We love Magic Kingdom, don’t get us wrong…but that PARKING LOT.
We totally understand and respect Walt’s vision, which was to truly separate the park from the rest of the world/the mundane parts of life (like parking), but that means you have to park in a MASSIVE lot, walk or take a tram to the Transportation and Ticket Center, where you’ll then take a ferry or Monorail to the park. It’s a lot of travel, and many of us agree that Magic Kingdom’s parking lot is the most brutal of them all. However, the next time you park, keep these pathways in mind!
There are two different sides to the Magic Kingdom parking lot — Heroes and Villains.
There are six sections on each side — here’s how they’re laid out.
There are parking trams that run nearly constantly throughout the day, so you won’t need to walk the whole way if you don’t want to. However, sometimes walking can be faster, depending on where you’re parked and how often the trams are running (during peak times they’re one right after the other, at other times, you might have to wait for a few minutes).
When you look at Magic Kingdom’s parking lot on Google Maps, it’s a little clearer to see some of these pathways. However, it’s important to note that if there is any signage or any cones blocking any pathways, it is ALWAYS more important to listen to Disney and not go against their wishes. It could be that these pathways are blocked off for your safety!
For our first round of pathways, it focuses on where you’re parked in a particular row. When you park, take a look around and see which “main road” is closer to you. If you’re not interested in taking the tram and you’re parked near the end of the rows, it can often be faster to walk on the OUTSIDE edge of the parking lot, instead of walking all the way across, then straight to get to the TTC. This is especially true on the far right side (Villains Zurg, Scar, and Cruella) side of the parking lot, because the sidewalk you use to walk up to the TTC safely is on that side! On the other hand, if you’re closest to the “main” road on your left when you’re facing the TTC, then it’s best to walk that direction (this is where the trams will be running).
If you find yourself parked right in the middle of the lot, you may notice the giant space of trees in the center. Specifically, if you’re parked in Rapunzel or Ursula towards the center, there is a pathway that can take you right towards that area — then continue off to the right and hug that side, then continue down the center when you’re past it (pictured here as the black line to the blue line). Similarly, if you’re parked in Peter Pan or Hook, immediately on either side of the tree center, and are closer to that inside area, it’s faster to walk around hugging the tree line and make your way to the center entrance (the blue line).
If you find yourself parked in Aladdin or Jafar but on the FAR outskirts, walk the path on the outside (where the trams run) instead of walking to the center! You’re essentially walking nearly the same distance, but hey, every step counts.
We find that waiting for the parking tram can often be a great choice because you’re about to do a ton of walking (or you’ve just done a lot), and it’s a good way to save your legs some additional steps.
We’re always here to bring you the latest tips for your Disney World trip, so stay tuned to AllEars!
One of Our Favorite Magic Kingdom Shortcuts JUST Opened Back Up!
Do you prefer to walk or take a parking tram? Tell us in the comments!
Thank you SO MUCH for this post! I bookmarked it so we can review it for our Magic Kingdom day in January. Will come in so handy as we navigate that lot. The last time we went, we just wandered until we found a tram 🤣