PLEASE SHARE -What is it like to resort park now?

[dansdad]

Yes, but they could, is what I'm saying. There's not a separate attendant to go through, you go through whatever one you want. Then, once you pull away from the attendant stand you are on total control of what lane you get in, what direction you head. There's nothing that stops a car from getting in the parking lane, instead of the drop off lane.

Hmmm...you might very well be correct. It's been a couple years since we took a cab to Epcot to make an ADR and I could have sworn there was no way to get into the parking lot. But I sure could be wrong.

 

[AngiTN]

Hmmm...you might very well be correct. It's been a couple years since we took a cab to Epcot to make an ADR and I could have sworn there was no way to get into the parking lot. But I sure could be wrong.

Well, since the Uber car is right there behind, and/or in front of, a car that is paying for parking, there's no doubt. All the passenger cars are right there in the lanes all mixed together going through to pay. Uber drivers tell them it's a drop off. Same way a local Mom/Dad would tell they are there to drop off their teen that was going for the day. Private cars aren't marked like a Taxi, which are obvious. From the view of the attendant directing traffic further on in the lot, they look just like the family driving in for the day. The driver has to again tell them they are there to drop off so the attendant lets them through to the drop off point vs. sending them on to the parking spaces. Drivers that are on the ball usually have a sign they put out to help identify them so it speeds things up. I'm guessing people trying to bypass paying for parking by claiming to drop off is not rampant problem so Disney hasn't seen a need to find a fix for it. Still a surprise to me that they haven't devised something

The only thing I have to compare it to is growing up I had annual passes to Opryland all summer. My mom dropped us off several days a week and they had the same thing, a passenger drop off spot. But they did have a totally separate lane you used, so you couldn't park, and even sent you the BACK of the parking lot, vs the front. Not that I liked that more mind you, we either had to walk all the way from the back or walk up to find the closest tram and grab it. But at 13ish, we had the stamina to just walk

 

[Jennasis]

No change for is. We arrived at SSR on Sunday and pulled up to guard gate. He scanned DH's band and took his license to look at. Said no paper pass necessary. We own DVC so should be no charge.

 

[PrincessV]

Now what do they do, stop every vehicle and scan your MB?

Yep, exactly.

Usually, though sometimes I've been told that they even wave through when they see a MB

This happens a lot for me. I rarely, if ever, arrive at a park early - usually late in the afternoon or early evening. I assume they just get lax about it all by that time, lol!

Amazingly enough, we received a paper parking pass when we arrived at the GF yesterday.

Hmmm, that's intriguing...

 

[Deb & Bill]

No change for is. We arrived at SSR on Sunday and pulled up to guard gate. He scanned DH's band and took his license to look at. Said no paper pass necessary. We own DVC so should be no charge.

We're at GFV and got one on Monday.

 

[AngiTN]

Hmmm, that's intriguing...

Not too much. To me it's seemed that each resort gets to decide if they want to use them or not. A few always issue them, but most never do. GF could be one that always issues one.
I know there's been one resort that's always had one printed when we've checked in and they've tossed it in the trash when we tell them we don't have a car. For some reason I'm thinking it's POR or FQ, since that's where we've arrived early and not had a room ready early most often, so I've had to go by the front desk the most often.
But my memory is very faulty so I could equally be wrong and mixing it up too. Just know I can picture the CM asking about a car and having a parking pass on hand and folding it up and throwing it out when we declined having a car. But it's only been 1 resort out of all the ones we've stayed in.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Not too much. To me it's seemed that each resort gets to decide if they want to use them or not. A few always issue them, but most never do. GF could be one that always issues one.
I know there's been one resort that's always had one printed when we've checked in and they've tossed it in the trash when we tell them we don't have a car. For some reason I'm thinking it's POR or FQ, since that's where we've arrived early and not had a room ready early most often, so I've had to go by the front desk the most often.
But my memory is very faulty so I could equally be wrong and mixing it up too. Just know I can picture the CM asking about a car and having a parking pass on hand and folding it up and throwing it out when we declined having a car. But it's only been 1 resort out of all the ones we've stayed in.

To add to the complexity, you don’t always get the paper pass in the same place. At some resorts, the guard gave us our pass and at others, we’ve gotten it at the front desk. And once, we didn’t get one at all. Very inconsistent.

 

[Hockey Nut]

In January, 2018, I made a room only reservation for a Feb. 2019 trip. If I convert it to a package (when the pricing comes out in the next few months), will I lose the Free Parking perk, or am I still grandfathered in since the original reservation was made prior to March 21st?

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

In January, 2018, I made a room only reservation for a Feb. 2019 trip. If I convert it to a package (when the pricing comes out in the next few months), will I lose the Free Parking perk, or am I still grandfathered in since the original reservation was made prior to March 21st?

