# Finally checking parking tags



## Carl D (Nov 18, 2009)

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2333502


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## bnoble (Nov 18, 2009)

Carl D said:


> http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2333502



To what end?

I've parked in OKW before with no parking pass, but completely legitimately.  For example, during a stay at Bonnet Creek this past July, we decided to go have lunch at Olivia's.  (I have a soft spot for the blackened grouper sandwich.)  Told the guard where I was going, and waved right on by.  I was not given a temporary pass, and as far as I know, the guard did not write down my plate #.  Unless they've changed that, checking for passes does nothing.

What's more, the real problem at OKW isn't outsiders parking---after all, OKW isn't within walking distance or easy transportation to anything interesting in the way that, say, Beach Club or Contemporary are.  The real problem at OKW is folks staying in some of the more remote locations of the resort driving to the Hospitality House, finding the lot full, and parking in front of the nearby Villas.  And, all of those people have legitimate parking passes.  As far as I know, the passes don't encode your room number, so there is no way to tell if someone is parking inconsiderately or not.


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## Carl D (Nov 18, 2009)

bnoble said:


> To what end?
> 
> I've parked in OKW before with no parking pass, but completely legitimately.  For example, during a stay at Bonnet Creek this past July, we decided to go have lunch at Olivia's.  (I have a soft spot for the blackened grouper sandwich.)  Told the guard where I was going, and waved right on by.  I was not given a temporary pass, and as far as I know, the guard did not write down my plate #.  Unless they've changed that, checking for passes does nothing.
> 
> What's more, the real problem at OKW isn't outsiders parking---after all, OKW isn't within walking distance or easy transportation to anything interesting in the way that, say, Beach Club or Contemporary are.  The real problem at OKW is folks staying in some of the more remote locations of the resort driving to the Hospitality House, finding the lot full, and parking in front of the nearby Villas.  And, all of those people have legitimate parking passes.  As far as I know, the passes don't encode your room number, so there is no way to tell if someone is parking inconsiderately or not.


I don't really know to what end. I'm just happy they are doing it, and I assume they are cracking down on visitors passes. If they don't, like you say, what good is it?

It seems they are checking at most/all resorts, not just OKW. Many people will park at OKW, or other resorts, and ride the bus to the park to dodge the parking fee. It is a larger problem at other resorts, but still a problem everywhere.


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## chriskre (Nov 18, 2009)

As long as you are spending money in the restaurants they don't care if you visit the resorts.  They want you there spending, spending, spending.  

I think it's more of deterrant to try to keep out the locals who are dodging the parking fees and riding the buses or trying to use the pools.

I was just there and they wanted to see my room key everytime I came into Kidani.  I think I could have probably flashed them my credit card and gotten in.  I don't think they can possibly read the dates on the card so far away.  At least I know that I can't.  They didn't even care that I had a very prominent green parking pass on the hood which used to be all that was required for the "Welcome Home".  Now it was all about the room key.
Maybe people are getting creative with their photoshop and making parking passes.  :ignore: 

I also recently discovered by using one of the ticket kiosks that the fingerprint machine may be a fake too.  It appears that after several attempts they will let you in so that was a revelation to us.


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## Carl D (Nov 18, 2009)

chriskre said:


> I was just there and they wanted to see my room key everytime I came into Kidani.  I think I could have probably flashed them my credit card and gotten in.


My father in-law accidentally flashed his AARP card to the guard at Animal Kingdom Lodge. The guard had all she could do to keep from busting out laughing as she said "Ahh.. This is your AARP card" She then made us show a room key.


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## bnoble (Nov 18, 2009)

> Many people will park at OKW, or other resorts, and ride the bus to the park


At OKW?  I can't say that I've seen even three people in more than 20 nights at OKW doing this.  OKW is nearly the end of the world---only SSR and AKV/AKL are farther from the action.  If you're going to cheat the parking fees, you may as well cheat them at someplace closer to the actual theme parks.


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## Carl D (Nov 18, 2009)

bnoble said:


> At OKW?  I can't say that I've seen even three people in more than 20 nights at OKW doing this.  OKW is nearly the end of the world---only SSR and AKV/AKL are farther from the action.  If you're going to cheat the parking fees, you may as well cheat them at someplace closer to the actual theme parks.


Personally, if I were to cheat it would be would from a mono resort.
That said, it's just possible people think a place OKW will not be on the look out.
Don't really know, but an increase in security is a good thing IMO.


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## tomandrobin (Nov 19, 2009)

I am all for the increased checking of parking passes. Why even bother wasting paper printing them up, if no one checks them.


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## JonathanIT (Nov 19, 2009)

bnoble said:


> I've parked in OKW before with no parking pass, but completely legitimately.  For example, during a stay at Bonnet Creek this past July, we decided to go have lunch at Olivia's.  (I have a soft spot for the blackened grouper sandwich.)  Told the guard where I was going, and waved right on by.  I was not given a temporary pass, and as far as I know, the guard did not write down my plate #.  Unless they've changed that, checking for passes does nothing.


Whenever I go to the resorts for dining, they always give me a paper temporary parking permit (3 hours) to put on the dashboard.  Even for TIW free valet parking, they sometimes leave the paper permit on the dashboard for some reason (even though it's all day parking).

But this is mostly in the hotel resorts, I haven't been to too many DVC parking lots.


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## bnoble (Nov 19, 2009)

Once in a blue moon I'll get one.  But, even my last several visits to the Poly---known to be a bit of a stickler around parking---we were just waved on through.  Maybe they just weren't that busy, so they didn't feel the need to bother.


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