Parking at Disney’s Animal Kingdom currently costs $35 per day for a car or motorcycle in standard parking. Preferred parking costs $50, $55 or $60 depending on the date, while oversized vehicle parking is $40.
You only pay once per day for Disney World theme park parking. If you start at Animal Kingdom and later drive to EPCOT, Hollywood Studios or Magic Kingdom, your same-day parking pass covers the second theme park lot too.
Disney Resort hotel guests and eligible Walt Disney World Annual Passholders receive standard theme park parking at no additional charge.
Animal Kingdom Parking Cost
| Parking type | Current cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Standard parking | $35 per day | Regular car or motorcycle parking |
| Preferred parking | $50, $55 or $60 per day | Parking areas closer to the park entrance |
| Oversized vehicle parking | $40 per day | Parking for RVs, buses, camper trailers, limos and similar large vehicles |
Disney says preferred parking prices vary by date, so the amount you pay can change with the season. Parking fees include applicable sales tax.
I would still check the official Walt Disney World parking page shortly before your trip because Disney can change parking prices.
If you’re comparing parking across the entire resort rather than Animal Kingdom specifically, my Disney World parking guide covers all four theme parks, Disney Resort hotels and Disney Springs.
Who Gets Free Parking at Animal Kingdom?
You do not necessarily have to pay the $35 standard parking fee.
Registered guests staying at Disney Resort hotels receive standard theme park parking as part of their stay. Eligible Walt Disney World Annual Passholders also receive standard theme park parking.
If you qualify for included standard parking but want preferred parking instead, Disney currently lets you pay only the difference between the standard and preferred rate. Depending on the date, that difference is $15 to $25.
Standard vs. Preferred Parking at Animal Kingdom
For most visits, I would use standard parking.
Preferred parking mainly buys you a location closer to the park entrance. That can be useful if walking distance matters to you, you’re arriving later in the day, or you know you’ll appreciate a shorter trip back to the car after hours in the park.
I would not pay for preferred parking simply because I’m arriving early. An early arrival can make the overall parking process easier, but there is no guarantee that standard parking will put you in a particular row or distance from the entrance. Cast Members direct vehicles into the spaces being filled that morning.
Because Animal Kingdom has courtesy parking trams, I think standard parking is perfectly reasonable for most guests who don’t mind a little additional walking or waiting for the tram.
What Time Does the Animal Kingdom Parking Lot Open?
Disney does not publish a fixed daily opening time for the Animal Kingdom parking lot.
Disney planning guidance has generally placed the lot opening roughly 45 to 60 minutes before the earliest park entry period, but the actual time can change with operations that morning.
Rather than planning around a guaranteed toll-plaza opening time, I check the Animal Kingdom hours for my date and work backward from the entry time I can actually use.
Disney Resort hotel guests and guests of select other hotels currently receive 30-minute Early Theme Park Entry at Animal Kingdom. If you’re eligible, account for that earlier entry when deciding when to drive over.
How the Animal Kingdom Parking Lot Works
Animal Kingdom has its own surface parking lot directly outside the park, so the arrival is simpler than Magic Kingdom. You do not park at a separate transportation center and then take a monorail or ferry.
After paying or showing proof that your standard parking is included, follow the Cast Member directions into the row currently being filled.
From there, you can either walk toward the park entrance or use one of Disney’s complimentary parking trams. Disney currently operates courtesy trams at all four Walt Disney World theme parks.
Once you reach the entrance, you’ll still need to go through security and park admission. I never treat pulling into the parking lot as the same thing as arriving at Animal Kingdom.
Use Car Locator Instead of Trying to Remember Your Row
The parking lot is large enough that I wouldn’t rely on memory after a full day in the park.
Disney has a complimentary Car Locator feature inside the My Disney Experience app. It can use your phone’s Location Services to help save where you parked, or you can enter the parking information manually.
Animal Kingdom is one of the Disney World parking locations supported by Car Locator.
I still like taking a quick photo of the nearest section or row sign as a backup. It takes a few seconds and gives you another way to find the car if you’re tired at the end of the day.
Is There an Animal Kingdom Parking Lot Map?
You generally don’t need a detailed parking-lot map before arriving because you won’t choose your own parking section. Cast Members direct incoming vehicles to the rows being filled.
The more useful tools are Car Locator for finding your vehicle afterward and the My Disney Experience app for navigating once you reach the park.
If you want to understand where you’re headed after leaving the parking lot, my updated Animal Kingdom map shows the current park layout, rides and the Tropical Americas construction area.
Parking at Animal Kingdom With a Disability Permit
Disney provides designated parking areas for guests with mobility disabilities near the entrances to its four theme parks. A valid disability parking permit is required, and standard parking rates still apply unless you otherwise qualify for complimentary parking.
If someone in your group uses a wheelchair, scooter or another mobility device, ask the Cast Member at the parking entrance to direct you to the appropriate area.
Electric Vehicle Charging at Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom currently has four ChargePoint charging spaces in the Medical Parking Lot. Disney says the chargers are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you need one, ask a Cast Member for directions when entering the parking area rather than driving around looking for the chargers afterward.
Do You Pay Again if You Park Hop?
No. Disney World theme park parking is a daily fee, not a separate fee for every park.
If you pay $35 for standard parking at Animal Kingdom in the morning and later drive to EPCOT, Hollywood Studios or Magic Kingdom, your parking pass is valid at the second theme park on the same day.
Keep your parking receipt available when you drive to the next lot.
You don’t necessarily have to drive your car when park hopping either. Disney operates transportation around Walt Disney World, so the better option depends on where you’re going and where you want your car at the end of the day. My Disney World transportation guide compares driving with Disney buses, boats, monorails and the Skyliner.
Animal Kingdom Theme Park Parking Is Not Animal Kingdom Lodge Parking
Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge are separate destinations with separate parking areas.
If you’re visiting the theme park, follow directions to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, not Animal Kingdom Lodge. Resort parking is intended for hotel guests and people using eligible dining, shopping, entertainment or recreation at that resort. I would not plan to park at Animal Kingdom Lodge as a way to avoid the theme park parking lot.
How I Would Handle Animal Kingdom Parking
If I were driving to Animal Kingdom, I would usually pay for standard parking, arrive early enough that parking and security aren’t eating into my park time, and save the extra preferred-parking money unless a shorter walk really matters that day.
As soon as I park, I would save the location in Car Locator and take one quick photo of the row marker. After that, I wouldn’t think about the parking lot again until it was time to leave.
The main exception would be a short or late-arriving visit. In that situation, paying another $15 to $25 for preferred parking can be easier to justify because you’re paying to reduce some of the walking during a much shorter park day.
Before leaving your hotel, check Animal Kingdom’s current opening time and Disney’s official parking page. The fee structure and basic system are simple, but prices, operating hours and availability can change.
