What happens once I go through the auto plaza at Magic Kingdom?

[CAS239]

Late question here (and I realize the time has probably already come and gone).. why wouldn't you just go straight from Chef Mickey's to Magic Kingdom via monorail or by walking? You'll already be parked at the Contemporary.. Was there a specific reason you wanted to park at the Magic Kingdom parking lot rather than walking or monorailing from the Contemporary?

You're not allowed to park at one of the hotels if you're not staying there and then head to a park. If you have a dining reservation you're allotted 3 hours to be at that hotel then after that you need to leave or you're car could be towed.

They enforce this to crack down on people trying to avoid paying for parking in the parking lot. And to make it so hotel guests can find parking spots for their hotel

 

[JustinDK]

How do they enforce the 3 hour rule? From reading old threads it looks like they used to give out a pass to put on your dash but I don't believe they do any more. I've gone to the monorail resorts on many occasions for meals and for drinks during the past 2 years and was just told where to park. I'm not advocating for parking at a resort to go to a park, but I'm just curious how and where the 3 hour rule is enforced. I would certainly cry foul if I had dining reservations at the hotel and entered the lot for that purpose, and then stayed at the resort for drinks, etc., beyond the 3 hours, only to have my car towed.

 

[jamby]

Late question here (and I realize the time has probably already come and gone).. why wouldn't you just go straight from Chef Mickey's to Magic Kingdom via monorail or by walking? You'll already be parked at the Contemporary.. Was there a specific reason you wanted to park at the Magic Kingdom parking lot rather than walking or monorailing from the Contemporary?

You are only allowed 3 hours for parking at a resort for a dining reservation. I don't want to overstay my dining reservation and be the one that causes Disney to make adjustments that will make it harder for everyone. I know the rules and I am not going to try to steal the theme park parking fee from Disney.

 

[SL6827]

I think one time when we drove to the Magic Kingdom they just ask us if we were on site guest, and of course we were, so they just let us on through. And also, this past February when we were arriving for check in at the Wilderness Lodge they just ask us our "business" and we went on. Of course, both times we were truthful, but I thought, can people just lie about staying at a Magic Kingdom resort or lie about just being on site guest and get through?

I don't remember them giving us anything to show proof.

 

[Anthony1971]

They check if you are staying at the resort--or are supposed to after you check in you can use your magic band but they also give you a parking pass to out in your window. Does Disney patrol people who buck the system... well yes and no... if you are lucky no unlucky your car gets towed... it has happened but the bottom line is the rules are rules and people are supposed to be honest and if they are not we all pay... and we all do pay for this already... if Disney has do more and pay to block loopholes have a person at every employee entrance double check parking passes etc.. where does the money come from? next year when none resort guests have to pay for parking at a resort as most other resorts do and others charge for parking period.. guest or not... then we all pay the price....

 

[SL6827]

Maybe we just got some "off" employees. But I will say in my last couple visits, we never got a parking pass like we used to. But ya, it sucks that we all will pay for it, even us honest ones who don't fraud the system.

 

[CAS239]

I would certainly cry foul if I had dining reservations at the hotel and entered the lot for that purpose, and then stayed at the resort for drinks, etc., beyond the 3 hours, only to have my car towed.

Why?

Thats the rule they have. I don't see why/how you could cry foul about that if you stayed 3+ hours on a dining reservation and your car was towed.

 

[JustinDK]

Maybe we just got some "off" employees. But I will say in my last couple visits, we never got a parking pass like we used to. But ya, it sucks that we all will pay for it, even us honest ones who don't fraud the system.

Yeah I've never, ever been provided a parking pass, and I'm at the resorts a lot.

 

[JustinDK]

Why?

Thats the rule they have. I don't see why/how you could cry foul about that if you stayed 3+ hours on a dining reservation and your car was towed.

Because that's never once been communicated to me as a resort guest. It's not posted anywhere in parking lots and the guards have never said anything to the effect of "you have 3 hours then you have to leave." So yes, I would cry foul if it's some unposted rule.

 

[robl45]

I was at polynesian and the guy at the gate going in said we needed to go to the desk to get a parking pass which was ridiculous if we are doing online checkin. So I went to the desk and they said you don't need one but they gave me one anyway. Bottom line, you say you are eating at xyz resort, you go to the park afterward and no one is going to say anything. Further with the new enhanced hours for guests pleasure I don't think you could possibly overstay 3 hours if you go after dinner.

 

[jamby]

Because that's never once been communicated to me as a resort guest. It's not posted anywhere in parking lots and the guards have never said anything to the effect of "you have 3 hours then you have to leave." So yes, I would cry foul if it's some unposted rule.

Some things go without saying.

So if you were in charge where would you draw the line? At 3 hours, 6 hours, 1 day, 2 days, etc. You are there for a dining reservation. Think of restaurants not at Disney resorts. Can you camp out in their parking lots all day?

 

[JustinDK]

Some things go without saying.

So if you were in charge where would you draw the line? At 3 hours, 6 hours, 1 day, 2 days, etc. You are there for a dining reservation. Think of restaurants not at Disney resorts. Can you camp out in their parking lots all day?

