Pumbaa parking lot

[Stefan]

I was on the DLR website for parking and noticed the Pumbaa parking lot. The website says that all Theme park parking structures are opened 1 hour prior to opening. I have 2 questions:

1. Does Pumbaa in fact open at the same time as M&F parking?

2. On MM does this mean they would open parking at 6am?

Any help/information you have would be great. I've searched the site just to make sure I'm not double posting and hopefully I'm not.

Thanks

 

[figment_jii]

Just to add my two cents about the Pumba lot. My family ended up parking there once and we swore we'd never end up in that lot again unless there was absolutely no choice. The lot was a bit removed from DL and there are no shuttles that run there. We stayed until a little past closing (shopping on Main Street). The walk from DL to the lot was kind of dark and not that safe feeling and the lot didn't appear to have any security or much lighting. Overall, it didn't feel very safe.

 

[Stefan]

We are used to walking... last time we were in DLR we parked close to that area and know what we are in for. In fact, not being tied to the tram is an asset for us. I just want to know it will be open in the morning to park. We will be there the 21 - 29th. The M&F parking structure is starting to scare us as far as being turned around, time of wait for the tram etc.... ( I can walk from Pumbaa to the gates quicker in some instances) we thought the Pumbaa might be easier to go to especially since we don't mind walking. Thanks for the advice!!

 

[Stefan]

Also, do you get in/out parking for the day. If we leave mid day to return in the evening, do we have to pay again??

 

[LavenderPeach]

We are used to walking... last time we were in DLR we parked close to that area and know what we are in for. In fact, not being tied to the tram is an asset for us. I just want to know it will be open in the morning to park. We will be there the 21 - 29th. The M&F parking structure is starting to scare us as far as being turned around, time of wait for the tram etc.... ( I can walk from Pumbaa to the gates quicker in some instances) we thought the Pumbaa might be easier to go to especially since we don't mind walking. Thanks for the advice!!

I don't know anything about the Pumbaa lot but you can easily walk from the M&F parking structure. You don't have to take the tram. We do it all the time because we really don't want to deal with trying to put a stroller on the tram when DS is with us. For us it's easier to just walk.

Also, do you get in/out parking for the day. If we leave mid day to return in the evening, do we have to pay again??

Yes, you can leave and come back. You just show them your parking ticket thing that says you paid for that day.

 

[Rowlf]

I actually prefer to park in Pumbaa - I'll drive the long way around to be sure I get into that lot right at opening. The shuttles get you there quickly in the AM - you may have to wait a bit at the end of the day, but never more than a few minutes in my experience.

 

[starshine514]

I actually prefer to park in Pumbaa - I'll drive the long way around to be sure I get into that lot right at opening. The shuttles get you there quickly in the AM - you may have to wait a bit at the end of the day, but never more than a few minutes in my experience.

So, they do run trams from the Pumbaa lot? Figment_jii indicated that they didn't, so I wanted to verify. Also, can you catch the trams w/o actually parking in the lot? Are the wheelchair/ECV accessible?

Thanks!

 

[Disney Dreams]

I actually prefer to park in Pumbaa - I'll drive the long way around to be sure I get into that lot right at opening. The shuttles get you there quickly in the AM - you may have to wait a bit at the end of the day, but never more than a few minutes in my experience.

So, they do run trams from the Pumbaa lot? Figment_jii indicated that they didn't, so I wanted to verify. Also, can you catch the trams w/o actually parking in the lot? Are the wheelchair/ECV accessible?

Thanks!

Pumbaa occasionally has shuttles, but very rarely. I can't answer your other questions as we HATE parking in Pumbaa and avoid it. At 1am, the last thing I want to do is walk to my car.

I'm surprised to read Rowlf's comment about parking there at opening, though, because it is generally used as an overflow lot of really busy days. Unless they've changed that, as I mentioned, but avoid it so it's been awhile since I've seen Pumbaa.

- Dreams

 

[starshine514]

Pumbaa occasionally has shuttles, but very rarely. I can't answer your other questions as we HATE parking in Pumbaa and avoid it. At 1am, the last thing I want to do is walk to my car.

I'm surprised to read Rowlf's comment about parking there at opening, though, because it is generally used as an overflow lot of really busy days. Unless they've changed that, as I mentioned, but avoid it so it's been awhile since I've seen Pumbaa.

