I tend to get a lot of emails & DMs with questions about parking at the Disneyland Resort, and I totally get it…how do you know where to go, or which transit vehicles take you to what structures? Luckily, the west coast resort is much smaller and simpler to navigate than Walt Disney World, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy for a beginner. Let’s explore the parking options at the happiest place on Earth.
Just a quick note – none of these are hard rules. If there’s construction going on, a lot is full, an event is going on, etc., Disney may route you a different way than normal. But generally speaking, parking is pretty consistent.
First, let’s start with the Toy Story Parking Lot. If you’re arriving to the resort from the south (so heading north) or the east (so heading west), you’ll most likely be routed here by parking signs.
The Toy Story lot is walkable to the resort if you’re so inclined, but it’s a long walk. Instead, most guests opt to take the shuttle buses, which run from one hour before park opening to one hour after park close (whichever park opens earliest/closest last sets the schedule, which is almost always Disneyland). This lot is also the only parking option at the resort for oversized vehicles, motorhomes, buses, or tractors.
In the opposite corner of the resort, you’ll find the two parking structures: Mickey & Friends and Pixar Pals. If you’re coming from the north (so heading south) or west (so heading east), you’ll most likely be routed here by parking signs.
These two parking structures are about a 20-30 minute walk to central Downtown Disney at a moderate pace. But almost everyone takes the open air trams, which run from one hour before park opening to one hour after park close (whichever park opens earliest/closest last sets the schedule, which is almost always Disneyland). Even though I live in San Diego and therefore come from the south, I sometimes drive all the way around to the parking structures just so I can take a tram instead of a shuttle bus – I find them really fun!
South of the parking structures, you’ll find resort hotel and Downtown Disney parking. The Downtown Disney lot is the Simba lot. This area costs $10 for the first hour, and $14 for each additional hour until the maximum fee of $66. But if you spend at least $20 in Downtown Disney, you can get validation for 3 hours worth of same-day parking.
Each resort hotel also has its own lot, with a cost (as of writing this post) of $35 per night for self parking, and $65 per night for valet parking. Most of the resort hotel restaurants offer parking validation for diners; check with specific hotels for rates, as those change frequently.
LOGISTICS
- Costs – As of writing this post, the theme park lot rates are $30 per day per car/motorcycle. For the Toy Story lot only, you can also park an oversized vehicle without a trailer for $35 per day, or with a trailer for $40 per day.
- Preferred parking – for the closest spots to elevators and escalators in the parking structures, you can purchase preferred parking. As of writing this post, that costs $50 per vehicle, or you can upgrade your pre-purchased parking for an additional $20.
- Payment – You can pre-purchase parking alongside your park ticket, but you can also just pay at the lot or parking structure. All parking options accept cash, most major credit cards, Disney gift cards, or pre-paid parking vouchers.
- Disability services – All parking options include disabled spaces; just make sure you have your disabled parking placard on display.
- ECV charging – Both parking structures and the Toy Story lot offer ChargePoint ports at no additional charge (aside from usual payment with your ChargePoint card).
And finally, if you’re like me and frequently forget where on earth you parked, the Disneyland app has a helpful feature called Car Locator. If enabled, it uses location services to save your parking details, so at the end of the night you can pull them up and see exactly where your vehicle is waiting for you.
At the end of the day, there’s no “wrong” or “bad” parking option at the resort. Most of the lots are about the same distance away from the park gates, and they’ll all keep your car safe while you enjoy your day at the happiest place on Earth!