Parking At Disneyworld

[CSM]

Does anyone know how much parking is at Walt Disney World? Also how close to Epcot can you park?

[pieshops]

parking is free at disney and that is about the only free thing you will get LOL

 

If you want to go to disney you either have to park at one of the hotels and take the shuttle or the monorail or park at the transportation center, where you can get the monorail to either magic Kingdom or epcot.

[lovemylife]

If you are talking about parking at Epcot, it is not free. It will cost you about 6 dollars to park. If you are a AAA member, go and get a AAA parking pass (before you leave home), you will park very close to the gate.

 

 

You don't have to go the the TTC to get to Epcot, or any park, except the Magic Kingdom, they each have individual parking areas.

 

Even if you aren't parked close to the entrance, they have shuttle service (free)

to take you from your car to the gate.

 

Free parking is for annual pass holders and guests of Walt Disney World hotels.

 

We go every year, have a great time!!:D

[MISSY_CRUISER]

7 bucks a car!:)

[ripleysmom]

Parking is not free at WDW unless you are staying onsite at one of the resorts.

[cali-croozer]

A great Disney discussion board and loads of information can be found at www.disboards.com

 

Check www.mousesavers.com for Disney discounts.

 

HAVE A MAGICAL TIME!!!:)

[danajjj]

Parking is not free at WDW unless you are staying onsite, otherwise it is $8 per day. You can park at EPCOT. Like another poster said, the only park you have to park at the TTC for is the Magic Kingdom. If you arrive early (before or at park opening-9am) you will be able to park fairly close to the entrance.

[tntcruise]

SSSHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

 

Here is a little secret. Park at the Contemporary Hotel or Polynesian, etc. (just tell them you are having lunch if they ask why you are going there)

 

Then just park your car and take the monorail or bus to whichever park.

 

It always works for me.

[singitalto]

I heard that when you are using a restaurant at any of the monorail hotels, you are only allowed to park there for 2 hours. I heard they check reservation numbers, i wouldn't take the chance, but thats me.

Maybe someone out there has some experience with this?

Anyone?

[bUU]

It's actually a 3-hour parking pass that they issue you. Yes, they do check that you have a reservation at the restaurant... they have the master list of reservations available at the guard shacks.

[mtd716]

It's actually a 3-hour parking pass that they issue you. Yes, they do check that you have a reservation at the restaurant... they have the master list of reservations available at the guard shacks.

 

I can confirm this information for both the Contemporary and the Polynesian. If you are not staying at the resort they won't let you park there unless you have a priority seating reservation at a restaurant. They do check the priority seating list and issue you a 3-hour parking pass.

 

HOWEVER, you CAN park at the Boardwalk Resort (at least it worked the only time I tried it). That is the only resort I know of that does not require a priority seating reservation. They have a small boardwalk entertainment area (some restaurants, shops, etc.) that is open to the public. If you say you are visiting that, then you can park with no time limitation. I do recommend that if you do this, you actually spend a few minutes visiting the Boardwalk area (which is very nice, and quiet during the day), and maybe even buy a token souvenir, to at least lend a veneer of truth to your parking fib.

 

Parking at Boardwalk is especially convenient if you are going to Epcot, because you can walk to Epcot's International Gateway entrance. This is a "back" entrance in the World Showcase section of Epcot. It's actually kind of cool. Epcot is the only park with a second entrance, and it's only used by guests at a handful of nearby resorts, so there no lines to get into the park. From Boardwalk there is also a free water shuttle to both Epcot and MGM. There is no direct transportation from Boardwalk to Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom -- you would have to take a bus and then switch buses somewhere.

 

The only place at Disney with truly free parking (without fibbing about your plans to a security/parking attendant) is at Downtown Disney, and they do have bus transportation to all areas of the Disney property. However, it can be hard to find a parking space at peak time, and the bus is usually not a direct route. It could take you more time than it's worth to get from Point A to Point B if you have to make mutiple bus changes. One thing you can do at a ticket window at any of the parks is to ask for a transportation map. This will show you what is easily accessible from Downtown Disney and what is not.

 

Last but not least, several posters have given you incorrect prices for parking. The current rate is $8 per car. You only have to pay this once per day and it gives you unlimited in and out parking privileges should you decide to park hop -- just show the parking ticket which will have the date stamped on it.

 

There are a couple of other ways that I have seen people use to get past the parking attendants and into the parkings areas without paying, but I will not share them here as they are flat out lies and I do not endorse them.

[mtd716]

Also how close to Epcot can you park?

