Free parking at disney world?

[ikaki99]

Hi! I've seen some articles in the net and some advice about free parking inside disney... some say that in downtown you can park and take the disney's bus system? is this true? any advice? regards

 

[smitch425]

Hi! I've seen some articles in the net and some advice about free parking inside disney... some say that in downtown you can park and take the disney's bus system? is this true? any advice? regards

DO NOT DO IT!!! The only FREE parking you can get at Disney is to be an on-site hotel guest. If you are staying off-site, you need to pay to park. Any further discussion around this rule will get this thread closed and/or deleted. It is a rule of Disboards not to discuss ways around Disney rules.

 

[seashoreCM]

Free parking when visiting Disney's resorts e.g. for dinner, when going to Downtown Disney, when going to water parks.

Disney's resorts do not charge their guests for parking but some nearby resorts including the Swan and Dolphin do charge.

No nonstop buses from Downtown Disney to theme parks.

Except for theme park parking lots and a resort you are staying at, when you are leaving you must take your car with you. (Some valets don't enforce this in the hopes of getting bigger tips.)

 

[goofy4tink]

Hi! I've seen some articles in the net and some advice about free parking inside disney... some say that in downtown you can park and take the disney's bus system? is this true? any advice? regards

Okay...putting on my nasty hat here. First post and it's on this subject??? You probably should have done a search first...would have gotten more info than you needed that way.

Long story short.....there is free parking at the water parks and DTD. You will not get buses going to any parks from those places though. You have to take a bus to a resort and transfer to a park bus (or alternative type of transportation, depending on resort).

And this doesn't work early in the morning. Why?? There aren't buses running from DTD, or the water parks, consistently until late morning. There is no need. The shops at DTD don't even open until 10ish.

Not to mention it is very time consuming...you have to plan on it taking over an hour to get to a park from DTD, and more like 90 mins. A lot of time to save $15.

My feeling??? If you can't afford to follow rules and pay the parking fees, you shouldn't be going to WDW.

 

[sam_gordon]

The only FREE parking you can get at Disney is to be an on-site hotel guest. If you are staying off-site, you need to pay to park.

If you have an AP you get free parking whether you're staying on-site or off.

 

[Brian Noble]

There are ways to avoid the $14. All of them will cost you time---and possibly a pretty good chunk of it. I don't know about the value of *your* time on vacation, but my time is worth more than that. Trying to avoid it is penny wise but pound foolish.

I would just park at the theme park parking lots and not worry about it.

 

[Missytara]

Hi! I've seen some articles in the net and some advice about free parking inside disney... some say that in downtown you can park and take the disney's bus system? is this true? any advice? regards

What you have seen are articles written by people who give advice on how to skirt around the rules; which is prohibited on these boards.

 

[KrysiaG]

Let me just say that our Downtown Disney experience was COMPLETELY ruined and it was due to the mass parking there. We actually waited SOOOO long to get to park somewhere, and honestly it wasn't that packed inside (surprisingly). I had heard from people at Downtown Disney that people would park there for free and try to take busses and things, but honestly - it made our entire visit to DTD a completely MISERABLE one. I won't be back due to that parking.

We paid $14 a day to park at all the WDW parks for each day we were there. Seriously, that is cheaper than a misting fan sprayer they sell at the park.

Just PAY to park for gosh sakes!

 

[smitch425]

If you have an AP you get free parking whether you're staying on-site or off.

Thanks for reminding me.

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks for reminding me.

It's a handy thing to have when you mess up your GPS and end up entering Epcot instead of leaving the entire area. Just held up the AP, no payment due and made a U-turn. They may have allowed to make a U-turn in any event but why bother worrying about it. Sure was glad to have my trusty AP handy!!

 

[jmpellet]

Time is money and parking in DTD is probably not worth it.

 

[ikaki99]

Hi! thanks for the advice....is not that I didn't want to pay, but in the country I live there are no fees for parks or any other place... as this is a "SERVICE"... I'm thankful and I will surely pay in this case, there was no need to be rude (only some of you)... thanks again!

 

[goofy4tink]

Hi! thanks for the advice....is not that I didn't want to pay, but in the country I live there are no fees for parks or any other place... as this is a "SERVICE"... I'm thankful and I will surely pay in this case, there was no need to be rude (only some of you)... thanks again!

I do apologize if I sounded rude. BUT...we get this question all the time, and it is usually from someone who merely wants to save that parking fee. You will find that just about every 'theme' park in this country charges for parking.
BUT....if you head to MK, and pay to park, keep your receipt. You can show it to the parking attendant at, say, Epcot, later that day and you don't have to pay again. You pay for parking only once each day...as long as you keep your parking receipt.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Ikaki99-Sorry you got off to a slightly rough start.....................I want to say----

Welcome to the boards

This really is a helpful forum for all your WDW questions. Please be sure to look over the treads and add some of your own experiences when you get back from your trip.

 

[Brian Noble]

but in the country I live there are no fees for parks or any other place... as this is a "SERVICE"

Welcome to Walt Disney World, a country unto itself.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Hi! I've seen some articles in the net and some advice about free parking inside disney... some say that in downtown you can park and take the disney's bus system? is this true? any advice? regards

yes it's true

The bus will take you to a resort approximately 1 hour AFTER Downtown Diseny opens. You then take a bus, boat, monorail whatever to the park. Of course by this time the park has been open for two or three hours so it's a little crowded but "look we saved $15, we won't mind the fact that there are no fast passes left for Toy Story Mania" (Or will you?)

Here's a hint to a succssful vacation in another country. Realize it's "another country" I find that when I go places it's not really helpful to say "well in the US we don't do xyz" That's not really relevant and if I want things to be "just like home" then the thing I should have done is stay home!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Disney's resorts do not charge their guests for parking but some nearby resorts including the Swan and Dolphin do charge.

Well should guests choose to valet park at the WDW Resorts the cost is $12.00 + a tip, so that's the only time they do charge their guests for parking.

 

[sue Z]

another thing not mentioned If you pay to park your car at one park and leave to go to another park the same day and move your car to that next park as my parents used to do when we stayed off site they left the parking pass in the window and they didnt have to pay again at the 2nd park, Not sure is this is still true but im sure it is

 

[goofy4tink]

I do apologize if I sounded rude. BUT...we get this question all the time, and it is usually from someone who merely wants to save that parking fee. You will find that just about every 'theme' park in this country charges for parking.
BUT....if you head to MK, and pay to park, keep your receipt. You can show it to the parking attendant at, say, Epcot, later that day and you don't have to pay again. You pay for parking only once each day...as long as you keep your parking receipt.

another thing not mentioned If you pay to park your car at one park and leave to go to another park the same day and move your car to that next park as my parents used to do when we stayed off site they left the parking pass in the window and they didnt have to pay again at the 2nd park, Not sure is this is still true but im sure it is

Oh,but I did. But, the OP may very well have missed it since we are now on page 2...thanks for the reminder.

 

[ikaki99]

Hey, thanks again, I'm very pleased to find a website like this one! I hope to find a lot of information... Thanks for those who apologized, and I apologize if I did not do my question in the right... For ORANGECOUNTYCO, thanks for your rudeness, I hope you are as well received and answered as you.