Parking advice for newbies....?

[LegoMom3]

New to CA and just got my AP this summer! So far the two times we've been up to the parks, we've stayed overnight so we parked at our hotel and walked.

Starting in just a few weeks my AP will be "un-blocked-out" and I will start making some day trips (we're 2 hours away). I intend to be arriving early (7:30am-ish), but is there a certain lot I should be aiming for? I recall seeing LED signs directing people to park here or there. I know there's a lot with a tram that shuttles people to the DTD/entrance esplanade area, and some further out that use buses. I guess I just don't want to have my GPS sending me one place, and suddenly be redirected because a sign sends me somewhere else!! I'm still getting my bearings driving in the Anaheim area, so this is all new to me.

TIA!

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[ashley0139]

Where are you coming from? You can have your GPS direct you to Mickey and Friends or Toy Story parking. If you are coming from the North on the 5S get off at Disneyland Drive and stay to the left to take the flyover to M&F. To go to Toy Story you get off at Katella, make a left and follow the signs to theme park parking. I prefer Toy Story right now but others prefer Mickey and Friends.

You'll figure out pretty quickly where to go and what you like best.

 

[tarheelalum]

The Toy Story lot is much quicker than Mickey and Friends. The tram takes forever with Mickey and Friends. Especially when leaving the park.

 

[SMD]

I regularly go to M&F and TS and either one can be faster or slower for a number of reasons. If you're going to be more than an hour before rope drop, you have to to M&F, TS won't be open. If you're going to arrive within 30 min of RD to up to 60-90 min after, I'd just go to TS because you may be redirected there from M&F anyway, and that takes a long time. It might end up being longer that M&F would have been, but it all averages out over a bunch of trips anyway.

 

[LegoMom3]

Where are you coming from? You can have your GPS direct you to Mickey and Friends or Toy Story parking. If you are coming from the North on the 5S get off at Disneyland Drive and stay to the left to take the flyover to M&F. To go to Toy Story you get off at Katella, make a left and follow the signs to theme park parking. I prefer Toy Story right now but others prefer Mickey and Friends.

You'll figure out pretty quickly where to go and what you like best.

Sorry, should have clarified: coming from the south on 5.....so far, both trips we've gotten off for Katella Ave, as that is where we stayed.

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[theluckyrabbit]

Sorry, should have clarified: coming from the south on 5.....so far, both trips we've gotten off for Katella Ave, as that is where we stayed.

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Then it sounds like TS will be your best bet. Try it a few times and see what you think. If it isn't a good fit, you can always switch to M&F.

 

[dina444444]

Sorry, should have clarified: coming from the south on 5.....so far, both trips we've gotten off for Katella Ave, as that is where we stayed.

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Toy Story lot is much easier to get to when heading north on the 5.

When I go to the park from that direction I get off at State College Blvd. and head straight off of the off ramp, then make a left on Orangewood Blvd. and then a right on Harbor Blvd.

 

[mickeymom61]

We like the Toy Story lot because we think it's easier to get in and out. With that said when the kids were in strollers I preferred Mickey and Friends because I had the option to walk if I didn't want to close up the stroller or wait for the tram. You really should just try both and see which fits your needs better.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

We like the Toy Story lot because we think it's easier to get in and out. With that said when the kids were in strollers I preferred Mickey and Friends because I had the option to walk if I didn't want to close up the stroller or wait for the tram. You really should just try both and see which fits your needs better.

Exactly. I park at M&F so I can walk to the parks. That way I don't have to take all of my stuff out of the stroller, collapse the stroller and try to get the stroller, my stuff and my toddler into a bus or tram. But when other people meet us there they usually go to Toy Story and report that it's really quick (and security is usually quick too).

 

[l4dyj8]

On the morning of a visit, I always check out the Disneyland Today twitter account. They usually notify visitors which lot is best. Since you are arriving at rope drop you may have a better chance at your desired lot.

I've ignored the signs before and aim for Mickey & Friends only to be redirected and sit in a line for 45 minutes. But this is for arrivals at 10-12. Friends on the same day are able to park at Mickey & friends, asphalt ground level when they arrive before rope drop. They then close it off before anyone gets into the structure.

