A Walt Disney World guest recently sparked an online debate after sharing her “hack” for free parking at the Magic Kingdom.
Disney vacations can quickly add up, and for many guests, the cost of daily parking — $30 for standard parking or as much as $55 for preferred parking — adds to the expense. With such high costs, the idea of avoiding parking fees is understandably tempting.
This summer, TikTok user Maria J Lane (@mariajlane) posted a video explaining how to get free parking at Walt Disney World Resort. In the video, Lane shares her “hack” that allows disabled guests to park without paying by utilizing accessible parking privileges at the Disney Resort hotels.
@mariajlane Follow along from more Disney tips and tricks, I love parking at grand Floridian, and taking the monorail to Magic Kingdom. #disney #magickingdom #disneytok #disneymom #disneyworld #disneyadult
“I’m going to show you how to get free parking at Disney,” Lane says in the video. “If you have accessible parking, you get free valet at any of the resorts…My pro tip is to park at one of the Monorail Resorts and take it straight to the Magic Kingdom.”
Lane’s video gained significant attention, amassing thousands of views and hundreds of comments. The post ignited a heated debate about the ethics of using disability parking privileges for personal gain. Paid disability parking is available at Magic Kingdom Park’s Ticket & Transportation Center, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Free valet parking is intended for guests staying at the Disney Resort hotels.
“Don’t park at the resorts if you’re going to the parks, the resort parking is for guest staying,” @witchxstitch wrote. “EVERYONE HAS TO PAY FOR PARKING, YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL OR ENTITLED TO FREE THINGS.”
“That’s why the resorts are filled with a bunch of streamers that aren’t actually staying there,” @distok100 replied. “Inconsiderate to people actually paying to be there.”
Others cited broader concerns about Disability Access Service (DAS) policies, which Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort have tightened in recent years.
“This type of stuff is why DAS is so heavily policed now,” said @mattmcdaniel527.
“Taking advantage of yet another thing and Disney will have to redesign this so people who actually need it can’t use it,” @rissmy added.
Walt Disney World Resort has a history of cracking down on guests exploiting parking loopholes. For instance, many visitors would park at Disney Springs, where parking is free, and then take a bus to the theme parks. However, Disney eliminated bus transportation from Disney Springs to the parks to prevent this practice.
At the Disney Resort hotels, parking is free for overnight guests. However, resort-hopping — where guests park at one of the Disney Resort hotels without staying there — has been a point of contention. Some visitors book dining reservations or order food via Mobile Order to get free Disney Resort parking before heading to the parks. Security at the most popular hotels, especially the Monorail Resorts, has cracked down on this. Day guests are sometimes forced to pay for parking at the Transportation & Ticket Center (TTC) and then use Disney transportation to reach their resort destination.
What are your “hacks” for a perfect Walt Disney World Resort vacation? Share them with Disney Fanatic in the comments!
This is why people give accessible parking a bad rap, because of people like her. And she advertises it.
The ones that really need it are the ones who should get it. I carry a card too that says I need it, maybe they should name check the cards to make sure it belongs to a legit person who needs it.