Transportation between resorts...

[Melissa<3Disney]

Hi all!! We are going to WDW the first week of October! We are a grand gathering of 14. The problem is my sister and her family are staying at POR and the rest of us are staying at POP. My question is, would we be able to drive and park at each other's resorts on certain days and take Disney Transportation to the parks together!? Or does Disney Transportation run between these two resorts?! We could always just meet at the park gates, but I like the idea of everyone being together since we have quite a few early meals that we all need to be together for! TIA!!

 

[CleveRocks]

There's no easy, quick or convenient Disney transportation between Pop Century and POR. To get from one to the other, you'd have to take a bus to a park or Downtown Disney, and then a bus from that park?DTD to the other resort. Plan on that taking 1 hour.

In this age of cellphones, it should be easy and stress-free to meet the others at the parks.

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

Agreed! It's much easier to just meet each other at the park gates.

 

[Melissa<3Disney]

There's no easy, quick or convenient Disney transportation between Pop Century and POR. To get from one to the other, you'd have to take a bus to a park or Downtown Disney, and then a bus from that park?DTD to the other resort. Plan on that taking 1 hour.

In this age of cellphones, it should be easy and stress-free to meet the others at the parks.

Alrighty.. then that is what we'll have to do then! My family is kind of flighty and I just wanted to make sure I got them all to our ADR's on time!! I'll just have to figure it out!! Thanks for the advice!!

 

[seashoreCM]

Generally it is not permissible to park at a different resort from the resort you are staying at and then take the buses to the parks.

 

[NewEnglander]

Generally it is not permissible to park at a different resort from the resort you are staying at and then take the buses to the parks.

Can you explain how they find out if a guest staying at a WDW resort is parking at different resort? Do they really care in this case, considering these are not two MK resorts?

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

Can you explain how they find out if a guest staying at a WDW resort is parking at different resort? Do they really care in this case, considering these are not two MK resorts?

When you are staying at a Disney resort and have a car, they give you a parking pass that you display on your car dash. It indicates your name, your resort and the dates you are staying.

 

[NewEnglander]

When you are staying at a Disney resort and have a car, they give you a parking pass that you display on your car dash. It indicates your name, your resort and the dates you are staying.

Will Disney do anything if, considering how big the parking lots are, it's a big if, they see a parking pass from a different WDW resort? Do they really expend that much energy cracking down on WDW guests parking in another resort parking lot? I can't believe they would tow in that case.

 

[DebbieB]

Will Disney do anything if, considering how big the parking lots are, it's a big if, they see a parking pass from a different WDW resort? Do they really expend that much energy cracking down on WDW guests parking in another resort parking lot? I can't believe they would tow in that case.

Since there isn't a park within walking distance of either POP or POR, I doubt they would tow. Usually the moderates have plenty of extra parking, especially around the buildings with the rooms.

That being said, it's just as easy to meet at the park. When I went last June, my group stayed in 3 different resorts and it wasn't an issue. We set a time to meet at the front of the park. If one group was late, we would call each other's cellphones.

 

[maxiesmom]

Will Disney do anything if, considering how big the parking lots are, it's a big if, they see a parking pass from a different WDW resort? Do they really expend that much energy cracking down on WDW guests parking in another resort parking lot? I can't believe they would tow in that case.

Actually they would tow. Mostly it happens at Boardwalk area resorts, or Magic Kingdom area resorts. Disney doesn't want other people parking at those resorts, taking away spaces from the people who paid to stay at them. However there was just a poster in the last few days who reported seeing cars towed away from POR.

Safer to just follow the rules and park your car at your resort only. I would hate to go back for my car and find it gone.

 

[NewEnglander]

Actually they would tow. Mostly it happens at Boardwalk area resorts, or Magic Kingdom area resorts. Disney doesn't want other people parking at those resorts, taking away spaces from the people who paid to stay at them. However there was just a poster in the last few days who reported seeing cars towed away from POR.

Safer to just follow the rules and park your car at your resort only. I would hate to go back for my car and find it gone.

But we're not talking the BWR or MK resorts. I can just about guarantee that if they have a valid parking pass from a WDW resort and are parking at POR or POP, they will not be towed. Over the past 14 years I've driven through and around all of the WDW resorts up to 8 hours a day and up to five days a week and am not aware of anyone being towed under those conditions.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The problem with parking for any length of time at ANY resort where you're not staying is, you're taking a parking space from someone who is paying to stay there. Granted, there's plenty of parking at the Value and Moderate resorts. But you're also taking a convenient parking space from someone who's paying to stay at a particular property.

Value and Moderate Guests have a reasonable expectation of the same general treatment as Deluxe Guests; not, obviously, restaurants or pool slides where none exist - but if the rule for X resort is that only Guests of this resort may park here more than three hours, then the rule holds true for ALL resorts.

 

[NewEnglander]

but if the rule for X then the rule holds true for ALL resorts.

