Parking Questions!

[hansel1]

We have never used a car in disney. We will be staying on property at Port Orleans Riverside, as will my inlaws. We will also have extended family staying off-sight. Those of us on property will use DME to get to our resort, then use the disney busses for transportation. Our extended family will be using their vehicle to transport everywhere as one child is handicapped.

My questions are:

How does parking work at our resort? Will we need a pass for our family to visit us or will they have to pay for parking?

How does parking work at the Parks? Can we get a parking pass and let them use it?

Are there handicapped spaces at the park? Will they need to bring their hang tags for verification (as they will most likely be renting a car)?


I've heard that if you are staying on property you may park for free anywhere on disney property. I'm not sure if you need a parking pass from your resort or just your room key. I normally wouldn't care and would tell them just to pay the parking rates, but with their handicapped child it is much easier for them to use a rental car and stay off property than to stay at disney and use the busses.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[tracyandalex]

last month when we were there we drove a lot cause alex hates buses. all we needed was the parking permit the hotel gave us. you could probably give them your permit to use duringthe day and then take it back and out it on your car at night, i think you need one for over night parking at the resorts. good luck,

have fun:wave:

tracy

 

[tigsmom]

Since you will not have a car you won't be issued a parking pass at the resort so you will not be able to give it to them. You family can come & visit you - tell the guard they are spending the day with you - and be able to park at the resort for the day (my inlaws were able to do this at the WL, even thought they wanted to pay for parking there). If they have valid tickets to the park they can use WDW transportation, if the choose. If they opt to take their car to the parks they will have to pay. If they have a portable handicap parking tag they should bring it with them as then there will be no doubt that they will need to park in the handicap area.

Yes, you do park for free when you are staying on property, but you need to check in with your car; the guard will issue a parking pass when he verifys that you have a reservation at that resort. Keeping that on the dash allows the guards to see it and wave you thru the booth.

 

[maelstrom]

Yes, you do park for free when you are staying on property, but you need to check in with your car; the guard will issue a parking pass when he verifys that you have a reservation at that resort. Keeping that on the dash allows the guards to see it and wave you thru the booth.

We always get the parking pass at check-in inside the resort, not from the parking guard. This is as recently as December.

 

[tigsmom]

We always get the parking pass at check-in inside the resort, not from the parking guard. This is as recently as December.

We have always gotten ours from the guard - for the last 6 years and as recently as last August. He checks the reservations list, goes into a file and takes out the pass that has already been filled out. This was at different resorts too. *shrugs*

 

[maelstrom]

We have always gotten ours from the guard - for the last 6 years and as recently as last August. He checks the reservations list, goes into a file and takes out the pass that has already been filled out. This was at different resorts too. *shrugs*

That's so weird. I wonder why we're having different experiences. I know we've both stayed at the Wilderness Lodge recently (mine was in January 2005 and I know you stay there a lot). This was also our experience at Riverside, Contemporary, Polynesian, French Quarter, and Caribbean Beach. Strange indeed.

 

[banimall]

Usually at check in they'll ask you if you have a car and since it sounds like they'll be picking you up on occasion to drive to the park I don't see why you couldn't get a parking pass.

 

[tigsmom]

That's so weird. I wonder why we're having different experiences. I know we've both stayed at the Wilderness Lodge recently (mine was in January 2005 and I know you stay there a lot). This was also our experience at Riverside, Contemporary, Polynesian, French Quarter, and Caribbean Beach. Strange indeed.

Multiple trips to the WL, the Polynesian, the Contemporary and last August at the Boardwalk Inn. Hmmmm.

 

[justducky78]

We, too, have always gotten our parking pass from the guard. This was on our last stay at WL and YC and also in 2003.

He would ask for our last name and license, printed out a pass with our name on it, which we put on our dashboard and off we go! Anytime, we had to park at another resort or even at any of the parks, they would just wave us through.

I would assume you could get a day-pass for your family to park at your resort, or since you don't have a car, get a parking pass for yourselves and let them use it. With a handicapped child, I don't think the resort would have a problem with it.

 

[hansel1]

I appreciate all the responses. I will most likely ask at check in for a parking pass and if they don't have them I will ask the guard. If we have to I could actually rent the vehicle for my family, that way it would be our rental car. (If disney needs to know it is our vehicle).

Thanks Again!

 

[swimmom]

Twice we have had friends visit us from St. Petersburg while we were staying at WL. All they had to do was tell the guard they were visiting us and there was no problem. I would think that would be all your family has to do with no need to get them a parking pass. The first time we made plans for them to visit, I called WL direct to find out if they could park in the lot for the day. You could probably give POR a call to see what their policy is for visitor parking.

