No Disney park tickets...just want to dine at Disney. How does this work?

[rain]

For the first time ever my family and I will be going to Orlando and not going to Disneyworld. We are planning a trip to Universal but my wife wants to eat at least a few times at Disney. We have made multiple trips to Disney but have always stayed on property so I do not know how this works from off site and without park tickets. I have heard that you can get to resort restaurants and can park for free so long as you have ressies (I assume for restaurants in that resort), but what about park restaurants. Is it even possible to go to a park restaurant without a park ticket? What about parking fees? Thanks for your thoughts. It would be hard to imagine visiting Orlando without visiting some of our favorite Disney restaurants.

[Ed]

I have heard that you can get to resort restaurants and can park for free so long as you have ressies (I assume for restaurants in that resort), but what about park restaurants. Is it even possible to go to a park restaurant without a park ticket? What about parking fees? Thanks for your thoughts. It would be hard to imagine visiting Orlando without visiting some of our favorite Disney restaurants.

You are correct that you can dine at RESORT restaurants without staying on property or having tickets. Normally you will need to have a reservation for that restaurant, and will be allowed to park on the resort's parking lot (space permitting) for a limited period of time.

Dining in the PARKS is a totally different issue. For that, you will have to pay for parking, and will have to use a park ticket to enter the park.

[#1donaldfan]

Sorry, you cannot eat in a park unless you have a ticket to enter the park. You've got tons of great choices at the resorts tho !!

[ThanxForNoticin]

Fortunately, for you, most of the best restaurants at Disney are at the resorts or Disney Springs, so you should have no problem finding some really good places to eat outside the parks. And at most of the resorts, parking is free (I believe you have to pay to park at Swan & Dolphin), unless you decide to use valet.

Enjoy!!

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

You can eat at the resorts or Disney Springs, got to have a ticket to get into the park to eat

[lawgirl]

Some of our very favorite restaurants are at the resorts, so I feel you have so many perfect options. And if you pick somewhere in the MK resort area, or the Boardwalk area and time it right, you can see the fireworks as well. Some of our best meals have been at the AKL, which combined with "touring" the resort and exploring the grounds makes for a wonderful experience!