The Pumbaa lot on Disney way is also good because you can skip the shuttle and just walk with the stroller. But smaller than TS and may fill up quickly.

Also with the twitter account, I've seen people complain that they are stuck in traffic at the exit because the parking line is that long.

 

[SteveMP]

Lately i've been going to Toy Story just cause that is where it tends to sende anyways. The worst is when you try to go to one and they redirect you. As someone else mentioned you can then get stuck in the redirected traffic trying to turn around. Wherever you ened up, just make a note of where you parked. I usually note in my phone notes.

 

[DznyPrnces]

If you are going to have a stroller, I find Mickey and friends to be the easier parking lot.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I come from the south on the 5, too. I like Mickey and Friends because I need to use the restroom after being in the car for 2 hours and Toy Story doesn't have a restroom. Stay on the freeway past where they want you to exit for Disney and take the Harbor/Ball road exit. Take a right on Harbor, left on Ball. That takes you to Mickey and Friends. On the very busy days, you still may be redirected to Toy Story from there. You can easily walk to and from Mickey and Friends to the parks. I've walked back to Toy Story, too, when the line for buses was super long. It's about a 20 minute walk.

If it is extremely busy, they open the Pumbaa lot. I can't remember the name of the street to get there, but you can probably find it on Google maps. It's about a one block walk to the parks and it also has a shuttle. My preferred parking is Mickey and Friends. If that is being redirected, I go to Pumbaa instead of Toy Story (which is where they redirect people to). If Pumbaa isn't open, I'll go to Toy Story because I have no other choice. I used to just pay the $36 to park in Downtown Disney, but they get mad about that.

 

[LegoMom3]

I come from the south on the 5, too. I like Mickey and Friends because I need to use the restroom after being in the car for 2 hours and Toy Story doesn't have a restroom. Stay on the freeway past where they want you to exit for Disney and take the Harbor/Ball road exit. Take a right on Harbor, left on Ball. That takes you to Mickey and Friends. On the very busy days, you still may be redirected to Toy Story from there. You can easily walk to and from Mickey and Friends to the parks. I've walked back to Toy Story, too, when the line for buses was super long. It's about a 20 minute walk.
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This is me too!!

And something I will def. keep in mind!

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[LegoMom3]

Thanks for all the replies and help! I will look over the Google maps before I venture up there, but I feel like I have a little more know-how now.

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[AuntieMe3]

I prefer toy story because I hate the free for all trying to get on a tram, especially at the end of the night. And I guess I've always been super lucky because I've never had to wait more than 1 bus for my turn at Toy Story, except at Christmas time but even then the buses were non-stop and it was a short wait.

 

[Rabb it]

We like Mickey and Friends, but we head down 5 going south, you get off the freeway and theres an exclusive ramp that goes directly into the structure. If you're heading North up 5 then ToyStory is solid.

Some people on here have said it's "faster" parking there because you have to wait for a tram at Mickey and Friends, but don't be fooled, at Toy Story you have to wait for a BUS, and then the bus has to drive down Harbor Blvd to drop you off at the park, then you have to go through security still. The security you will go through is shared with people UBERing to the park, taxi, outside hotel users, so the line is longer I've noticed.

There are more security stations at Mickey and Friends and the security is only for the structure making that part faster. I think that getting to the parks is faster all around from Mickey and Friends. I've used both many many times. Just my two cents..

 

[Curlyxz]

The Pumbaa lot on Disney way is also good because you can skip the shuttle and just walk with the stroller. But smaller than TS and may fill up quickly.

Sadly, the Pumbaa lot is rarely open to the public anymore and is used more often as CM parking. On busier weekends/holidays they may open it, but it has been closed off for the majority of summer so far. It's by far the best lot to park in when it is open though!

 

[oakleycat]

I would try both and see which you prefer. I like Toy Story but my kids always want M&F because they like the big escalators and the tram. You'd think it wouldn't matter since we're going to DL, but it's part of the experience for them! We always end up needing the bathrooms there too.

 

[tarheelalum]

If you stay until park closing, the Mickey and Friends tram can be challenging at times. And if you are trying to leave at closing during a really busy time of the year, the tram is a nightmare. People push and shove and fights almost break out. Its really bad around Christmas. Disney's security is non existent at the tram or grossly inadequate to say the least during the Holidays.