Parking Tips

[conniehar90]

I know, I know - the overwhelming suggestion is to stay at a hotel that is within walking distance. However, we will not be and will therefore be driving to the parks.

We are frequent visitors to WDW and are used to getting up early and getting to the park for rope drop. So, assuming we are a 10 minute drive from the parks and the parks open at 9am, what should our plan be? Any tips/tricks for ideal parking?

Thanks!

 

[HydroGuy]

I know, I know - the overwhelming suggestion is to stay at a hotel that is within walking distance. However, we will not be and will therefore be driving to the parks.

We are frequent visitors to WDW and are used to getting up early and getting to the park for rope drop. So, assuming we are a 10 minute drive from the parks and the parks open at 9am, what should our plan be? Any tips/tricks for ideal parking?

Thanks!

This may help:

"Hidden Time Losses When Using a Car At DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1381580

It is hard to be 10 minutes fro any hotel around DLR to a DLR parking lot. Only if you are like right across the street. It is a major metro area. If Google tells you 10 minutes it will likely be more like 25 once you add in all the stop lights, etc.

If it were me and I was nominally staying 10 minutes from DLR, and I wanted to make rope drop - as in be standing at the gate 30 minutes before park opening - then I would leave 90 minutes before the park opens.

Hope that helps!

 

[mousecrazy]

I know, I know - the overwhelming suggestion is to stay at a hotel that is within walking distance. However, we will not be and will therefore be driving to the parks.

We are frequent visitors to WDW and are used to getting up early and getting to the park for rope drop. So, assuming we are a 10 minute drive from the parks and the parks open at 9am, what should our plan be? Any tips/tricks for ideal parking?

Thanks!

It would be helpful to know where you will be coming from. Then you might get some good advise from the locals regarding traffic.

Re: Parking...I'm a huge fan of the Toy Story Parking Lot and avoid the Mickey and Friends parking structure like the plague. The Toy Story lot is easy to access off Harbor from either direction. It's open a minimum of 1/2 hour before park opening, including MM. There have always been multiple buses waiting in the morning. I would guess it will take a maximum of 30 minutes (probably less) from parking lot entrance to bag check.

Returning is easy too as long as you don't leave the park at peak times, such as after a parade or fireworks.

Have fun!

 

[conniehar90]

We are staying at Ayres Hotel Anaheim on Katella. Thanks!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

We are staying at Ayres Hotel Anaheim on Katella. Thanks!

I google mapped it. Definitely use the toy story parking lot.

 

[rtfelt]

I concur. Use Toy Story. It will likely take about 15 min from when you entered parking to get to park and probably another 15 from your hotel. I would leave your hotel 45 min before rope drop to give you time to get into park for RD.

 

[conniehar90]

Thanks! So, not having been here in 20 years (!) - the Toy Story lot is a separate lot that you then take a shuttle to the park gate? I am used to WDW where you pull in and they tell you where to go. I did googlemap it and Toy Story lot actually comes up in googlemaps!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Thanks! So, not having been here in 20 years (!) - the Toy Story lot is a separate lot that you then take a shuttle to the park gate? I am used to WDW where you pull in and they tell you where to go. I did googlemap it and Toy Story lot actually comes up in googlemaps!

You park and take a shuttle bus to the park. None if the lots are a "park abc walk to the gate" set up.

 

[conniehar90]

Thanks! Last time I was there you just parked and walked in - there was no DCA at that time. I have a lot to learn!

 

[JasonShannon76]

Park in the Mickey & Friends Parking Garage (largest parking structure in the world). Then you can take the tram, and not those Toy Story shuttles. Tram is more efficient and drops you off very close to the entrance!

 

[mousecrazy]

You'll have no trouble at all using the Toy Story lot. Just head toward Disneyland on Katella, take a left onto Harbor, then the first left leads you straight into the parking lot. The bus stops are very close to most parking spots...you'll be in the park in no time.

P.S. The big problem I have with Mickey and Friends is the sheer size of the structure. The last time, I literally parked just short of ONE mile from the trams...yes, I walked for 15 minutes inside the structure to get to the trams. Then I just missed a tram and had to wait for the entire thing to fill before it left for the park. It was quite an ordeal that I encourage others to avoid. In contrast to the Toy Story lot which uses traditional transit buses are smaller and fill quickly. The drop off/pickup is quite convenient, just outside the bag check on the Harbor Blvd side (the Mickey and Friends tram loads/unloads on the Downtown Disney side of the esplanade).

 

[VegasDisney]

I'm sure it was because of the crowds, but we parked at Toy Story for the first time last night, and will never park there again. I'm also a WDW vet and have now been coming to disneyland for about 8 years. Mickey and Friends is much better than how they were loading the busses, at least last night. They were not really letting people stand (even adults). I also saw several busses with empty seats. took way longer to leave than if we had been at Mickey and Friends.

 

[momrek06]

We love TOY STORY parking lot (on Harbor)!

We have been using for the last 6 months. (Stopped using Mickey&Friends)

The buses are always plentiful and lined right up.

And the return is the same, plenty of buses.

 

[pixiewings71]

Park in the Mickey & Friends Parking Garage (largest parking structure in the world). Then you can take the tram, and not those Toy Story shuttles. Tram is more efficient and drops you off very close to the entrance!

Disagree, I totally agree that you should use the TS lot and ride the shuttles to and from the parks. Much easier and closer to your hotel. Parking in the TS lot is quick and easy and there are plenty of shuttles in and out all during the day and night.

I'm sure it was because of the crowds, but we parked at Toy Story for the first time last night, and will never park there again. I'm also a WDW vet and have now been coming to disneyland for about 8 years. Mickey and Friends is much better than how they were loading the busses, at least last night. They were not really letting people stand (even adults). I also saw several busses with empty seats. took way longer to leave than if we had been at Mickey and Friends.

M & F's doesn't have buses, and they don't load in the same place as the TS lot. The TS lot loads out on the Harbor side of the parks, the M & F's trams load in DTD. I've never seen them drive away with empty seats on any shuttles, IME they walk up and down the rows calling how many seats are on a shuttle, in one case there was 1 seat, DBF took it and went and got the car at the TS lot and came back and picked us up. That was during Christmas season a few years ago when we all had Premium AP's, in that case it was faster for him to do that then for us to wait. We were surprised but it worked out that night. lol

 

[CMHusband]

I concur. Use Toy Story. It will likely take about 15 min from when you entered parking to get to park and probably another 15 from your hotel. I would leave your hotel 45 min before rope drop to give you time to get into park for RD.

This is pretty accurate. Katella doesn't have that much traffic. but you never know how long the security line will be so you might want to give yourself and extra 10 minutes or so just in case.