- Dreams

Thanks! Was considering staying at one of the motels w/n walking distance of the lots and taking the tram, but if it's sporadic, I'll keep looking... Thanks!

 

[Armadillo4]

I actually prefer to park in Pumbaa - I'll drive the long way around to be sure I get into that lot right at opening. The shuttles get you there quickly in the AM - you may have to wait a bit at the end of the day, but never more than a few minutes in my experience.

Ditto. Pumbaa is actually my first-choice parking lot. BUT, it's unused/closed more frequently nowadays. It's usually only open on the busiest of days. And usually closed at park opening but opened a little later in the morning--e.g. 9am or later. On a MM morning, I doubt it would be open. M&F or Toy Story would be your only options.

But for anyone else curious, they have shuttle buses (a combination of big coach-type buses and some smaller ART-like buses) that take you back-and-forth from Pumbaa. But the walk isn't bad either. I did park there once when they didn't have any shuttle bus service, so figment_jii's post is valid. But the shuttle buses have run all other times I've parked there, probably 15+ times over the past 3 years. I think buses were not used regularly when the Timon lot (e.g. Cars Land) was still available. But they're now pretty much a regular service and the waits are usually minimal--especially compared to the M&F trams at the end of a busy day. Which is one of the reasons why I try using Pumbaa when I'm down there on a busy weekend.

 

[skiingfast]

Caution before you try parking in the Pumbaa lot.

Since last June Disney has been operating most of it's parking in the M&F garage and the newly redone and expanded Toy Story Lot.

I haven't been driving on Disney Way each day since June but the Pumbaa lot to my knowlege is closed and only would be used as overflow for the two previously mentioned parking lots. But since the improvement and opening of the Toy Story lot I have not heard of Pumba being open.

 

[nana50]

When I went to DL on Wednesday the signs ushered us to the Toy Story lot first. I've never parked so far away! It worked out O.K. but $15.00 to park over a mile away!

 

[Armadillo4]

Caution before you try parking in the Pumbaa lot.

Since last June Disney has been operating most of it's parking in the M&F garage and the newly redone and expanded Toy Story Lot.

I totally agree. Usually I drive down Disney Way (after exiting the 5 Fwy), hoping to find Pumbaa open, but it's usually closed. If that's the case, I just turn down Harbor Blvd. and use the Toy Story Lot. I did park in Pumbaa as recently as November--either the opening weekend of the Christmas season or Thanksgiving weekend. Both were very busy weekends, so it made sense that the Pumbaa lot was open.

Next weekend might find the lot open again. The combination of the large NAMM convention at the Anaheim Convention Center plus a three-day weekend for some folks (Martin Luther King Jr. day) can lead to heavy crowds.

 

[skiingfast]

I did park in Pumbaa as recently as November--either the opening weekend of the Christmas season or Thanksgiving weekend. Both were very busy weekends, so it made sense that the Pumbaa lot was open.

Next weekend might find the lot open again. The combination of the large NAMM convention at the Anaheim Convention Center plus a three-day weekend for some folks (Martin Luther King Jr. day) can lead to heavy crowds.

Thanks for confirming that Pumbaa has been opening on the peak days.

I am curious how Toy Story runs when the big conventions are in town as I've read that the Convention center uses it as thier overflow, much like how Disney used to use the convention center parking as thier overflow.

 

[Armadillo4]

Thanks for confirming that Pumbaa has been opening on the peak days.

And it seems like it's open peak days only. I went to the parks yesterday, Sunday, Feb. 20 (Presidents Day Weekend) and parked in the Pumbaa lot. It was an extremely busy day at the resort with the combination of the holiday weekend and the appearance of sunny skies after a couple days of rain. There was also shuttle/bus service to and from the Pumbaa lot. However, I was slightly puzzled that there were no CMs manning the Pumbaa stop in the bus drop-off/loading zone at the end of the day. In my experience, there are usually one or two CMs helping direct guests at the bus stop. While I knew exactly what bus to look for, many infrequent guests can use the help of a CM to confirm they are getting on the right bus.

Note, all of the above caveats are still valid, as Pumbaa will most likely be closed/unused for your average trip. But if you know that you're visiting on a an extremely busy day, it's certainly one other parking option if you want to avoid the possibility of long tram lines for M&F.