[smartwoman0]

Ok,ok...I have a question regarding parking. We have decided to rent a car at the airport to have with us for the 7 days at Disney...the reasoning behind this is that we have so many ADRs at differnet resorts and parks that we thought it would be best...plus we plan to go outside of Disney for one day. I know that as a resort guest we get free parking at the parks....BUT do we get free parking at OTHER resorts? or at ours for that matter? Example: We are staying at POP but have a ADR at The Grand Floridian in the morning then a dinner ADR at epcot...in that circumstance is there ANY parking fees??

[tonyksl]

Yes. As long as you don't valet park. Of course, you will only be allowed to park there for as long as reasonably allowed for your ADR. Don't go to 1900 Park Fare for the breakfast and expect to be allowed to park there all day. I don't know the exact amount of time, but, it is something like 2-3 hours.

[mickeysgirlz]

Originally Posted by smartwoman0

Ok,ok...I have a question regarding parking. We have decided to rent a car at the airport to have with us for the 7 days at Disney...the reasoning behind this is that we have so many ADRs at differnet resorts and parks that we thought it would be best...plus we plan to go outside of Disney for one day. I know that as a resort guest we get free parking at the parks....BUT do we get free parking at OTHER resorts? or at ours for that matter? Example: We are staying at POP but have a ADR at The Grand Floridian in the morning then a dinner ADR at epcot...in that circumstance is there ANY parking fees??

When you get to the GF for your ADR, the guard at the gate will ask you for your last name . . . he will give you a 2 hour parking pass to park at the resort while you eat! This goes for all the resorts in and around MK!

At check in they will give you a pass for your car . . . this is good for your resort only and for entrance in the Parks parking. It has your full name, resort and dates of your stay on it.

[Soundgod]

Only the Dolphin and Swan charge for self parking.
All Disney resorts allow you to park without charge at any resort that you are not a registered guest at if you have a reason to be there, like eating, visiting a guest at that resort, spending money in one of their shops. You are given a 3 hour parking pass, but my car has never been disturbed if it was there longer. If you valet park at a deluxe resort, even this is of no concern, plus, if you've paid to valet park at one resort, you can valet park at all of them.
Additionally, if you ARE visiting a guest at that resort, the three hour limit does not apply as you are a guest of their guest, so it's a moot point.

[DisneyTeacher]

I wouldn't take a chance on leaving my car at a resort all day. If you're going to the GF you can park at MK and take the monorail then at the end of the day your car is at MK.

[mickeysgirlz]

Originally Posted by DisneyTeacher

I wouldn't take a chance on leaving my car at a resort all day. If you're going to the GF you can park at MK and take the monorail then at the end of the day your car is at MK.

Yes we left ours at GF once and it was only for like an hour after the pass expired, but I couldn't relax and enjoy myself at the park, cuz I was so stressed the car was going to be towed and not there when we got back!

DTs suggestion is a better one!

[Soundgod]

There are a couple times that we ate at the Poly and left our car parked there longer than the three hours and never worried. They aren't going to toy with you very badly if you're eating at Kona and your car has not only the Poly's 3 hour pass, but your own resort parking pass on the dashboard, combined with the fact that you had an ADR for Kona (and of course, they do check if you have a current dining reservation at the guardhouse before you are even let onto the property).
The Grand Floridian is a little different because of the convention center and the wedding pavilions, which make self parking a scarce commodity very often. and their self parking lot is across the street. All the parking adjacent to the hotel is for valet!

Also, the farther you are from one of the parks, the less of an issue this becomes. That is, at WL and AKL, I wouldn't even worry. At the Contemporary, I'd expect them to be very strict, although past experience has shown me they aren't always so strict.

[johnkimv]

The Contemporary is tough with parking there, especially since the construction. The Polynesian asks a lot of questions, but are a little more easy to park at. We have left our car there for hours past the 3 hour mark and have never had a problem. At the Grand Floridian, they are pretty easy as well, unless they are having a convention. Plus, the self parking there is across the street so it is not too convenient.

[Dana]

Like other people in the thread have said, you can park for free if you don't valet park and you do have an ADR at that resort. Many people take the chance and leave their cars there all day. I personally wouldn't do that, as I would worry about it all day. IT's it to you.

[tonyksl]

The other thing that affects the parking are the crowd levels. I remember staying at AK one time and going to the Cont. for Chef Mickey's for breakfast. I used the valet for parking and he said not to worry about the hourly parking. We went to MK for the day and sure enough, there weren't any problems. I think the combination of both, crowd and valet parking, allowed us to be given the opportunity to leave the car.