Hello, Carole and welcome to planDisney. It seems to me like you have a fun trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth coming up. Spending the New Year holiday there is a lot of fun. No better way to welcome 2022 than at Walt Disney World if you ask me!
Guests staying at a
Walt Disney World Resort Hotel do receive complimentary standard
theme park parking at the Walt Disney World Theme Parks. This is a perk that I really enjoy because I typically drive myself to and from the parks and it can save quite a bit of money that way. If you'd like to upgrade to the preferred parking area, you will just need to pay the upgraded difference. Right now, preferred parking runs anywhere between $45 and $50 per day and the standard is $25 per day. Depending on what time of day you arrive at the Walt Disney World Theme Parks this may or may not be worth it to you. My family and I like to get to the parks anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour prior to the scheduled opening time. This gives us a pretty close parking spot so I never really upgrade to the preferred parking lot. Now, on days where we head to the theme parks in the late afternoon, the thought really has crossed my mind. It can be pretty far back to park sometimes and without the trams running right now, it is a lot of walking. If you do upgrade to the preferred parking area at one of the Walt Disney World Theme Parks and plan to hop to another one, be sure to save your receipt. You can pay once a day and have preferred parking at any of the parks.
Something I like to do when I drive myself is to keep a little cooler in the car with some cold ice waters. It's really nice to have a refreshing beverage waiting for you once you get back to the car - even if you park in preferred. The Walt Disney World Theme Parks can be a long and tiring day and it's best to stay hydrated!
I hope this helps, Carole. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to stop back by and
ask me. I'm here to help. Happy planning!