Park at Poly for MK?

[Albytaps]

I'm trying to strategize for our first day at WDW. We will be driving from NJ and planning to arrive in the early afternoon. We are staying at OKW and hoping we can get our room (undertsanding around 3pm) to drop our stuff off and then head to the MK for some rides before dinner at Ohana's.

Would it be ok to park at the Polynesian while we go to the MK? Is that frowned upon? If it is, where do people park to go to Ohana's if they're not staying at the Poly? I want to minimize transportation and by parking at the Poly it would allieviate some monorailing and trams.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

I'm trying to strategize for our first day at WDW. We will be driving from NJ and planning to arrive in the early afternoon. We are staying at OKW and hoping we can get our room (undertsanding around 3pm) to drop our stuff off and then head to the MK for some rides before dinner at Ohana's.

Would it be ok to park at the Polynesian while we go to the MK? Is that frowned upon? If it is, where do people park to go to Ohana's if they're not staying at the Poly? I want to minimize transportation and by parking at the Poly it would allieviate some monorailing and trams.

If you parking to eat they give you a pass, they ask you why you are there when you park. The Poly has has VERY small parking lot. Even as a paying guest saying at the hotel we had trouble finding spots.

 

[W.E.D.]

Dont those passes have some sort of time limit? Don't know if that would effect your plans or not.

 

[Lynne M]

Park at the TTC. It's a very short walk from the Poly to the TTC, and no worries about time limits.

 

[WDSearcher]

Parking at a resort you're not staying at in order to get into the theme parks is, indeed, frown upon. Someplace like the Poly (with it's relatively small parking lot) is particularly strict about which cars are there and how long they can stay.

If you are eating at OHana before you go to the park, there may not be a problem. It will depend on how full the resort is and who your Security CM is.

If you're parking at the Poly, then going to the park, and then returning several hours later to eat, you'll be asked to park at TTC and then either monorail over for dinner or get your car, drive to the Poly and park just for dinner.

Basically ... the parking slots at any given resort -- whether it be OKW, the Poly or All Star -- are there for the people who are staying at the resort, not for theme park access.

One way around that is to valet park at the Poly when you arrive. It may cost you money (whereas parking at TTC won't, since you're staying on-site), but you can valet there and leave your car for as long as you like, as long as they have room in the valet lot.

 

[Robo]

Park at the TTC. It's a very short walk from the Poly to the TTC, and no worries about time limits.

 

[sazzlynn]

Park at the TTC. It's a very short walk from the Poly to the TTC, and no worries about time limits.

completely agree. This won't add too much time and you won't have to worry about parking at the Poly while you're in the park. The ticket they give you when parking for dinning reservations is only good for 3 hours and you're not suppose to leave the resort. They other option is to valet at the Poly, but it really is a short walk from the TTC to the Poly.

Enjoy your trip.

 

[ppony]

It's not only "frowned upon" it's not allowed. Parking at a resort unless you have business there is not permitted. Think about it, whey would it be? I've seen many a cars towed from particularly the monorail resorts. When you park to eat at a resort, you will be given a pass and it's good for 3 hours. It's up to you if you want to push the envelope and risk an expensive tow. The Poly can be particularly hard to park at even as a guest. Just do the TTC lot and either the monorail back to the poly and then your car or go back to your car and move to the poly for dinner.

 

[Albytaps]

OK thanks, the TTC it is.

 

[rannxerox]

Its more strictly enforced at these two resorts because of the limited parking spaces and abuse to get into MK. The boardwalk resorts are more lacks about it because they have much bigger parking lots and more resorts around the water. Some people use this to get into the back of EPCOT if they want to catch a meal at that end of the World Showcase.

 

[jasta]

Yes frowned upon. However I have never received a parking pass that others are speaking of. Is this during very busy times of the year?

 

[Polydweller]

Yes frowned upon. However I have never received a parking pass that others are speaking of. Is this during very busy times of the year?

They used to give visitor parking passes but ended that for the most part a couple of years ago because they don't have to. All people staying at the Poly arriving by car are given their pass at the gate now. So, the only cars that will be in the Poly lot without a Poly parking pass will be those of people who aren't staying there. And the time of entry is noted at the gate so they know how long you've been there. The paper pass was redundant.

The Poly lot is very small, see Robo's picture and compare it to the TTC lot in the picture and you are only seeing a corner of the TTC lot. The resort lot simply can't accommodate people who are going to MK. People staying at the Poly really have no other option but the Poly lot. Visitors to MK or even just visiting the Poly do have other options.

 

[glocon]

That is what is so great about these boards... you get info that is really helpful, so when you try to save time by parking somewhere and end up with the expense of a towing charge... well just ask here and you won't make that mistake! The only dumb question is the one you don't ask- just like mom said

 

[starbox]

We've never had a problem valet parking for dinner at O'hana and then going to MK for fireworks afterwards. It seems silly to move the car for a few hours. I have no idea about non-valet parking - but valet has always been just fine.

 

[Albytaps]

Hmm could I possibly ask to park at the top left corner of the TTC parking lot and then just take that shortcut to the Poly? I wouldn't mind making that walk if they allowed it.

 

[chartle]

Hmm could I possibly ask to park at the top left corner of the TTC parking lot and then just take that shortcut to the Poly? I wouldn't mind making that walk if they allowed it.

Depending on when you get there you really don't have choice on where you park. Its follow the leader.

 

[Robo]

Hmm could I possibly ask to park at the top left corner of the TTC parking lot and then just take that shortcut to the Poly? I wouldn't mind making that walk if they allowed it.

Assuming that they are not holding that area for some reason,
if there's a space there, you can park in it.

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

I'm trying to strategize for our first day at WDW. We will be driving from NJ and planning to arrive in the early afternoon. We are staying at OKW and hoping we can get our room (undertsanding around 3pm) to drop our stuff off and then head to the MK for some rides before dinner at Ohana's.

Would it be ok to park at the Polynesian while we go to the MK? Is that frowned upon? If it is, where do people park to go to Ohana's if they're not staying at the Poly? I want to minimize transportation and by parking at the Poly it would allieviate some monorailing and trams.

I know everyone has their own preferences, but personally, after driving all day, I think I'd rather just relax at the resort (maybe swim) and then hit 'Ohana's for dinner. If you're trying to avoid Disney Transportation that day, you could easily drive to 'Ohana's for dinner, use valet parking, and then return after watching the fireworks on the beach.

We always chose 'Ohana's for our first night dinner too...it's become a tradition.

 

[snesguy]

Yes frowned upon. However I have never received a parking pass that others are speaking of. Is this during very busy times of the year?

I wonder if the pass is only for hotel guests? We stayed at the Poly for Easter break 2011 and received a parking pass. It was good for the length of our stay and allowed us to park for free at the theme parks. It must have been popular because we had a couple of them stolen (or lost) during our stay. I used valet parking. A couple of times during our trip we would drop off the car with the valet in the evening and when we picked it up in the morning the pass was gone and I had to get it replaced. One of the valets claimed that the procedure was that they would take your pass to the valet desk after they parked it and it was supposed to get returned to the car, but for one reason or another (the valet didn't say how) some passes went missing.

 

[megarella]

Hmm could I possibly ask to park at the top left corner of the TTC parking lot and then just take that shortcut to the Poly? I wouldn't mind making that walk if they allowed it.

You won't be able to park in the very top left corner of the TTC parking lot--that area is a cast member parking lot for the Polynesian Resort/TTC, accessed only through a security gate.