Disney Sunday: The Toy Story Parking Lot and Parking at DCA

Happy Sunday everyone! I haven’t posted a Disney Sunday post in quite some time and figured tonight would be a perfect night to post.

If you have an annual pass at Disneyland, you know that parking can be quite the challenge on a busy day. I usually head over for only a few hours to the park and use the Downtown Disney lot and either take the monorail or walk through Downtown Disney. Last week we met up with some family at Disneyland and needed to park for more than a few hours. I’m not the biggest fan of the Mickey and Friends Structure and to be honest try to avoid it all costs. It always seems that people are grumpy when they are loading the tram and I’ve seen an arguement or two break out at the end of the night(especially if a stroller is involved) while waiting for the tram.

We decided this time around to try out the Toy Story parking lot off Harbor blvd. It has now become my favorite parking lot at the Disneyland Resort. The Toy Story parking lot is located a few blocks away from Disneyland and DCA and use OCTA buses to shuttle guests back and forth to the parks. Parking is plentiful and there are plenty of shuttles to go around. We waited less than a minute for one. My kiddos loved being able to take the bus. It was almost a ride in itself! Although my kiddos no longer use a stroller, I watched many parents bring one on without a problem and some without having to fold them up. The shuttles leave you only a few steps away from either park. It really is a great option for parking when you are heading to Disneyland or DCA.

We also discovered another option for parking. Did you know that if you eat at one of the hotel restaurants you can valet park for free for 5 hours? We decided to check out World of Color a few months back with the kiddos and decided to dine at Storytellers Cafe at the Grand Californian. It was a great dining experience and reasonably priced. We were able to valet park at the Grand Californian for 5 hours at no charge(just remember to validate at the restaurant). It was so nice to just head to the car after watching World Of Color, especially since we had two very tired and cranky kiddos. We loved the experience and plan to take full advantage of it whenever we are heading for a late evening at the park.

I want to hear from you. Have you used the Toy Story parking lot? Did you have a good experience? Have you taken advantage of the 5 free hours of valet parking at the Grand Californian?

7 comments

Joanna says: March 7, 2011 at 9:27 am

I totally agree with you on the Mickey & Friends parking lot – I do not like using it. I have never used the Toy Story parking lot, but have used another parking lot (not sure of the name) on Disney Way that they shuttle you back and forth from. It is sooooo much more convenient than the Mickey & Friends parking structure!

Wendy says: March 7, 2011 at 5:36 pm

We just took our 2 daughters (2 years old and 3 months) to Disneyland for the first time last week, grandparents included. We were actually directed to the Toy Story parking lot by signage, and when I pulled in was told that Mickey and Friends (where I’d planned on parking) was open but depending on the offramp you choose, you are directed to different lots. I was pretty bummed- I had a double BOB stroller and knew that this lot required me to break down the stroller vs. the tram allowing you to keep it in tact. All in all, it wasn’t a big deal after all. And we didn’t have to wait really but a minute or two to load the shuttle and take off. I can’t really speak of any comparison as I haven’t been to Disneyland in years, but I agree the Toy Story lot worked out well for us!

Elizabeth says: March 8, 2011 at 12:53 pm

Is the Toy Story parking lot free or do you have to pay a fee?

Kelsey says: September 2, 2012 at 11:15 am

For both the Mickey and Friends parking structure, and the Toy Story parking lot there is a $15 fee for cars and motorcycles. This is good for one full day.

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