I draw the line at communicating rules that could result in my car being towed. Parking for several days is one thing but if 3 hours is the limit, that needs to be very clearly communicated. It currently is not, so I don't understand why everyone is saying "that's the rule." It clearly is not the rule as it's never been communicated once during the past 2 years that I've lived in Orlando and frequented the resorts for various reasons (dining, going for a drink at the lounge, visiting on-site guests, etc.). It is very easy to linger at a resort after you are finished dining. In that sense it is very different from parking your car at a Chili's restaurant. If the guards or signage communicate that 3 hours is the limit, then I have no problem with them enforcing this limit by towing, but as far as I know, this is currently not communicated at most times. In fact, from reading other posts, it sounds like hotel staff actively encourage dining guests to use Disney transportation to access the parks when they're done dining.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Just wanted to point out to OP that you could pay for valet parking at contemporary and then keep your car there while you go to MK.

It's more money then parking at TTC but would be a lot easier.

 

[jamby]

I draw the line at communicating rules that could result in my car being towed. Parking for several days is one thing but if 3 hours is the limit, that needs to be very clearly communicated. It currently is not, so I don't understand why everyone is saying "that's the rule." It clearly is not the rule as it's never been communicated once during the past 2 years that I've lived in Orlando and frequented the resorts for various reasons (dining, going for a drink at the lounge, visiting on-site guests, etc.). It is very easy to linger at a resort after you are finished dining. In that sense it is very different from parking your car at a Chili's restaurant. If the guards or signage communicate that 3 hours is the limit, then I have no problem with them enforcing this limit by towing, but as far as I know, this is currently not communicated at most times. In fact, from reading other posts, it sounds like hotel staff actively encourage dining guests to use Disney transportation to access the parks when they're done dining.

Why would you want to hoard a dining table for 3 hours? Also, because of abuse, Disney has a new policy related to parking at a resort if you are visiting checked-in guests in that you may be directed to park at the theme parks or Disney Springs and take Disney transportation back to the resort to visit your friends. In my experience Disney is lenient when it comes to most of these situations but if I am going to a theme park I am going to park at the theme park. If the policies change it won't be because "I" tried to game the system.

 

[jamby]

Just wanted to point out to OP that you could pay for valet parking at contemporary and then keep your car there while you go to MK.

It's more money then parking at TTC but would be a lot easier.

Are you sure you can valet park at a resort where you are not a checked-in guest?

 

[CAS239]

Are you sure you can valet park at a resort where you are not a checked-in guest?

Yes you can as long as it's not a super busy time and there's plenty of parking. Like the PP said though, it costs more money to valet vs paying to park in the lots

 

[richmo]

Late question here (and I realize the time has probably already come and gone).. why wouldn't you just go straight from Chef Mickey's to Magic Kingdom via monorail or by walking? You'll already be parked at the Contemporary.. Was there a specific reason you wanted to park at the Magic Kingdom parking lot rather than walking or monorailing from the Contemporary?

Same answer as another thread you posted in. When, as not a resort guest, you are only supposed to park in a resort parking lot for the length of your meal, or up to 3 hours...then you're supposed to move.

 

[KimBean]

Yeah, the imagery on Google Maps that I'm seeing is dated 2017, but the race track (at least the driving surface) is still there. That's long gone and unless something has changed in the last 6 weeks, so has the "Return to Magic Kingdom".

My house google maps says 2017 too, my FIL's car is in my driveway and he passed away 3 years ago.

 

[KimBean]

Because that's never once been communicated to me as a resort guest. It's not posted anywhere in parking lots and the guards have never said anything to the effect of "you have 3 hours then you have to leave." So yes, I would cry foul if it's some unposted rule.

Yeah I stayed longer then this at Grand Floridian. We parked and I never saw any attendant or anything. I know this because we were unsure of where to park and drove around for awhile looking for someone to ask. We went in and had drinks, looked at all the shops and christmas decorations, ate at Narcoosses, then waited for the fireworks at narcoosses for awhile, walked back to main building and looked at gingerbread house, bought fudge, listened to music. We were definitely there longer then 3 hours as just our dinner was over 2 hours. I didn't know this rule and after spending about $400 inside would have been pretty mad to come out to my car towed. But, I seriously doubt they are doing that. That said, you should pay to stay onsite or pay to park...

 

[JustinDK]

Why would you want to hoard a dining table for 3 hours? Also, because of abuse, Disney has a new policy related to parking at a resort if you are visiting checked-in guests in that you may be directed to park at the theme parks or Disney Springs and take Disney transportation back to the resort to visit your friends. In my experience Disney is lenient when it comes to most of these situations but if I am going to a theme park I am going to park at the theme park. If the policies change it won't be because "I" tried to game the system.

It's not about hoarding a table.. my point is about this unwritten policy that you can only stay there for 3 hours. If it's not published, and the guards don't tell you, and there are no signs, then it's not a rule and can't be enforced. You all are talking about this like it's a written and communicated rule, and it's clearly not.

Nevertheless, my other point is that you can easily stay at a resort for longer than 3 hours after you dine, so I was saying that unless the guards clearly tell you that you have 3 hours, they better not be towing cars. Are you suggesting that you would never think to linger at a resort after a 1-2 hour dinner for drinks and to explore the shops and other areas of the resort? I could easily have a 1-2 hour dinner at the California Grill then spend another 1 to 2 hours at the Outer Rim having drinks and think nothing of it, and all of you are saying I can be towed for this despite never being informed of this supposed 3 hour rule. Are you suggesting it's abuse to eat and then spend time at the resort for longer than 3 hours? You all seem to be missing the point that this 3 hour rule does not seem to currently exist yet you're all saying it's being enforced no matter whether it's being communicated to guests.