Any Advice for Day Parkers?

I've done day parking a few times and will be this year also. You go into the entrance near Beans Creek Winery and the day parking is just the other side of the toll booths. Just let them know when you are going through that you are day parking, and they will put a big D on your windshield.

I have NEVER sat in traffic when going to day parking (or leaving). We go in by about noon each day and leave when we are done. They do search the car, but seeing as we just have a cooler and our stuff for the day there are no issues. Just don't take in glass anything. They will direct you to parking spots in day parking, but a few times, we just drove by them and parked closer to everything, so we didn't have to walk through the field of long grass...... They don't really care in day parking

Last year we walked to the nearest "road" and flagged down a golf cart for a ride in to the arch - best $5 spent every day

Let me know if you have any other questions As far as my friends and I are concerned, we enjoy Roo 100 times more with day parking, because we sleep in beds, with AC, take showers and are well rested each day. Before, I used to be cranky and exhausted because I cannot sleep when I camp there.

^^^pretty much exactly what I was going to say. I did day parking last year after camping in 2003 and 2004 and I loved it. While I experienced zero traffic in or out any day (well a short line on Friday morning), just remember to get your timing right if you are going to catch a set. You need to allow time for the drive, parking and getting all your stuff together, the walk to centeroo, and perhaps most significantly the line to get into centeroo. None of these things individually, aside from the drive, take up much time on their own, but once combined if not timed right you can miss a set you really wanted to catch.

Car searches were super easy for me because I made sure to thoroughly clean my car out before I left for Roo. So since I barely had anything in the car searches were really quick and easy. They did briefly glance in my center console, glove box, etc.

In general you will probably be in centeroo all day (which is awesome) so plan accordingly. Remember to bring a camelbak or something you can refill so you can stay hydrated in centeroo. Also doesn't hurt to have some snacks. I carried raw almonds with me everywhere last year and were much appreciated by me and the many new friends I made with them. Its crazy, people see those raw almonds and their body just instantly craves it, just pure natural energy.

Also this should go without saying but make sure one of you stays sober so you have a safe drive home. Furthermore even tired driving can be dangerous, so leave at a time when you know your body can handle the trip. I typically left at about 3-4am to return to my hotel 30 minutes away and was so jacked on 5 hour energy and other caffeinated products the trip was fine. I got to the hotel, showered, ate hummus and pita and spinach leaves, and went to sleep as the sun was coming up. So awesome.

Just a couple of things that I didn't see mentioned, since I usually day park...
Like others have said, traffic usually isn't bad, except maybe on Thursday. In the last two years, it hasn't been bad at all on Thursday, thanks to them letting campers in on Wednesday night, but just keep in mind that on Thursday, you're coming in with people who are camping, so it will likely be worse than the rest of the weekend when you'll only be in line with other day parkers.

Take note of where your car is in relation to big landmarks (Street signs, balloons, etc.) unlike camping, the entire landscape will have changed by the time you get back to your car to leave, thanks to new people arriving and people leaving during the day, and everything tends to look the same at night. I've spent a lot of time at 3am wandering the lanes of day parking hitting buttons on my remote, hoping I'm close enough to my car for the lights to turn on.

I think the other big points were already covered. If you've got more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

My wife hasn't been camping since she was a child. This is her first roo and would probably be mad at me if she knew staying in a hotel was an option. As I see it though, it's not a real option if the both of us enjoy ourselves like we will. Having a tent within walking distance is key. Fingers crossed she likes camping more than I expect she will.