 

[mccallum9]

Just Returrned From The Wilderness Worst Time I,ve Had In The Thirty Trips To The World. First Thing Gave Me A Room Complete Opp. From What I Reqested. Before I Left Read Post About Rehab. Called Twice Told No Rehab.. Was Given Room On 4th Floor .they Were Rehab. The Rooms Above Me For Four Days. It Seems Disney Doesn,t Care What Yiu Ask For Its Take What You Get And Like It

 

[tigsmom]

Just Returrned From The Wilderness Worst Time I,ve Had In The Thirty Trips To The World. First Thing Gave Me A Room Complete Opp. From What I Reqested. Before I Left Read Post About Rehab. Called Twice Told No Rehab.. Was Given Room On 4th Floor .they Were Rehab. The Rooms Above Me For Four Days. It Seems Disney Doesn,t Care What Yiu Ask For Its Take What You Get And Like It

Sorry you had a bad trip, but we have had nothing but good times at the WL. These last few times they have even let us pick out our own room from the available ones.

No requests are guaranteed, but they usually try their best. We always make the request at reservation time and then mention it again when we confirm our reservations a few days before we leave. Only once were we not able to get our requested room (we were early and the room wasn't ready). They offered us an upgrade and we gladly accepted.

 

[DisneyMom06]

We have always gotten a parking pass at checkin. We tell the guard that we are checking in and he waves us on. Once when we flew we just told the CM at check in that we didn't have a car so we didn't need the pass. She just tore it up.

 

[maelstrom]

Just Returrned From The Wilderness Worst Time I,ve Had In The Thirty Trips To The World. First Thing Gave Me A Room Complete Opp. From What I Reqested. Before I Left Read Post About Rehab. Called Twice Told No Rehab.. Was Given Room On 4th Floor .they Were Rehab. The Rooms Above Me For Four Days. It Seems Disney Doesn,t Care What Yiu Ask For Its Take What You Get And Like It

Sorry you had a bad time. Sometimes they cannot accomodate your requests. In my experience they've always tried their hardest, though. I had requested Alligator Bayou close to the main building in December, and they tried to put us in Magnolia Bend. I explained to the CM that we really wanted to stay in AB because we'd already done MB. She went away for a bit and then came back and offered us a room in AB right across from the island. It wasn't that far away and we got AB. If you are not satisfied with your room, ask for a different one. We all pay a lot of money to stay at WDW, and if you are very concerned with your location or view, I see no reason not to ask for a switch to an acceptable room.

 

[mccallum9]

wilderness

It Seems To Me The Attitude Of Disney Is Take It Or Leave. I Too Put In My Request At Booking And Called A Couple Of Times Just To Make Sure. I Asked For Upgrade Or Another Resort.this On Week Day Not Weekend. This Is Not First Time.

 

[justducky78]

We've always been successful getting the room we want. We were just at WL three weeks ago and they originally put us in a room overlooking the villa's pool, but we asked them to move us to a room overlooking the main pool instead. They did this for us without a problem and we had a great view!

Same at the YC. We requested a room near the location we had on our last trip and they said, no problem. She gave us a great room, with the king bed we wanted and we were in our room by 1pm - early checkin! It was great!

If you ask nicely and it's not booked to capacity, they normally have no problem giving you a room that you'll be happy with. At least in our case, we've never had a problem. I'm really surprised that others have had issues at check-in.

 

[justducky78]

Oh, and if we had been willing to switch rooms at the WL two days later, they said they could probably upgrade us to concierge if we wanted!! We didn't take them up on it, because we were settled and didn't want to pack up all our stuff again, but I was really impressed that they were willing to do that for us - for free!

 

[banimall]

I think a lot of it has to do with the cast member checking you in, let's face it, it's a job you can't be magical every day. I've been there at times when we had great service and other times they wouldn't even check, and just tell you nothing else is available. Anyone tried to make dining reservations lately? If you don't book weeks to months in advance you'll be eating hamburgers the whole trip. It never used to be like that. I know this has nothing to do with parking, got a little sidetracked.

 

[shoppingnut]

At POR they give you the parking pass at the check in desk. I've stayed there many times and that is the way it has always been, just as recently as this January. I would imagine some hotels do it differently. One thing I did notice this past trip May 18-23 was that they were asking to see your room key at the guard house if you didn't use the automated gate which I don't particularly like because it is hard for me to reach.