Faux pas? Is it so wrong?

[Zipadeelady]

If we are not staying at a Disney resort and are going to MK for the day is it wrong or even possible to park in BLT's or Poly's parking lot and take the tram over? What if we will be leaving the park mid day for dinner reservations at Poly then heading back to the park is it acceptable now?

Just asking before I try to make a Disney fo pa.... fopai....fopaux (how ever you spell it)

 

[jaklgreen]

I believe that you can only park at those hotels if you are staying there or if you have meal reservations. With a reservation I think there is a 3 hour time limit. I know they monitor it somehow, otherwise everyone would park there.

 

[Master Yoda]

Technically, no. You can only park at a resort if you are staying there or are dining there and dining there will typically only grant you a 3 hour pass. You can however pay to valet at either resort, but the cost is the same or more than parking at the TTC.

 

[Tuvalu]

A good bit of the Poly parking lot is under construction and they are being very strict with parking. It's best to park in the MK lot and then take the monorail or boat over to the Poly when it's time for your dinner.

 

[Dafid Duck]

I believe that you can only park at those hotels if you are staying there or if you have meal reservations. With a reservation I think there is a 3 hour time limit. I know they monitor it somehow, otherwise everyone would park there.

What about if you stay on the Disney property but drive your own car? Are they still as strict? "I know someone" who has parked at Poly several times during a week stay, most of the day each time with no problems. Did "my friend" get lucky or should his car have been towed?

 

[DManRightHere]

What about if you stay on the Disney property but drive your own car? Are they still as strict? "I know someone" who has parked at Poly several times during a week stay, most of the day each time with no problems. Did "my friend" get lucky or should his car have been towed?

As far as I know if you are staying on property you are allowed to park at any resort/park. You have a parking pass.

 

[FormerFairyGodmother]

When I was down in January they strictly said for resort guests and those with reservations. I said I was there for dinner and they said it was a three hour limit. I don't know how well this is enforced, but the person above is correct that most of the lot there is under construction as well so parking was limited.

 

[ratherbeinwdw]

As far as I know if you are staying on property you are allowed to park at any resort/park. You have a parking pass.

Your parking pass is resort specific and for all theme parks. It is not an all resorts pass.

 

[DManRightHere]

Your parking pass is resort specific and for all theme parks. It is not an all resorts pass.

Oh. Not even for dining?

 

[Clamman73]

Oh. Not even for dining?

It's cool for dining, but the faux pas is parking at Poly at 8AM when your dining reservation at Ohana is 8PM.

 

[bethram]

When we had dinner at 'Ohana in December they checked a list of dining reservations for our name. I don't know if the list included the time of our reservation.

 

[ratherbeinwdw]

Oh. Not even for dining?

It's okay for anyone to park at a resort as long as they have a reservation for dining or they are visiting the resort.
However, at places like Poly and CR, they can limit you to 3 hrs.

 

[Zipadeelady]

You all have been very informative. Thanks! I will be parking at the TTC then take the monorail from MK for my evening dinner reservations at the Poly.

 

[slappy magoo]

My suspicion, which could be very very wrong, is this -
If you are not staying at a Disney resort, and you park in a monorail resort "to have breakfast" or "just to look around" they will be sticklers with the 3 hour reservation window.
If you ARE staying at a Disney resort and do the same, Security may or may not be strict about the 3 hour window. Because after all, you have free parking in the TTC lot anyway if you so choose, so it's not like they're losing money by letting you park anywhere else on property. But the busier the season, the more booked the resort is, the more they'll be apt to search the lot for cars that technically don't belong.
(The next I say hypothetically, I've never done it, and I wouldn't recommend you do it)
I wonder if they would be so strict at Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness. First of all, it's not particularly convenient the way the monorail lots are, you certainly won't be saving much time if any. But if an offsite guest were to, say, make reservations for a super early breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe or Trails' End, parked not so close to the front, actually ate breakfast, then took the ferry over, if they'd give you guff. I suppose they might because you are, indeed, taking a parking fee out of their wallet and keeping it in yours. But then again, that breakfast you ate, you might not have eaten there, so they lose that money.
Oh well, I'm DVC so hopefully it'll never be an issue with me. AWWWWWWWW, SNAP!

