Hi there, Marianne! Welcome to planDisney and thanks for stopping by with such a great question.
Well, it sounds like your planning is off to a practically perfect start! Starting your Disney day at the park that opens the earliest and then hopping to a park that stays open later is my favorite strategy to maximize the magic. Now, let's tie up your loose planning ends so you can sit back, relax and start your pixie-dusted countdown to your magical
Walt Disney World adventure!
When I was park-hopping last month, the park-to-park buses started running at 10 a.m. A Cast Member did tell me that this time can sometimes change, so I recommend asking a Cast Member for the current park-to-park bus schedule the night before your park-hopping adventure.
If you don't mind arriving at Animal Kingdom after 10 a.m., you can absolutely park at Hollywood Studios and use the complimentary Disney transportation to get you to and from Animal Kingdom. However, if you want to take advantage of those early hours at Animal Kingdom, you have two options. You can either park your car in the Hollywood Studios parking lot and take a rideshare or
Minnie Van over to Animal Kingdom, or you can drive to both Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. When you pay for
parking at the theme parks, you are paying for a day parking pass that is good for parking at all four theme parks. So, you can park at both Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios in the same day for one price!
When I parked at Animal Kingdom last month, the parking lot was really easy to navigate, and while the walk to the park entrance wasn't long at all, there were trams available to shuttle you to and from the entrance. When I parked my car, the My Disney Experience app reminded me to use the
Car Locator feature on the app, and this was so helpful, especially since I have a memory like Dory. If your phone doesn't notify you, just log into your app, tap the three-line menu icon, scroll down and tap "Car Locator" to save your vehicle's location before heading into the park. Then, there's no need to remember where you parked or waste precious park-hopping time trying to find your car. Like Jiminy Cricket says, "What they can't do these days!"
I hope this helps, Marianne, and I hope you have the BEST. DAY. EVER! Please feel free to stop by any time with any planning questions you may have.
Chase the wind and touch the sky,
Mandy