What does preferred parking mean at Disney World?

Preferred parking is located closer to the park entrances than standard parking. Although it is possible to walk, trams do run from the standard parking lots to the park entrances. Sometimes we choose to walk, but often, we take the tram to save our energy for walking around and exploring the theme parks!



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Benefits of a preferred parking pass Being close to the park entrance will benefit you if you don't plan to arrive early to the theme park (e.g., you're planning for a midday or afternoon arrival) or if you'll be bringing along many items inside the park.

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Preferred Parking is generally closer to the theme park entrances, and it provides a shorter walk to the park gates as well as a quicker entry at the beginning of your Disney day and exit after your Disney day is complete.

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Our special preferred parking lots are located conveniently close to the theme park entrances. All parking fees include applicable sales tax. Standard theme park parking is included for registered Guests of Disney Resort hotels and select Annual Passholders.

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Preferred parking is located closer to the park entrances than standard parking. Although it is possible to walk, trams do run from the standard parking lots to the park entrances. Sometimes we choose to walk, but often, we take the tram to save our energy for walking around and exploring the theme parks!

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Preferred Parking is the closest you can park to the Theme Park entrances in the regular lots. If you would like to take advantage of Preferred Parking, you will be close enough to easily walk to the park entrance from your car.

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Since Annual Passholders and Disney resort guests get free standard parking, they can pay the difference to upgrade to preferred parking. This will be $20-25 per day depending on the season and or day-to-day availability. When we visited in November 2022, we paid $25 one day and $20 another.

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We recommend the parking garages versus the surface lots in most cases. Most locals will only park in the garages, and it's not hard to see why. First, the garages are shaded… a big bonus in the blazing Florida sun.

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Guests eligible for standard parking can choose to upgrade to preferred parking. Theme park parking cannot be reserved in advance.

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Preferred parking: car or motorcycle – $45 per day during non-peak seasons; $50 per day during peak seasons. Standard parking: car or motorcycle – $30 per day. Shuttle, Limo, Camper, Trailer, RV, bus, or Tractor Trailer – $30 per day.

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It certainly is a premium charge, but at a park like Magic Kingdom, for example, it can help save time. Magic Kingdom's arrival experience is the most lengthy of the parks, and the Preferred parking does put you within just a few steps of the Transportation and Ticket Center.

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The best way to get the cheapest parking at Disneyland is with a Magic Key. The top tier Magic Key, the Inspire Key, includes FREE parking while the Believe Key includes 50% off parking. The Enchant Key and the Imagine Key both include 25% off parking. All of these discounts exclude each passes blockout dates.

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If you are a Guest staying at a Disney Resort hotel, you receive complimentary standard parking at Disney theme parks for the length of your Resort stay. You must present valid Disney Resort hotel identification to enter the parking lots.

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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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In our recent experience, the parking lots at all 4 parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom) are opening about 1 hour before Early Theme Park Entry is scheduled to start. Try to time your arrival to the parking lots to match that opening time.

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Magic Kingdom has fireworks every night of the year. Most of the time they are free with your park admission.

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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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Is Disney Parking Cash Only? There are many payment options for parking at Disney World, including credit cards, debit cards, Disney Gift Cards, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. Cash payments are also accepted for parking, however.

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Either the Lime Garage or the surface parking. The Orange Garage is a little further out. Also, know that the World of Disney is currently under construction, and less than half it's normal size.

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For guests who can only walk short distances, the most convenient parking lots are the main ones at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney's Animal Kingdom, and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Guests with disabilities can ask the parking attendant to park nearest the courtesy tram pick-up/drop-off point.

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Guests do not need to reserve parking at the theme parks or water parks. Theme Park Guests pay one fee for a daily parking pass, which is good all day at all four theme parks—Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom.

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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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Preferred Parking: $45/each vehicle Front Gate Parking: $50/each vehicle.

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At most, you can expect a 10-minute walk. The distance from the Magic Kingdom Park parking lot to the park entrance is quite a bit farther than those of the parking lots for the other three theme parks. When you visit Magic Kingdom Park, you'll park your vehicle at the Transportation and Ticket Center.

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