Very strict resort car security at the resorts closest to magic kingdom.

[Hopefully]

See my thinking is if I lose my passport I can get another when i get home although likely will be a pain, BUT if I lose my drivers license I can't drive when I get home which is critical to (1) get my dog from boarding; (2) get my kid to school;(3) get to work. I dont drink - at all - so my license pretty much just stays in my car. I know it's not the safe way to travel and I swear every trip I'll remember to take ID and insurance cards from the car glove box but alas I get to the airport with nothing but passport and luggage. Maybe this will be the year I remember.

Oh and we carry passports in case DD needs to be identified in any way - so since we bring hers we just bring all of ours and it serves as my form of ID too.

It is not the safe way to travel, without ID and insurance cards in your possession.
I also agree with @wilkeliza about not traveling domestically with my passport. I would far rather risk driving home from the airport without a hard copy License in my possession than ever loose my passport. Your DMV has computer records of your active, valid license on file if necessary.
And " life happens " even in Disney World. In an emergency you very well would need that ID and insurance card on your person.

The new, added security measures at WDW are necessary and good in my opinion

 

[wilkeliza]

It is not the safe way to travel, without ID and insurance cards in your possession.
I also agree with @wilkeliza about not traveling domestically with my passport. I would far rather risk driving home from the airport without a hard copy License in my possession than ever loose my passport. Your DMV has computer records of your active, valid license on file if necessary.
And " life happens " even in Disney World. In an emergency you very well would need that ID and insurance card on your person.

The new, added security measures at WDW are necessary and good in my opinion

Yeah our DMV will print a temp paper in no time. If a cop pulls you over on the ride home usually showing proof it was lost/stolen through a police report from where it happened is enough to get the ticket forgiven.

 

[tjmw2727]

Why the shock? I carry my passport and it's too big to fit in my pocket and being it's on only travel ID after going through TSA it's promptly stored in my carry on luggage and I don't need it until I'm going back home.

If your heading to Disney I would highly recommend bringing ID on a daily basis. I have needed mine more than I thought I would at the parks and resorts. My ap has "glitched" and I was asked for ID, I need my ap and ID for the 20% discount and I have been asked for ID when purchasing an alcohol drink (and I am over 50!) Lastly we had a major MB problem and nobody could access the room - I needed my ID to get them reset.

 

[DaisyJ]

Why the shock? I carry my passport and it's too big to fit in my pocket and being it's on only travel ID after going through TSA it's promptly stored in my carry on luggage and I don't need it until I'm going back home.

I would strongly advise you to carry your license/ID with you while traveling domestically. There is no reason to put your passport at risk of being lost or stolen when carrying it isn't necessary.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Why the shock? I carry my passport and it's too big to fit in my pocket and being it's on only travel ID after going through TSA it's promptly stored in my carry on luggage and I don't need it until I'm going back home.

Several reasons you should always carry an ID...even at Disney. Occasionally, the MB system goes down, and you're not able to charge meals/merchandise back to the room. Credit card has to be used, and some places require an ID to use a cc, which I welcome. We were asked to present our ID three or four different times last week while at WDW.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

This is really about parking enforcement, not security theatre. They are not checking about weapons or anything. The ease of getting through is easily gamed.

This is about parking. If a car doesn't have a confirmed guest, they may be asked to ark elsewhere. If it is a taxi-type service, they want ID to show that, especially with sharing-type services that use private vehicles.

Easy as that.

They need to do this at BWI. Hard core.

 

[DisBuckMan]

They need to do this at BWI. Hard core.

ALL Epcot and ALL MK resorts need it badly.

When we were there last week, we were in the Moorea building at Poly. Upon arrival, we parked in the little side lot that is closest to the Moorea building, but is also closest to the TTC. We arrived at the Poly around 4pm, and managed to find ONE single parking spot out by the road after circling the lot. We spent the evening hanging around the resort. My son and nephew wanted to go hop on the Epcot monorail for a ride around 9pm, so I went with them. I hadn't paid much attention when we were walking to the TTC, but by the time we got back, that lot had practically emptied...I'd bet there weren't 20 cars in the lot. We all know what was causing the lot to be so full during the day.

 

[Kaytie]

I have read a few reports of how empty Trader Sam's has been lately maybe this is a contributor. Interesting.

Possibly a combination of its not brand new and the prices? Or people not wanting to drive to drink?

. That they (three CMs at the concierge desk) had never called to have anyone towed.

It makes much more sense that towing would be instigated by Security, possibly by parking attendants.

The three hour rule has been talked about for a long time. I've NEVER been given that spiel by a guard and have never been given a pass indicating a three hour countdown.

Funny. Last time I was at GF (for tea), I wasn't told about the three hour parking by Security, I utilized Valet parking, and when I got my vehicle back there was a paper on the dashboard with my time in and "3 hours" on it.

Thank you! Only ID I carry is my passport and usually once we're through security I put it away within my carry on luggage. Thinking I need to carry my license now too. Guess there was going to be this need eventually - just didn't think it'll be for Florida lol

And this I don't understand - Disney now offers "airport transfer servuces" via private sedan or SUV. Don't offer it then if they don't feel it's secure or if it warrants a stop and ID check

They arrange it if the guest wants, but they don't provide the actual service.

so my license pretty much just stays in my car.

What if (knock wood) something happens to your car?

 

[ErinsMommy]

What if (knock wood) something happens to your car?

