Most associate Disney World with the four main theme parks and two water parks. Yet the resort complex is also home to two shopping and entertainment areas that visitors without an entry pass can access. These include the larger Disney Springs in a separate area near Lake Buena Vista, and the smaller Disney BoardWalk in Kissimmee, within walking distance of Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
The latter park, attached to the BoardWalk Inn and Villas booked by families spending several days at Disney World, is home to 10 restaurants and four interconnected shopping and game areas.
Although parking at the BoardWalk has been complimentary and without time restrictions since its opening in 1996, some who have visited in recent weeks have reported attempts to introduce a time limit, Disney watchdog Inside The Magic shared.
What to know about the new parking limits at Disney BoardWalk
BoardWalk visitors have received parking passes indicating a three-hour limit in the shopping area.
“Security guards are now handing out these official-looking 3-hour parking passes to everyone who rolls up, complete with time stamps and stern instructions about when you need to leave,” Alessia Dunn writes for Inside the Magic. “The whole operation looks super official and makes you think twice about overstaying your Cake Bake Shop reservation or that third round of drinks at Atlantic Dance Hall.”
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That said, the limit has thus far been treated more like a reminder than an enforced rule. The matter recently caught the attention of the internet after Disney Dining posted a picture of an X user’s pass who asked, “What happens if I ignore this thing?”
The responses ranged from facetious descriptions of medieval-era punishments to the observation that enforcement is not actually in place.
As a result, the pass serves as a not-so-subtle reminder not to linger too long at the shopping complex. The move received criticism from some, who felt the time limit makes fans who come to spend money in the area feel unwelcome.
Disney BoardWalk is a shopping area attached to a major Disney World resort.
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What happens if you overstay the Disney BoardWalk parking limit?
“Security at BoardWalk parking doesn’t mess around with the initial interaction,” Dunn writes further for Inside The Magic. “They hand you this printed pass, explain the three-hour limit, and send you on your way like you just got homework from a teacher who’s definitely going to collect it. The pass looks official enough to make first-time visitors nervous about watching the clock during dinner.”
Disney has not commented on the parking passes that circulated online last weekend.
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In other Disney news, the Paris resort has recently opened bookings for early tours of the new Disney World of Adventure park to annual passholders. Those with Gold, Silver, and Bronze passes have reported waiting several hours online to jump on early-access slots to tour the park on weekends throughout March. Doors will open to regular visitors on March 29.
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