 

[Zipadeelady]

@slappy magoo a little too much coffee today?

 

[Master Yoda]

My suspicion, which could be very very wrong, is this -
If you are not staying at a Disney resort, and you park in a monorail resort "to have breakfast" or "just to look around" they will be sticklers with the 3 hour reservation window.
If you ARE staying at a Disney resort and do the same, Security may or may not be strict about the 3 hour window. Because after all, you have free parking in the TTC lot anyway if you so choose, so it's not like they're losing money by letting you park anywhere else on property. But the busier the season, the more booked the resort is, the more they'll be apt to search the lot for cars that technically don't belong.
(The next I say hypothetically, I've never done it, and I wouldn't recommend you do it)
I wonder if they would be so strict at Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness. First of all, it's not particularly convenient the way the monorail lots are, you certainly won't be saving much time if any. But if an offsite guest were to, say, make reservations for a super early breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe or Trails' End, parked not so close to the front, actually ate breakfast, then took the ferry over, if they'd give you guff. I suppose they might because you are, indeed, taking a parking fee out of their wallet and keeping it in yours. But then again, that breakfast you ate, you might not have eaten there, so they lose that money.
Oh well, I'm DVC so hopefully it'll never be an issue with me. AWWWWWWWW, SNAP!

From what I have been told and experienced first hand, the Contemporary and the Poly are the only resorts where parking is enforced to any degree. You might see it on holidays at the Epcot resorts, but even then it is pretty lax.
The Poly and the Contemporary get the critical eye simply because non-resort guest parking is actually a problem there. Not so much at WL or the Epcot resorts. Their parking lots are not all that big relative to the resorts capacity and their proximity to MK and great fireworks vantage points make them a prime target for those looking to skip out on paying for parking at the TTC.
If it is some odd Tuesday in October, you can probably get away with parking all day at the Contemporary if you have a morning ADR at Chef Mickey. Try the same thing on the 4th of July and the evening might end on a sour note.

 

[slappy magoo]

@slappy magoo a little too much coffee today?

Hardly. When I wrote that I was on a train ride home. I have a crazy commute, about 2 hours each way, and I had to work late to boot. I was trying desperately to not fall asleep without relying on caffeine so that I COULD fall asleep once getting home.

 

[Zipadeelady]

Hardly. When I wrote that I was on a train ride home. I have a crazy commute, about 2 hours each way, and I had to work late to boot. I was trying desperately to not fall asleep without relying on caffeine so that I COULD fall asleep once getting home.

2 HOURS!! Our County is hiring starting at a whopping $12.65 per hour!! Plus it would only take you 5 minutes to get to work. But then maybe you wouldn't have that DVC Membership!

Hope you sleep well.

 

[slappy magoo]

2 HOURS!! Our County is hiring starting at a whopping $12.65 per hour!! Plus it would only take you 5 minutes to get to work. But then maybe you wouldn't have that DVC Membership!

Hope you sleep well.

You're in Indiana. I'm in NJ. I shudder to think how long my commute would be.

 

[Polydweller]

The resort parking lots simply can't handle parking for theme park access. They are too small. To see that yak a look on google maps and compare the Poly lot to a small corner of the TTC lot. It's very small.

The people who stay at the monorail resorts have only one option for parking, the resort's parking lot. Others have other options. When a person not staying there takes a spot they are potentially taking a spot from a hotel's guest. And the lots do fill up and there is nothing worse than coming back to your home resort and not finding a spot. I've had it happen and it's horrible.

It's about courtesy. If you wouldn't want that to happen to you at your home resort then don't do it to someone else at their home resort. Sure, park for an ADR, the lots are sized for that, but then move your car afterwards.