Here’s a quick breakdown of what to expect when parking at Disney World hotels and theme parks including parking costs, lot locations, electric vehicle charging, and even how to get free parking.
Whether you’re staying at a Disney World hotel, having a fun time at a theme park, dining at Disney Springs, or relaxing at a water park, this guide will help ensure that your parking experience is as magical as the adventure that awaits.
Although Disney World is home to an extensive complimentary transportation network consisting of trams, buses, monorails, boats, and gondolas, you may need to use your car to get around. That’s where this guide will help you figure out the parking situation during your visit to WDW.
Jump to:
- Parking at a Disney World Theme Park
- Trams
- Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at a Disney World Theme Park
- Disney World Hotel Parking Costs
- Disney World Resorts with Free Overnight Self Parking
- Valet Parking at Disney World Hotels
- Hotel Parking for Day Guests
- Hotel Parking for Disney Vacation Club Members
- Electric Vehicle Charging at Disney World Hotels
- Hotel Parking for Annual Passholders
- Non-Disney Owned Hotel Parking Costs
- Parking for Tables in Wonderland
- Disney Springs Parking
- Parking at Disney World Water Parks
- ESPN Wide World of Sports Parking
- Parking for Guests with Disabilities
- Do you need a car at Disney World?
- Final Thoughts
Parking at a Disney World Theme Park
All four Disney World parks offer both Standard and Preferred parking.
Here’s how much it costs to park at Disney World:
Annual Passholders (Incredi-Pass, Sorcerer Pass, Pirate Pass, and Pixie Dust Pass) will receive free standard theme park parking.
Disney World Resort Guests will also receive free standard parking at all four theme parks.
Both of these guests will have the opportunity to upgrade to Preferred Parking which costs between $15 and $25 per day. (These prices fluctuate depending on the time of the year, holidays, and events)
Standard Parking Costs
Standard Parking at Walt Disney World parks costs $30 per day for cars and motorcycles and $35 for oversized vehicle parking (buses, campers, limo, shuttles, etc).
Preferred Parking Costs
Preferred Parking at Walt Disney World (which is located closer to the park entrances) costs between $45 to $55 per day.
Park Hopping Parking Costs
One parking pass will cover all four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios) which means that you won’t have to pay for parking at every park if you decide to Park Hop.
Trams
All courtesy parking trams are available at all four theme parks. That said, some parks will only run these trams on select days.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at a Disney World Theme Park
Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom all offer electric vehicle parking stations by ChargePoint. Just make sure to tell the parking Cast Member that you want to be directed to the charging stations.
Just note that these spots are very limited and are at a first-come first-serve basis.
- Magic Kingdom – 5 spots (1 in Medical Parking Lot and 4 in the front of Zurg Parking Lot)
- Hollywood Studios – 4 spots (Front of Mickey Parking Lot)
- EPCOT – 4 spots (Front of Journey Parking Lot)
- Animal Kingdom – 4 spots (Medical Parking Lot)
In order to use this service, you will need to provide your own charging adapter as well as use a credit card or ChargePoint card to pay for your charging.
Disney World Hotel Parking Costs
Here’s how much it costs to park at a Disney World hotel:
Guests staying at a Disney World resort receive complimentary overnight parking.
Note: This only applies to the select Disney-owned hotels but not the properties operated by other companies like the Swan, Swan Reserve, and Dolphin, as well as some properties in Bonnet Creek and Disney Springs.
Disney World Resorts with Free Overnight Self Parking
Guests staying at the following Disney hotels receive free overnight self parking:
Disney Deluxe Resorts + Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts
- Bay Lake Tower – Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Boulder Ridge Villas – Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins – Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Disney’s Riviera Resort
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Disney Moderate Resorts
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
Disney Value Resorts
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Campgrounds
- Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Valet Parking at Disney World Hotels
Select Disney World hotels offer valet parking which costs $33 per night (sales tax included).
Hotel Parking for Day Guests
Guests who are visiting a hotel for a dining reservation, recreation, shopping, or entertainment will receive complimentary standard self parking.
Hotel Parking for Disney Vacation Club Members
Disney Vacation Club members receive free overnight standard self parking at Disney Vacation Club Deluxe villas as well as other Disney-owned hotels.
Electric Vehicle Charging at Disney World Hotels
The following Disney hotels offer electric vehicle charging stations, which can be accessed at first come first serve basis. Hopefully this list will continue to grow as EVs become more popular.
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort – 6 EV spots
- Disney’s Riviera Resort – 2 EV spots
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – 2 EV spots
Hotel Parking for Annual Passholders
Disney World annual passholders can receive complimentary standard self parking while visiting a resort for the day to enjoy dining, shopping, and entertainment.
However, the only way to receive free overnight parking is if they have a valid room reservation for the property.
Non-Disney Owned Hotel Parking Costs
Here are the parking rates for the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve:
- Self-Parking = $34 per night plus tax
- Valet Parking = $44 per night plus tax
Parking for Tables in Wonderland
Unfortunately, Tables in Wonderland has not returned post-Covid meaning that the free valet service is no longer a thing. What a shame…
Disney Springs Parking
Standard self parking at Disney Springs is completely free.
Complimentary self parking is available in the surface parking lots as well as the 3 parking garages (all of which have direct access to Disney Springs).
Electric Vehicle Parking at Disney Springs
There are 13 electric vehicle charging stations in Disney Springs:
- Orange Garage (5th floor) = 3 spots
- Lime Garage (5th floor) = 3 spots
- Grapefruit Garage (3rd floor) = 3 spots
- Watermelon Surface Lot = 4 spots near Cirque du Soleil
Just like at the parks and resorts, you will need to pay for your charging via credit card or ChargePoint account.
Parking at Disney World Water Parks
Parking at both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach is free for all guests.
ESPN Wide World of Sports Parking
Standard Parking at ESPN Wide World of Sports is free for all guests.
Parking for Guests with Disabilities
There are designated parking areas at all Disney World hotels, parks, and Disney Springs for guests with disabilities.
You will need to valid disability parking permit.
Disability Parking Costs at Disney World
Standard Parking rates apply for all guests with disabilities.
Disability Parking at all Theme parks
Guests with mobility issues (including those with a personal wheelchair, elective scooters, and other devices) can park in the Disability Parking Lots which are just a short distance to the main entrance of the parks.
Do you need a car at Disney World?
In my opinion, no you don’t need a car at Disney World.
Thanks to an expansive complimentary transportation park that can take you to every Disney World hotel, theme park, and Disney Springs, you really won’t need to worry about driving around Disney property.
Plus, technically, these Disney buses and boats get you closer to the park entrance that it would if you were to park.
Sure there might be a difference in travel time and comfort, but that’s totally subjective.
That said, there are a few exceptions where you might need to consider driving a car during you Disney visit:
- If you’re staying off-property and your hotel doesn’t offer a shuttle to the parks
- You want to move from hotel to hotel without having to transfer at a park via Disney resort buses or use ride-sharing
- Plan on visiting the other nearby attractions and theme parks like Universal but don’t want to pay for an Uber or Lyft.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully this guide has helped you prep for a hassle-free experience whether at a Disney World hotel, theme park, Disney Springs, or water park.
Get ready for a stress-free and magical journey—where even parking adds to the Disney charm!
If you have any questions or tips regarding parking at Disney World, please let me know in the comment section below.
Leave a Reply