My apologies to the entire board

[crazy4disney]

Before park ressies went into effect not going to lie we would go to MK last day always and would drive to Contemporary and either say we were checking the Christmas decorations or Elsa’s Gingerbread thing or grabbing some last minute items and they would say okay. But nowadays you are taking a big risk once they check your band looking to do the same.

 

[crazy4disney]

Correct…those signs are the “official policy”

It used to be “we regret we cannot provide parking for Epcot”

That was 20 years ago…I think it’s more like “no ressie…don’t try it” now.

This is surreal.

Exactly and trust me. Ive seen almost every time i eat people get turned away and making u turns.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Before park ressies went into effect not going to lie we would go to MK last day always and would drive to Contemporary and either say we were checking the Christmas decorations or Elsa’s Gingerbread thing or grabbing some last minute items and they would say okay. But nowadays you are taking a big risk once they check your band looking to do the same.

Went into Epcot from beach many a time…
“beaches and cream”…pre reservations

Of course…I went there 9 outta 10 times…so I wasn’t a liar. Many a no way Jose has gone through the pipes

But that was long ago…and I don’t mean to berate/belittle…but attendance is 25% more now.
They shouldn’t charge you to park at your hotel…plenty of parking for that.

But ever local/every Hotel in Orlando?

No…can’t do it.

 

[crazy4disney]

Went into Epcot from beach many a time…
“beaches and cream”…pre reservations

Of course…I went there 9 outta 10 times…so I wasn’t a liar. Many a no way Jose has gone through the pipes

But that was long ago…and I don’t mean to berate/belittle…but attendance is 25% more now.
They shouldn’t charge you to park at your hotel…plenty of parking for that.

But ever local/every Hotel in Orlando?

No…can’t do it.

The parking fees to me if Disney really needed to charge could have easily been done by simply charging more for the rooms and allocating that money towards parking for internal accounting purposes. Noone would have blinked and no bad press. Not that it really matters. Not like people have alternatives and decided not to drive bc of it. It also baffled me that if someone did go that route it only put more stress on an already broken bus system so the move till this day makes no sense not to mention those with handicap stickers are exempt from paying….

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

This is very different then telling someone they can just walk right in with several extra people and no one cares. You asked for an accommodation and they provided that.

Again, huh?

What is different?

When I asked about dining with friends, I carefully asked about WDW's general policy on the matter. I was not at the restaurant (Sanaa), I was at the Contemporary hotel when I asked, and it was hours ahead of when we hoped to eat dinner.

Since that day, I have since asked about this policy multiple times, and the answer has remained the same.

 

[Br0ckford]

Again, huh?

What is different?

When I asked about dining with friends, I carefully asked about WDW's general policy on the matter. I was not at the restaurant (Sanaa), I was at the Contemporary hotel when I asked, and it was hours ahead of when we hoped to eat dinner.

Since that day, I have since asked about this policy multiple times, and the answer has remained the same.

You asked the concierge about adjusting and ADR. You didn’t just walk in with several people and sit down. The other poster stated you can just walk in with several additional people and no one will care. Those are two different things. The other poster was telling people you can just walk in and no one will care. Either way it doesn’t matter. To give advice that goes against what the actual policy, I am not saying you did, another poster did, is irresponsible.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Again, huh?

What is different?

When I asked about dining with friends, I carefully asked about WDW's general policy on the matter. I was not at the restaurant (Sanaa), I was at the Contemporary hotel when I asked, and it was hours ahead of when we hoped to eat dinner.

Since that day, I have since asked about this policy multiple times, and the answer has remained the same.

It would be on a case by case scenario…like walk ups

And frankly it’s inconsistent.

Suggesting that someone MAY be able to do it is not out of line…it’s probably semantics/how you phrase it.

Not the same with the parking…that’s a bad idea

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

The person I was referencing said Disney doesn’t care about the ages of children eating at buffets or entering the parks, that security at hotels never asks the purpose of people visiting any resort and that it was never an issue adding as many people as you like. He said “Disney doesn’t care” about those things, not that they would never try to accommodate.

It’s misleading to other posters to say Disney never follows its own policies.

I do not know the forum member of whom you speak, or what they posted. Quotes would help.

Your earlier examples were a bit confusing to me as they were written in this thread. WDW policies are often unclear.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Thats really not true... If you do not have a dining reservation good luck parking at a monorail resort by saying you want to check the hotel out etc... they will most likely tell you to park at MK & take monorail especially now that they check you magic bands etc... you may have a shot if you truly have no park reservations for MK and no genie rides booked that they may allow you in but good luck otherwise,,,, with that being said if you do have them and you drive to one of the resorts they never tell you that you have to leave after eating etc so basically noone is going to move their car after eating whether they know their suppose to or not....

I'm not sure what to say, except this thread has now become what OP was asking to avoid.

I've been careful in postings. CR currently does not allow any outside parking. Over the summer, the hotel would not even allow non hotel guests to mobile order food from CR.

