Parking and monorails?

[frozonefan]

What's the parking situation like at Disneyland. I know at WDW if you are driving and parking for the MK you have to get tickets, line up for the monorail, ride the monorail, line up for park entry. It can be 45 minutes just to get into the park. What's the process at Disneyland. Is it just a drive up and walk to the entrance set-up? If I want to get there early and be at rope drop what time should we "arrive?"

 

[hlbtimes2]

Depending on where you are staying, you might be able to just walk. Many of the hotels are close enough. If you arent that close, you can park in the parking garage. From there you'll get on a tram that will take you to the main enterance. They run regularly, it shouldnt take you to long to get there. You can could walk the entire way in less then 45 minutes! Sometimes, during peak season, they dont have the tram running at night. There are to many people. If they used the tram it would be to many people at the garage trying to get out at the same time. By having people walk, it staggers the people leaving a little bit. (dont let that concern you, its not typical- just wanted to point out how close it is).

The Disneyland resort area is tiny compared to WDW. You can stand between the two parks and see both at the same time.

 

[CalGal]

At DL, you park, typically at the large Mickey and Friends parking structure, walk to the tram (which can be a fairly long walk since it's a huge structure and there is one single tram loading station), wait for the tram, go through the security check, purchase tickets (if you don't already have them) and line up for the park entry. I'd say it usually takes 10-30 minutes to get from the parking lot entrance through the security check point depending upon luck and timing. I hit the parking lot exactly 30 minutes before EE opening one day, and got to the gates in 10 minutes. Non-EE days take longer since there are more people coming into the parking lot at the same time. I think the parking lot is supposed to open 30 minute prior to EE, or 60 minutes prior to opening on non-EE days --- but I'm not certain about that.

 

[cats mom]

I think it's probably a quicker process at DL, but of course all depends on the crowds (or if you're lucky... lack of crowds) on the day you decide to visit.

Parking is in the Mickey and friends parking stucture.
You then hop on a tram into the Downtown Disney area and are dropped off near the security checkpoint into the main esplande/ticketing/entrance area for both DL/DCA.

The tram ride is only about 1/2 mile - very quick.

You may have to wait in line for the tram, the security check, the ticket booths and of course park entrance though.

That said we were just there on Presidents Day - it was VERY crowded!
We left our hotel (on Harbor) right around 7:30 (opening was at 8am) and we were at DL early enough that we had to stand in line waiting for the entrance gates to open.

We did not need to wait at the ticket booths - but they're so close you could have one person make the ticket run while everyone else waits at the entrance if you're there before opening.

 

[frozonefan]

So let's say the park opens at 8:00 on a non-EE day. If I want to be at rope drop and have to park in the garage what time do I need to be there?

 

[hlbtimes2]

I dont believe they do rope drop at 8 am opening. I believe it only happens on days the park opens at 9 or after. On days there is rope drop, main street opens 1/2 hour before the park for shopping.

 

[iceskatejen]

On 8 am openings, there is no rope drop. The parking structure generally opens 30 minutes prior to gate opening, so in this case, that's 7:30. So, by the time you actually park, get to the tram, get on the tram, the tram gets to the stop for DL, you get out and go through bag check and get to the gates, it's going to be 7:45 (trust me on this, I've done it many, many times). I would get to the parking structure at least 15 minutes before it opens.