Resort Guest Parking at a Different Hotel

[rocky24]

I'm new to the board so if this needs to go somewhere else, please let me know. I scanned the current posts and I couldn't find a scenario for my question. This is my first trip to Disneyworld and I'm staying at the Animal Kingdom for my stay in a couple months. I'm working on dinner reservations and we have plans for Citricos at the Grand Floridian on a Wednesday which is the same night as Disney's extended evening hours. What seems to be the easiest is to park at the Grand Floridan, have dinner and then just walk over to Magic Kingdom. Dinner to extended hours will be over 3 hours for the allotted free time. Considering that I'm in a deluxe and already paying for resort parking for my stay, will I still get charged for parking at the Grand Floridian? If not, what is the hourly rate? My dinner reservation is at 6:00 PM and I figure we'll be back by 10:30 PM, so paying for 1 - 2 hours might be worth the trouble.

 

[Narcoossee11]

The issue at most WDW resorts is the parking lots are small. You would not be happy if you had not space for you to park at (AKL) YOUR resort that you are paying to stay at.
Park at the TTC and enjoy your night at the park and meal.

 

[ElizabethG]

There is no 'pay to park' at Disney resorts right now. You can park at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) as the previous poster suggested. That is the parking lot for Magic Kingdom. Then, you can take the resort monorail to Grand Floridian. After dinner you can walk to MK. Finally, you can take the monorail or ferry back to the TTC after MK.

 

[stephk1981]

I believe any resort will allow you to have around 3 hours for a dining reservation.....to tour the resort, shop and have your dining reservations. You are not 'allowed' to park at a resort you are not a guest of,, and then go into a park. I have no idea how they ' know but I can tell you that while staying at the Beach Club, someone's car was being towed. I was making trips to bring our bags into the resort, on the second trip out the man who owned the car was arguing that he had been in the park. First time I have ever seen this happen! But, keep this in mind, you are paying a parking fee for the resort you are STAYING at only.

 

[Her Dotness]

Disney is vigilant about checking for unauthorized parking at the resorts near the parks. Lots of people think it will be simpler to do what you propose, although they typically expect not to pay more to leave their car and go to a nearby park.

You're paying for resort parking only at the resort where you're staying. You're allowed 3 hours parking at no charge with a dining reservation at a resort. After that, you must have a voucher from the restaurant that your meal took longer for some reason. There is no hourly rate for longer parking.

Park at the TTC and take the monorail to the GF. The train stops at the Polynesian and then the GF, approximately a 15-minute ride. It's only about a 10-minute monorail ride on to the MK.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

If valet parking is back, then you can leave your car, otherwise use WDW transportation, take bus to MK and then walk or use monorail, or you could also use Uber.

 

[MomOTwins]

If valet parking is back, then you can leave your car, otherwise use WDW transportation, take bus to MK and then walk or use monorail, or you could also use Uber.

That is what I’ve done in this exact scenario. Take bus from AKL to MK. The boats from MK to GF are a beautiful short trip across the lagoon, or you can take the walking path. Eat dinner at GF and then monorail back to MK after. Then take bus back from MK to AKL. Much more efficient than driving and parking at TTC, and you don’t risk your car getting towed at GF.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Never drive to the Magic Kingdom. Take the bus, then the monorail or boat, then bus back to the resort. Even if you had full "permission" to park wherever, whenever, doing it this way will save you time.

 

[Jennasis]

Yup. NO CAR. Take the resort bus from Animal Kingdom Lodge to Magic Kingdom, then hop on the boat from Magic Kingdom to Grand Floridian. Enjoy dinner. Take monorail from Grand Floridian back to Magic Kingdom. Enjoy park. Take bus from Magic Kingdom back to Animal Kingdom Lodge at the end of the night.

Easy peasy.

 

[_19disnA]

Disney has gotten wise to people who try to 'game' the parking system by leaving their car at one of the monorail resorts for free to avoid paying the MK parking fee. Even with an ADR, you aren't supposed to park for more then 3 hrs. Similar situation for resorts near HS or Epcot. As others have mentioned, part of the problem is those parking lots would fill up with park visitors leaving guests of that hotel with no place to park. I am sure the guards to the resort parking areas have heard any number of clever reasons/explanations people use to try to get out of paying for parking.

