In December 2021, it was announced that parking lot trams would return to all Walt Disney World theme parks in 2022. At that time, the service had been absent for 19 months. That promise was quietly revoked last month, and since today is the last day of the year, they have not followed through.
In March 2020, Walt Disney World Resort closed for an unprecedented extended shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the parks reopened in the summer, parking lot trams were one of many things eliminated for the sake of physical distancing. While planDisney panelists advised concerned guests to arrive early to secure a close parking spot, Cast Members were sometimes seen offering to drive guests in need to their vehicles with a golf cart.
However, even as Disney claimed the continued absence was for the “health and safety” of guests, distancing requirements were removed from attractions and other transportation in June 2021. Mask requirements for transportation were lifted in April 2022. Entertainment and buffet meals returned as Disney shed the COVID-era safety precautions.
Hiring began in August 2021, well before the announcement that the trams would return.
After 644 days, the trams returned to the Transportation and Ticket Center on December 19, 2021. Disney’s Animal Kingdom followed on May 27, 2022.
Two years and nine months later, neither EPCOT nor Disney’s Hollywood Studios are providing complimentary parking lot trams. It’s been more than a year since Disney promised their return. Even after removing the time frame from the official website, guests had their hopes up when new signage was installed earlier this month at EPCOT referencing the trams.
With no word from Disney on a new date, it looks like guests will be making the trek at the two parks for the foreseeable future.
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And then look at all the handicap parking they eliminated at Epcot so they can have a lane for Uber and they do t even use the lane they still go the same way they did. So let’s get rid of parking for the handicap and make room for people coming from hotels. Makes sense to me. 🤔
They added more on the other side…
Hey Bob, in case you forgot where you last parked the trams, I have pictures and will gladly trade the locations for suitable compensation. Don’t delay to long or the price is liable to increase. Tell you what, eliminate park reservations and paid fastpass, and I’ll give them to you gratis.
I would think that they would want to bring back the trams. That would mean people would spend more time and money in the parks if they were not tired from the extra walking from the parking lot. Especially when the temperature heat up. I can also see more guests paying for preferred parking so not to have to walk quite as far while the trams remain idle.
I just went in December I will never go back
This is why Disney hesitates to make announcements. They never “promised” anything. They announced plans to return the trams, plans change. That doesn’t quite rise to the level of a ‘broken promise’. But kudos on the clickbait headline 👍
What’s particularly funny is that Disney can be given the benefit of the doubt that “plans change”, but there’s still a contingent of Disney fans who think several major stories in the website’s history are “made up”. At this point, you guys just will believe whatever discredits WDWNT.
Of course they don’t have trams, that’s what the super expensive preferred parking is for. It didn’t seem like we could get our car anywhere near we used to, even when arriving relatively early, because the close parking is now preferred parking. So my husband dropped me off where they told him to…. And had to exit the park and reenter, which was a five mile trip he said. Really not the best way to treat their guests. There should be a better way. But also…. If you arrive after 6 as we sometimes did after work, they don’t check your ID. There’s nobody there. We picked the preferred lane one evening, and parked ourselves.