Where to park

[kaiserfam]

We are staying at the Annabella and have a free parking pass so we plan on driving over every morning. Where should we park? We are trying to avoid carrying our child back to the hotel after a long day... I know the Annabella is within walking distance and we are also planning on parking early. Thanks!

 

[rtfelt]

Mickey and Friends parking structure is usually the most convenient--with a constant shuttle. In the summer it can fill up by 11, so you should be fine if you get there early. The other parking lots include Pumba on Disney way, they have a bus shuttle service (not as constant as Mickey); Toy Story lot, never parked there and I don't know if there's a shuttle; or if it's really busy, Disney will have you park in one of the hotel parking lots, and there's no shuttle and you have to walk down DTD--not my favorite at night with a tired child. The only inconvenience with shuttles is you have to remove your child from a stroller. You didn't say how old your child is or whether he/she would be in a stroller, but when my children were young enough for strollers, I would HATE having to take my sleeping child out of the stroller, and fold up the stroller, to board the shuttle.

 

[Girimama33]

We are staying at the Annabella and have a free parking pass so we plan on driving over every morning. Where should we park? We are trying to avoid carrying our child back to the hotel after a long day... I know the Annabella is within walking distance and we are also planning on parking early. Thanks!

If I were you, I would check into your free parking pass. I imagine the free parking you are referring to is at the hotel, not DLR. I have only heard of people having free parking if they purchased it with their Annual Pass. I have never heard of a hotel offering DLR parking for free, but there is a first time for everything.

 

[sonnyjane]

If I were you, I would check into your free parking pass. I imagine the free parking you are referring to is at the hotel, not DLR. I have only heard of people having free parking if they purchased it with their Annual Pass. I have never heard of a hotel offering DLR parking for free, but there is a first time for everything.

Yes, I thought maybe I misread it but it sounds like you have the same interpretation I did. I am sure they mean free parking at the hotel, no? And parking at the resort is $15 per day. Also, by the time you drive your car to the lot, park, and take the tram or bus to the park you could have just walked to the parks through the Grand Californian shortcut to DTD and into the esplanade.

 

[figment_jii]

Yikes! I don't know that you're going to want to walk from the Anabella to the park after a long day. The Anabella is located on Katella, almost directly south of Paradise Pier. So the only way to walk to DL is to either head north on Disneyland drive and cut through the Grand Californian and DTD (0.7 miles) or go east on Katella and then north on Harbor (1 mile). (For reference it's about 0.3 miles from the flag pole on MS to Small World (via Fantasyland).

If it were me, I would probably park at the Toy Story lot. When I've left Disneyland (usually near closing) there have always been several Toy Story buses waiting for guests. As you leave DL, head left (towards Harbor) and you'll see them lined up on the south side of the waiting area.

 

[blackjackdelta]

I thought AAA included park parking if that is where the package?was purchased.

Jack

 

[kaiserfam]

Yes, the parking pass came with the tickets from AAA.