Is Preferred Parking at Walt Disney World Worth It? (Cost, Pros & Tips)

Guests visiting one of the four Walt Disney World theme parks have several transportation options available. Those staying at a Disney Resort hotel can take advantage of complimentary transportation such as buses, boats, and the Monorail, depending on their resort location.

Other guests may choose to drive their cars, motorcycles, or oversized vehicles like RVs. If you plan on driving, there is a daily parking fee required to enter the theme park parking lots.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at how Walt Disney World parking works and help you decide whether preferred parking is worth the additional cost. 

Walt Disney World Theme Park Parking Rates

There is a daily parking fee required upon arrival at any of the Walt Disney World theme parks, and the amount depends on your vehicle type. The good news is that each vehicle only needs to pay this fee once per day, even if you plan to visit more than one theme park that day. Rates are subject to change, but current prices are listed below.

Car or Motorcycle

Standard Parking: $35/day

• For Disney Resort guests and certain Annual Passholders, standard parking is included. You will need to show proof of your stay, or proof of your Annual Pass upon arrival in either the form of a Magic Band or your hotel room key.

Preferred Parking: $50, $55 or $60/day 

• The preferred rate is seasonal and can change throughout the year. Signs will display the cost and availability of preferred parking on the day of your visit. 

• Disney Resort guests and applicable Annual Passholders will only need to pay the difference in price between standard and preferred parking. 

Oversized Vehicle Parking (RV, Shuttle, Limo, Bus, etc.)

Standard Parking: $40/day

What is Preferred Parking at Walt Disney World?

For an additional fee, guests can choose Preferred Parking, which places your vehicle much closer to the park entrance than standard parking. The price varies by season and demand, and the daily cost will be displayed on signs when you arrive at the theme park parking booths.

As mentioned earlier, Disney Resort guests and certain Annual Passholders only need to pay the difference between standard and preferred parking.

For example, if preferred parking is $60 on the day of your visit, and standard parking is already included with your Annual Pass or resort stay, you would only pay the $25 difference.

Just like standard parking, preferred parking only needs to be paid once per day and is valid at all four theme parks if you plan to park hop. Be sure to keep your receipt or parking placard in case you visit another park later that day.

The Pros

Walt Disney World parking lots are very large. Even if you plan on rope dropping and arrive well before park opening, it’s still possible to be parked far from the entrance. Preferred parking lots are located much closer to the entrance and guarantee a shorter walk, regardless of your arrival time. After spending a full day walking several miles in the theme parks, you will definitely appreciate having your car parked closer to the entrance.

For our family, the biggest benefit of preferred parking is that we don’t need to use the parking lot tram to get to and from our car. Each Walt Disney World theme park offers a complimentary tram that transports guests parked farther away in the lot to the park entrance.

The trams run continuously throughout the day and can hold a large number of guests at once, so the wait is usually not very long. However, if you have a stroller, it must be collapsed before boarding the tram.

Even though we typically pack light for our park days, it can still be a hassle to fold the stroller and gather everything we’re carrying while also keeping track of our two toddlers,

We noticed this even more on days when we stay later in the parks and the kids fall asleep in the stroller. They have to be transferred out of the stroller, onto the tram, and then back into the stroller again once we reach the parking lot.

The Cons

The biggest downside to preferred parking is the additional cost. Trips to Walt Disney World can be expensive and the costs add up quickly.

For many families, paying extra just to park closer to the entrance may not feel necessary, especially if you’re already budgeting for tickets, food, and other expenses during your visit. 

However, if you’re able to save in other areas of your trip budget, such as bringing your own snacks or sharing drinks, preferred parking can still be a worthwhile upgrade, especially for families visiting with toddlers or young kids in strollers.

Final Thoughts

For our family, the additional cost of preferred parking has been worth it. With two toddlers, strollers, and all the extra bags that come with a park day, avoiding the parking lot tram makes a big difference.

Because standard parking is included with our Annual Pass, we only pay the difference for preferred parking. This would also apply to guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel. We also tend to arrive at the parks later in the day after nap time, so having a guaranteed closer parking spot helps simplify our arrival. And remember, if you plan to park hop, you only need to pay for parking once per day.