What do you need to know about Disney World parking? Fortunately it isn’t quite like the title picture which shows the popular LIghts Motors Action cars stunt show! All of the main 4 theme parks, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom have very large parking lots for visitors. Huge in fact. They rarely reach capacity but at busy times (such as Christmas Day and New Year they sometimes do).
Photos by armadillo444
How Much Do the Disney World Theme Park Parking Lots Charge?
The regular charge for Disney World parking is:
Automobile, taxi, limo or motorcycle: $14.00
Camper, trailer or RV: $15.00
Bus or tractor trailer: $18.00
The parking fees are per day so if you want to travel from one park to another you can show your parking pass receipt and it will be valid for another theme park on the same day.
The good news is that if you are a Disney resort hotel guest then the parking lots are free. When you check into your resort you will be given a parking pass which you just have to show at the entrance. If you are a guest of the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resort you will also get free parking at the theme parks even though the hotel is not Disney owned. Instead of a parking pass you will show your room key to the parking lot attendant.
Most annual passports also include free parking at Disney theme parks. There are some executions for certain types of Florida resident annual pass so make sure you check when you are purchasing these.
If you have a Tables in Wonderland Pass you can park for free at a Disney park after 5pm. If Tables in Wonderland members arrive before 5pm they have to pay for parking but can later have this reimbursed at guest services if they show the parking receipt and the dining receipt.
Disney World Parking Tips
The parking lots are huge. Disney of course thinks of everything and provides a tram to take you from your space to the entrance to the theme park.
As soon as you leave your vehicle make sure that you make a note of where it is parked. Again, Disney thinks of everything, so each section of the parking lot has a name and each row has a number. You may think that you will remember where you have parked your car but believe me there is a big chance that you won’t. Take it from me that it is no fun searching for your car after a long day at the theme park. Every day guests can’t remember where they put their car and have to be helped to find it!
You can either write down where your car is parked or go a little more high tech and mark it with a gps on your cell phone. Remember too that lots of cars looks alike, particularly rental cars. So it can be a good idea to put something distinctive on the dash or in the window.
Parking for Guests with Disabilities
All of the Disney theme parks have designated parking areas for guests with disabilities. These are clearly marked and can easily be found by following the blue line on the ground when you enter the theme park. These areas are always at the front of the parking lot so are closer to the entrance to the park.
AAA Parking Pass
The AAA Parking Pass allows guests to park in the AAA section of the parking lots. These are almost as close to the entrance as the Disabled parking lots. Show your pass to the Cast Member directing the traffic and then will show you which way to go to park in the AAA section.
How do you get a AAA pass. They are available only to guests who purchase a qualifying vacation package through a AAA travel agency. They are not transferable which means that if you see them being offered for sale by any other source (yes we mean eBay) then technically these are being used against terms and conditions and so are not valid.
Parking at Other Disney World Locations
Parking is free at all of the Disney World resort hotels but cannot be used for access to the theme parks, only for dining and shopping at the resorts. The exception to this is for Disney resort guests who can park free of charge at their home resort.
If you are visiting a resort to dine then usually the parking attendant will ask you for photo ID. If you have a dining reservation sometimes they will check on their list for your name, particularly at busy times of the year.
Parking at Downtown Disney, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon is always free. Parking at the Boardwalk is free for the first 3 hours for dining and shopping, not for entry into Epcot.
Valet Parking is available at all of the Disney World deluxe resorts. The charge for this is $12 per day plus a gratuity. If you have a disabilities tag then valet parking is free at these resorts.
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Alison Meacham is the founder of EverythingMouse Disney Blog. For over 15 years she has shared her love of Disney Parks, Disney Cruises and Universal Orlando. In over 30 years of Disney Travel she has spent countless months in Disney Parks and has sailed on over 45 cruises. A British native and now a United States resident she splits her time between California, Florida and the UK. And spends a serious amount of time sailing the seven seas. She helps over 200,000 people per month follow their Disney travel dreams.