Where to park for resort looking

[troydjames]

I am staying at HRH at Universal in October, but a must for our family is breakfast at Ohana's and a visit to DTD, last year we stayed at AOA and took bus to epcot and took monorail to the Poly, this year since we are not planning to stay on sight, I thought we could go to DTD take bus to epcot and take monorail to Poly. If we drive to the Poly can you stay parked there all day while going to other resorts and DTD ? I thought there was a time limit for parking at resorts when not actually staying there. I like taking kids to other resorts for planning for future trips, was wanting to go to Wilderness Lodge to look around but did not want to drive all over Disney, so i figured parking at DTD would be my best bet. any suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

[seashoreCM]

Except during crowded times it is much faster to drive to each resort and it usually takes less than half an hour.

Going from resort to resort by bus requires a connection at a park (or Downtown Disney) each time and usually takes more than an hour.

Most of the time you can't leave the car at one resort all day if you are not staying there, it depends on how crowded that resort is likely to be.

 

[Kae]

When are you going? We have parked in the Self park lot at GF before we just told the guard that we wanted to check out the resort & he said we could.

Kae

 

[goofy4tink]

If you park at DTD, early in the morning, you are going to find it a long wait for a bus to the Polynesian, or to any resort. The buses running to, and from, the resorts are few and far between until about 9:30am.
You would be better off just driving to the TTC, paying to park, and then heading to the Polynesian. You could park at the Polynesian but you aren't supposed to park there for more than a few hours if you aren't paying to stay at that resort.
And there are no buses running to the parks from DTD. You 'could' park at WL first thing in the morning and then take the boat over to MK and then monorail to the Polynesian for breakfast at 'Ohana. Or pay to park at Epcot, in their lot and then take the monorail to the TTC and either transfer to the resort monorail or walk to the Polynesian.

 

[goofy4tink]

When are you going? We have parked in the Self park lot at GF before we just told the guard that we wanted to check out the resort & he said we could.

Kae

You can do that at any resort. The issue is that you aren't supposed to leave the car there for hours on end. Many people self park at resorts that have direct park access. They park there to avoid paying the parking fees and then leave the car there for the day while they go off and do stuff.
I'm not saying you can't self park at the Polynesian and then leave for the day. Many people do it. I'm just giving you the info that Disney will give you.
If people do decide to self park at resorts with park access (CR, GF, Polynesian, BW/YC/BC), it's only polite to take a parking spot that is towards the rear of the lot, vs taking a nice close to the front spot.

 

[Kae]

You can do that at any resort. The issue is that you aren't supposed to leave the car there for hours on end. Many people self park at resorts that have direct park access. They park there to avoid paying the parking fees and then leave the car there for the day while they go off and do stuff.
I'm not saying you can't self park at the Polynesian and then leave for the day. Many people do it. I'm just giving you the info that Disney will give you.
If people do decide to self park at resorts with park access (CR, GF, Polynesian, BW/YC/BC), it's only polite to take a parking spot that is towards the rear of the lot, vs taking a nice close to the front spot.

It was a slow time & did not even get the 3 hour pass he just let us thru. We picked GF because we knew they have a big self park lot. It is a bit of a walk, feels like the lot is in GA

Kae

 

[keishashadow]

I am staying at HRH at Universal in October, but a must for our family is breakfast at Ohana's and a visit to DTD, last year we stayed at AOA and took bus to epcot and took monorail to the Poly, this year since we are not planning to stay on sight, I thought we could go to DTD take bus to epcot and take monorail to Poly. If we drive to the Poly can you stay parked there all day while going to other resorts and DTD ? I thought there was a time limit for parking at resorts when not actually staying there. I like taking kids to other resorts for planning for future trips, was wanting to go to Wilderness Lodge to look around but did not want to drive all over Disney, so i figured parking at DTD would be my best bet. any suggestions greatly appreciated.

you're giving up a day of FOTL @ Universal to eat/tour disney resorts?
different strokes thing i guessbut i'd sure hate being within sight of the MK and not actually visiting it.

You'd be doubling back going from Poly to DTD, why not just move the car?

 

[wdwrich]

Just want to let you know that DW and I have seen cars being towed from both the Polynesian and Contemporary self-park lots. In all cases there was no guest/driver there at the time so we're pretty confident the tow wasn't simply the result of a mechanical breakdown. Note that even if the guard doesn't give you the oft-mentioned three-hour parking pass, they sometimes note your plate number and the time you entered as you drive thru the gate.

If it were me, I would drive from resort to resort so I wouldn't overstay my welcome in any one parking lot.

 

[Missyrose]

If you intend to leave your car at the Poly all day, then valet park your car and you shouldn't have any issues.

 

[goofy4tink]

It was a slow time & did not even get the 3 hour pass he just let us thru. We picked GF because we knew they have a big self park lot. It is a bit of a walk, feels like the lot is in GA

Kae

How true!!!

Here's the thing. I've had my breakfast sitting out on my BLT balcony. I have watched security checking on cars/plate numbers. I have seen them later on in the day, checking and rechecking. I have never seen a car towed. Now...if it's a busy time of year, with something special happening, then sure, they may very well tow. But generally speaking, I have never seen it happen.

But then again, I'm one of those Pollyanna types that hopes that people that choose to park in a resort lot where they are not staying are taking spots in the very rear of the lot..saving the 'good' spots for those paying to stay there.

 

[figment_jii]

I thought we could go to DTD take bus to epcot and take monorail to Poly.

Just to note, there are no buses that run from DTD to any of the parks. As others have suggested, if you want to tour the resorts, it's easier to drive.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I'd either drive to each resort or cough up the $14 to pay at the TTC. Those are the two easiest options, in my opinion, and also the least stressful.