How To Arrive Early

[MagicMomma1]

For our upcoming trip to DL next month, we're flying into LAX, picking up a rental, driving to Anaheim, and staying at the Days Inn & Suites - Garden Grove.
My question is, how is it possible to arrive at the park gates the recommended 30-45 minutes prior to opening (especially on a Magic Morning) when you're staying off property and the Mickey & Friends lot doesn't open until 30 minutes before the park opens?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

If you'll be coming from Garden Grove, won't Toy Story be the closest parking lot for you? I thought that TS opened an hour before park opening.

 

[midnight star]

I’m not sure when it actually opens, but I’m pretty sure Mickey and Friends is open more than 30 minutes before the park. When I did rope drop, we got to Mickey and a Friends at about 6:50am for 8am rope drop. The tram was running and everything.

 

[ludari]

I arrived at 7:30 this past Friday at Mickey and Friends parking lot and it was open and the parks didn't open until 9AM.

 

[tarheelalum]

From where you are staying the Toy Story lot on Harbor Blvd would be a better location. I would call Disneyland directly to find out the parking lot hours @ 714-781-4565

 

[VandVsmama]

If memory serves me correctly, the Toy Story lot is only open 1 hour before regular park opening. Factor in ~10-15 min to park and take the bus to the Esplanade. So if you're at the Toy Story lot right when it opens, you're still looking at missing the 1st 15 min of EMH.

I **think** that only Mickey & Friends is the one that opens 90 min before regular park opening. So if you want to maximize your EMH, then you'd want to park at Mickey & Friends and be there right at 7:30 when they open. Allow ~ 10-15 min to get to the Esplanade. So that would get you to the Esplanade at ~ 7:45, maybe 7:50 for an EMH that starts at 8:00 am.

 

[VandVsmama]

Drive time to Mickey & Friends will take you 10-20 min.

 

[MagicMomma1]

If you'll be coming from Garden Grove, won't Toy Story be the closest parking lot for you? I thought that TS opened an hour before park opening.

Hmmm, not sure, will look it up! We've just always parked at Mickey & Friends... and I'd read that's our only option on a Magic Morning b/c TS doesn't open early for those.

 

[MagicMomma1]

From where you are staying the Toy Story lot on Harbor Blvd would be a better location. I would call Disneyland directly to find out the parking lot hours @ 714-781-4565

Ok, I will - thanks!

 

[smartlabelprint]

THis is why we stay on harbor.

 

[WonkaKid]

Your hotel doesn't offer a shuttle to the park? I thought that most (all?) did. Might be easier/faster to be dropped off at the park via shuttle or Uber.

 

[Winnowill]

When we had to park for an EMH, my husband dropped DD and me off in the DTD parking lot around 6:15 (for a 7:00 EMH), then he went to wait for the garage to open while we got in line.

 

[8lovesmickey]

Random thought, but an Uber is about $12 - that means round trip is only a little more than the $20 a day parking cost. Might be worth it for an easy drop off before rope drop!

 

[MerMazing]

From the website:

Operating Hours
Parking locations for the theme parks open one hour prior to the published/scheduled Disneyland Park opening time. On days featuring Magic Morning Early Admission, the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure opens 90 minutes before the published Disneyland Park opening time.

I agree with doing a drop off while the driver waits for the parking garage or Ubering.

 

[bumbershoot]

Your hotel doesn't offer a shuttle to the park? I thought that most (all?) did. Might be easier/faster to be dropped off at the park via shuttle or Uber.

Nearby hotels participate in ART, but only one or two have their own shuttles.

 

[OKC Disney Fan]

We're staying down a little further this time around at Homewood Suites-Anaheim Maingate. Says they have their own private shuttle. Anyone have experience with their hotel shuttle service to the park? Is it more or less convenient than the ART buses that we have relied on in the past. We want to be there for rope drop.

 

[MerMazing]

We're staying down a little further this time around at Homewood Suites-Anaheim Maingate. Says they have their own private shuttle. Anyone have experience with their hotel shuttle service to the park? Is it more or less convenient than the ART buses that we have relied on in the past. We want to be there for rope drop.

I've found some hotel shuttles don't start operating until 30 minutes before park open. This would not give enough time to get there, go through security, get through the gates and down Main Street.

 

[Aurora0427]

I’m so confused. I thought EMH and Magic Mornings were only available to Disneyland resort guests? Why is everyone mentioning getting there to park early for EMH? Forgive my ignorance.

 

[momof2n2]

MM is different than EMH and often included in ticket packages

 

[momof2n2]

We are a party of 8 coming from Garden Grove but we’d like to be at the turnstiles an hour before open. Is getting to the Mickey lot hard to do from Garden Grove?