Park in Downtown Disney but go to DL?

[Fastman]

Even though Disney might "discourage" it, seems like it would be easier to park in Downtown Disney instead of the parking deck when visiting Disneyland. No waiting for trams, etc.

Thoughts?

 

[Corpsebride]

Well, when we go for a few hours, we just park at DTD and get our ticket stamped at ESPN Zone. Usually we are eating at GCH at Storytellers or Ralph Brennan's . It is easier. When we go like that, we are usually there to watch Fantasmic! So, we will eat, then Monorail into Disneyland, get off at TomorrowLand and then Train to New Orleans Square, we miss all the traffic in DTD and all the escapees leaving the park after the fireworks. We snag a spot in front of the Haunted Mansion, watch the show, and then go on HM right after.
We call it being Disney commuters lol!
Just make sure you get your ticket stamped and are only there for 5 hours or less or its not free!

 

[skiingfast]

Well you surely can. But you will pay more if your car is there for 5 hours and 20 minutes. Or 7 hours and 20 minutes with validation from some DTD dining locations or the AMC theater.

Of course it can be quicker to park in the Toy Story lot. On the east side of Harbor, left at the first light south of Katella.

 

[sonnyjane]

Well you surely can. But you will pay more if your car is there for 5 hours and 20 minutes. Or 7 hours and 20 minutes with validation from some DTD dining locations or the AMC theater.

It's 3 hours free, 5 with validation.

 

[ConnieB]

We parked in the DTD lot once to go to World of Disney store on our departure day. I found the walk from the parking lot down through all of DTD quite a long walk. We went mid morning too, so I can only imagine if we'd arrived later in the day and been parked even further away from the start of DTD. That lot is massive and they fill it from the front to the back, so the later you arrive...the more lot you have to walk through before getting to the far end of DTD to begin your long trek to the park entrance. Between the line for getting into that lot and the long walk, it did not seem that we arrived at World of Disney any faster than if we'd parked in Toy Story, bussed over and done the very short walk to the entrance from bus drop off.


Like others have said, you get 3 hours free, 2 more hours with validation from a DTD TABLE SERVICE restaurant (or AMC theatre)....but after that the cost is $2 for every 20 minutes ($6 per hour, billed in 20 minute increments). And shoot, you'll waste $2 worth just getting to your car from the park entrance, lol.

The regular parking lots cost $15 for the entire day (free for AP holders). So only if you plan your day well, eat at a DTD Table Service (or see a movie at AMC), and don't go over your hours is your strategy going to work. Be sure to consider the cost of the DTD table service meal into your strategy and more importantly the time away from the park..... for getting to your DTD restaurant and eating that meal.

And my teenage daughter watching over my shoulder says "Don't forget you also have to walk through DTD, so factor in the cost of any impulsive shopping, lol"

 

[pixiewings71]

We've done it, the day we leave if we are heading into the parks for a quick visit we will go to DTD and park, go to the parks for a few hours and leave. But we prefer parking in the M&Fs structure to be honest. It's easier.

 

[DahliaRW]

If you want to avoid the trams, I don't think the walk from M&F is any longer than the walk from DTD lot.