Hiya Bailey,
Welcome to planDisney! I am so happy that you are here and that I get to help you plan your magical vacation to Walt Disney World Resort today.
There are so many great benefits of staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel! From incredible amenities, extra access to the theme parks through
Early Theme Park Entry and
Extended Evening Hours (for deluxe resort Guests), and overall immersion into the magic of Walt Disney World, it truly is always a good day when you are staying on-site. One of the perks, as you know, is that registered Guests can park for free
(standard theme park parking) at the theme parks. When I spoke to a Cast Member, they confirmed that this benefit is currently only available to registered Guests, so unfortunately, your family wouldn’t be able to take advantage of it as offsite Guests. When you go to the parking lot at the theme parks (or the Transportation and Ticket Center), the Cast Member will ask to see your
MagicBand+, Key to the World card, or
MagicMobile e-ticket in order to scan and verify you are a resort reservation prior to entering. Without this, you will be charged the parking fee.
I hope this was helpful, Bailey. Before I let you go, don’t forget that parking is good for the entire day. So let’s say your family pays for parking at Magic Kingdom in the morning, then hops over to EPCOT in the evening. They will only need to pay for parking once that day; they will not have to pay to park again at EPCOT (just make sure to retain the receipt). If you need anything else, please come back and see us.
Happy Planning,
Ashley F.