parking at the grand Californian - The DIS Discussion Forums

princess lovers mom · 12-22-2010, 09:21 AM

OK....I have one more thing to do before our trip next week and that is to reserve a car from Alamo at DTD...we are staying at the Grand Californian - check out is at 11...

my question is if I pick up the car after 11 do I still have access to the GC parking lot if I no longer have my room key? do you have to swipe the card to get in or show it or something?

trying to fugure out what time to pick up the car - would like to store the bags with bell services and maybe grab the car at lunch time then park it at the Grand for free then load up the car when we leave the parks later that afternon/early evening...will that work?

or do I need to get the car before official checkout time in order to get it into the parking lot?

01spirit750 · 12-22-2010, 10:21 AM

You can keep the room keys. To exit the GC self park parking lot you do have to swipe your card.
But I am not sure if at 11am they will deactivate your room key completely. Obviously they must deactivate it so you cannot access you room, but maybe the key will still work for the parking lot.

I am sure this must be a very common event (people check out and then goto the park for the rest of the day).

I would just ask when you check in or at valet services. I am sure they have an answer.

princess lovers mom · 12-22-2010, 10:40 AM

so you swipe the room key to get in and out of the self park area? so to be safe I should pick the car up BEFORE check out time to be able to get it back in to the self park area?

we are getting the car on our departure day - it will not be parked there before that

01spirit750 · 12-22-2010, 11:15 AM

As I recall you only need the room get to get out of the parking lot.

PM me your email address and I will send you a satelite picture with my comments.

taaren · 12-24-2010, 05:05 AM

At checkout the CMs told us that the room key card will stay active for everything but your room until midnight, but this last trip it was deactivated for the WOC viewing deck by 9p, though it still worked in the GC parking lot when we left at 11p. A nice CM who was passing by looked at our cards and swiped us into the viewing deck with his, so it was no big deal.

12-22-2010, 09:21 AM	#1
princess lovers mom Life is just a bowl of cherries; don't take it serious; life's too mysterious Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: catskill mtn foothills, ny Posts: 2,204	parking at the grand Californian OK....I have one more thing to do before our trip next week and that is to reserve a car from Alamo at DTD...we are staying at the Grand Californian - check out is at 11... my question is if I pick up the car after 11 do I still have access to the GC parking lot if I no longer have my room key? do you have to swipe the card to get in or show it or something? trying to fugure out what time to pick up the car - would like to store the bags with bell services and maybe grab the car at lunch time then park it at the Grand for free then load up the car when we leave the parks later that afternon/early evening...will that work? or do I need to get the car before official checkout time in order to get it into the parking lot? __________________ Me Denise DH DD 15 DD 11 -

12-22-2010, 10:40 AM	#3
princess lovers mom Life is just a bowl of cherries; don't take it serious; life's too mysterious Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: catskill mtn foothills, ny Posts: 2,204	so you swipe the room key to get in and out of the self park area? so to be safe I should pick the car up BEFORE check out time to be able to get it back in to the self park area? we are getting the car on our departure day - it will not be parked there before that __________________ Me Denise DH DD 15 DD 11 -

12-24-2010, 05:05 AM	#5
taaren "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." - Walt Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Northern California Posts: 2,531	At checkout the CMs told us that the room key card will stay active for everything but your room until midnight, but this last trip it was deactivated for the WOC viewing deck by 9p, though it still worked in the GC parking lot when we left at 11p. A nice CM who was passing by looked at our cards and swiped us into the viewing deck with his, so it was no big deal. __________________ DLR: BW Raffles, Marriott FFI, Hilton Anaheim, BW PPI, Marriott ResInn GG, Anaheim Marriott, VGC, DLH. Cruises: Wonder Repo 9/20/11, Pixar CA Coast 10/7/12, Dream 12/6/12. Aulani mini-TR w/ view and food pix. Dec 2012 PTR/TR of DLR vets taking on the World!

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12-22-2010, 10:21 AM	#2
01spirit750 Mouseketeer Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 197	You can keep the room keys. To exit the GC self park parking lot you do have to swipe your card. But I am not sure if at 11am they will deactivate your room key completely. Obviously they must deactivate it so you cannot access you room, but maybe the key will still work for the parking lot. I am sure this must be a very common event (people check out and then goto the park for the rest of the day). I would just ask when you check in or at valet services. I am sure they have an answer.

12-22-2010, 11:15 AM	#4
01spirit750 Mouseketeer Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 197	As I recall you only need the room get to get out of the parking lot. PM me your email address and I will send you a satelite picture with my comments.