Parking at Walt Disney World – Tips and Tricks (2024)

Whether you’re a local or a visitor who likes to drive from place to place at the resort, being in the know about parking at Walt Disney World is a crucial part of making your experience magical! Here’s everything you need to know about parking at Walt Disney World, including a pixie-dust sprinkling of tips and tricks to enhance your experience. 

How much is parking at Disney World?

Standard Parking (Car or Motorcycle) – $30

Preferred Parking (Car or Motorcycle) – $45 – $55 (Depending on Demand)

Oversized Vehicle Parking (Bus, Camper, RV, Etc.) – $35

Standard Parking will allow guests to park but at the discretion of the direction of cast members – meaning you sometimes can get lucky but most of the time will be generally far from the front gate. 

Preferred parking, on the other hand, has a dedicated area close to the front gate that does not change. That being said, if you don’t like to walk and want the extra convenience, the extra $15 or so may be worth it. 

If you need accessible parking, inform the cast member at the toll plaza and they will give you further directions along with the necessary credentials. In most cases, you will follow the same lane as Preferred Parking unless directed otherwise. 

If you are park hopping, don’t worry! Your parking fee counts for the entire day and can be transferred to the other parks. Make sure to keep your initial parking receipt so you can show it at your next destination. 

Getting to the Lots

Every destination at Walt Disney World has a dedicated parking lot, including Disney Springs. At the Disney Parks, parking will be an extra fee while Disney Springs offers free parking for guests. 

When navigating to your destination’s parking lot, it is important to set your navigation to the parking lot itself instead of the actual destination. 

For example, if you are going to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you would want to find Disney’s Hollywood Studios Toll Plaza on your navigation app and set that as the destination. Otherwise, navigation apps may accidentally take you to backstage areas or other areas that are NOT the parking entrance. 

The Theme Parks

When parking at the Walt Disney World theme parks, there will usually be a single dedicated toll plaza (like mentioned above) that you can enter the parking lot in. 

Pricing for parking at the parks is the same for every park, as is as follows:

Standard Parking (Car or Motorcycle) – $30

Preferred Parking (Car or Motorcycle) – $45 – $55 (Depending on Demand)

Oversized Vehicle Parking (Bus, Camper, RV, Etc.) – $35

Standard Parking will allow guests to park but at the discretion of the direction of cast members – meaning you sometimes can get lucky but most of the time will be generally far from the front gate. 

Preferred parking, on the other hand, has a dedicated area close to the front gate that does not change. That being said, if you don’t like to walk and want the extra convenience, the extra $15 or so may be worth it. 

If you need accessible parking, inform the cast member at the toll plaza and they will give you further directions along with the necessary credentials. In most cases, you will follow the same lane as Preferred Parking unless directed otherwise. 

If you are park hopping, don’t worry! Your parking fee counts for the entire day and can be transferred to the other parks. Make sure to keep your initial parking receipt so you can show it at your next destination. 

Hotel Guests

If you are a hotel guest staying on-property, general parking is included in your stay. You will need to show your room key, magicband, or other credential to gain entry at the toll booths. Additionally, you are still able to purchase preferred parking for the difference, so $15-$25 a day. 

This goes for Disney Vacation Club guests as well – You can get complimentary parking at the theme parks if you are a registered guest even if you booked with points. If you are a DVC member but not a registered hotel guest, you will still have to pay the normal parking rate. 

Annual Passholders

If you are an annual passholder, then you can get general parking included in your visit to the Disney Parks! Just like hotel guests, you are also able to purchase preferred parking for the difference.

Electric Vehicle Parking & Charging

If you have an electric vehicle and are looking to charge it while at the Disney Parks, Disney has a selection available throughout the resort. These include: 

• Magic Kingdom – 5 spaces – one space at the front of the Medical Parking Lot and 4 spaces at the front of the Zurg Parking Lot
• EPCOT – 4 spaces at the front of the Moana Parking Lot
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom – 4 spaces in the Medical Parking Lot
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios – 4 spaces at the front of the Mickey Parking Lot

The rate for charging at the Disney Parks is $0.35 per kilowatt hour, with a minimum service amount of $1.50. 

Keep in mind that these spaces are first come, first serve and may not be available when you arrive. You can inquire about available spaces at the toll plazas. 

Drop off & Pick Up Areas / Rideshare

If you are picking up or dropping off other guests or taking / picking up a rideshare at the theme parks, you will follow guidance to designated areas at each of the theme parks. When entering the parking area, let the cast member know you are picking up or dropping off and they will direct you accordingly. 

Disney Springs

Unlike the theme parks, Disney Springs has different options for you to choose from when parking in the form of dedicated parking garages. 

Lime Garage

The lime garage is the most central parking location at Disney Springs, exiting into the town center area near Uniqlo, Polite Pig, and right around the corner from World of Disney. 

Pro Tip – If you plan to park in the lime garage, be careful when going during evenings and peak times – this garage is the most popular and often fills quickly. 

