Walt Disney World now offering preferred parking at Magic Kingdom and Epcot

By Seth Kubersky

Good news for people who value shoe leather over cash: Walt Disney World is now offering preferred parking at Magic Kingdom and Epcot [update: Animal Kingdom too!] … for a price.

Guests arriving at the parking toll booths for Magic Kingdom and Epcot now have the option of paying $35 (instead of the standard $20 fee) to park closer to the the attractions. Resort guests and those with annual passes who normally park for free can pay the $15 difference for preferred parking as well.

The new preferred parking sections are not new parking spots, but rather existing spaces that were previously available without an additional fee. At Magic Kingdom, the preferred parking section is in Jafar or Aladdin, while at Epcot it is in Amaze. It’s important to note that while the preferred parking sections at both parks are close enough that you can skip taking the parking tram (which is still available), you must still take the ferry or monorail to reach the Magic Kingdom from the TTC.

Walt Disney World has not officially announced or publicly commented on preferred parking yet, so this may be a temporary test. It is not available at Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios at this time.

If you enjoy paying an up-charge to stash your vehicle, preferred parking upgrades are also offered at Universal Orlando and SeaWorld.

UPDATE: 4/3/2016

Preferred Parking is now also being offered at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

We haven’t spotted it at Disney’s Hollywood Studios yet, but we’ll let you know if that changes.