You’ve survived the “Are we there yet”s and “Don’t make me turn this thing around”s! Time to reward yourself by driving under the Walt Disney World welcome arch!
Welcome to Disney World!
Now that you’ve got your car into the “Most Magical Place On Earth,” it’s time to think about the un-magical side of this Disney World vacation — PARKING.
If you’re taking your car with you on your Disney World vacation, you’re going to need to know about the parking situation ahead of time. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as just pulling into a Disney lot and calling it good. There are a few fees that can take you by surprise unless you are aware of them ahead of time to avoid that infamous Disney vacation sticker shock. (Or, at the very least, lessen the blow.)
Keep in mind that some of the prices we’re going to be talking about vary depending on the season, so don’t be caught off-guard if you go to Disney and these parking fees have fluctuated by $5-$10.
If You’re Staying at a Disney World Hotel
If you’re staying at a Disney World Resort this vacation…First of all, that’s awesome! Have an amazing time. The resorts are super fun and keep you immersed in that Disney setting we’ve come to love oh-so-much. (PLUS, you’ve got some NEW PERKS to enjoy!)
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
However, just because you’re staying on property doesn’t mean you’ve escaped the parking fees. If you’re staying at a value resort, you’re going to have to pay $15 per night to park your car at the resort. The same (plus!) goes for the moderate and deluxe resorts. If you’re staying at a moderate resort expect to pay $20 per night, and if you’re staying at a deluxe resort, prepare to pay $25 per night.
If you bring a car to Disney World, don’t forget about those overnight parking fees!
The only exception to this rule is if you’re staying at the Fort Wilderness Campsite — parking is free! But that’s good for only one vehicle and takes up only one parking space. Any more than that and you may have to turn out your pockets, if you know what we mean.
©Disney
But for the other Resorts…YIKES, right? Those parking fees add up QUICKLY. Fortunately, you don’t have to pay to park at the Disney Parks on top of that. Resort guests only have to pay to park in the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios parking lots if they want to upgrade to Preferred Parking, which is $20-$25 per day for the upgrade.
Magic Kingdom Entrance
If you’re a Disney Vacation Club (or DVC) member, you can just ignore us completely if you are using your vacation points to stay at a Deluxe Villa or Resort hotel since your parking fees are included. (Bear in mind that if you are not using your points and are staying somewhere other than a DVC Deluxe Villa, you’ll need to pay the standard fees outlined above.)
DVC sign <3
A reader also kindly pointed out to us that if you stay at a Disney World Resort and have a valid disability parking permit, you do not have to pay for parking. They also shared: “In addition if you Valet Park, you do not have to pay for Valet Parking. But don’t forget to tip… They are usually very helpful with taking the wheelchair out of your car and putting it together. The reverse is true when you leave — they help take it apart and put it in your car.”
But what if you’re staying off-property or at a different Disney Resort and you have dining reservations at, say, Disney’s Polynesian Resort? (Those ‘Ohana Noodles must’ve been calling your name.)
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Lobby
If you’re just visiting a resort and have an Advance Dining Reservation at one of the restaurants to eat (and maybe do a bit of gift store shopping), you don’t have to worry about paying to park, either. The fees are just for the cars that’ll be spending the night in the resort lots.
Valet parking at Disney’s Riviera Resort
In other news, Valet parking recently returned to the Disney Resorts! Hooray! This service at the Resorts is $33 per night.
Gotta find a spot!
If you own an electric vehicle, the only resorts that offer charging stations are Disney’s Coronado Springs (6 spaces), Disney’s Riviera Resort (2 spaces), and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (2 spaces). Not a whole lot of options there — and you can’t request these spots in advance, either. Disney says these spaces are available on a “first-come, first-served” basis.
So SHOULD you consider taking your car to Disney World? Read more HERE!
If You’re Staying Off-Property
So let’s say you decide to stay off Disney World property. If you plan on driving to the parks each day, guess what? You’re still going to have to pay. *Groans*
Magic Kingdom Parking Entrance
Standard parking for a car or motorcycle is $25 per day, and oversized vehicle parking (ie: a shuttle, limo, camper trailer, RV, Bus or tractor-trailer) is $30 per day.
EPCOT Parking Plaza
Preferred parking at the Disney Parks for a car or motorcycle is $45-$50 per day.
Annual Passholder Card
Annual Passholders, though, don’t have to worry about paying for daily parking unless they want preferred parking, which will run them an extra $20-$25.
Parking at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
If you pay for parking at one of the Disney Parks, then you’re good for the day. If you start your day at Animal Kingdom and decide to later hop, skip, and jump on over to Hollywood Studios, you don’t have to worry about paying for parking again. Just show the Cast Member at the front gate your valid parking receipt to prove you already paid that morning.
Animal Kingdom Entrance
Similar to the Resorts, there are only a limited number of electric vehicle charging stations at each of the four parks. If you need help locating one, just ask a Cast Member for assistance and they’ll point you in the right direction. (Again, these limited parking spots are first-come, first-served.)
