Finding your car at Disneyland

[irlandaise]

Yesterday I posted this information in response to someone saying they had a little trouble finding their car in the big garage at Disneyland:

If you have an iPhone, there's a setting that will record the last location where the phone was paired with a car. Then when you want to find the car again, you can bring up Apple Maps, look for the "Parked Car" icon, and head towards that. Granted, that feature might be flaky in a parking garage due to the garage blocking GPS signals, and I'm not sure that it can properly display elevation as well as latitude and longitude, but it would be a start anyway!

The instructions for setting up that feature are on Apple's website:

https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/get-directions-to-your-parked-car-ipha13ef1c2e/ios

Then @Ladyslug mentioned that the Disneyland app now has a similar feature! As she said, it's very near the bottom of the menu on the DL app. Note that it only works in the vicinity of Disneyland. Here are some screenshots:

 

[DLgal]

The Disneyland app car locator doesn't work. You have to manually enter the location. Might as well just snap a photo when you park. It's faster.

 

[irlandaise]

The Disneyland app car locator doesn't work. You have to manually enter the location. Might as well just snap a photo when you park. It's faster.

Oh, that's disappointing. Did the app give you an error message?

 

[DLgal]

Oh, that's disappointing. Did the app give you an error message?

No. It says "your location could not be determined. Try moving closer to a locator puck." Or something like that. I was literally standing right outside my car, practically on the locator buried in the ground.

 

[irlandaise]

Ah, interesting. Perhaps because GPS would be iffy in the garage, it sounds like they've installed Bluetooth beacons. That would explain why the app says the feature is sponsored by State Farm: someone had to pay for the pucks.

 

[Geemo]

I always use my cell to take a pic of my cars location in the PDX-airport parking structure.
I also send a copy to my husband (he's not a Disney fan and stays home) so if he were to need to get the car he will know where I left it.

 

[StormyCA]

AirTags!!! We have them in our vehicles and they work well. Snap a picture so you know the 'general location' first. Then once you get in the vicinity, use 'find me' to hone in.

Of course, there's always the 'old fashioned way'; hold up your key fob and set off your alarm.

 

[DizMe]

Of course, there's always the 'old fashioned way'; hold up your key fob and set off your alarm.

I had to do that once several years ago at the Sacramento airport! I always took note of my car's location...until the one time I forgot and couldn't find my car. It was in the out-in-the-boonies lot, it was night-time, there was no one around, I was alone, and it was pouring rain. I knew the general vicinity but couldn't find my car. I began to feel panicky and then I realized I could try my key fob. I did eventually get close enough for it to work, but I was soaking wet and near tears by that point.

I've never forgotten to note my location since that experience.

Edited to add: ok, I wasn't near tears, I was full-on crying.

 

[DLgal]

Ah, interesting. Perhaps because GPS would be iffy in the garage, it sounds like they've installed Bluetooth beacons. That would explain why the app says the feature is sponsored by State Farm: someone had to pay for the pucks.

Well, we were on the top level. I didn't know what location pucks they were talking about and how I would know to move closer to one. But it seems like it should give you an EXACT location of your car, otherwise what is the point? Moving away from your car doesn't make any sense.

 

[bwvBound]

On our most recent visit we got to park in a spot labeled "D23." Yep, took a picture of the nose of our car with the label just below it ... not that we would forget that location. ;-)

Edited to add: We tend to park in the same "general location" if possible. The week prior we were in "D24" -- and were tickled to get the neighboring "D23" this time!

 

[chezcurrie]

AirTags!!! We have them in our vehicles and they work well. Snap a picture so you know the 'general location' first. Then once you get in the vicinity, use 'find me' to hone in.

Of course, there's always the 'old fashioned way'; hold up your key fob and set off your alarm.

Yup, it me! I was the one in Mickey and friends lot Saturday night repeatedly locking her car to find it. I usually snap a pic but forgot!

 

[StormyCA]

I had to do that once several years ago at the Sacramento airport! I always took note of my car's location...until the one time I forgot and couldn't find my car. It was in the out-in-the-boonies lot, it was night-time, there was no one around, I was alone, and it was pouring rain. I knew the general vicinity but couldn't find my car. I began to feel panicky and then I realized I could try my key fob. I did eventually get close enough for it to work, but I was soaking wet and near tears by that point.

I've never forgotten to note my location since that experience.

Edited to add: ok, I wasn't near tears, I was full-on crying.

SMF is my 'home' airport. You mean those 'economy lots' that are just about in another time zone? Those are scary deserted at night. I've only used those lots ONCE and I wasn't even alone but never again. I'd rather pay surge price for Uber if I can't get someone to take me.

 

[StormyCA]

Yup, it me! I was the one in Mickey and friends lot Saturday night repeatedly locking her car to find it. I usually snap a pic but forgot!

I've done that, too. The worst was when I was clicking like a madwoman and I noticed someone's car beeping two rows over at the same time but where was my car????

It was 'my' car. I was in a rental car. I was clicking the remote and looking around for my OWN car.

 

[DizMe]

SMF is my 'home' airport. You mean those 'economy lots' that are just about in another time zone? Those are scary deserted at night. I've only used those lots ONCE and I wasn't even alone but never again. I'd rather pay surge price for Uber if I can't get someone to take me.

Yep, the lovely back 40 economy lot that's past the fully paved economy lot. SMF is my home airport as well, though it's a 1 1/2 hour drive away. I FINALLY realized that I could park in the nicer lots for only a small difference in cost. I've never looked back

 

[StormyCA]

Yep, the lovely back 40 economy lot that's past the fully paved economy lot. SMF is my home airport as well, though it's a 1 1/2 hour drive away. I FINALLY realized that I could park in the nicer lots for only a small difference in cost. I've never looked back

1 1/2 hours. I used to live in Redding and I remember that boring drive. We're about 30 mins from SMF now.

 

[DizMe]

1 1/2 hours. I used to live in Redding and I remember that boring drive. We're about 30 mins from SMF now.

We used to drive up to Redding when they had flights to Arcata. It's about the same distance from Chico but in the other direction and an easier drive. My dd used to fly over to see her Grandma in Eureka and it was such a sweet deal, sigh. We also used to be able to fly to DLR area from Chico (via SFO but no extra cost) back when we had an airport.