After a hiatus of over three years, parking lot trams have made their return to EPCOT. This marks the first time since March 2020 that all four Walt Disney World theme parks have tram services available. The suspension of tram services at EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios occurred in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic when all four Walt Disney World Parks were temporarily closed.
Trams Remain Out of Service Despite Reopening of Parks
When the parks reopened in phases in July 2020, the trams remained out of service as part of physical distancing measures. Despite removing distancing requirements from attractions and other transportation in June 2021, and lifting mask requirements for transportation in April 2022, the trams remained unavailable.
Tram Services Gradually Return to Other Parks
In December 2021, Disney Parks announced the return of tram services to Magic Kingdom and confirmed that they would be returning to other Walt Disney World theme parks throughout 2022. Tram service resumed at Magic Kingdom on December 19, 2021, followed by Disney’s Animal Kingdom on May 27, 2022. Information about when trams would return to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios was scant following this announcement.
EPCOT Parking Lot Gets New Character-Themed Names
At EPCOT, the parking lots received new character-themed names, with one side named “Space” and the other “Earth.” New signs were even installed for Space and Earth trams, but the trams themselves did not return.
Trams Finally Return
Finally, in August 2023, Disney announced that parking lot trams would return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT in September. And today, that day has come! Guests can now enjoy the convenience of taking a tram from their car to the EPCOT entrance.
As always, stay tuned to the DVC Shop blog for all the latest developments for Disney theme parks and all the information you could ever need about the Disney Vacation Club resorts.
Written by
Rachel Van Norman
Contributing Writer
Rachel fell deeply in love with all things Disney as a little girl. Now as a wife and a mother herself, she shares this Disney obsession with her son and everyone around her. From her love of princesses to eating all the Disney food, Rachel spends her time radiating Disney magic and keeping everyone up to date on Disney news.
