Parking at Disneyland and the tram

What I wish I had known about parking at Disneyland and the Mickey and Friends parking structure tram

If you're not walking distance to the parks, you'll need to know about parking at Disneyland and California Adventure. The parking structure that accommodates both parks is called Mickey & Friends Parking.

The first thing I should say is that you don't need to worry too much about how to find the parking structure. Once you're close to Disneyland, there are signs all over the place telling you which way to go. And, if you're headed southbound on the I-5, the offramp will take you directly to Mickey and Friends. But, if you're like me, you still want to see a map just in case. This Google Map link opens in a new window: parking at Disneyland.

Parking at Disneyland for cars and motorcycles is $15. Parking for oversized vehicles, motor homes and tractors without trailers is $20. If you’re driving a bus or a tractor-trailer, the price is $25.

Each section of the parking structure is named after a different Disney character. The idea is that you’ll remember where you parked.

The problem is, after a full day of fun with Mickey and Goofy, you may not remember that you parked by Twinkerbell… or was it near Chip & Dale?

My suggestion? After locking up your car, take a quick picture of the Disney character nearest your car. At the end of the day, you simply have to scroll to the beginning of the day’s pictures to remember where you parked. Technology makes parking at Disneyland a breeze.

Thanks, technology!

After parking, you’ll descend a loooong escalator and find yourself in a crowd of people waiting for the tram to take you to Downtown Disney, Disneyland, and California Adventure.

When I was a little girl, things were different. We simply parked in the parking lot, directly in front of Disneyland, and walked in. That parking lot became California Adventure.

My first time visiting Disneyland since Mickey and Friends Parking was installed, I felt a little disorientated. I wasn’t sure where I was in relation to Disneyland.

So, with everyone in early morning good spirits, we waited cheerfully for the tram.

The tram drops you off at Downtown Disney, which is just a short walk to the Park entrances.

Later that night, when everyone was exhausted, and yes, a little bit cranky, the line for the tram was a different story altogether.

We were packed in a crowd of likewise cranky people, all of whom were very tired, and very impatient. The tram seemed to take for-ev-er. People were openly complaining.

I think the biggest problem was is that none of us could see the parking structure. We were a little disorientated.

We didn’t realize how close we really were to our cars.

We actually could have walked back and forth to Mickey & Friends Parking a few times in the time we spent waiting for the tram.

So, when we visited California Adventure the following month, we felt really smart!

After parking our car and going down the looooong escalator, we bypassed the cheerful crowd waiting for the tram, and asked a friendly nearby employee which way to go to walk to the Park.

He pointed to an opening in the shrubbery, and we quickly found ourselves on a delightful, quiet, shaded path with just a few other smart families. We were at the Park entrances within perhaps ten minutes.

That night was even sweeter, knowing that we wouldn’t be packed like cattle with all of the exhausted park guests waiting for the tram. We smiled and simply walked to our car.

If you are bringing a stroller or a wheelchair (or both!), I recommend taking the walking path. Yes, you can bring these things with you on the tram, but why would you want to?

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