6 Ways to Avoid Disney Resort Parking Fees Right Now

Walt Disney World has started charging for Disney Resort Parking. This affects all guests at Walt Disney World Resorts. If you're looking for ways to Avoid Disney Resort Parking Fees we have a few options you may not have considered. Here's the breakdown of the parking costs at Disney World Resorts and our best guesses as to the ways you can get out of it.

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What are the Disney Resort Parking Fees at Walt Disney World?

Staying at a Disney Resort has tons of perks, parking fees are not one of them. Standard overnight self-parking is available to registered Guests for a fee that will be applied to their hotel folio upon check-out. All parking fees include applicable tax.

Disney Parking Fee per Resort Category

• Value Resorts: $15 per night
• Moderate Resorts: $20 per night
• Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts: $25 per night

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Disney World Resort Parking Fees for DVC Members

DVC guests staying with points are currently exempt from the new Disney Resort Parking Fees.

Disney Resort Parking Fees at Fort Wilderness Campgrounds

Complimentary standard parking is available to Guests staying at the Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. Each campsite provides parking space for one (1) motorized vehicle.

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Do Disney Annual Passholders Get to Park for Free at Disney Resorts?

Disney Annual Passholders get Free Standard Theme Park Parking but they DO NOT receive free parking at Disney Resorts unless they are staying as a registered guest.

Do I have to Pay To Park at Disney World Theme Parks Too?

If you are staying at a Disney Resort, complimentary standard theme park parking is included for registered guests. So you will have to pay a Disney Resort Parking Fee, but will not have to pay also at the Theme Parks.

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Ways to Avoid the Disney World Resort Parking Fees

Looking to Park for Free at Disney Resorts? We're going to break down a bunch of options, and if one works for you great! We're not trying to get out of paying anything here, just being smart about our Vacation Dollars. And where they go.

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Stay at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campgrounds

"Complimentary standard parking is available to Guests staying at the Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. Each campsite provides parking space for one (1) motorized vehicle." Thankfully Disney World Resort Parking Fees aren't happening at Disney's Fort Wilderness. And since we think this is simply one of the best Disney Resorts we're happy to offer this up as our first suggestion to get out of additional fees.

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Don't Drive a Car to Walt Disney World

Ok, so we realize this is the most obvious solution and one that some people cannot avoid, but if you're to avoid Disney Parking Fees, then don't drive! The beauty of living in today's world is that you really don't need a car at Walt Disney World. You can easily get a taxi to and from the airport to avoid having a car. And if you're already paying to stay on property at Walt Disney World, then you're receiving the perk of the Magical Express ( operating through 2021). Plus all the Disney transportation you need to get from park to park while you're there.

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Stay Off Property at a Good Neighbor Hotel

If you're not there, they can't charge you a Disney World parking fee, right? And frankly, you can receive many of the same Disney benefits at a Good Neighbor Hotel. We have stayed at several Disney Springs hotels and they all had extra magic hours perks, their own transportation to the Parks and some of them even offer the 60 day fast pass booking window. Do you have to pay for parking? Sometimes, yes, but sometimes those parking fees are waived, especially if you are a member of their rewards program. So if you go this route, make sure to sign up for whatever loyalty program is being offered at whichever hotel you choose. We recently stayed at Best Western Disney Springs, earned points, and got all the Disney benefits. This is a great way to avoid Disney Hotel Parking Fees.

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Stay at an Airbnb

If you've been reading our blog for any amount of time, you will know that we love Airbnb. And have talked about the Pros and Cons of Staying Off-Property at Disney World before. Not only are the prices usually much better than a Walt Disney World hotel, but you also get the comforts of your own home. And many of the Airbnb properties available near Disney are themed which is pretty fun. If you're an annual pass holder, you won't have to worry about paying to park at the Parks, but if you're not, just know that Uber is going to be cheaper than paying that parking fee.

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Stay at Walt Disney World by Renting DVC points

"DVC guests staying with points are currently exempt from the new parking fees." So, if you rent DVC points to stay on property, you can take advantage of this. Curious how renting DVC points works? Check out how to rent DVC points from Mousesavers.

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Book your Disney Vacation Through a Third Party

Finding Walt Disney World Resort properties on Hotels.com is not as hard as it seems. And you still retain all the Disney perks, by simply calling to connect your reservation to the My Disney Experience app afterward. Absolutely an amazing Disney Boardwalk location, the Swan and Dolphin Hotels get you in walking distance to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. Plus even if you find you need to pay for parking, the vastly cheaper room rates from a third party can offset the new fees you would pay through Disney.

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Don't Use the Car You've Brought

After staying at several Disney resorts with a car, we have maybe figured how they actually track that you have a vehicle at the resort. Once you've checked in, and you leave and come back, you have to scan your magic band to be allowed past the entry gate of the resort. It seems to us that we are billed according to how many days we scan in. For example, we had a 3-night stay at Coronado Springs, but only used our car one day, so we got charged for parking for one night. We had a 3-night stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge and used the car all 3 days and were charged for 3 nights of parking. Make sense? Maybe not, but that's what we've seen so far.

It's clear Disney is trying to get you to spend all your time in their parks. So if you have that car so you can pop over to Wizarding World of Harry Potter then they'll charge you for it. Other guests have noted having to check in with the gate attendant before parking and then paying every night as a result. So this last tip may or may not work based on your situation. For those asking, how do they know if you even have a car? I think that's how they know. We were never asked for license plate info or if we even had a car, but noticed the charges when we checked out. So somehow, they knew.

Disney Resort Parking Fees and How to Avoid them

Hopefully, you have found this article to be helpful! And hopefully, this will help you find a solution that works for you and your family. And if not, remember, Wall-e reminds us, there's a lot of world out there:) If you bring a car, make sure you put it to good use, because you'll be paying for it!

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