Vacation Kingdom Know How: Driving at Disney
Not quite THAT kind of driving (photo from the Boathouse Orlando)
So let’s talk driving at the Walt Disney World parks. It’s not the most fun or glamorous topic, but there are some things that you might not realize if you are a newbie. Trust me, saving stress, frustration and time could be very worth the effort on your next vacation! But if you want to completely remove the stress, you can rent car with driver.
Staying on Property has Perks!
If you are staying at a Disney resort, you have buses, boats and monorails to get around property but if you need a quicker or more convenient way, why not drive yourself? Even though the parking lots for the 4 main parks have a $20 fee, if you are staying at a Disney resort, you can park for free. This is especially useful if you are toting kids, strollers and a bunch of bags or if you’re in a rush to make rope drop or an ADR in a park. When you check in, you will be given a piece of paper to put in your car that has the dates and where you are staying, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it attached to magic bands (if it hasn’t been already…we honestly rarely drive around property but we don’t have kids to tote around).
Even if you flew down and took the Magical Express bus from the airport to the resorts, have no fear. Uber, Lyft and other taxi services can be accessed at the resorts (I do not suggest it for the theme parks) and Disney rumors are out that they are working on their own version of Uber for on property transportation (more on that as info becomes available!).
A Quick Layout
As a rule of thumb, if you drive and are entering one of the main parks (except Animal Kingdom), you will leave your car and ride a tram to either the walkway to the entrance or the Ticket & Transportation Center (Magic Kingdom only). From the TTC, you can take the ferry or monorail to MK; it can easily take 45 minutes to get to the front gate of the MK, so keep this in mind while planning. Epcot and Hollywood Studios will take a few minutes (maybe 15-20, pending on how busy it is/time of day) to get from your vehicle through the turnstiles, but you do get to skip that extra step from the MK travel. With Animal Kingdom and the possibility of large crowds this summer due to the opening of Pandora, I would not be surprised to see people parking at Epcot or the TTC/Magic Kingdom parking lots and being bused over. Just keep an eye out for the signs that I’m sure will be all over if this is the case. Also, if you take a boat anywhere, know it will take longer- it will be relaxing but take time (Disney Springs to Port Orleans Riverside is a 25 minute ride, plus any wait time).
If you are going to the water parks, Disney Springs or other resorts, it will more than likely be easier to drive. While buses do run to the water parks and Disney Springs, the buses are not as plentiful and you may be stuck waiting quite a while for that next bus to take you to your destination. These locations have smaller parking areas than the MK and Epcot and do not offer trams from the lots to the main entrances. Disney Springs also has two parking garages that make life much easier when it comes to parking in that area.
It Takes HOW Long?
Disney dining suggests taking 90 minutes to get to your reservation if you are on property. That’s an hour and a half! If you are traveling directly from your resort to another resort, it could take as little as 10-15 minutes to get there (possibly less) and 5 or so to park. If you are in one of the parks, such as leaving the Magic Kingdom or somewhere, by all means, take that 90 minutes- it might take the entirety of your time and more. Planning the time you have is important, but once you get the hang of how things really are in the parks and in the resorts, it gets easier. Do some research on where you are headed or even ask at the front desk. If you’ve got 2 kids, strollers and need to be at O’hana at 8 am, drive on over- your sanity will thank you!
Shameless Plug: If you’re researching transportation options at WDW, I’ve got a Pinterest board dedicated to just that!
Jenny’s WDW Transportation Board on Pinterest
Do you drive when you are on property? Take an Uber or Lyft? Why or why not?