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Planning and budgeting for a Walt Disney World holiday involves adding in lots of costs, and parking is one of those things that often gets overlooked until the last minute. The panic sets in. You suddenly realise you’ve hired a car and you have no idea how parking works at Walt Disney World. That’s where this article comes in; it’s your complete guide to parking at Walt Disney World as a tourist from the UK.
In this guide you’ll find a full breakdown of parking costs, parking options, hotel parking, and some budgeting tips.
Disney World charge for car parking when you visit one of the four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. The cost of parking at Walt Disney World is shown in the table below:
Parking Type | Cost (USD per day) | Details |
Standard | $35 | Most of the parking is standard |
Preferred | $50 - $60 | Park close to the gates |
Oversized Vehicles | $40 | For RVs, campers, limos, or larger vehicles |
Parking is charged daily. You can move your car between the theme parks, which is handy if you have bought the UK Exclusive Magic Ticket or a US based ticket with Park Hopper. (Just make sure you keep your parking ticket safe as you will be asked to show it at entrance ticket plazas).
The difference between standard and preferred parking is the cost and where you will get to park your car. If you pay for preferred parking you can park in the section of the car park nearest to the park entrance.
Preferred parking spaces are the same size as standard spaces, and for a price difference of between $20 and $30 (£ and £) it is not a purchase that will add value to your day. Our top tip is to ask for standard parking and save your money.
Speaking of saving money, there are some places you may want to visit in Walt Disney World where the parking is free…
There are a couple of places where parking is free in Walt Disney World. It is free for all guests to park at:
Blizzard Beach
Typhoon Lagoon
Disney Springs
This means that if you are staying off site, you can visit the Disney World water parks, or Disney Springs and park for free. If you have a Magic Ticket you will have access to the water parks and if you want to use the crazy golf, you can also park for free there.
If you have a Disney dining reservation in a hotel, you will be able to park for free at the hotel for 3 hours free of charge. Beyond that you will have to move your car. Parking is free at these locations whether you stay on site or off site.
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If you choose to stay in a Disney hotel on your Disney World holiday from the UK, and you hire a car, you will save money on car parking. It is free for all Disney hotel guests to park at the resort, and at the theme parks. That means you can drive from the hotel and park at the theme parks for free. This gives you a saving of $490 over 2 weeks.
There is plenty of parking at the hotels and you will find gated entrances manned by security. Once you are checked in at your hotel you will be able to use your ticket, or Magic Band if you buy one, at the barrier to go in and out. You can also speak to car park security who will raise the barrier for you.
Each Disney theme park has it’s own little paying plaza with a sign above it. Car parking is slightly different at each, and the car parks are large. Trams operate to take you from your car to the gates in all parks, and our top tip is to always make a note of where you park, but more on that soon….
The car park at Magic Kingdom is often reported as being one of the largest ever constructed, able to accommodate around 11,000 cars. In the UK, the largest car park is Manchester Airport’s Multi-Story Car Park, which holds around 8,000 cars.
You will pay to park at the ticket plaza and drive into the car park where you will be directed into a space.
Magic Kingdom’s car park is outside a building called the Ticket and Transportation Centre (TTC). You will likely jump on a tram in the car park to get to this building and security. From here you will take on of two free transport options to get to Magic Kingdom. The monorail and the ferry boat take about 10-15 minutes from the TTC to Magic Kingdom.
You need to allow around 30 minutes to get from your car to the front gates of Magic Kingdom. It can take longer on busy days.
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EPCOT’s car park is also huge. It is possible to walk in to the gate from your car at EPCOT and a lot of people do. There is a car park tram that will be running that can take you to the gate.
If you park at EPCOT and want to head to another park, you can use the free monorail to get to Magic Kingdom, or the free Sky liner to get to Hollywood Studios. There is a bus connecting EPCOT to Animal Kingdom.
Hollywood Studios car park also has a tram system. You can walk from your car to the gate, and for many people this is an easy option at this park, unless it is very busy. You can park hop to EPCOT using the sky liner or boat. If you want to park hop directly to Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom you can use the Disney World bus.
Another large car park that uses a tram when busy. This is probably the smaller of the car parks and you can walk to the gate easily. If you want to park hop from this car park, your only free option is a Disney World bus.
Disney provides accessible parking bays at all parks and resorts for guests with disabilities. A valid UK Blue Badge is required and you will need to show it to the cast member on entry. They will then guide you to parking. Disabled parking is not free or discounted as you may find in the UK.
When parking in any of the Disney World car parks make sure you know where you have parked your car. You can use the My Disney Experience app’s Car Locator to log where you have parked your car. It’s a life saver when you’re tired after leaving the parks.
Keep your car parking ticket safe. If you loose it and want to move your car they will charge you again if you don’t have the ticket.
You can park your car for the day in one car park and park hop to another theme park without moving your car using Disney World’s free transportation system if you don’t want to move your car.
When rope dropping and parking always add on extra time to get from the car to the gate. However, as you will arrive early you will park closer to the gate at all parks so probably won’t need to use the tram. Magic Kingdom car park is the only exception.
Budget for your car parking separately and keep it separate. Whether you ring fence the amount in a bank account, or you have your car parking in cash for Walt Disney World it will save you some headspace. It also means that your parking money is not in with your spends, which is quite a nice feeling.
Only visitors who stay off site need to pay for parking. Car parking is charged at a daily rate, and standard parking is charged at a flat rate throughout the year, unlike preferred parking which is dynamic within a set range. This means that if you are staying off site and plan to visit Disney on a daily basis using standard parking, you can easily budget your parking costs.
In fact, we have done it for you, and provided the cost in pounds at an exchange rate of $1 = £1.33
Days | Standard Car Parking Cost $ | Standard Car Parking Cost £ |
1 | $35 | £26.32 |
2 | $70 | £52.64 |
3 | $105 | £78.96 |
4 | $140 | £105.28 |
5 | $175 | £131.61 |
6 | $210 | £157.93 |
7 | $245 | £184.25 |
8 | $280 | £210.57 |
9 | $315 | £236.89 |
10 | $350 | £263.21 |
11 | $385 | £289.53 |
12 | $420 | £315.85 |
13 | $455 | £342.17 |
14 | $490 | £368.50 |
You can use this table to help you budget your Disney World car parking expenses for your Florida holiday from the UK.
While car parking at Disney World is not an exciting topic to budget for, it’s a very real cost that you don’t want to be blindsided by. Knowing your budget and want to expect will help your holiday run smoothly.
The Disney parking system is a smooth, efficient, and usually very well-managed service. So once you know what to expect, it’s easy to park up, hop on a tram, and let the magic begin.
No, Disney parking is not cash only. You can currently pay for your parking using cash, which is great if your are budgeting as you can section off some cash into a wallet. You can also pay for parking using a debit or credit card, pay contactless with your phone or use Apple pay.
There are trams in the car parks at each of the four theme parks: Magic Kingdom. EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. They are free to use and will take you to the front gate of the theme park. They run regularly during opening hours and for around an hour before the park opens and for an hour after it closes.
Disney’s parking system is smooth, efficient, and well-managed, so whether you’re driving from your off site accommodation or heading in from a resort hotel you have all the info you need to make parking a breeze. Just be sure to always leave plenty of time and take your time.