 

I forgot to mention -- you can park at the ticket and transportation center and take the monorail to Epcot, but I don't recommend this. It can easily take you 30-40 minutes to get inside the park once you have parked your car because you have to take a tram to the monorail, wait in line for the monorail, and then it's a long-ish monorail ride to the park entrance. You have no choice for Magic Kingdom, but Epcot does have its own parking lot. If you get there fairly early and get to park in one of the front sections, you could reasonably walk to the entrance. Otherwise, there is a tram from the parking lot to the entrance.

[jennyben]

Hi TNTCruise:

 

Back in 1998, we stayed at a moderate resort and then parked our car at the Polynesian and took the monorails to the parks. It worked like a charm. We will be staying at Pop Century in July and plan to do the same. Where did you park when you went to the Polynesian? All I can remember is entering a parking lot that had a security guard booth (that NEVER had any guard occupying it), parking and then entering the Polynesian right near the monorail. Does this sound familiar? If so, how do we get there (or how do we get to where you have parked??). Thanks!!!

[mtd716]

Hi TNTCruise:

 

Back in 1998, we stayed at a moderate resort and then parked our car at the Polynesian and took the monorails to the parks. It worked like a charm. We will be staying at Pop Century in July and plan to do the same. Where did you park when you went to the Polynesian? All I can remember is entering a parking lot that had a security guard booth (that NEVER had any guard occupying it), parking and then entering the Polynesian right near the monorail. Does this sound familiar? If so, how do we get there (or how do we get to where you have parked??). Thanks!!!

 

Since 9/11 security is much tighter. All guard booths at the resorts are manned. I'm not sure if staying at one resorts gives you parking privileges at all resorts. Interesting question. I hope someone who has done it recently can answer that for you.

 

Speaking of security, just as an FYI you are now required to open your purses, bags, etc. for inspection prior to entering any of the parks, also since 9/11. So be prepared for another (usually short) line that you probably didn't have to experience in '98.

[cali-croozer]

If you are staying on-site, take advantage of Disney's free transportation. We never had trouble getting from/to our hotel to any of the parks. We had a rental car, and, on our first morning, decided to drive to Animal Kingdom. Well, the toll booths weren't open yet, but the Disney buses were allowed through. By the time we parked and got to the park entrance, there was a ton of people in front of us who had taken the Disney buses. After that day, we didn't use our car, unless we wanted to venture outside of WDW.

[tntcruise]

I live in Florida and probably go to Disney 4 or 5 times a year. I have noticed that since 9/11 the guard "sometimes" ask your purpose for going to the Contemporary /Polynesian/Floridian, etc. and I've just said I was meeting friends. I have never been asked any specifics or been given a pass.

 

I guess its up to you if you want to try it. All they can do is say No or you can save the $8.00. Good Luck!

[bUU]

The BoardWalk general manager has said several times in interviews that BoardWalk parking is strictly for guests of the BoardWalk, and for other folks currently patronizing the BoardWalk's facilities. I had thought I recalled the 3 hour parking pass being employed there as well (as well as as the Beach Club and Yacht Club), but I always stay at the BoardWalk, so it never applies to me, so I'm not quite sure how often they do this.

[tntcruise]

I agree. I have also found that those hotels are much stricter when it comes to parking.

[smiley]

SSSHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

 

Here is a little secret. Park at the Contemporary Hotel or Polynesian, etc. (just tell them you are having lunch if they ask why you are going there)

 

Then just park your car and take the monorail or bus to whichever park.

 

It always works for me.

 

 

Yes, you used to be able to do this, but they caught on and I wasn't able to the last time, you only get like 3 hours or so!

[mtd716]

The BoardWalk general manager has said several times in interviews that BoardWalk parking is strictly for guests of the BoardWalk, and for other folks currently patronizing the BoardWalk's facilities. I had thought I recalled the 3 hour parking pass being employed there as well (as well as as the Beach Club and Yacht Club), but I always stay at the BoardWalk, so it never applies to me, so I'm not quite sure how often they do this.

 

It's been a couple of years but we did park at Boardwalk once, visited some of the facilities, and then mosied over to Epcot for the rest of the day. This was well after they instituted the 3-hour parking at the other resorts, but we didn't get that at Boardwalk. But, bicker is right, it's really cheating. As I said before, the only TRULY free parking is at Downtown Disney, but plan to spend a lot of extra time dealing with the transportation to get to the parks. IMHO not worth saving the $8.

 

We now have seasonal passes for the family, but this year for the first time we got my husband a regular annual pass which includes free parking.