When do Parking Lots Open

[claryche]

I did a search for this information on here and all I found was some posts from 2 years ago, so didn't know if things have changed.

We have always taken the bus, but we will be staying at CBR this time and I have heard about some bus issues. So since we will have our car, I wanted the option to drive to the parks. But my question is when do the lots open? Because we have several early morning ADR's before the park open and I don't want to drive and miss the ADR when I could have rode a bus and made it.

Thanks.

 

[skiingfast]

I did a search for this information on here and all I found was some posts from 2 years ago, so didn't know if things have changed.

We have always taken the bus, but we will be staying at CBR this time and I have heard about some bus issues. So since we will have our car, I wanted the option to drive to the parks. But my question is when do the lots open? Because we have several early morning ADR's before the park open and I don't want to drive and miss the ADR when I could have rode a bus and made it.

Thanks.

I know this doesn't answer your question, but you will be far better off taking the character meal buses to the park for those early meals.

 

[ratlenhum]

We did 5 character breakfasts while at WDW in August. All of them were an hour before park opening and we had no problem parking at any of the parks. Most times when we got there, there was already a crowd of people waiting at the gates to get in.

 

[Alesia]

The lots at DHS and Epcot will be open early enough. I'm not sure that they even close at all.

Take the bus to MK and AK. The parking lot at MK will be open, but you'll still have to take the monorail or ferry to get to the park; The bus drops you off right at the gate. The AK parking lot sometimes opens late.

 

[claryche]

Thanks for the info. I had heard that the AK lot opened late, but didn't know about the other ones.

 

[prncess674]

the lots open in time for people to get to early breakfast ADRs.

 

[stargazertechie]

Drive. For the love of all things, drive!

We had early morning ADR's and we MISSED one of them because there were no Character Meal Buses in May at AKL (and according to the bus drivers, those buses don't exist).

 

[AlexDurrani]

Drive. For the love of all things, drive!

We had early morning ADR's and we MISSED one of them because there were no Character Meal Buses in May at AKL (and according to the bus drivers, those buses don't exist).

Technically the bus driver is right in saying that the "Character Meal buses" do not exist. Basically Disney operates buses earlier to parks like MK and HS who have character breakfasts early in the morning but usually they dont start any earlier then 730ish. Ive taken those buses just to be at rope drop early.

I had a cast member on the tour line while i was booking the steam train tour tell me that there is no bus, monorail, or ferry service to MK earlier the 730 and proceeded to tell me if I was driving (which I am) to park at CR and let them know that I will be at the MK for the steam train tour. The CM said I would then get a parking pass for long enough to take the tour and get back to the CR to get my car.

I know that was slightly OT but it had some information in it. The only time that the buses run earlier then 730 is if the park opens at 800 and then they start running at 700, or roughly an hour before opening.