Is the Mickey and Friends garage open first thing?

[starshine514]

So, we decided last week to go to Disneyland during fall break. Apparently, everyone else had already made this choice because we're only finding the travelodge on ball with availability (room that sleeps 6) in our price range. It's walking distance to the Mickey and friends garage and then we can take the tram. My question is, is the parking garage open 30 minutes or so before park opening? I thought I had heard on the podcast a while back that they were directing traffic to the Toy Story lots first thing in the morning.

Thanks!

 

[starshine514]

Changed title, hoping to get a response.

 

[Rabb it]

Yes, it's open extremely early, at least a couple hours before park opening.

 

[starshine514]

Yes, it's open extremely early, at least a couple hours before park opening.

Awesome! I was hoping that was the case.

Thanks!

 

[Darkbeer1]

Yes, it's open extremely early, at least a couple hours before park opening.

NOT ALWAYS, the city of Anaheim makes the call as to which Lot opens first, due to traffic issues in the area. Many times you will find the Mickey & Friends closed and cars being sent down Disneyland Drive, to the south access road behind DCA which will take you to Harbor Blvd. (Ironically, one of the original parking entrances), to make a right on Harbor to the Toy Story Lot.

So there is no guarantee that the structure will be open. A tram might be running since it is oversized parking, but you might be waiting 20 minutes for it to load and depart. (They wait to fill it up)

 

[Snap Crackle Pop]

Also when it is open first thing in the morning it is unbelievably crowded and backed up, I still park there because I hate the Toy Story lot.. but it has taken me 15 minutes to just give my pass to the parking attendant and allowed to park in the structure.

 

[Rabb it]

NOT ALWAYS, the city of Anaheim makes the call as to which Lot opens first, due to traffic issues in the area. Many times you will find the Mickey & Friends closed and cars being sent down Disneyland Drive, to the south access road behind DCA which will take you to Harbor Blvd. (Ironically, one of the original parking entrances), to make a right on Harbor to the Toy Story Lot.

So there is no guarantee that the structure will be open. A tram might be running since it is oversized parking, but you might be waiting 20 minutes for it to load and depart. (They wait to fill it up)

I believe you, that being said I've been in the Mickey and Friends' parking at 5:30am before for a vinylmation release. And I know people who do the same thing for special pin releases regularly. The Disneyland website says the structure officially opens a hour to an hour and a half before park opening, but obviously they open it earlier, I think they just put that for the fine print.

You don't need to rely on the tram either to get into the parks, sometimes when I go to the parks with my girlfriend if the line is too long for the tram we just walk, takes about 15 minutes or so.

And I'm not sure why people keep saying the unbelievably crowded getting into Mickey and Friends Structure in the morning. This is definitely the case at around 8 or 9, as the parks are opening but if you are there an hour before park opening you're gonna drive right into the structure and they are going to waive you into the Pinocchio parking lot, which is the outdoor lot right next to where they load the trams. Love parking here cause it's so much faster getting out at the end of the day!