Hi Lindsey! Thanks for reaching out again to planDisney.
Welcome to the New Annual Passholder Club! That's not a real club, but I also just recently obtained an Annual Pass for the first time and I felt like I should celebrate what we have in common. I just love the idea of being able to visit more often and get to enjoy the perks and benefits of being an Annual Passholder! And because I'm a proud member of
Disney Vacation Club, it really feels like arriving home once I pass under the
Walt Disney World Resort welcome sign!
Parking at a
Disney Resorts Collection Hotel is exclusively for Guests who are staying at the resort or who have an
advanced dining reservation at one of the resort's restaurants. Currently, Annual Passholders can enjoy free parking at the theme parks. However, you still must be staying at a resort hotel or have a reservation to park in its designated parking lot. They will scan your DisneyBand, ticket media, or look up your reservation before allowing you in at the gate.
While you will not be allowed to park at
Disney's BoardWalk Inn without a reservation, I always like to visit that shopping area in the middle of an
EPCOT day. Since there is an entrance and exit to this park in between the United Kingdom and France pavilions, I will often exit the park after I explore one of these pavilions to enjoy the restaurants and other offerings available on
Disney's BoardWalk. I especially love to make an advanced dining reservation for Beaches & Cream Soda Shop at
Disney's Beach Club Resort in the middle of the day to get off my feet, enjoy the air conditioning, and eat some delicious comfort food. Then, once I feel refreshed, I go back to EPCOT and continue on my way around the World Showcase Lagoon to the different pavilions...and at the end of the day, my car is waiting for me in the EPCOT parking lot!
Lindsey, I hope you enjoy your newfound Annual Passholder status and all the magic it brings. It's like a front-row seat for everything new and exciting coming to the resort like
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, which opens in EPCOT on October 16, 2023, or
Tiana's Bayou Adventure, which is currently slated to open in late 2024.
As a tip, in case you haven't already done so, make sure you activate your Annual Pass at one of the Guest Services locations outside of the theme parks or the Disney Ticket Center at
Disney Springs. This will ensure you're able to use it to scan into the parks for the first time!
If you have any other questions,
please feel free to reach out again.
Happiness is the richest thing we will ever own,
Matt