Then in that off chance I'll need to replace my ID as well as other cards. I'm spoiled though in that I work less than a mile from home and daughters school is same distance. My 2010 Santa Fe has a whopping 36k miles on it mainly from weekend getaways

 

[srwarden1928]

In past trips, I have had ADRs at Poly and Contemporary. In both cases, I failed to find the parking lots for the resorts, so I just parked at TTC and used the monorail. Once when we were going to Beaches & Cream (before it was TS) the CM had us park at the CM lot across the street from the resort lot.

 

[fla4fun]

Funny. Last time I was at GF (for tea), I wasn't told about the three hour parking by Security, I utilized Valet parking, and when I got my vehicle back there was a paper on the dashboard with my time in and "3 hours" on it.

I have been given color coded, time stamped pieces of paper to place in my windshield at CR before when going to dine with a legitimate ADR. It was a little larger than a post it note. I figured they had a different color for each expiration hour to make it easier to find the cars that were in violation. It hasn't happened often, but it has happened. I was also turned away at CR one evening when I had a legitimate ADR and told to park in the main lot and monorail in for dinner. I was arriving about 5:45 in the evening, so I wasn't like I was coming in first thing in the morning with the potential to leave the car there all day. Fortunately, that was just before they started the cancellation fee for ADR's, so I just cancelled it and went home. If I had taken the time to go park at the TTC, I would have been at least 30-45 minutes late for the ADR, since it was about 15 minutes before the ADR when I was speaking to the guard.

 

[Aristo-cat]

I'm wondering if this is because of the new MK security set up. There is no bag check coming off the monorail at MK, only at TTC or if you're coming off the buses, or boats from the wildnerness resorts. So that places the security for the resort monorail guests onto the resorts themselves. The monorail resorts are now within the "sphere" of the MK security in a way. Can anybody confirm if the monorail resorts now have bag check/detectors on their monorail platforms (haven't visited any in the last few weeks since before this happened)? Also I would imagine there would need to be a bag check/detector before getting on the Epcot monorail as well.

Yes, there is a bag check and metal detectors at each monorail resort. Epcot however if you ride a monorail from a resort or TTC you will have to go through bag check twice. Once at the monorail and once again inside Epcot.

 

[SL6827]

I am glad to hear of this. Beach Club and Boardwalk parking should be for those paying guest. These seem to be the two resorts I read the most about having no parking for resort guest.

But I will admit, how will guest go to the Boardwalk then?

 

[VAfamily1998]

I am glad to hear of this. Beach Club and Boardwalk parking should be for those paying guest. These seem to be the two resorts I read the most about having no parking for resort guest.

But I will admit, how will guest go to the Boardwalk then?

Taxi/Uber
Take bus transportation to either Hollywood Studios or Epcot and walk/boat from there
Start at any resort* or Disney Springs and take the Boardwalk Inn bus

*Edited to clarify--I meant park, not resort! Sorry!

 

[SL6827]

Taxi/Uber
Take bus transportation to either Hollywood Studios or Epcot and walk/boat from there
Start at any resort or Disney Springs and take the Boardwalk Inn bus

Good point.

 

[h&D3]

We usually make our first full day at WDW one where we would go have breakfast at the Poly, and then ride the monorail over to the Floridian, the Contemporary and then back to the Poly. We love to browse the gift shops as they do have some different merchandise that you can only find there. I don't recall at the Poly ever being stopped to ask whey we were there and only that we could stay 3 hours. I mean we have ADR but never questioned if we were there longer than 3 hours.

I hope this hasn't changed. I guess it's doable to park and monorail it over, but I hope not.

~D

 

[OKW Lover]

I have been given color coded, time stamped pieces of paper to place in my windshield at CR before when going to dine with a legitimate ADR. It was a little larger than a post it note. I figured they had a different color for each expiration hour to make it easier to find the cars that were in violation. It hasn't happened often, but it has happened. I was also turned away at CR one evening when I had a legitimate ADR and told to park in the main lot and monorail in for dinner. I was arriving about 5:45 in the evening, so I wasn't like I was coming in first thing in the morning with the potential to leave the car there all day. Fortunately, that was just before they started the cancellation fee for ADR's, so I just cancelled it and went home. If I had taken the time to go park at the TTC, I would have been at least 30-45 minutes late for the ADR, since it was about 15 minutes before the ADR when I was speaking to the guard.

How recent were these experiences?

 

[DaisyJ]

We usually make our first full day at WDW one where we would go have breakfast at the Poly, and then ride the monorail over to the Floridian, the Contemporary and then back to the Poly. We love to browse the gift shops as they do have some different merchandise that you can only find there. I don't recall at the Poly ever being stopped to ask whey we were there and only that we could stay 3 hours. I mean we have ADR but never questioned if we were there longer than 3 hours.

I hope this hasn't changed. I guess it's doable to park and monorail it over, but I hope not.

~D

Now, you go through bag check/security at each of the monorail resorts before you are allowed on the monorail.

 

[msb578]

If you go to the big, advertised restaurants at the Swan or Dolphin you pay to park.
Heck, if you are staying there you pay to park.
I like the new measure

I haven't read the whole rest of the thread, so I'm not sure if someone said this already... some restaurants at the Swan/Dolphin validate parking. Bluezoo did for us in April. I only mention this because it was a big selling point for us (and the restaurant was a wonderful experience too).

 

[dansdad]

How recent were these experiences?

My parents experienced the same 2 weeks ago.