What happens if you get to the parking lot before it opens?

[Cayaco]

At Hollywood Studios, if you get to the parking entrance before it's open, can you sit in your car and wait or do you need to turn around and come back in an endless circle until it's open?

 

[disneygirlsng]

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe the parking lots ever fully close. Sometimes if you are early enough you don't have to pay. Things could have changed or be different for DHS though.

 

[DianaPrincessofWales]

Heard it from a friend who......heard it from a friend.

They leave a few lanes open all night so if they get there really early they would get in for free. Auto plaza usually starts charging around 7 depending what time the park opens and what events are going on. 7 is not a concrete time.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If the park is opening earlier, the parking booths will be staffed even earlier. If somehow you actually are too early and security has an issue with that, they will ask you to come back later.

 

[cgattis]

I’ve never seen security at a parking booth. They’ve either been staffed or empty, in which case it was free to enter.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Not security in the

 

[kaytieeldr]

Not security in the parking booths. That's not what Security does, or where/how they work. Security in cars, patrolling the parking lots for drivers needing help, etc.

 

[seashoreCM]

My current stance is, if the parking lot "is closed" and it is getting close to published theme park opening time or the time of your breakfast advance dining reservation, that you should make an attempt to enter the lot anyway.

A year ago my suggestion was to let the maitre d' know that you were late because the parking lot was not open yet, and expect him to seat you pretending that you were exactly on time for your ADR, escalating the issue to Guest Relations if needed.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Why obfuscate? Unless it's AK, odds are the lanes will not be blocked. So arriving early enough to drive, park, and get into the park then to the restaurant eliminates any need to lie to the CM (not Maitre d'Hotel, which is a position Disney doesn't even have)

 

[Cayaco]

Well in case anyone is wondering, they dont turn you away. Got there about 4:15 this morning. There were cones up at the pay stations but everyone was routed around them. Already a couple of dozen cars in the lot when we arrived but it was free and clear with security everywhere. No one was turned away.