Otherwise, I can only say, the photo below was from a visit to GF when I asked if I could tour the lobby to get pictures of the Easter eggs. I did not have a reservation at GF:

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Well we’re lost here now. It’s “opinion as fact” again.

Thread was appreciated/good intentions

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

You asked the concierge about adjusting and ADR. You didn’t just walk in with several people and sit down. The other poster stated you can just walk in with several additional people and no one will care. Those are two different things. The other poster was telling people you can just walk in and no one will care. Either way it doesn’t matter. To give advice that goes against what the actual policy, I am not saying you did, another poster did, is irresponsible.

A link to the specific thread would be helpful. I probably would agree the forum member was giving incorrect information.

This thread has certainly been interesting today.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Before park ressies went into effect not going to lie we would go to MK last day always and would drive to Contemporary and either say we were checking the Christmas decorations or Elsa’s Gingerbread thing or grabbing some last minute items and they would say okay. But nowadays you are taking a big risk once they check your band looking to do the same.

Currently, CR will not let you park, or at least as of August. They would not even allow non-guests to mobile order food from CR. I'm not sure who it was enforced, but it was clearly written on the MDE mobile order page.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Well we’re lost here now. It’s “opinion as fact” again.

Thread was appreciated/good intentions

To some extent you are correct.

I think we agree though that WDW is often inconsistent. CM's are people. they have opinions and different levels of training.

Not so long ago, I asked a WDW restaurant if they had any cookies, having had them in that location before. The CM told me no, and that they have never had cookies, which was kinda crazy, since they had had cookies- I kid you not- 24 hours earlier! Even crazier, cookies were served again the very next day, at the same time of day. Maybe cookies are only served on alternating days?


I read these forums in part because I know WDW is often inconsistent. The monorail hotels do turn away non-guests, sometimes. But not always.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I use this mindset to stop and control impulse buying. I wait several hours or a day and if it’s not in my mind I didn’t really need to buy it anyway.

Where’s the fun in that?

This. 110%. I find reading a post out loud can give it a different voice than the one in my head and often elicit a new understanding.

I do this with my own posts, I edit probably 50% of my posts because of typos or, more often, because I’ll read it after I hit post and realize it reads differently than I intended.

Tone is so hard to imply in print form. A post can be read by 5 different people and result in 5 different perceptions.

 

[Chi84]

Again, huh?

What is different?

When I asked about dining with friends, I carefully asked about WDW's general policy on the matter. I was not at the restaurant (Sanaa), I was at the Contemporary hotel when I asked, and it was hours ahead of when we hoped to eat dinner.

Since that day, I have since asked about this policy multiple times, and the answer has remained the same.

What was the policy you were told, if I may ask?

Disney’s stated policy - in the Help Center under “frequently asked questions” “restaurants” - is that you need a confirmed dining reservation for the total number of Guests - regardless of age.

Disney gives CMs discretion to accommodate guests whenever possible. They never want to disappoint people.

But it can’t be general policy to seat everyone who shows up at the podium regardless of the number of guests on the reservation. If that were the case people wouldn’t be spending so much time and effort looking for reservations for large parties or getting split reservations and trying to combine them at the podium.

I wouldn’t have had to get up at 5 am trying to get reservations for 9 at Story Book Dining at Wilderness Lodge. I could have just grabbed a reservation for 4 and added the rest at the podium.

Apologies if I misunderstood what you were saying in your post.

 

[monothingie]

Well we’re lost here now. It’s “opinion as fact” again.

Thread was appreciated/good intentions

Well that lasted all as long as can be expected.

Lock it and burn it down.

 

[crazy4disney]

I'm not sure what to say, except this thread has now become what OP was asking to avoid.

I've been careful in postings. CR currently does not allow any outside parking. Over the summer, the hotel would not even allow non hotel guests to mobile order food from CR.

Otherwise, I can only say, the photo below was from a visit to GF when I asked if I could tour the lobby to get pictures of the Easter eggs. I did not have a reservation at GF:
View attachment 671175

Again not saying it cant happen… saying its really hard now. I would never doubt someones personal experiences like some have with mine on other threads… can i ask if you had park reservations for the MK booked that day when you went to see the Easter eggs?

 

[Chi84]

I do not know the forum member of whom you speak, or what they posted. Quotes would help.

Your earlier examples were a bit confusing to me as they were written in this thread. WDW policies are often unclear.

I’m almost positive that particular post was deleted - most of his were.

 

[Br0ckford]

I think this particular discussion on the polices and what not had been very civil. Definitely in the spirit of this thread.

 

[Doberge]

Another way to do it, is would you say what you're saying in public? If this was a conversation you got into while waiting in a line with the person behind you, would what your typing, be something you would say to that person in public? Now I realize that what someone is comfortable expressing out loud varies person to person, but it does usually help to think this way (when I can remember to!)

Funny enough I'm more conservative with my words and opinions here than I am in person in a real conversation. As an example, some of my less popular Disney opinions are easier to talk about than waste cumulative hours explaining them online.