Parking at Boardwalk

[Mambo Junkie]

i didn’t want to post another thread but my phone isn’t allowing me to search so I’ll ask. We have a reservation at Trattoria and I realize there is a 2 or 3 hour parking limit. We had hoped to shop a little. What if we go over our parking limit? Do we have to come out and tell the guards we are still shopping? We don’t plan to park and go to a park or anything we just don’t want to eat and run.

 

[Aimeedyan]

You'll be fine. I can't imagine you'd dine and shop longer than 3 hours... there is very little shopping on the Boardwalk.

Honestly, people on here talk about a 2-3 hour parking limit but I have never been told a time limit when visiting a resort for a meal. We live an ~hour away and I can't even count how many times we've parked onsite in the last year (20? 25?). So it's definitely not a hard and fast practice. Perhaps during peak times (holidays), they issue a time limit but you could just ask at the gate about shopping. Disney is not in the practice of marking cars and towing them or anything; they just want to make sure paying resort guests have ample parking.

 

[LilyWDW]

If this is for the trip that starts in a day, there is also a chance you won't be allowed to park at the Boardwalk. Depends what day it is, but a few years ago during Food and Wine no one was being allowed into the main parking lot except those staying at the resort. Too many people were using it to head into Epcot and parking was very tight. Luckily we were in a cab so had no issues, but a lot of people were being turned around and directed to a different lot further away.

 

[Shelleyfs]

I have never been turned away w/ a dining reservation. I'm not sure if you are going for the breakfast, but I hope you are as it is so good! Enjoy your day!

 

[Missyrose]

Depends what day it is, but a few years ago during Food and Wine no one was being allowed into the main parking lot except those staying at the resort.

They won't turn guests with a dining reservation away, though, they will send them to the overflow lot near the Speedway.

 

[Kingdome8]

Nope. I pulled up without a dinner reservation and said I want to check out boardwalk and lot attendant said have a great time.
Next morning drove to yacht club for breakfast parked my car there and walked to Epcot. Great day.

I stayed at CBR and they stated you can drive and park at any hotel as I’m paying for parking.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...I stayed at CBR and they stated you can drive and park at any hotel as I’m paying for parking.

No, you cannot. You'll find signs posted at many of the deluxe resorts when you enter the parking lot at the guard shack that states they cannot provide parking for non-resort guests. If you are a resort guest and pay for parking at your resort, that is all you are entitled to have.

 

[gharter]

Nope. I pulled up without a dinner reservation and said I want to check out boardwalk and lot attendant said have a great time.
Next morning drove to yacht club for breakfast parked my car there and walked to Epcot. Great day.

I stayed at CBR and they stated you can drive and park at any hotel as I’m paying for parking.

They may have let you, but that is not the policy.
If you are not staying at the resort or eating at a restaurant at the resort, you are not supposed to be parking there.
Now we have driven to different resorts and asked to go in and check out the resort and we have been let in, but the parking lots also were not full.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

Yes we are dining at Trattoria. Our reservations are for 9:20 and we’ve stayed at both Yacht Club and Beach Club in the past but never Boardwalk. I bought DH a swimsuit there and he loves it. They have a few stores and we like the little gift shops. It’s just a relaxing stroll. We have plans for Ivy Trellis at 1:30 but we plan to park at MK and take the monorail over. Thank you for all your replies. We will see how it shakes out lol.

 

[Kingdome8]

No, you cannot. You'll find signs posted at many of the deluxe resorts when you enter the parking lot at the guard shack that states they cannot provide parking for non-resort guests. If you are a resort guest and pay for parking at your resort, that is all you are entitled to have.

Not true. I asked 3 different employees at CBR and when pulled into boardwalk asked again and he said absolutely you paid at ur hotel for car parking.

 

[Kingdome8]

They may have let you, but that is not the policy.
If you are not staying at the resort or eating at a restaurant at the resort, you are not supposed to be parking there.
Now we have driven to different resorts and asked to go in and check out the resort and we have been let in, but the parking lots also were not full.

Well if it’s a policy the employees didn’t know and I asked 3 at CBR and one at boardwalk when “visiting”. They said it’s rudder to find parking at those resorts though as it’s food and wine and people take Advantage. But said since I pay at one I can go to any.

 

[Hopefully]

Nope. I pulled up without a dinner reservation and said I want to check out boardwalk and lot attendant said have a great time.
Next morning drove to yacht club for breakfast parked my car there and walked to Epcot. Great day.

I stayed at CBR and they stated you can drive and park at any hotel as I’m paying for parking.

Not True. You were misinformed

 

[Deb & Bill]

Not true. I asked 3 different employees at CBR and when pulled into boardwalk asked again and he said absolutely you paid at ur hotel for car parking.

That's the CBR, not one of the deluxe resorts connected to a theme park. They have tons of parking at CBR. Those CMs have no idea about parking at the deluxe resorts. Just wait until everyone starts parking at CBR once the Skyway is finished to avoid paying to park at the theme parks.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

You can't walk to a park from CBR, so it makes sense that they might be more lenient. but BW and YC/BC have been known to turn away people without ADRs especially during holiday periods and Food & Wine Festival.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Not true. I asked 3 different employees at CBR and when pulled into boardwalk asked again and he said absolutely you paid at ur hotel for car parking.

You pay to park your car at YOUR resort. Your parking fee covers your resort, and the theme parks. It does not include parking at other resorts to enter the parks. That's why Disney offers free transportation to the parks and allows you to park your car for free at the parks if you're staying onsite.

Beliefs like this is why people who pay to park at BW/BC/YC/Poly/GF/CR cannot find parking spaces they actually paid a higher fee to park in.

 

[Kingdome8]

You can't walk to a park from CBR, so it makes sense that they might be more lenient. but BW and YC/BC have been known to turn away people without ADRs especially during holiday periods and Food & Wine Festival.

Yeah I agree. It CBR front desk and boardwalk associates said we can since we pay at one Disney resort we can go anywhere.

 

[Kingdome8]

You pay to park your car at YOUR resort. Your parking fee covers your resort, and the theme parks. It does not include parking at other resorts to enter the parks. That's why Disney offers free transportation to the parks and allows you to park your car for free at the parks if you're staying onsite.

Beliefs like this is why people who pay to park at BW/BC/YC/Poly/GF/CR cannot find parking spaces they actually paid a higher fee to park in.

According to people that actually work at Disney they said if you pay to park at one resort. You can park at another. Mainly because they do know most use Disney transportation.

 

[Mazz519]

The 3 hour rule is never enforced, they have told us about it but I never have seen any cars being towed or summoned

 

[Pete W.]

There is tiered pricing now at the resorts: $13 for Value, $19 for Moderate and $24 for Deluxe. Why should someone who paid for parking at a Value or Moderate resort be allowed to park at a Deluxe resort and walk to one or more theme parks? If you're not staying at a particular resort then you're a day guest. The official day guest parking policy says:

"Complimentary standard self-parking is available while enjoying select dining, shopping, entertainment, and recreation experiences at Disney Resort hotels."

Note it doesn't say anything about enjoying theme parks while you're a day guest at a resort hotel.

 

[southerngirl528]

They may have let you, but that is not the policy.
If you are not staying at the resort or eating at a restaurant at the resort, you are not supposed to be parking there.

I had a close friend that worked at the BW and they said it was unbelievable how many people they saw park their car, pull out the strollers or whatever, and head STRAIGHT for the sidewalk going to HS. They were parking there simply to avoid paying theme park parking fees. Since the skyliner towers have gone in BW has lost a BUNCH of parking so they are much, much stricter. And during F&W doubly so.