Alright. These Merciless Disney World Parking Lots Still Don't Have Trams, But We Have Solutions

Walking through a parking lot at Disney World can feel like being stranded in the desert.

So! Much! Space!

Alright, maybe that’s a little dramatic. Still, though, the parking lots are huge, it can take up to 10 minutes to get to and from your parked car, and the asphalt combined with the hot Florida sun has a strange way of making you feel like a cookie in a way-too-hot oven. It isn’t fun. However, that’s where the trams come in and save the day! Well, that’s where they come in and save the day in some cases. Let’s talk about it!

Way back in the olden days (before the COVID-19 pandemic), wonderful trams lived in each parking lot that would deliver guests to and from the front entrance of the park. Back then, the trams ran in all four parks! Now, the trams only live in the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom parking lots.

Magic Kingdom Tram

While Disney did not officially say so, it appears the trams initially went away when park capacity was limited (and therefore, most visitors got to park relatively close to the front gate). Plus, when social distancing was a thing, it would have severely reduced the capacity of the trams. They have been brought back at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, but why aren’t they back at EPCOT and Hollywood Studios? Our best guess is that the continued lack of trams is due to ongoing labor shortages.

Tram!

So, how can you best mitigate this situation when parking at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT? I mean, these parking lots are HUGE. For starters, we recommend getting an earlier start to the park day if you plan on driving. The earlier you arrive, the closer to the gates you’ll be. We really start to notice a difference in how far away we park around 2PM, which is Park Hopping time, so it makes sense that more people would be arriving.

Parking lot tram

The BEST bet of all, though, when park hopping is to not park there at all. Consider taking a bus, the monorail, or the Skyliner, even if you drove to your first park. If you do this, just make sure you’ll still be able to get back to your car at the end of the night. The bus, monorail, and Skyliner all stop running eventually!

Magic Kingdom Tram

If you don’t mind walking, this might not even be an issue for you and your crew. However, following these tips might save ya a few thousand steps.

That’s a long walk

We’ll continue to keep you updated with any and all Disney news and updates, all our best tips included. Make sure to follow along for more!

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