By So, you’ve decided to drive to Walt Disney World. It’s a bold yet practical move. You’ve gained more control of your vacation, as you choose when you arrive and leave.
Guests who rely on Disney transportation lack that sort of certainty. We’re entirely dependent on Disney to reach our destinations. Consider yourself the lucky one.
Still, you should know a few things about the process. So, let’s discuss how parking works at Disney World.
About Parking at Disney
Let’s start with the basics. You’ve either rented a car or driven yourself to Disney World. Thus, you have a bit more responsibility as you need to be protective of your vehicle.
Thankfully, Disney has cameras blanketing the entire campus. You’d be hard-pressed to park in a place where Disney security cannot see you. Oh, and they record everything. So, when you ding a car, you should definitely leave a note. We’re just saying…
Anyway, the first thing we should discuss is Disney hotel parking. As long as you’re a guest staying on-site, you can park for free at your hotel. That’s another reason to stay at an official Disney resort.
Should you choose to stay off-site, you’ll likely pay a nightly fee for parking. Anyone who would like to avoid those fees should use a site like Booking.com or Expedia.com or their apps. These sites enable searches for Disney World area hotels with free parking.
Even then, you must pay attention to hidden fees, most notably resort fees. David used to work in the hospitality industry and is emphatic that you should be wary of any hotel charging resort fees. That’s just a hidden expense and a form of price gouging.
At official Disney World hotels, you don’t need to worry about that. However, you must pay to park at the various theme parks unless you’re staying at an official resort. These expenses aren’t costly, but we want to point out a few things.
When you stay at a Disney resort, you can use the transportation available there to reach the parks. By doing so, you’ll avoid parking fees. We realize that may not be your preference.
After all, the whole point of bringing your own car is driving wherever you want in Orlando, right? Well, the thing is that parking at Disney can be somewhat pricey.
Currently, Disney charges $50-$60 per day for Preferred Parking for a car or motorcycle. Just like with other Disney fees, you’ll pay more during peak season than the off-season.
Should you prefer Standard Parking, you’ll pay $35 per day for a normal car or motorcycle. Disney does charge $40, which is $5 more, for oversized vehicles like RVs, tractor-trailers, and limousines. Of course, anybody rolling around Disney in a limo can easily afford the parking fee, right?
Note that Disney accepts cash (still) and credit cards as payment. Also, this is the rare exception where taxes are included in the price. So, when we say $35, it’s $35.
Still, we are talking about, you know, $35. That’s not cheap, and it’s why we recommend leaving your car at the hotel when possible. You could spend that same money on a Lightning Lane, which would enhance your park visit.
We’ll throw in a couple of other tidbits here as well. First, when you Park Hop, Disney doesn’t charge you a second time for parking. You’ve effectively purchased single-day parking at all the theme parks.
Also, we’ve focused on the theme parks thus far, but you’ll be happy to learn about all the other locations on the Disney campus. Places like the water parks, Disney Springs, and the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex offer free parking.
On the flip side, Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Walt Disney World Swan Hotel and Walt Disney World Swan Reserve are NOT hotels owned by Disney. These are Marriott brands.
As such, you WILL pay to park at these resorts. The current rates are $36 per night for standard parking and $44 per night for valet parking. Speaking of which, Disney’s Deluxe Tier resorts offer that option as well. It’s not free, though.
Remember that you should factor in tipping when you use valet parking. Also, in addition to Deluxe Tier resorts, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort offers valet parking. It makes sense because this hotel hosts plenty of conventions.
In terms of where to park, you’ll choose a lot outside the front entrance at three of the four Disney theme parks. Magic Kingdom proves the exception, as you’ll park at the Transportation and Ticket Center. Then, you’ll ride the monorail or ferry to Magic Kingdom.
Speaking of which, Disney’s parking lots are obviously massive in size. When you park, we encourage you to take out your phone and take either a picture or a video of your location.
Then, when you return after a fatiguing park day, you won’t wander aimlessly around the parking lot. You’ll know precisely where to go! As an insurance policy, remember the time when you parked. With that information, your tram driver can suss out the general range of your park area.
On the subject of trams, you’ll probably use one when you park unless you get an amazing parking space. It’s a straightforward process to hop on a tram and reach the park entrance.
Circling back to your phone, Disney has also introduced a feature in My Disney Experience called Car Locator. You can use this part of the app to input your parking information. It’s currently the most foolproof way to remember where you park.
Sadly, a lot of people forget to use this feature. We are telling you so that you’re not in that group. Car Locator is aptly named and will make finding your vehicle so much easier.
Next, we want you to know that if anyone in your party owns an Annual Pass or is a Disney Vacation Club member, your vehicle can get Standard Parking for free at the theme parks. It’s a membership perk. If you want to upgrade to Preferred Parking, you can do so for the difference in price. That will run $15-$25 per day.
Finally, we’ll cover a couple of specific use cases. Those of you who are among the growing number of consumers with electric vehicles are in great shape! You’ll find plenty of charging stations on the Disney campus.
You can see all the locations on My Disney Experience. Please note that there’s a nominal fee, though. It’s $0.35 per kilowatt with a minimum purchase price of $1.50 at the time of publication.
Disney also offers accessibility parking options. You still must pay to park, but Disney will direct you toward a medical parking lot much closer to the entrance. Note that the Cast Member on duty will ask for proof that you have a valid parking permit for accessibility.