You cannot legally engage in concealed carry at Disney Springs. Walt Disney World’s weapons policy prohibits firearms across the entire resort property, and Disney Springs is specifically named on the covered list.1Walt Disney World. Gun, Firearm and Weapon Policy at Parks, Resorts and Hotels The ban applies whether you hold a Florida concealed carry license, carry under the state’s permitless carry law, or work in law enforcement. One narrow accommodation exists: Florida law lets you leave a firearm locked inside your vehicle in the parking lot.
Permitless Carry Doesn’t Change the Answer
Since July 1, 2023, Florida has allowed most adults who meet the eligibility criteria for a concealed carry license to carry concealed without actually obtaining the license.2The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 790.01 – Carrying of Concealed Weapons or Concealed Firearms If you’re 21 or older with no disqualifying history, you can carry in most public spaces without a permit.
That change affects your relationship with the state, not with private property owners. Florida law has always let private owners ban firearms from their premises. Disney owns the land Disney Springs sits on. When a property owner says no weapons, carrying one there is trespassing, and the permitless carry law didn’t alter that.
What Disney’s Policy Actually Covers
Disney’s policy is broad. The resort prohibits firearms, ammunition, knives, and “weapons of any kind” across all Walt Disney World properties, with Disney Springs specifically listed alongside theme parks, water parks, resort hotels, and Disney Vacation Club properties.1Walt Disney World. Gun, Firearm and Weapon Policy at Parks, Resorts and Hotels
The ban also covers self-defense sprays. Pepper spray, mace, and similar products are prohibited with no exception for small canisters or specific formulations.3Walt Disney World Resort. Property Rules, Policies and Regulations Leaving the gun behind and bringing pepper spray instead won’t work. Disney also reserves the right to prohibit any item it deems potentially harmful, even if the item isn’t listed.
The Parking Lot Exception
Florida law prevents private businesses from banning firearms that are lawfully possessed and locked inside a customer’s private vehicle in a parking lot.4The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 790.251 – Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles for Self-Defense and Other Lawful Purposes The statutory exceptions cover schools, correctional facilities, nuclear power plants, and properties with federal defense contracts. None of them reach an entertainment and retail venue like Disney Springs.
In practice, you can drive to Disney Springs with a legally owned firearm, park in the garage, and leave it locked in your car while you shop and eat. What you cannot do is remove the firearm from the vehicle and carry it onto the property. The moment the gun leaves your locked car, Disney’s ban applies.
A few points that trip people up:
- The vehicle must be your private motor vehicle, not a rental owned by an employer or a company shuttle.
- The firearm needs to be locked inside the vehicle or locked to it. A gun sitting on an unlocked passenger seat doesn’t qualify.
- Disney cannot bar your vehicle from the lot because it contains a legal firearm, and it cannot search your vehicle to check.
Bars and Restaurants Are a Separate Barrier
Even setting Disney’s private-property ban aside, Florida law independently prohibits concealed carry inside any establishment that primarily serves alcohol for on-premises consumption.5The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Concealed Firearm Disney Springs is full of them. Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar, The Edison, and the pub area at Raglan Road all fall under that statutory bar. The prohibition applies to license holders and permitless carriers alike, so even a hypothetical reversal of Disney’s corporate policy would leave those venues off-limits by state law.
What Happens if You Get Caught
The immediate outcome is that security will require you to remove the item, and you will likely receive a permanent trespass warning covering the entire Walt Disney World Resort. That warning carries real legal weight going forward.
If you refuse to leave after being told to, Florida treats that as criminal trespass, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.6The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 810.09 – Trespass on Property Other Than Structure or Conveyance7The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 775.083 – Fines If you’re carrying a firearm during the trespass, the charge becomes a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in state prison and a $5,000 fine.8The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 775.082 – Penalties and Applicability of Sentencing Structures The same felony enhancement applies to trespass inside structures.9The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 810.08 – Trespass in Structure or Conveyance The felony statute also gives property owners and their authorized agents the legal right to detain you in a reasonable manner until law enforcement arrives.
The most overlooked risk sits further out in time. Once you’ve received a trespass warning, returning to any Walt Disney World property while armed exposes you to the armed trespass felony immediately, without any further warning. A family vacation six months later where you forget to leave the gun in the car can end in a felony arrest.
Off-Duty and Retired Officers Are Not Exempt
Off-duty and retired officers sometimes assume the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act lets them carry anywhere. LEOSA does preempt most state and local concealed carry restrictions, but it contains an explicit carveout: it does not override state laws that “permit private persons or entities to prohibit or restrict the possession of concealed firearms on their property.”10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 926C – Carrying of Concealed Firearms by Qualified Retired Law Enforcement Officers Florida is one of those states, and Disney is one of those private entities. An officer who carries into Disney Springs against the policy faces the same trespass exposure as any other visitor.
Storage Options for Traveling Gun Owners
If you’re driving to Disney Springs with a firearm for self-defense during your trip, the parking lot protection is the simplest route. Leave the firearm locked and secured in your vehicle before you cross onto the property. A vehicle safe bolted to the car’s frame adds real security, since smash-and-grab thefts in tourist parking areas are not uncommon.
If you’re staying at a Disney resort hotel, the weapons ban extends to the rooms. You cannot store a firearm in your room or in an in-room safe, and the policy covers all Disney-owned accommodations. Some Federal Firearms License holders in the Orlando area offer short-term storage. Fees, hours, and retrieval procedures vary, so call ahead.
If you’re staying at a non-Disney hotel, check that hotel’s own policy. Many Orlando-area hotels permit firearms in rooms, though rules differ. Storing the firearm at an off-site hotel and driving to Disney Springs unarmed is the cleanest way to stay legal for the whole visit.