Your response is based on common sense and conjecture but mine is based on reality. The three hour rule is not what is percieved to be by non WDW Security CMs. If you see a car being towed, you're probably thinking it's for a parking violation. While it does happen in extreme cases, 99% of the time it's not. As I said, I've been there for a long, long time and live it on a daily bases. So respectfully, while you may think what you wrote is what goes on, as someone in the trenches, it's not.

 

[skiingfast]

Can you explain how they find out if a guest staying at a WDW resort is parking at different resort? Do they really care in this case, considering these are not two MK resorts?

Last time I was there, there was a guard opening the gate to allow vehicles into the resort. I don't know how the private cars were handled. Only that this CM was present at the entrances.

 

[tjmw2727]

The parking pass is for resort guests to park in their resort, park in the parks and also to park at other resorts while visiting them.

While I doubt that POP will tow the pass really dosen't entitle you to leave your car at another resort all day while you visit a park. It does entitle you to park at your resort or a the parks.

IMHO it would be a complete pain to drive to another resort, park there, use the buses, return to that resort and drive back to your resort. Adds way too much time to my day !

Having traveled with family often and always staying at different resorts (some brothers own DVC most not) its complicated. However most times we always managed to get everyone where they needed to be and the few times someone was late wasn't that big a deal. With cellphones you should be able to communicate as to where and when you will meet.

Honestly, not being together 100 % of the time is what makes our family trips work ! Yes we love each other but separating for a while and meeting for the parade & fireworks or a meal worked really well.

 

[magicaldisney]

Your response is based on common sense and conjecture but mine is based on reality. The three hour rule is not what is percieved to be by non WDW Security CMs. If you see a car being towed, you're probably thinking it's for a parking violation. While it does happen in extreme cases, 99% of the time it's not. As I said, I've been there for a long, long time and live it on a daily bases. So respectfully, while you may think what you wrote is what goes on, as someone in the trenches, it's not.

Respectfully.....I think you are someone who just wants to stir the pot here. Reality in life is that people do the wrong things everyday. Whether people do it or not was not the question. Whether it is acceptable and permitted was more the question and the OP received an answer to that question.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Your response is based on common sense and conjecture but mine is based on reality. The three hour rule is not what is percieved to be by non WDW Security CMs. If you see a car being towed, you're probably thinking it's for a parking violation. While it does happen in extreme cases, 99% of the time it's not. As I said, I've been there for a long, long time and live it on a daily bases. So respectfully, while you may think what you wrote is what goes on, as someone in the trenches, it's not.

If I see a car being towed, I think - if I think about it at all - that the car broke down. If I see four, five, six cars being towed within a fifteen minute span from a WDW resort parking lot, I think, "Ah, they must all have been here well over the 'known' three hour limit, i.e. using the resort's lot to visit a theme park but not staying at this property".

But then, I've only been a WDW Fanatic for the last 25 years or so.

 

[NewEnglander]

Actually they would tow. Mostly it happens at Boardwalk area resorts, or Magic Kingdom area resorts. Disney doesn't want other people parking at those resorts, taking away spaces from the people who paid to stay at them. However there was just a poster in the last few days who reported seeing cars towed away from POR.

Unless you valet, parking is free at all WDW resorts.

If you're saying that they tow at the BW, that is not the case. Disney wants you to park there because they want locals and other resort guests to spend money at the BW restaurants and shops. Security asks for photo ID and that's it. No 3 hour parking pass. What they don't want is if for people to park there and walk to EPCOT and stay for the day. However if all the BW lots are full, all bets are off, but I haven't seen that yet.

As for towing at POR, did the poster say that they were towing cars with parking passes from other WDW resorts? Again, unless the lots are full, they could tow, but they won't. It's not good business.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If you're saying that they tow at the BW, that is not the case. Disney wants you to park there because they want locals and other resort guests to spend money at the BW restaurants and shops. Security asks for photo ID and that's it. No 3 hour parking pass. What they don't want is if for people to park there and walk to EPCOT and stay for the day. However if all the BW lots are full, all bets are off, but I haven't seen that yet.

Yes three hour parking pass. Frequently. You are correct, WDW wants people to park at the various resorts at no charge for a reasonable amount of time to shop and dine. Hence the three hour parking passes. Don't say no. I've even found one on my dashboard on having my Valet-parked vehicle returned to me at the GF, and I'd only been there for Tea. Full day/long term no-cost resort parking is for the Guests paying to stay at the respective resorts only. You're right, Walt Disney World doesn't want Guests parking at a resort all day to visit theme parks if they're not staying at that resort. It's only reasonable that this would hold true of ANY resort - whether it abuts a theme park or not.

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

Will Disney do anything if, considering how big the parking lots are, it's a big if, they see a parking pass from a different WDW resort? Do they really expend that much energy cracking down on WDW guests parking in another resort parking lot? I can't believe they would tow in that case.

I honestly don't know but I wouldn't want to chance getting our car towed ...

Bonny