Animal Kingdom Parking
But be warned — these stations DO cost money! They cost $0.35 per kilowatt-hour, with a “minimum service amount of $1.50.” To use these electric stations, you’ll need a credit card or a pre-ordered ChargePoint card. Charging will stop once the vehicle is fully charged, and the ChargePoint card will alert drivers when their car is ready.
Typhoon Lagoon
You know which parks DON’T charge for parking? The water parks! If you’re going to hang out in Disney’s Blizzard Beach or Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon for the day, then your wallet is saved! (Now you can spend that extra moolah on a Sand Pail Ice Cream Sundae!)
Wait, you can get FREE things in Disney World? Click HERE to learn more!
If You’re Visiting Disney Springs
This will be a much shorter section than the other two, but we figured the Disney Springs‘ parking was worth its own category, what with all the awesome places to shop and (most importantly) EAT!
Orange Parking Garage
Unless you’re using the valet parking, which is $20 per day, then parking at the Orange, Lime, or Grapefruit parking garage is completely free! Woo Hoo!
(Disney assumes you’ll be returning the favor by purchasing copious amounts of merch. 😉 )
Disney Springs
Just like the resorts and parks, the parking garages offer a limited amount of electric charging stations for all your electric car charging needs.
Is Any Parking Free at Disney World? Can You Avoid Fees?
Taking a car to Disney World can get pretty pricey, but many guests bring cars anyway to avoid relying strictly on Disney World transportation. If you’re one of those people, make sure to set aside a separate savings jar for those lovely little parking fees.
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Thanks for the tips, will try to use them in a future trip back to Disney World again, but now I have a question…I have a friend of my family who posted a couple days ago she was hanging out with Oswald and a Steamboat Willie Mickey. I was wondering where their meet and greet is because last we knew she worked in Magic Kingdom at one of the quick service areas in fantasyland
Jennifer, this was a Cast Member-only event.
One bit of information not mentioned, if you have a handicapped tag then parking is free at the WDW resorts including valet parking.
It’s nice that annual pass member don’t have to pay for parking at the parks. Over here at Disneyland Resort they still are going to make you pay even after they screwed us with the new Magic Key annual pass system. But what is even worse is that not only do you have to pay for parking at the park, they still do’t have the parking lot tram service up and running, so you have to walk about almost a mile to the park entrances. If they are going to be too cheap and not have the trams and making the visitors walk, then at least lower the parking fees.
You forgot to mention that if you stay at a Disney World resort and have a valid handicapped permit, you do not have to pay for parking. In addition if you Valet Park, you do not have to pay for Valet Parking. But don’t forget to tip the guys. They are usually very helpful with taking the wheelchair out of your car and putting it together. The reverse is true when you leave — they help take it apart and put it in your car.
Just another way to get the guest to pay more for a visit. Add it to your ticket price, genie, fast pass upgrade and exorbitant food prices and $200 per day per guest will come in to focus. For the well informed, there are still ways to beat the parking fees if you know how…
Valet parking used to be complimentary for Handicapped tagged cars / passengers. Is this still allowed?
If DisneyWorld had merely raised the room rate at the resorts, instead of suddenly imposing the parking fee a couple of years back, nobody would have noticed.
But by starting a parking fee where there used to be none… They broke the Magic.
Oh, I know that it was done because of updated accounting and taxation regulations, not as a direct money grab, but still… It looked bad. As I said, They broke the Magic.
Diana, I believe it is. Because valet parking has been/continues largely to be suspended, you’ll want to talk to Cast Members at the parking lot entrances or Resort entrances to see what they’re offering.
Julia, I’ve shared this, and one of our editors will add to the post! Thanks for the reminder. 🙂
Thanks, Diane. We’ll add it.
Hello! I have a 2 pert question.
We will be staying at Wilderness Lodge for 1 night. How do I let them know at the front desk, that I have Handicapped tags on my vehicle? Do I take a picture on my phone?
The rest of our stay is at Shades of Green.
I remember in the past, that you did not have to pay the parking fee at the parks, but someone recently said you need to pay, even with handicapped tags. So, I’m confused as to whether I have to pay, if I decide to take my car to one of the parks.
Thanks! Hope you have an answer for me.
If you’re staying on property and paying for hotel parking, what do you have to show at the parking booths to get free theme park parking?
Wow i was just there in 2019 and there was no parking fee, i have been going there every other year for the past 20 years with no parking fees. guess i will be taking my family somewhere else now that the greedy mouse has raised prices and added ridiculous fees to everything and took away the good reliable fast pass. have fun filing for bankruptcy your greedy rodents.