It would be best to call WDW reservation CM's and ask your question. To keep free parking, they need to confirm that your reservation will be modified and the original reservation number will be preserved. I don't think we have heard from someone like you yet in similar circumstances since the rule change.

 

[Hockey Nut]

It would be best to call WDW reservation CM's and ask your question. To keep free parking, they need to confirm that your reservation will be modified and the original reservation number will be preserved. I don't think we have heard from someone like you yet in similar circumstances since the rule change.

I asked my question to customer service in a Chat session. Their response was "If you convert your room only reservation made in January 2018 to a package, you will be grandfathered in and will not pay for resort parking".

 

[ElenaJane]

We stayed at Poly April 28-30. We were staying on rented DVC points, so I was not expecting a parking charge. When we pulled up, we spoke to the security guard and he let us in. What I didn't see this trip were the Magic Band stand gate (not sure what to call it), the lane you used to be able to go through by just tapping your magic band once you had checked into the resort. At the Poly at least, it looked like you had to go through and talk to the security guard each time. And wouldn't you know it, on my guest portfolio, they didn't charge me for resort parking....they charged me for valet! I didn't notice this until I was home, and when I contacted Disney, they apologized and refunded the charge. But let that be a lesson to me...always check the charges at the end of the trip!

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

I asked my question to customer service in a Chat session. Their response was "If you convert your room only reservation made in January 2018 to a package, you will be grandfathered in and will not pay for resort parking".

Thanks so much for providing the update for everyone.

 

[snappy]

Clearly Disney hasn’t quite figured out the parking charge procedure when they charged valet rather than regular parking fees.

If they are determined to charge this new parking fee the least they can do is get the correct charge assessed.

 

[PrincessV]

Just had a one-night stay at CSR, booked before March 21: was not charged for overnight parking. My MB also didn't work to open the parking gate on the Casistas side when I first arrived, but I was behind a line of cars that weren't able to open it, so not sure that was specific to me; we all had to push the button to have it opened remotely. (Had the room-ready text, so did not go through guard shack or check-in desk: the way CSR is laid out, you can skip the guard shack and go left or right into the parking areas, using a MB to open the gates.) The second time I needed to open the gate, my MB worked.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Just had a one-night stay at CSR, booked before March 21: was not charged for overnight parking. My MB also didn't work to open the parking gate on the Casistas side when I first arrived, but I was behind a line of cars that weren't able to open it, so not sure that was specific to me; we all had to push the button to have it opened remotely. (Had the room-ready text, so did not go through guard shack or check-in desk: the way CSR is laid out, you can skip the guard shack and go left or right into the parking areas, using a MB to open the gates.) The second time I needed to open the gate, my MB worked.

I thought you had to use your magic band on the room door before it will work to open the gate when you drive in. At least that is what I have heard.

 

[PrincessV]

I thought you had to use your magic band on the room door before it will work to open the gate when you drive in. At least that is what I have heard.

I thought so, too, and was told that by a guard a few years ago. But having seen people on the DIS say recently they used their MBs at the gate upon arrival, I thought I'd give it a shot. Hard to say if it was because I hadn't been to the room yet, though, because it wasn't working for any of the 6 cars ahead of me, either. But I can confirm that pushing the button does work, so there's that at least!

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Any recent updates?

 

[AngiTN]

Just had a one-night stay at CSR, booked before March 21: was not charged for overnight parking. My MB also didn't work to open the parking gate on the Casistas side when I first arrived, but I was behind a line of cars that weren't able to open it, so not sure that was specific to me; we all had to push the button to have it opened remotely. (Had the room-ready text, so did not go through guard shack or check-in desk: the way CSR is laid out, you can skip the guard shack and go left or right into the parking areas, using a MB to open the gates.) The second time I needed to open the gate, my MB worked.

I thought you had to use your magic band on the room door before it will work to open the gate when you drive in. At least that is what I have heard.

It's possible CSR operates totally different since it is the only resort with those internal gates.

 

[sbd78]

So has it been confirmed that scanning your magic band when entering the parking lot is what triggers the parking fee if booked after March 21? If so, I will scan my magic band (I booked well before March 21) when my friend arrives with her car from Tampa to meet us for the last 3 days of our trip. (She booked after March 21.) I think it's ridiculous that she would have to pay parking fees driving in from Tampa and I won't have a car, so I'm more than happy to claim her car as mine.

 

[DLo]

just did a split contemporary / french quarter - booked in January. Each time , I went through the guard side of the gate at both - no paper parking pass at either. I didn't drive my car at all from check in to check out at either resort so not sure about entering on the magic band side . I was not charged for parking at either resort.