking facilities for the parks. There is a sign at the YC & BC stating this exact thing.
You may have done it in the past, I'm not doubting you at all, but technically it isn't right. Everytime we go to the Contemporary or The Poly for breakfast they still check my PS on their sheets and give me a 3 hour pass. I have my YC pass and valet pass right there for the guards to see. I guess the guards that I've gotten just weren't as accomodating as the ones you've gotten.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

How much is valet parking at the different resorts?

At Disney resorts it is $7/day. At the Swan/Dolphin, it is more ($14 or 15/day).

 

[Lewisc]

I know I'm pouring on gasoline but I'd put S/D in a different category than the other resorts.

Customers that want to have breakfast in Fresh have to pay to park. The parking rate is a daily rate and not an hourly rate.

Can you blame customers that just paid to park for the day leaving their car in the lot rather than moving it? Can you blame an offsite guest that doesn't think he should have to pay a daily parking fee at S/D and then pay a second daily fee at a theme park?

Business that charge for parking have a much harder time justifying limiting where you can go after you've paid to park for the day.

 

[jcsbama]

This may be a stupid question, but I've never valet parked my car, mainly because I'm uninformed. When tipping, do you tip the person that parks your car and the person that retrieves it? How much do you tip?

 

[cjsmith]

This may be a stupid question, but I've never valet parked my car, mainly because I'm uninformed. When tipping, do you tip the person that parks your car and the person that retrieves it? How much do you tip?

I tip when they take my car and when the retrieve my car. I usually give $2 if they're not doing anything but getting the car, like not helping with bags or anything.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

This may be a stupid question, but I've never valet parked my car, mainly because I'm uninformed. When tipping, do you tip the person that parks your car and the person that retrieves it? How much do you tip?

I tip both ways -- usually a couple of bucks both times, unless the weather is bad, then I add a little extra. After all, the poor valet is the one getting soaked on my behalf and I inevitably feel a little guilty about that, too.

 

[DisFlan]

jcsbama - we usually tip the person who parks the car AND the person who brings it back (it'll probably be two different people). $2 or $3 for each one, depending on promptness. Those kids work hard.

DisFlan

 

[married@wdw]

When we go through the guard shacks at the deluxe resorts, we always tell them we're valeting. We've never, ever gotten a time pass. I only know they exist because of these boards.

On the last two trips though, I've barely gotten my window down and they wave me through without asking anything. I'm guessing it's because our parking pass says DVC member (which it has for years), but being waved through without questions even happened at GF and Poly in February.

We park at the resorts if we're eating there at some point during the day -- never JUST to go to the parks. So if I have P.S. at O'hana at 6 p.m. and we're doing MK before, I'll park at Poly, go to MK, then go back Poly for dinner. The guards have always told us this was fine -- we used to ask every time -- and we usually vacation on value season, so the place is empty anyway.

 

[brettb]

(snip) I drive my own car and it's new and an expensive one so I prefer having it in the valet parking lot so I get less door dings. (snip)

The first ding is always the hardest. I suggest you get a ball-peen hammer and make a small one yourself. Parking will be a lot less stressful after that. It's best to do it as soon as you get the car home from the dealership.