Hi Lyleanne!
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! This is a great question because there is so much information that is either new or outdated on the internet regarding parking fees at Walt Disney World Resort, that it can be confusing to tell what is current. I actually visited last month with three of my best mom friends and our collective five preschoolers. We drove almost everywhere, including to our
Character Dining Reservations, as we had a lot of kids and a lot of stuff.
I'm happy to report that all guests, including those who are staying at a
Disney Resort Hotel and those who are not, who have a
confirmed dining reservation that happens to take place at a Disney Resort Hotel are allowed three hours of complimentary parking at that resort hotel. This is plenty of time for even the slowest of eaters (me!) to take their time and sample one of everything (also me) and take as many pictures with their favorite characters (me. again.) at even the most popular of dining reservations.
Bonus tip: Guests of a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel do now have to pay for parking at their resort hotel. However, the
parking fee at Disney's Theme Parks is still included in the price of your total Walt Disney World Resort vacation for Disney Resort Hotel Guests.
I hope this helped in planning your Disney Days, Lyleanne. We'll See You Real Soon!
~Kristen