Diane, I’m going to start with your Shades of Green parking inquiry. I found answers linked on Shades of Green’s FAQ page. They deal with both parking at the Resort and parking at the Parks. On both, it appears there’s a fee. Check out the FAQs here, and scroll down to the parking questions. As for parking at Wilderness Lodge, I think your best bet is to call the Resort directly to ask what their procedure is for handicap parking. They may offer valet parking for those with handicap tags if you pull up to the entrance, but it’s best to call and find out directly. I found (407) 824-3200 as the direct number online, but if that doesn’t work, give them a call at 1 (407) WDW DISNEY and ask for Wilderness Lodge.
Question about something not mentioned here. With the free parking for DVC villa stays, is it just one car that’s free or are all cars tied to the reservation free? There’s 6 of us staying at a 2-bedroom villa at AKL and we’re coming from separate places so we’ll have two cars with us.
Jadeanna, that’s a great question. My understanding is that you can have more than one car as long as both are associated with your reservation. You might give your DVC Resort a call to confirm so you don’t encounter any surprises.
If you are renting DVC points form some one or a website like Dave’s DVC rentals mentioned in other videos. How do you show that your car is associated with the DVC villa that you are staying in for free parking?
Amysue, if you go to the front desk for check-in, you may be given a paper parking pass. You could always check with the front desk, even if you online check-in, by giving them a call from your room.
Dar, typically, they’ll scan your MagicBand/look at or scan your media in MagicMobile to confirm your Resort status. We have had times when the entrance Cast Members just waved us through when we told them we were staying onsite.
For how long/ how many hours can you have the free parking at a hotel if you have a restaurant reservation?
Eileen, Disney says three.
Do you have to have a reservation to visit the resorts? Would getting food to go at least be ok? We were thinking of checking out the Poly and/or Animal Kingdom Lodge. Or maybe to just get ice cream at the window of Beaches and cream.
Kayla, you can use Disney transportation to visit the Resorts, and in that case no reservations or orders are necessary. If you want to drive yourself to a Resort, you will need an Advance Dining Reservation or a confirmed Mobile Order to get through the security gate to visit the Resort. Beaches & Cream would also be an easy walk from EPCOT’s International Gateway should you have time in your schedule to do that.
How long can you park your car at a Disney Hotel with a Dining Reservation? I would like to get a breakfast reservation at a Disney Hotel, then leave me car and go to the park for the day. Is this allowed? Thank you.
Hi Cheryl! Per Disney’s official website, you may park your car at a resort where you having a dining reservation for a maximum of three hours.
Answer for proof of Handicap tagged vehicle: There is a registration form designating the license of the Tag and the person it is issued for. Just show that at the desk if needs be for help / dashboard form/ etc..
So do we need a parking permit to park or would we risk getting a parking ticket?
Hi Jo! If you’re staying on site you will need to let the front desk of the resort know that you will be parking to avoid having your car towed and each day you will be charged for resort parking, but parking at the theme parks will be free. If you are not staying on site, you will pay to park at the theme parks. You would not be allowed in without payment.
Thanks for the great information! It’s obvious from all of the comments that there are a lot of questions about parking. And I have another. Do you know if you are staying at the .swan and Dolphin and paying for parking there, does that count as paying parking so you don’t have to pay again at the parks?
Thanks!
Hi Dottyanan! Yes, the parking transfers over to the parks so you will not need to pay again.
Say I wanted to just visit the Wilderness lodge. I have a handicapped tag, and my partner is an annual pass holder. So there wouldn’t be a fee, right?
Nobody talks about annual pass holders at the resorts. Do they have to pay, or is it included like at the parks? Anybody know? Thx.
Hi Mike! As an annual pass holder myself I have not had to pay to park at the parks or the resorts unless I was staying there overnight, but there is a limit on how long you’re allowed to park there if you are not a guest. (Up to 3 hours)
I’m confused!
WDW’s website (https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/parking/) shows,”Enjoy complimentary self-parking at Disney Resort hotels. Here’s what to know: Standard self-parking is complimentary for day Guests while they enjoy select dining, shopping, entertainment and recreation experiences at Disney Resort hotels. Overnight self-parking is complimentary to Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels at Walt Disney World Resort.” It also doesn’t mention anything about having to be a guest at the resort or have an advance dining reservation in order to be allowed to park at a given resort anymore. Is this article out of date or am I misunderstanding Disney’s website?
Thanks!
Hi Cory! This article is from 2021 and Disney has changed the parking policy since then and it is indeed complimentary.
Awesome! Thanks Gigi!
Do you know if they still require a hotel or advance dining reservation to be allowed to park at a given resort hotel? Their new parking policy makes no mention about this.
I appreciate your help!
Hi Cory! It’s been a little hit or miss for us in regards to being allowed to park at a resort. Most of the time we just tell security that we’re there to visit the gift shop or restaurant/quick service. Occasionally they’ll ask to see a dining reservation or a mobile order, but not every time. In those instances we just hop on Disney transportation if we need to.
Understood. Better safe than sorry!