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How does parking work at Walt Disney World?

Driving to Parks at Walt Disney World Parking at Disney World parks costs $25 for standard parking and $45 or $50 for preferred parking. Guests of Disney hotels enjoy free theme park parking as a perk of their stay. Most Disney World annual passholders also get free parking.



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Although parking at Disney World resort hotels used to cost a nightly fee for resort guests, Disney has changed their policy so that parking is now free for all on-site resort guests. This change was implemented on January 10, 2023.

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Directions & Parking – Frequently Asked Questions Do I have to pay for parking at each theme park? A: No. If you pay for parking at one Disney theme park, you may park at other Disney theme parks on the same day for no additional charge.

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Non-alcoholic drinks and waters are totally something you can bring into Disney, it's even encouraged! It is so nice to have a drink on hand whenever you need to quench your thirst. You can bring refillable water bottles and refill them at water stations throughout the parks.

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The question of whether or not Disney World's preferred parking pass is worth it really comes down to what type of park-goer you are and when you're visiting the theme park. If you don't mind walking a few minutes to the gates before and after your day at the park, then preferred parking won't be valuable for you.

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You now can only park hop AFTER 2PM. So you'll have to wait until well after lunchtime if you're planning on visiting another park. However, this rule is different for Annual Passholders.

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Since 2021, park-hopper access has only been available after 2 p.m. daily. In January, Disney World announced that passholders would be able to enter its theme parks after 2 p.m. without holding a reservation, with the exception of Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays.

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Transportation is going to be one of the biggest parts of your trip to Walt Disney World Resort, so let's chat about getting dropped off and being picked up by a rideshare or personal vehicle. I am pleased to tell you that you can be dropped off at each of the four Theme Parks without having to pay a parking fee.

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There are many payment options for parking at Disney World, including credit cards, debit cards, Disney Gift Cards, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.

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Genie Plus is definitely worth it for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, and if you don't like early starts, you might consider it for Epcot and Animal Kingdom. If you are park hopping, Genie+ is even better value as it maximises the number of rides you have access to.

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Is Disney parking free after 6 p.m. (or 7 p.m. or 5 p.m., etc.)? No, unfortunately. We will say that if you are heading into the lots near closing you will often find the booths closed up or Cast Members will just wave you in, but there is no specific time when parking is “free” so you should always plan to pay.

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Our strategy was to enjoy the most popular attractions before the crowds and mid-day heat arrived OR to cram in tons of non-headliner attractions in the first 90 minutes. Planning to arrive early is a great way to squeeze in extra fun. Parking lots open 45-60 minutes before each theme park's official opening time.

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If you only have one day to do it all, Park Hopper is critical. Maybe you have three days to spend at Walt Disney World, but you want to see four parks. In order to see multiple parks worth of stuff in one day, you'll need that Park Hopper.

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As long as you have a Park Hopper benefit on your ticket, you can make Genie+ Lightning Lane reservations at different parks. Just keep in mind that you can't park hop until after 2 p.m., so your return time would need to be after that.

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The Genie 120-minute rule says that you can make a new reservation at most 2 hours from when you made the last one, and this countdown timer doesn't change if you modify the reservation. If you made it at, say, 11 a.m., then your two hours will be up at 1 p.m. even if you modify the reservation at noon.

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The answer is the MagicBand! Your resort reservations are linked to your MagicBands through your My Disney Experience account, and, during Extra Magic Hours, you must scan your MagicBand to enter the park early. Or, during evening Extra Magic Hours, you must scan your MagicBand at any rides or attractions.

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Walt Disney World Railroad – The Walt Disney World Railroad encircles the Magic Kingdom. The round trip is around 20 minutes, the perfect amount of time for a nap. So, choose a row, sit back, and relax. In addition, the Main Street train station has nice benches that may make for a nice napping place.

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A: Guests are allowed to bring outside food and nonalcoholic beverages into the parks for self-consumption, provided they are not in glass containers, do not require heating, reheating, processing or refrigeration and do not have pungent odors. Inform a Security Cast Member of any food items when you enter the park.

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If you drive your own vehicle or a rental car, and you aren't staying at a Disney resort, you'll need to pay $25 per day to leave your car in a Disney lot—up to $50 a day if you want a preferred spot closer to the gates. With the exception of Magic Kingdom, an Uber or Lyft can get you closer for a much lower cost.

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