Hey there, Denise! Thanks for hopping back over to see us again here at planDisney. Let's get you on the road to fun at the Walt Disney World Resort!
Living just an hour away from the magic means my family always has our car with us when we visit Walt Disney World. While it can be super convenient, sometimes we're left with the "dude, where's the car?" moment when trying to figure out logistics. If we're staying in a Disney Resort hotel, do we drive to the Theme Park or take
Disney transportation and leave the car behind? For day trips, are we
Park hopping after our first Theme Park has closed? And how will we get back to the car when we're ready to go? Oh, Denise. I've been there and done that!
If you plan to leave your car at your first Theme Park of the day, access to the
parking lot is all about transportation. As long as you can get back to the Park, you can get to your car.
Disney's official information states that buses generally run until about an hour after the Theme Park's closing time. I think in actuality, you'll find they may run a little later than that, especially on a busy day, but it's a good general rule of thumb. My advice: Ask a parking Cast Member for their best recommendation for getting back to your car later that night.
I also have a couple of other possibilities if you're worried you may go past that one-hour window. If you're parked at the
Magic Kingdom parking lot (also known as the Transportation and Ticket Center, or TTC), you can take a bus to one of the Magic Kingdom area Resort hotels and either hop on the monorail or walk to the TTC. You can use the same method for
Disney's Hollywood Studios and
EPCOT by taking a bus to one of the nearby Resort hotels and walking or taking a boat or the
Disney Skyliner (bonus - this is a fabulous ride!) to the Theme Park. You'll just need to make sure EPCOT is open for this one, since you'd have to walk through the Park to get to the parking lot.
Another option is to park in your
last Theme Park of the day and take Disney transportation to the Park you plan to visit first. That way, your car will be right there waiting for you when your Disney day has come to an end. This is one we've done lots of times, and let me tell you, it's nice to just get right to the car after a long day of Park hopping!
And of course, there are always taxis and ride-sharing services as a fallback option.
I hope this helps you make the most of your Disney days, Denise. Please come back and see us if you have any more questions!
Keep Disney Dreaming,
Kathy K.