Hiya Valerie and welcome to planDisney!
I am so excited to see you here to get a question about your enchanted Disney vacation of the future. Let's be like Scrooge McDuck with his vault of money and dive right in.
Absolutely you may leave and return. We frequently enjoy the parks before checking in to our hotel and sometimes even all day and then check in later that night. Let's look at two scenarios on your arrival day.
Staying at Disney Resort HotelsIf you stay at a
Disney Resort Hotel then your basic
parking at the Resort hotel and the Theme Parks is complimentary. Just make sure your Disney Resort Hotel is linked to your
My Disney Experience app and show it to the Cast Member at the parking toll plaza. They will see that you are checking in that day and allow you to park complimentary. You may leave and enter any theme park parking lot as many times as you need that day.
Not Staying at a Disney Resort HotelOnce you pay for parking at a Walt Disney World Resort Theme Park, you do not need to pay again as long as it is on the same day. Even when you theme park hop you do not have to pay twice. It is important to save your receipt to show the Cast Member at the toll plaza when you decide to either return to the same theme park or move to a different one. For example, when we theme park hop we typically start our day at Disney's Hollywood Studios to visit
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and
Toy Story Land. I like to start my day with adventure and nostalgia and these two "Lands" are practically perfect in every way. Afterward, we will travel to Magic Kingdom Park for the rest of the time and see
Happily Ever After. I pay for parking once at Disney's Hollywood Studios, save my receipt, and show it at Magic Kingdom Park.
planDisney Pro Tip: If I want to head to the theme parks as soon as possible, I will drop our luggage off with hotel
Bell Services and pick it back up when we check in. That way it does not sit in the car all day.
Enjoy making many Magical Memories.
~Jason