Orange Garage

Further down on the West Side of Disney Springs sits the Orange Garage, which exits into the plaza with AMC, the Coca-Cola Store, and Planet Hollywood. If you’re looking to get dinner at one of the many sit-down options at Disney Springs, see Drawn to Life, or do the hot balloon ride, this is the best area to park. Additionally, this garage is also the easiest to access via I-4 and East Buena Vista Drive with this garage having convenient off-ramps from both feeding directly to the third floor. 

Pro Tip – Even though the off-ramps leading to this garage take you directly to the third floor, don’t park there! Instead, follow the signs to go down to Level 2 of the garage. This level often is not as crowded as Level 3 and is the same level in which you’ll go through security and enter Disney Springs. 

Grapefruit Garage

Closest to the Marketplace section of Disney Springs is the Grapefruit Garage, which is across from the Lime Garage on the other side of East Buena Vista Drive. This garage will allow you to enter by the Stitch entrance of World of Disney, as well as by Basin and the Marketplace Co-Op. 

Note – This garage is also used as dedicated cast member parking, and does not offer as much guest parking as the other garages. Additionally, this garage may be closed to guests on select days. It is recommended that guests look to park in the Lime or Orange garages. 

Surface Parking (Watermelon & Strawberry Lots)

On the far west end of Disney Springs next to the Orange Garage, you will find the only on-site surface parking lots Disney Springs offers. These lots, the Watermelon & Strawberry Lots, can be accessed via a dedicated entrance on East Buena Vista Drive as well as the I-4 exit off-ramp that is used to access the Orange Garage. 

Note – While these lots are publically accessible, they will sometimes be closed off due to low parking demand or due to private events such as House of Blues or Drawn to Life. It is recommended when traveling to Disney Springs to plan to park in one of the garages to prevent any delays in your Disney Springs experience! 

Electric Vehicle Charging & Parking

Like the theme parks, Disney Springs also offers a select amount of charging stations for electric vehicles. They are:

Orange Garage – 3 on the 5th floor

Lime Garage –  3 on the 5th floor 

Grapefruit Garage – 3 on the 3rd floor

Surface Parking (Watermelon) 4 near the Cirque du Soleil theater

Resort Hotels

If you are a hotel guest, then you are able to park your vehicle at your Resort Hotel free of charge. 

The only exception to this is the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Walt Disney World Swan Hotel and Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, which charge the following parking rates:

Self Parking – $34 per night

Valet Parking – $44 per night

Valet Parking is also an upcharge at resorts that offer the service, such as Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villa Resorts, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. Valet at these resorts currently sits at a rate of $33 per night. 

Day Guests

If you plan on visiting a Walt Disney World resort, please note that you may not be able to park without a reservation to a restaurant or recreational experience due to increasingly strict policies enforced by Disney Security. If you do have a reservation, plan to have it ready to show to the gate guard for entry into the parking lot. There is no fee to park at a Disney hotel. 

If you do not have a reservation at a WDW Resort restaurant or recreation experience, I recommend parking at a shared lot such as a Theme Park, Disney Springs, or the Transportation and Ticket Center and taking Disney transportation to your final destination. 

Picking Up & Dropping Off / Rideshare

Unlike the Theme Parks, picking up, dropping off, or doing rideshare at a Disney hotel can be a more complicated process due to Disney’s increasingly strict policies regarding who can and can not enter the lot. Unfortunately, some security guards will not let you enter the lot without a reservation regardless of the circumstances and some will. 

For this reason, just like Day Guests, I recommend picking up guests or rideshare at a shared public lot, such as Disney Springs or the TTC if you are at the Magic Kingdom loop. 

RV Parking 

Just like a standard vehicle, RVs and other oversized vehicles can park for free at Disney Hotels. Most hotels have enough oversized vehicle spaces, but consult with the gate guard for further instructions.

If you are staying at the Campgrounds at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, then you will have access to a dedicated spot with water, cable television hookups, and other amenities perfect for an RV. 

Electric Vehicle Charging

Only three Disney resort hotels provide electric vehicle charging at this time. They are:

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort – 6 spaces in general parking near ADA spaces

Disney’s Riviera Resort – 2 spaces in general parking near ADA spaces

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – 2 spaces in general parking near ADA spaces

Water Parks & More

If a Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, or ESPN’s Wide World of Sports is in your plan, then no worries! Parking is complimentary at these locations. 

If you are going for a round of Mini-Golf, parking is also complimentary at Winter Summerland and Fantasia Gardens. If you are parking at Fantasia Gardens, note you will have to park in the paid lot that is shared with the Swan Reserve Hotel. You will have to get your parking validated at the Mini-Golf cashier before leaving so you don’t have to pay at the gate. 

Safe Travels! Enjoy your trip to Walt Disney World!

About the Author

Kyle is an Orlando local and a lover of theme parks – and loves to tell others about the latest tips and tricks to make their Orlando vacations the best they can be.

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