By Jim Carchidi
June 22, 2026
The price of being a theme park fan will soon get a little steeper at Orlando's biggest resorts. Disney is adding new restrictions that close a popular free parking loophole while Universal guests will pay more for late-night visits to Halloween Horror Nights.
The Disney Springs loophole
Parking at Disney Springs will remain free of charge, but verification will be required to access hotel-bound transportation.
Transportation options at Walt Disney World Resort are ample, but not always free. Parking at theme park lots and the sprawling Transportation and Ticket Center costs $35/day with the following exceptions:
- On-site hotel guests
- Active restaurant and guest experience reservations
- Annual pass holders
Off-site guests hoping to enjoy a day at the resort while bypassing the parking fee could simply go to Disney Springs, which has offered free parking since it opened in 1975 as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village. Guests could then access complimentary bus transportation to Disney resort hotels, then take hotel transportation to and from the parks. But starting June 28, a new system will verify reservations and hotel stays at Disney Springs transportation hubs.
What to know
Signs advertising the change have been placed by the Disney Springs bus stops. The resort has confirmed the following:
- Cast Members will perform digital checks for active reservations and hotel stays before guests enter the resort bust stop queues at Disney Springs.
- Magic Bands and Key to the World cards will be scanned and reservations will be verified.
- Once cleared, guests can access any bus stop while guests without the necessary credentials will be politely informed of the restrictions.
- Annual Pass holders must have proper reservations or an active hotel stay to access hotel transportation from Disney Springs.
The regulations will extend to the Sassagoula River Cruise dock behind House of Blues, which stops at the Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, and Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter resorts.
It should also be noted that theme park hopping will not be restricted as transportation points from parks and hotels are not subject to the new regulations.
The system was tested during Easter weekend and proved successful at reducing bus overcrowding and increasing available parking at the Disney Springs garages.
For more information on Walt Disney World parking rules and rates, and reservations and tickets, long onto disneyworld.disney.go.com
Universal changes HHN parking rule
Late-night visitors to Halloween Horror Nights will get an extra scare starting this year. Universal Orlando Resort recently announced the after-midnight free parking allowance will no longer be available on event nights.
What to know
HHN policy previously allowed free self-parking after midnight. The event operates until 1 a.m. on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends with some guests opting for late arrival times to avoid crowds and the standard $35 parking fee. An FAQ note on the HHN web page states standard parking rates will be in effect until 2 a.m. on event nights. Guests can still pre-purchase self-parking for $32 before the day of arrival.
Halloween Horror Nights will celebrate its 35th year on select nights from August 28th through November 1st. This year’s theme, Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, will be underscored by the return of Jack the Clown and his nemesis, Dr. Oddfellow. The event will include 10 themed houses and, so far, Universal announced the following three:
- "Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control," featuring a battle between the two event icons.
- "Sinners," based on the Academy Award-winning horror film.
- "Stranger Things 5," placing guests into the final season of the fan-favorite Netflix series.
For event tickets and updates, log onto the HHN event page.
Sponsor: The Orlando Real is sponsored by the Pozek Group — the #1 real estate team in Orlando and the Official Real Estate Team of the Orlando Magic.
About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
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