 

[Beer Me]

If you drive to the resort and explain what you want to do they may allow you to park. There’s also a chance they tell you to move it after dinner which would be more trouble than just parking at ttc in the first place.

I’m just commenting because resort parking threads always make it sound like Disney has draconian parking enforcement - and the rules are pretty strict on paper - but at any resort other than the monorail resorts, B/YC and Boardwalk it almost certainly wouldn’t be a problem and even at those resorts there are exceptions (like maybe you just need an extra hour or two). Not that you should count on it but the parking attendants are reasonable people.

 

[HopperFan]

The issue at most WDW resorts is the parking lots are small. You would not be happy if you had not space for you to park at (AKL) YOUR resort that you are paying to stay at.
Park at the TTC and enjoy your night at the park and meal.

This is likely going to get worse. As Magical Express has turned into a find your own way that is going to cost you .... I would not be surprised if more folks rented cars which gives them more flexibility - and maybe the time to explore other "places". The parking lots that are already too small may find themselves even smaller. This could lead to even tighter enforcement.

 

[MomOTwins]

If you drive to the resort and explain what you want to do they may allow you to park. There’s also a chance they tell you to move it after dinner which would be more trouble than just parking at ttc in the first place.

I’m just commenting because resort parking threads always make it sound like Disney has draconian parking enforcement - and the rules are pretty strict on paper - but at any resort other than the monorail resorts, B/YC and Boardwalk it almost certainly wouldn’t be a problem and even at those resorts there are exceptions (like maybe you just need an extra hour or two). Not that you should count on it but the parking attendants are reasonable people.

OP is asking to park at GF, a monorail resort.

 

[Beer Me]

OP is asking to park at GF, a monorail resort.

Right and I’m saying they drive up and tell the CM “hey we were planning to go the MK for a couple of hours after dinner - will we need to move our car?” There’s a chance they will let you stay. This would never happen earlier in the day but in OPs situation it’s possible if they want to take a gamble. Personally I would find another way but my point is there is some wiggle room with parking rules.

And to be clear I don’t advocate - and would never try - gaming the system. I’m saying if you have a reasonable request and are honest and up front with the CMs they have some latitude.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Right and I’m saying they drive up and tell the CM “hey we were planning to go the MK for a couple of hours after dinner - will we need to move our car?” There’s a chance they will let you stay. This would never happen earlier in the day but in OPs situation it’s possible if they want to take a gamble. Personally I would find another way but my point is there is some wiggle room with parking rules.

And to be clear I don’t advocate - and would never try - gaming the system. I’m saying if you have a reasonable request and are honest and up front with the CMs they have some latitude.

No way am I going to trust some security guard who may or may not give a darn, be actually listening or even on shift when I got back from the park to make a special note not to tow my car because I had a reasonable request.

 

[Her Dotness]

Right and I’m saying they drive up and tell the CM “hey we were planning to go the MK for a couple of hours after dinner - will we need to move our car?” There’s a chance they will let you stay. This would never happen earlier in the day but in OPs situation it’s possible if they want to take a gamble. Personally I would find another way but my point is there is some wiggle room with parking rules.

No, there is no chance they will let you stay.

There are parking lots at each theme park for the express use of people going to the parks. They pay to park in these lots. Disney resort guests pay once daily and can move their car to another park at no additional charge. That's how it's done. Period.

There is not such "wiggle room" at the resorts close to a park, particularly not at the GF which has very small lots. They've had far too much of what I mentioned previously--people with no intention of paying simply parking at the resort because it's close to a park and "free."

Perhaps in an emergency where a single parent must rush a child by ambulance to the ER, there might be special permission given to leave their car. It would have to be something unusual like that.

People trying to park at a resort for free to go to a nearby park is sadly all too usual at WDW.

That said, the OP is credited for asking if they could pay by the hour to park longer at the GF.

