Where can I charge my electric vehicle at Walt Disney World?
Electric vehicle ownership continues to grow in popularity in the United States. With Walt Disney World Resort ranking as one of the top tourist destinations in the country, an increasing number of electric vehicles must be able to charge, but fortunately, Walt Disney World offers many charging locations.
Electric Vehicle Charging at Walt Disney World Theme Parks
Electric vehicle charging stations can be found at the Walt Disney World theme park parking areas, Disney Springs, and select Walt Disney World Resort hotels. As Walt Disney World states on its website, “For your convenience, a number of ChargePoint charging stations are now available in parking lots at Magic Kingdom park, Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.”
All charging stations operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, cast members cannot guarantee availability when you arrive to park your electric vehicle.
Chargepoint manufactures and operates one of the world’s largest electric vehicle charging station network. You will need a credit card or a pre-ordered ChargePoint card to use these charging stations. The Chargepoint mobile app will be more useful for guests based on the charging method and pricing system.
The current cost to charge at these stations is $0.35 per kilowatt hour, with a minimum service amount of $1.50. Charging will stop once the vehicle’s battery is fully charged. However, you may be charged an additional amount after a short grace period for leaving your car in the charging station spots after your vehicle is fully charged. ChargePoint will notify the vehicle owners informing them that their car reached fully charged status. This notification works best with the mobile app.
Also, guests will need to pay the usual theme park parking rates in addition to these electrical charging fees. When guests arrive at their theme park for the day, they should ask the cast members for directions to the charging stations.
According to Walt Disney World’s website, the following charging stations are available at the theme parks:
- Magic Kingdom – Five spaces (one at the front of the Medical parking lot; four at the Zurg parking lot)
- Epcot – Four electric charging stations at the front of the Journey parking lot
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Four spaces in their Medical parking lot
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Four electric charging stations at the front of the Mickey parking lot
Electric Vehicle Charging for Resort Hotel Guests
Steven Diaz/Disney
Some official Walt Disney World Resort hotels also offer electric vehicle charging stations. Standard overnight parking fees will apply.
According to Walt Disney World’s website, charging stations are available at the following resorts:
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort – Six spaces in general parking near ADA spaces
- Disney’s Riviera Resort – Four spaces in general parking near ADA spaces
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – Two spaces in general parking near ADA spaces
Also of note, each campsite at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge offers a standard wall outlet and a Level two NEMA 14-50 outlet that can be used to charge your car if you have the proper cords and plugs. Each cabin provides a standard wall outlet on the exterior of the cabin, which may also be used, although very slow charging.
Though not owned by Walt Disney World, several other resort hotels on Walt Disney World property offer electric vehicle charging options; however, these charging stations are only for hotel guests. Be sure to check with your resort for availability, pricing, and the power style and level when booking your room. Standard parking fees will apply, and in some cases, you will need to bring your own cable and adapters.
Resorts with two level two charging stations in their parking structure:
- Walt Disney World Swam Reserve
- Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort
- Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek
Resorts with Tesla chargers in their valet parking area:
- Waldorf Astoria Orlando
- Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resort
- Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World
Besides Chargepoint, you could also examine the charging station maps from PlugShare and ChargeHub for more precise information about these and other locations.
Electric Vehicle Charging at Disney Springs
At Disney Springs, electric vehicle owners can find 13 charging stations, some of which offer Level 3 power. The Lime and Orange Garages offer three charging stations each on their fifth level. The Grapefruit Garage offers three charging stations on its third level. The cost for these matches the pricing for the theme park options. All these options involve Level 2 power charging stations
Photo by Tharin White.
There are also four newer Level 3 charging stations reside in the Watermelon parking lot (located near Cirque du Soleil). These are available at a rate of $0.40 per kilowatt hour with a 20-minute grace period. After the grace period, the user will be charged $0.30 per minute until the car is moved. Guests should expect these stations to charge more rapidly than the others on Walt Disney World property. Once again, the charging station will notify owners when electric vehicles reach full charge.
Car Locator
The My Disney Experience mobile app contains a complimentary feature to help find your vehicle in the parking lots. If you have not used the charging stations often, this feature could help you find your vehicle once it is fully charged. The car locator feature uses location services to find and save your parking details at Walt Disney World in the My Disney Experience mobile app.
If your hotel doesn’t offer charging and you need it, there are a number of charging stations near Walt Disney World. For instance, there’s a Tesla Supercharger station on Palm Parkway.
Have you entered the environmentally friendly world of electric vehicles? Have you ever used the charging stations at Walt Disney World? Let us know in the comments below.
That’s a shame that the chargers are part of a network that you have to pay for. When we were staying at Hotel Newport Bay Club at Disneyland Paris last April, we charged our car in the hotel car park for free.