Dining in Disney hotels if staying off site

[Lilofan]

I didn't have a magic band, the same thing happened last year when we went during covid. I went to park at the Boardwalk hotel, asked if I had a reservation, lied and got in. If you don't have a magic band they have nothing to check. 99% of the time we get in without them even asking if we have a reservation, they just ask why are you visiting? We say here to eat dinner, lunch, or breakfast, and they let us in, no problems. Only very rare occasions have they even asked if we had a reservation, although in the 80's and 90's sometimes my dad would say, here to see about a room. lol
Like I said we've been going for 40 years, I think I know what I'm talking about.)

I've stayed at the Boardwalk ( the parking lot to the hotel room felt like a 1/2 mile walk ). If some guests wanted to get ice cream at the Boardwalk how are they going to prove they have a reservation to the security guard? They can't and they will be let into park at the Boardwalk parking lot.

 

[nickys]

I think it’s safest to say it this way.

If you have an ADR you will be allowed to park.

If you don’t have an ADR you might be allowed to park or you might not. It varies from resort to resort and how busy the parking is.

Generally the monorail and Epcot resorts are most likely to say no. Especially at busy times of year.

I saw 3 cars being towed from the Contemporary in early evening around Christmas. Apparently they’d parked for breakfast but had left them there all day.

Other people have parked all day without a problem. YMMV.

 

[mergatroid]

Don’t know any other way to ask this: you sure you’ll be allowed to go at this point?

Highly unlikely with just 7 weeks to go sadly mate. However making the reservations just in case and will cancel them if/when the trip falls through.

 

[aliceismad]

Wow, its not scamming, they will let you in without reservations and we've been doing it for years. So many people don't even know they can do this that you get a lot of people that sound just like this. Only a handful of times did we have trouble getting in. They want people to come and spend money, but if the park lot is full you may have trouble getting in. I suppose anytime a restaurant comps parking thats a scam?

Comping parking for paying customers isn't a scam, but by definition lying to gain access kinda is.

I think Disney wants people to come to their hotels to visit, eat/drink, and shop, but people parking at a hotel and then walking to a park is the reason we have guards limiting access today.

 

[danyoung56]

I've had several fine meals at the California Grill without reservation. I drive up to the security booth, and when they ask if I have a rez, I tell the truth and say I'm hoping to go up to the bar. Not once have they refused me.

 

[Sandurz]

If you’re concerned about being turned away at all and have time to spare, park at DS and take a bus over. No subterfuge required.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I've had several fine meals at the California Grill without reservation. I drive up to the security booth, and when they ask if I have a rez, I tell the truth and say I'm hoping to go up to the bar. Not once have they refused me.

It depends who you get…but they don’t typically allow that and haven’t for quite some time. It’s just not worth the hassle to me.

I’m interested to see what happens with “genie” in regards to dining availability?

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

If you don’t have an ADR you might be allowed to park or you might not. It varies from resort to resort and how busy the parking is.

^^
This. Only times I've ever been turned away are the peak long holiday weekends and Christmas through New Years - and when there is a large conference going on. If there's space they'll let you park and visit. If there's not. They won't.

 

[Snake]

Sounds like you and dad like to lie and scam. Classy.

It was a lot more innocent then you're trying make it out, jerk. And it was not lying, let me give more context to how we came to do hotel crawls every year. So back in the 80's we did stay in the hotels several times, but it was impossible to get reservations. The only thing you could do was go to the hotel you wanted to stay in and sit the lobby praying someone canceled their reservation. Or you waited long enough that it got late enough in the day the hotel would release the room(s) because it would be considered a no show. So every year we would sit in the lobby, either the Poly or the Contemporary hotels waiting 4-7 hours praying to get room. This turned into, might was well eat while we are here, then it was, let take the monorail to the other hotel, then lets watch the lagoon pageant, then we can walk outside an watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks. So early 80's we stay twice, but every year after that we tried this wait for a room an did not get one. So over the years it was, we will wait for 5 hours, then it was 3 hours, then it was 1. Then by the mid 90's it was, lets just go eat.

 

[Archie123]

It was a lot more innocent then you're trying make it out, jerk. And it was not lying, let me give more context to how we came to do hotel crawls every year. So back in the 80's we did stay in the hotels several times, but it was impossible to get reservations. The only thing you could do was go to the hotel you wanted to stay in and sit the lobby praying someone canceled their reservation. Or you waited long enough that it got late enough in the day the hotel would release the room(s) because it would be considered a no show. So every year we would sit in the lobby, either the Poly or the Contemporary hotels waiting 4-7 hours praying to get room. This turned into, might was well eat while we are here, then it was, let take the monorail to the other hotel, then lets watch the lagoon pageant, then we can walk outside an watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks. So early 80's we stay twice, but every year after that we tried this wait for a room an did not get one. So over the years it was, we will wait for 5 hours, then it was 3 hours, then it was 1. Then by the mid 90's it was, lets just go eat.

Hey, it's ok. You admitted you lie to get what you want. Like I said...classy.

I didn't have a magic band, the same thing happened last year when we went during covid. I went to park at the Boardwalk hotel, asked if I had a reservation, lied and got in.

 

[lewisc]

Restaurants at the Swan, Dolphin, and Universal hotels will validate your parking if you dine. Many hotels have that policy.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

It really depends on the resort. We’d regularly go to port Orleans to listen to Bob play piano, that was easy and never an issue.

Boardwalk on the other hand would vary if we wanted to stop by to see the buskers.