 

[Beer Me]

No, there is no chance they will let you stay.

There are parking lots at each theme park for the express use of people going to the parks. They pay to park in these lots. Disney resort guests pay once daily and can move their car to another park at no additional charge. That's how it's done. Period.

There is not such "wiggle room" at the resorts close to a park, particularly not at the GF which has very small lots. They've had far too much of what I mentioned previously--people with no intention of paying simply parking at the resort because it's close to a park and "free."

Perhaps in an emergency where a single parent must rush a child by ambulance to the ER, there might be special permission given to leave their car. It would have to be something unusual like that.

People trying to park at a resort for free to go to a nearby park is sadly all too usual at WDW.

That said, the OP is credited for asking if they could pay by the hour to park longer at the GF.

I have never tried to park at any monorail resort for more than the allotted time so I defer to - and appreciate- the info you are providing.

But from personal experience there is wiggle room at BC, BW and WL. AKL and the moderate and value resorts are much more lax if not wide open.

I’m simply providing information based on my personal first hand experience. I’ll add the caveat that it’s only my experience which may not be typical for whatever reason. Maybe I’m good at the Jedi mind trick. YMMV.

edit: to add I don’t think it’s “getting away” with something if you are told by a cm it’s ok and in no way unethical or improper. Three examples:
1) Made a wrong turn into WL (don’t ask how it happened). So I stopped at the gate and told them I’m just turning around. CM says “oh, if you’re going to MK just park here and take the boat!” I wasn’t even asking to park there.
2) Most surprising. Had breakfast adr at cape may and just confirmed with the guard the need to move after breakfast if we were going to Epcot. He acted like we were crazy “No you can just walk from here!” “So it’s fine to leave my car here?” “Of course!”
3) Wanted to visit Boardwalk one evening. No adr. Told the guard we were there to check things out and had no real plans. He just waved me through.

 

[Her Dotness]

Okay, maybe you are good at it.

Do ask yourself, though, if it's ethical or responsible to encourage other people, particularly first-timers, to game the system. Because that's what's being done when someone succeeds in wheedling an extension so they can go on from a resort dining reservation to a park.

Is it really that troublesome to do the right thing and take Disney transportation to the parks or pay the fee?

 

[westie55]

As others have stated, while you may get away with doing this sort of thing, it is not allowed. You are paying to stay at AKL, which while also a deluxe resort, only costs a fraction of the price of the Grand Floridian almost entirely due to its location. The prices are so high at the GF for the convenience of being so close to MK. The resort lots are only so large, and so.many.people would want to do exactly as you describe and use the GF as their own personal MK parking lot. However, unless you are a GF guest or are currently dining at one of the GF restaurants, the parking lots are not for your use. While I understand OP's question and don't think it comes out of a desire to "cheat the system", I do think the rules are understandable and fair once they are explained.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

No, there is no chance they will let you stay.

There are parking lots at each theme park for the express use of people going to the parks. They pay to park in these lots. Disney resort guests pay once daily and can move their car to another park at no additional charge. That's how it's done. Period.

There is not such "wiggle room" at the resorts close to a park, particularly not at the GF which has very small lots. They've had far too much of what I mentioned previously--people with no intention of paying simply parking at the resort because it's close to a park and "free."

Perhaps in an emergency where a single parent must rush a child by ambulance to the ER, there might be special permission given to leave their car. It would have to be something unusual like that.

People trying to park at a resort for free to go to a nearby park is sadly all too usual at WDW.

That said, the OP is credited for asking if they could pay by the hour to park longer at the GF.

Except none of this is what OP is doing.

OP is NOT "parking at a resort for free to go to a nearby park," he is parking at the resort where he has a dining reservation, which is completely allowed. He's also a resort guest, so he's entitled to free parking at the theme parks.

I agree with you when it comes to people parking at resorts to try and sneak "free" parking, but that isn't what's happening here.

Is it really that troublesome to do the right thing and take Disney transportation to the parks or pay the fee?

There is no fee! OP is a guest at Animal Kingdom Lodge... his cost to park at Magic Kingdom is $0.