Parking at Resort for meal then Parks

[FatherForce]

We have a California Grill Brunch ADR on Sunday the 6th and planned on walking over the MK for a couple hours to walk off the meal and enjoy our 1st day. Also have an early Ohana ADR on the 9th, and we were planning on heading to the MK that night.
It is my understanding that we can do this IF we valet park.
Any truth to this?

 

[buzznina]

Yes, only if you Valet park. Sometimes during really busy times the lot can get full and they will not allow you to park, but with your dates you should be okay.

 

[msb578]

From personal experience, yes that’s fine. They do generally announce restricted times via a press release (like this week, for example).

 

[Deb & Bill]

You may need to plan on parking at the TTC instead of at the resort or plan on moving your car after you finish dining. I have seen cars turned away from the Contemporary who wanted to valet park, but they were not guests of the resort. You may be given a three hour parking pass as well. I've gotten one of those at the GF.

 

[OKW Lover]

You may be given a three hour parking pass as well. I've gotten one of those at the GF.

Sorry to take this on a tangent, but how recent was your experience with the 3 hour parking pass?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Sorry to take this on a tangent, but how recent was your experience with the 3 hour parking pass?

It's been a few years.

 

[meggiebeth]

We had this dilemma on our last trip and decided to just park at MK and get the monorail over to the Contemporary. It didn’t take long at all and you can either get the monorail back to MK or walk from what I understand.

 

[KaptKaveman]

We do this on one of our Magic Kingdom days every trip. We book a Kona Cafe(because my wife just can't go to Disney without a breakfast at Kona). We go to the parks until a little after lunch and then come back and eat at Captain Cooks and maybe get a Dole Whip Float. The first time we did this I pulled up to the guard shack and told them I had a reservation. Then asked what the best way was to get the car back to the TTC parking lot. The guard said not to worry about it and that the lot wasn't close to full. Each time we go to Kona on our trip I ask the guard and get permission. I also try to be respectful and not take the closer spots in the lot.

Though this is the Polynesian and not the Contemporary so that will probably make a difference.

 

[aggiesarah04]

On a related note, we have an early breakfast reservation at the Boardwalk and were planning to valet our car and walk to/from Epcot for the day. I didn't think about possibly being turned away from the valet lot - is this likely at Boardwalk? February 4th, if that makes a difference.

 

[marikujawa]

You may need to plan on parking at the TTC instead of at the resort or plan on moving your car after you finish dining. I have seen cars turned away from the Contemporary who wanted to valet park, but they were not guests of the resort. You may be given a three hour parking pass as well. I've gotten one of those at the GF.

We've been to the Cali Grill brunch 3 times now, and valet parking is included in the brunch - since it's included and you don't pay for it, I don't see how they can turn you away. Unless it's changed or there are different rules during the holidays. We were last there in November 2018.

 

[msb578]

On a related note, we have an early breakfast reservation at the Boardwalk and were planning to valet our car and walk to/from Epcot for the day. I didn't think about possibly being turned away from the valet lot - is this likely at Boardwalk? February 4th, if that makes a difference.

Since it’s not Presidents week, you’ll probably be ok to valet.

 

[Deb & Bill]

On a related note, we have an early breakfast reservation at the Boardwalk and were planning to valet our car and walk to/from Epcot for the day. I didn't think about possibly being turned away from the valet lot - is this likely at Boardwalk? February 4th, if that makes a difference.

The Boardwalk may be a lot more stringent because of the construction going on there taking up parking places. You shouldn't plan on leaving your car to go to the theme park. You'll probably see signs posted at the entrance to the resort that state that they are sorry but they cannot provide theme park parking. That is one of the most frustrating places to park if you are a resort guest staying there. It can be really hard to find a parking place.

 

[buzznina]

Sorry to take this on a tangent, but how recent was your experience with the 3 hour parking pass?

14 years and 35+ trips and driving to other resorts during a lot of our stays and have yet to come across that elusive "3 hour pass" But this is WDW, the master of inconsistencies

 

[Deb & Bill]

14 years and 35+ trips and driving to other resorts during a lot of our stays and have yet to come across that elusive "3 hour pass" But this is WDW, the master of inconsistencies

I wish I had kept the ticket that was place in our window with the three hour notification.

 

[msb578]

We’re all talking about *valet* parking here, yes?

 

[aggiesarah04]

We’re all talking about *valet* parking here, yes?

Yes. My assumption was that if I paid $33, I could leave my car for the day and presumably go wherever I want, including Epcot. I don't want to take a parking spot from someone paying to stay at the resort, but I'm also not asking to leave my car there for free. We have an ADR at 7:40 am, and it would be nice to just walk to IG after we eat instead of going back to the car and driving back around to park at Epcot and wait at the main entrance with the masses.

If they tell us that valet is closed to non-guests at that hour of the day, I guess we'll be heading back to park at Epcot.

 

[Kingdome8]

Yes. My assumption was that if I paid $33, I could leave my car for the day and presumably go wherever I want, including Epcot. I don't want to take a parking spot from someone paying to stay at the resort, but I'm also not asking to leave my car there for free. We have an ADR at 7:40 am, and it would be nice to just walk to IG after we eat instead of going back to the car and driving back around to park at Epcot and wait at the main entrance with the masses.

If they tell us that valet is closed to non-guests at that hour of the day, I guess we'll be heading back to park at Epcot.

Are you paying for parking at another resort? And you are paying for valet at this resort for adr? I think u will be fine to leave it there. Ask the parking lot attendant. They will say yes

 

[aggiesarah04]

Are you paying for parking at another resort? And you are paying for valet at this resort for adr? I think u will be fine to leave it there. Ask the parking lot attendant. They will say yes

We're staying offsite and this will be the only day of our 5-day trip that we won't just drive directly to a park. Our plan is to valet for our ADR and then walk to/from Epcot for the day, probably arriving back at Boardwalk around 8 pm. Thanks for the advice, I really thought this would be something more people had encountered!

 

[msb578]

Yes. My assumption was that if I paid $33, I could leave my car for the day and presumably go wherever I want, including Epcot. I don't want to take a parking spot from someone paying to stay at the resort, but I'm also not asking to leave my car there for free. We have an ADR at 7:40 am, and it would be nice to just walk to IG after we eat instead of going back to the car and driving back around to park at Epcot and wait at the main entrance with the masses.

If they tell us that valet is closed to non-guests at that hour of the day, I guess we'll be heading back to park at Epcot.

Ok, yeah. I stand by what I said then. Valet parking anywhere is almost always... not a problem.

 

[Kingdome8]

We're staying offsite and this will be the only day of our 5-day trip that we won't just drive directly to a park. Our plan is to valet for our ADR and then walk to/from Epcot for the day, probably arriving back at Boardwalk around 8 pm. Thanks for the advice, I really thought this would be something more people had encountered!

We were there in October. Parked at yacht club for breakfast And walked to Epcot for the day. It was great. And everyone I asked there said no problem. Especially since I’m paying to park at my resort. I have also paid for valet at grand Floridian and contemporary and asked the guard and he said leave car here and enjoy the monorails to park. So we did. People won’t like that on boards But I’m just giving real life experience. I’ll be back in June. The best