Parking question

[jbobst]

I'll be driving my car to Disneyland, and it looks like the main parking garage opens an hour before the park opens. Are there multiple parking areas for cars or do all cars have to go to the big garage on the Northwest side of Disneyland? If there are other lots to park in, which is the best as far as closeness and quickest to the main gate?

Also, are there any off site parking areas that are either less expensive than Disney's parking lot or free, that are along Harbor Blvd, in which case I could either walk or take public transportation to the main drop off area?

Thanks!

 

[sonnyjane]

Are you staying in a hotel in the area? A hotel within walking distance is ideal because though they often charge a parking fee per day, it's less than DL's $15 a day.

If you're just going for one day, then no, there are no free or discount parking places nearby. There are, however, two parking lots for DL that are commonly used. The Mickey and Friends garage and the Toy Story Lot. They are the same price. TS lot is a tiny bit farther but has very good free shuttle service to the park. M&F has a tram running guests to the park. Either one is fine. I pick TS based on the route I take when I drive in, but either one is good.

 

[jbobst]

I'll be staying at a hotel, but it's about 15 miles away from Disneyland. I am doing at least two days...possibly three at the park. I am getting a 3 day park hopper, but not sure I'll use the last day of it. I'll just stick with the pay lots and maybe try both of them out.

Thanks!

 

[gardener14]

I have another parking question for everyone local to Disneyland. I'm from the northeast, and everytime I visit California, I'm always a bit leary of earthquakes (just as a concern in the back of my mind that I don't have at home). Do people from the area have a fear of parking garages? Of all places to be (or keep your car for a prolonged period of time) it seems like a risk...at least to someone who has no upbringing in an area especially prone to earthquakes. Was the Mickey and Friends garage built to withstand anything since it's not too old? Am I right to be concerned or am I just an out of towner who is out of touch with the reality of the situation?

 

[disfaninca]

I have another parking question for everyone local to Disneyland. I'm from the northeast, and everytime I visit California, I'm always a bit leary of earthquakes (just as a concern in the back of my mind that I don't have at home). Do people from the area have a fear of parking garages? Of all places to be (or keep your car for a prolonged period of time) it seems like a risk...at least to someone who has no upbringing in an area especially prone to earthquakes. Was the Mickey and Friends garage built to withstand anything since it's not too old? Am I right to be concerned or am I just an out of towner who is out of touch with the reality of the situation?

Mickey's parking garage is built to code. I think it should be fine during an earthquake.
I have been through 2 major earthquakes (1971 Sylmar and 1994 Northridge) and they are scary. We do get earthquakes, but they don't happen as often as tornadoes or hurricanes, and the majority of them are smaller ones. Nobody knows what will withstand a major earthquake, but not everything collapses during one. When people see coverage from damage it looks very wide spread, but they are just covering the places that were damaged only. There are many areas that don't receive a lot of damage.
I understand your concern, but chances are everything will probably okay.

 

[ArchOwl]

I would probably park in whichever lot was easier to get to. So just take a look at a map and figure it out.

As far as earthquakes go, I have never thought about it. I think the structure is built to a pretty high earthquake standard.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Not to worry...if there is an earthquake big enough to take down the Mickey and Friend's garage, honestly the garage coming down would be the least of the problems!

That thing is still considered new by seismic standards and has got to built as solid as they come.

I would be more worried about the drive to the garage than an earthquake in the garage!

 

[sonnyjane]

As the others said, you really don't need to be concerned with an earthquake. Plus, is being on the top of Tower of Terror or in the middle of the loop on Screamin' a pleasant place to experience an earthquake? Surely not, but I won't skip rides just because of an earthquake fear. I consider it to be like a lightning strike... the chances are that remote, and I live here in SoCal and have felt a few "rumbles"

Plus, don't make SoCal take all the credit for earthquakes. Just a few months ago, there was a sizable earthquake in Ohio, and just a month before that there was a 5.6 magnitude earthquake in Oklahoma - that's larger than any quake I've had in the years I've been living in SoCal - but I bet you wouldn't travel to Ohio or Oklahoma and fear parking in a garage?

Basically, I'm dancing around to find a nicer way to say yes, you're just "an out-of-towner who is out of touch with the reality of the situation"

 

[skiingfast]

Don't look for the cracks in the M&F garage floor that were caused by a quake.

 

[gardener14]

I appreciate all your answers about earthquakes. To someone like me from across the country, it's something I associate with the west coast yet know little about. I have pictures in my head of collapsed bridges in the bay area in the 1980's from that quake, so it's a scary thought. When I parked at Disneyland I couldn't help but wonder about it. Thanks again for the reality check.

 

[CMHusband]

I always recommend the Toy Story lot which is off of Harbor just south of Katella. Its easy in, rarely a line - fast to get on the shuttles, easy to get back to at the end of the day when there are long lines for the trams to M&F lot.
Also...

They sell tickets in the Toy Story lot - so if you need tickets - you can get them there. never a wait - and you can head straight to the turnstyles!!!

 

[candygirlIRE]

I always recommend the Toy Story lot which is off of Harbor just south of Katella. Its easy in, rarely a line - fast to get on the shuttles, easy to get back to at the end of the day when there are long lines for the trams to M&F lot.
Also...

They sell tickets in the Toy Story lot - so if you need tickets - you can get them there. never a wait - and you can head straight to the turnstyles!!!

I completely ditto this! The M&F lot is a bit of a nightmare at the end of a day with the trams - now the TS lot has shuttle too, but we never waited in all our 5 days! Very fast, many buses and super nice drivers!! One day it poured rain too and there was still no wait.

We did the M&F lot for one day and said NO THANKS!! Just chaotic.


Easy-Peasy to get to as well - we stayed at Embassy Suites NORTH on the last trip so it was about 15mins away...

 

[jbobst]

I used the Mickey and Friends garage yesterday. Got there before the garage was actually opened, but once opened, it was quick to park and get down to the tram. Got to the front gate quickly with no problems. Howerver, as the day went on, I went through Downtown Disney once for a late lunch and noticed there were some long lines for the tram. At about 7:45, I went back to my car to retreive my sweatshirt and a bottle of water. I thought it would be a quick trip, but I had to wait a long time for a return shuttle, as there were a ton of people arriving to the parking garage that night and it was a long line. I left about 10:15pm to go home, and while there was a wait for the tram to get back to the garage, it wasn't awful. Next time I will definately do the Toy Story lot. The tram service seems to be run so poorly!

They take so long to load the tram, then once it's loaded, they still sit there for a minute or so before the cast member at the back of the tram finally gives the all clear to the driver. Then, instead of having another tram right behind it, the follow up tram has to wait on the other side of the "circle" drive until the filled up shuttle leaves. Then they load, and wait and wait...then finally leave. It just seems like they are not very efficient. And, it seems like you could have multiple pick up locations during the busy times. At the Downtown Disney drop off, I guess they used the multiple pick up points at the end of the night, but there didn't seem to be double the amound of shuttles. I am all for safety, but it seemed like they were WAY too cautions of loading, unloading, and spacing between trams. I think they could still be very safe and just be more efficient.