Hey there, Michelle. Thanks for stopping by the Disney Parks Moms Panel with your question.
I often times stay off property when vacationing at Walt Disney World and drive myself to the
Walt Disney World Theme Parks each day. I actually like driving myself. I usually pack a little cooler with drinks to keep in the car, especially if I am park hopping that day. The parking lots can get pretty hot. I think that you'll find parking yourself to be very easy. For
Epcot,
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park and
Disney's Hollywood Studios, you can actually drive to those specific parks and park there. Depending on when you arrive and how busy the parking lot is, it may just be a short walk to the front entrance of that specific park or you may need to take a tram up to the gates. For those parks you won't need to then transfer to a bus, boat or monorail you'll already be there. However, parking for
Magic Kingdom Park is a little bit different. For that park, you'll actually need to park at the Transportation and Ticket Center. From your parking spot, you'll probably need to hop on a tram to take you up to the front of that area. You'll then go through security and board either a boat or the monorail over to Magic Kingdom Park. I've had multiple Cast Members tell me that if the boat is there, it's the fastest way to get over to the park. However, if it's not there boarding people I would be more inclined to take the monorail. The monorail does make a few stops at
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort and
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa before arriving to Magic Kingdom Park but they're quick.
When you park each day, I highly suggest taking a picture of your parking spot row. Each row has its own number and each section of the parking lot has a name. After a long day at the Walt Disney World Theme Parks it can be so hard to remember exactly where you parked and the last thing you want to be doing is wandering aimlessly around. I hope this helps clear up any confusion you had regarding the parking. If you have any other questions, please feel free to come back and ask. Have fun!