Parking at Disneyland

[wendmatt]

DH has surprised DD and I with a trip to San Diego to see his brother (we are very excited!) We are going to go to Disneyland for one day, stay in a hotel the night before and drive back that night so won't be able to stay parked at a hotel. Is there a good place at Disney to park? Is it all signposted? There seem to be a few different places, is one better than another? Do they have a shuttle? I can't find too much about it on their website.
Thanks for any info you might have.
Wendy

[zag95]

This may or may not answer your question! I am researching Disneyland and got some info from AAA. You can park free at the Disneyland lot as a AAA member- something you may want to check into if you belong!

Have fun- we are looking at Disney in 2011!!:bouncy:

[SnuggleBuggles]

It was easy to park at DL, well signed. We showed up shortly before opening and they directed us to the spaces we were supposed to use. From there is was a short walk to the tram. This is my one time, limited experience though!

Beth

[geochick]

We're heading to DLand in July, but we're staying at a local hotel. I did a Google search for you:

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/200910/1490/
http://www.mousesavers.com/otherdl.html#parking
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/plan/parking.htm
http://www.disneylandvacationtips.com/parking-for-disneyland.html

[bluestar2]

Follow the signs for the "theme parks" (not Disneyland Hotel, Downtown Disney or the Grand Californian) and they will get you to the entrance booth of the main lot where the parking fee is paid. The staff will railroad you to the outside parking area if it is very early and once that fills up, the parking structure. A tram will take you to the entrance gate. The whole experience will give you an idea of how cattle must feel lol. :p

[TwinFoxes]

Mickey and Friends is the main, huge parking structure but there are definitely other lots run by Disney (that's why the Disney website says something vague like follow the signs to the most convenient lot). The Pumbaa lot is an open air lot, I think on Harbor. There's also a Buzz lot, and Simba. Timon closed last year to expand the park. Often the smaller lots don't open, Mickey and Friends is so gigantic they don't need extra parking on most days. Pumbaa sucks because there's no tram and it's a long walk after a day in the park.

I think the AAA free parking only applies if you buy tix or a package through them. I don't think you can just show up with your AAA card and park for free, check to make sure.

You might want to check to see if your hotel allows you to park on your day of checkout. I think some do.

Have fun! What a great surprise!

[bluestar2]

Mickey and Friends is the main, huge parking structure but there are definitely other lots run by Disney (that's why the Disney website says something vague like follow the signs to the most convenient lot).

I didn't know that, because I always park in the same big Mickey & Friends lot/structure. I avoid the park during all the busy periods (summer, weekends and holidays) and didn't know there were more lots. Thanks! Off to edit...

[Melanie]

It's pretty easy but since they rebuilt it all down there and put up California Adventure and Downtown Disney, I'm pretty sure there's no way to park without having to take a shuttle.

I also tried many times to figure out the 'magical' way to get the good spots in the structure but never could work it out.

Enjoy the trip!

[bluestarfish18]

It really depends on the crowds. If it's a slower day, you'll most likely park in the Mickey & Friends parking structure, which is located at the end of Downtown Disney. From the structure, it's a quick 5 minute walk to the entrance of the park, or you could take the tram.

If it's a more crowded day (spring break through end of September), satellite parking lots with open. These could be across the street to a few miles away. Sometimes there are charter buses that shuttle everyone to the drop-off lot, and sometimes you'll have to walk.

If you are planning on heading down to DL during the more crowded times, I would recommend getting there as early as possible to be able to park in the structure...save you to hassle of having to walk any further if you need to get to your car in the middle of the day.

[AnnieW625]

This may or may not answer your question! I am researching Disneyland and got some info from AAA. You can park free at the Disneyland lot as a AAA member- something you may want to check into if you belong!

Have fun- we are looking at Disney in 2011!!:bouncy:

Here's the information from: (http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/general/loadGeneric?genericName=AAA_FAQ_GenericText):
Q. Is there a AAA Benefit available when I purchase tickets from AAA?
A. Yes. When you purchase your Disneyland® Resort tickets on www.aaa.com or at a participating AAA Travel office, you receive FREE Parking (AAA Free parking is not included with Specially Ticketed Events or Annual Passports.)

I had no idea that was an option, I wish you would get a discount if you had an annual pass though. Good to know though if we decide to ever not renew our passes.