Parking at Disney/Universal

[bigdog288]

This is our 4th visit to Florida. In more recent visits, parking charges seem to have gone up to $20 (and now I see it is $25) and if we plan to visit two parks in a day (Universal and Disney) that's quite a lot of money spent on parking! We are only there for 12 days. Our hotel/appt is near Universal. Has anyone got any ideas how we can not spend so much on parking e.g. Ubers, buses as the park tickets themselves have cost me £2400 for a family of 4! (I remember 4 years ago if you went to Universal after 5pm the parking charge was just $7 or something like that, and we used to pop in and do the Harry Potter rides when it was quiet and then leave again!)

[florida_2012]

Universal is now $26 ☹️

[RM2016]

Universal went up this week to $26 though you can park for free after 6pm.

[Kd0758]

Depending on how often you plan to go to Universal, have you looked in to seeing if upgrading one of your passes to the preferred AP will save you money? If you plan on eating at the parks that pass will give you discounted food and merchandise too.

[bigdog288]

Thank you! We are there for 12 days. I've just read about this annual pass upgrade thing. How do you find places to upgrade, I'm guessing you do this once you're out there - I've read about Guest Services at City Walk - is this easy enough to find? And I also read that if you go with the premier pass upgrade, you also get fast passes after 4pm! Plus early entry... seems like a no brainer! I'm so glad I visited this website ahead of my trip. I guess there are no similar "schemes" you can try with Disney?! Other than telling them its my 50th birthday every time I pass by the carpark booths I think we will have to pay their parking charges!

[Kd0758]

Originally Posted by bigdog288

Thank you! We are there for 12 days. I've just read about this annual pass upgrade thing. How do you find places to upgrade, I'm guessing you do this once you're out there - I've read about Guest Services at City Walk - is this easy enough to find? And I also read that if you go with the premier pass upgrade, you also get fast passes after 4pm! Plus early entry... seems like a no brainer! I'm so glad I visited this website ahead of my trip. I guess there are no similar "schemes" you can try with Disney?! Other than telling them its my 50th birthday every time I pass by the carpark booths I think we will have to pay their parking charges!

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I’m by no means an expert on the APs, I know there are lots of knowledgable people over on the tickets forum!

We bought our APs online before we went and collected from the front gate ticket window. I’d assume this is where you’d go to upgrade current tickets too.

You do get those perks with the premier pass, however, if you wanted everybody in your party to have the perks you’d all have to upgrade which would be more expensive than the parking charges that you want to avoid, whereas to get free parking & discounts on food and merchandise only one person has to upgrade.

You do get free parking at Disney with an AP, but I’ve never personally looked into if it could work out financially positively or not.

ETA. I believe there is free parking at Universal after 6pm.