BREAKING: Free Self-Parking Returns to Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

Katie Francis

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BREAKING: Free Self-Parking Returns to Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

Walt Disney World has walked back their parking fees at resort hotels. Guests with valid reservations will now receive free self-parking, effective today.

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Read the announcement from Disney below:

“Beginning this evening, Jan. 10, overnight self-parking will once again be offered complimentary to guests staying at Disney Resort hotels at Walt Disney World. This is a Disney difference many of you have asked us to bring back, and we’re happy to reintroduce it to make your vacation a little easier and more affordable – whether you’re road tripping across the country, renting a car or vacationing as a local Florida resident. As a reminder, Disney Resort hotel guests also continue to receive complimentary standard parking at Walt Disney World theme parks, daily early theme park entry (with valid admission and a park reservation) and complimentary on-site transportation options such as buses, monorails and Disney Skyliner.”

Self-parking was free at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels from 1971 until 2018. One of the perks of staying at an on-site hotel was that theme park self-parking was included, so guests did not have to pay any parking fees.

The policy enacted on March 21, 2018, required guests to pay for overnight parking, per night, at all of the Disney owned resort hotels at the Walt Disney World Resort. Theme park parking was still included, but now guests with personal vehicles had to pay for overnight parking. Disney Vacation Club guests staying using their points did not have to pay for parking. Guests were charged $13-24 per night.

The policy caused upset for many fans, and was publically derided by Frommer’s, a popular travel guide company, who called it a “surprising money grab.” Some argued that parking fees were just a new industry standard, and cited competitor Universal Orlando Resort, whose hotels have long charged overnight parking fees.

In June 2019, prices were increased to $15 per night at Value resorts, $20 at Moderate resorts, and $25 at Deluxe and Deluxe Villa resorts. Guests at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground received complimentary parking for one vehicle.

Some guests tried to evade the parking fees by using online check-in methods that allowed them to skip the front desk completely, and also skip registering a car parked at the hotel. This led to the introduction of Cast Members stationed at the entrances to hotel parking lots, verifying registration and applying fees.

A change to Valet parking pricing has not been announced. It was raised to $33 per night when the original parking fee policy was enacted.

This is one of several changes announced for Walt Disney World today. For more news, check out the following articles:

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

12 thoughts on “BREAKING: Free Self-Parking Returns to Walt Disney World Resort Hotels”

  1. Hallelujah! This was one of my family’s biggest pet peeves. I think it was also the beginning of the end of Disney Magic!

  2. Finally rolling back prices! Disney needs to continue looking at the guest as a lifetime relationship and not maximize the profit on a single trip that may not lead to future visits!

  3. FINALLY……I vowed years ago after Disney started parking fees at all their hotels to NEVER stay at a Disney Resort property again and I have kept to that promise. I am thrilled that they finally changed back to free parking. Reorts at Disney are expensive enough and then that Moron Bob Paycheck sticks it to us for parking fees. Good riddance Bob Paycheck and all the Disney damage you caused. Hooray for Iger in bringing back some sanity to Disney.

  4. Best WDW news in a long time! Great decision since we are already paying so much for the room and deserve to park for free.

  5. So the Photo Pass (which was listed as a perk for Key Holders at Disneyland) is now going to be free for everyone.

    So does that mean we will all get a partial refund for our passes? Or will we get something in return (like, say, Genie+ for at least the top tier pass)?

    Otherwise, this actually seem like partially screwing passholders over.

  6. I hope free self parking at Disneyland resorts will soon be initiated. People are already paying a huge price for a room and should not have to pay $40 a night for parking. People would like to use their money for more Disney merchandise. It shouldn’t be just Walt Disney World. We will be at Disneyland in the next three months and can hardly wait to try the new lemon desserts. Can’t wait to buy the new Disney ears and any other new 100 years merchandise.

  7. This is huge for my family. We road trip to the WDW and stay for 2 weeks on property. That resort parking fee was really adding up the last two years of visits. We are paying enough for rooms and should be parking for free.

  8. Does this mean we’ll be able to visit resorts again without resort reservations? We used to go just to enjoy the resort, shop, or eat, but the guards haven’t allowed that since the parking fees were implemented. I hope we can again do so.

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