What’s security like from parking garage? How much time to allow?

[ExcitedMama]

We stayed at DLH in the fall so I know security is different now and not all at the entrance but I didn’t pay attention to what it was like coming from the tram to DTD. This time we are staying at a hotel farther away so instead of taking my chance with the hotel shuttle I’ll probably just drive over in the mornings. Is there much traffic driving the mile up harbor in the morning? How much do I need to allow for parking and security from the garage? Any chance the garage allows you to come and go for one day fee? On a weekday in summer does the garage fill up? I’m used to being close enough to take the kids back to the room to rest in the afternoon so I’m not sure about the logistics of this if I have to drive them.

 

[HydroGuy]

We stayed at DLH in the fall so I know security is different now and not all at the entrance but I didn’t pay attention to what it was like coming from the tram to DTD. This time we are staying at a hotel farther away so instead of taking my chance with the hotel shuttle I’ll probably just drive over in the mornings. Is there much traffic driving the mile up harbor in the morning? How much do I need to allow for parking and security from the garage? Any chance the garage allows you to come and go for one day fee? On a weekday in summer does the garage fill up? I’m used to being close enough to take the kids back to the room to rest in the afternoon so I’m not sure about the logistics of this if I have to drive them.

Your call but I would say driving to the parks is the worst choice anyone can make. I would HIGHLY recommend you do something like Uber.

I get into it some of that here FWIW: "Hidden Time Losses When Using a Car At DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1381580

 

[ExcitedMama]

Uber is not an option because my kids need boosters.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Yes you can come and go
Yes, traffic gets backed up into the garage in the AM
Yes garage can and does regularly close during peak times and traffic is diverted to Toy Story or off site lots

Another option is to see if your hotel is on the ART route

 

[DizneyMommy]

Yes, you have in and out privileges

The time is not bad at all if you plan to arrive an hour or more before park opening. We both drive from locally and take hotel shuttles occasionally. It is not really as bad as some people make it out to be. Yes, it’s a hassle but when you’ve got kiddos you do what you’ve gotta do!

I can get from pay booth to DL gate in well under 30 minutes, sometimes even 20, it just depends on how early you get there and how efficient you are. If you drive up Harbour an hour+ before the park opens traffic isn’t horrific. You could also park in Toy Story (only opens about 45 minutes before the park opens, no early magic morning hours) easily from Harbor.

It depends on the weekend, but usually you can get back into the garage in the afternoon, but you may get sent over to Toy story, or to overflow parking which sucks with kids.

You didn’t say what hotel you are at? We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn last month which shares a bus with Embassy Suites and Hampton Inn and their shuttle is awesome. Very prompt, very fast and drops you really close. Totally 100% worth it! It’s a little farther down Harbor and was still better than driving. Your hotel shuttle may actually be the better option.

 

[DLgal]

Use the hotel shuttle. It will save you time and money.

 

[ExcitedMama]

We are staying at the Hyatt OC. I had read that some people had trouble with the shuttles because they are shared with other hotels and can be full when they arrive. Do they run super early? So we could leave an hour before open?

 

[Disnsyncey]

we arrived at around 7-7:10am both Tuesday and Thursday this week for 8am openings, and we were about 20 min from parking to gate.....only maybe 1 person in front of us for bag check...

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Just a thought regarding boosters: many posters here use Bubblebum and Mifold travel boosters with great success. Both should be available on Amazon.com. The boosters can be stored in a locker once you get to the parks so that you don't have to carry them around all day, but they also fit easily in a tote bag or backpack. This would make Uber or Lyft an easy option, especially for a multi-day trip.