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View Full Version : What is up with the Timon parking area?



Glencie
07-19-2007, 08:33 PM
On Wednesday, July 18, we arrived at the Timon parking lot entrance booth at 8:20am, got our parking pass and then we find we were re-directed to the Mickey and Friends structure. As we passed the Timon lot we saw it was TOTALLY EMPTY. Of course had we known Timon was closed we would've gone directly to M&Fs, slicing at least 15 minutes off our getting-to-the-park time.

So what are the exact rules/hours regarding Timon? Closed permanantly? Closed only during weekdays? Opens later in the morning? The Disneyland website gives absolutely no information on this.

VickiC
07-19-2007, 09:44 PM
http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=71538&highlight=timon

ladodgerjon
07-20-2007, 03:13 PM
I TOTALLY get your frustration!

I have found that you need to arrive EARLY on WEEKENDS... or late (after 4:00pm) to gain entry.

Darkbeer
07-20-2007, 06:05 PM
There are no exact rules, it is based on a combination of expected crowds and available staffing.

When you take the Harbor entrance, you will end up in one of three lots, most of the time they will have Timon closed or not staffed, and just send you to the Mickey and Friends Lot by the back road to Disneyland Drive, Many off-season days that will have it closed, or not open it until there is enough staff to direct cars in the lot on moderate days. Also, on certain days when special events are scheduled, they "reserve" the lot for only those guests, such as renting out the Hyperion.

On very busy days, they will send you to the Simba Lot in the morning until this if filled. Since traffic crosses Disneyland Drive, an Anaheim Police Officer has to come to the intersection and direct traffic, which Disney does pay for. To keep the costs at a minimum, they just fill up the lot, which is located next to the Paradise Pier Hotel (and use the same Cm's that direct traffic at Timon). Only when it is filled, will they switch to Mickey and Friends or Timon, usually they start with sending the overflow to Mickey and Friends while they close up the Simba lot and then transport the Cm's to the Timon area. Once they are in place, they will start using Timon until it gets filled, or if the expected amount of guests are not arriving (smaller crowd than expected). They cut off the use to allow the Parking CM's to go on break or home.

The worst thing about Simba, no tram service, so you have about 3/4 of a mile walk to the parks, and many folks don't know exactly how to get there,

For me, it is too much of a gamble, plus on hot days, I prefer the structure if I am going to be there all day for the shade.

I also like to use Pummba (this is the small lot on Disney Way just before Harbor). The lot is only open on busy days, and for limited hours to enter(once again, Disney has to pay Anaheim Police Officers to direct traffic on Disney Way to the lot). But tends to have a short wait to pay/show parking pass and then an easy and fast trip to your parking space. No trams again, but about a half mile walk. If it was the choice of Pummba and Simba, more than likely you will be at the Front Entrance of the park if you are parking at Pummba compared to just getting out of your car at the Simba lot.

Leofoenget
07-20-2007, 08:07 PM
I got stuck in Simba lot once and I was MAD. I had my 2year old wlith me and I had to walk walk walk. I did NOT know where I was or how to get back to my car. I just followed the flow of traffic and here i was.

Leofoenget
07-20-2007, 08:15 PM
Get this: I was reading mouseplanet and they were talking about the parking lots and this is one thing it said:

The secondary parking lot is the Timon lot and is accessed from Harbor Boulevard. Annual Passholders are not allowed to park in this lot, and space is limited.

OK.... WHY??

Found it odd. I assume they mean those with parking added onto their AP.

Darkbeer
07-20-2007, 08:32 PM
Get this: I was reading mouseplanet and they were talking about the parking lots and this is one thing it said:

The secondary parking lot is the Timon lot and is accessed from Harbor Boulevard. Annual Passholders are not allowed to park in this lot, and space is limited.

OK.... WHY??

Found it odd. I assume they mean those with parking added onto their AP.

Official policy, and it is printed on the bottom of the AP in fine print. Parking is only valid at the Mickey and Friends Structure. I believe that is also the rule for AAA members with AAA ParkHoppers.

Timon has always been limited, it was used for construction worker parking during the building of DCA, along with additions as A Bugs Land and ToT. (The contractor unions are pretty powerful).

My guess, once the DCA improvements start this fall, part of Timon is going away to be added to DCA (Carsland) and the rest will be used for Construction workers.

For traffic flow issues (much of the Northbound 5 traffic from San Diego and South Orange County gets placed onto Disney Way going west), they need to keep the Harbor entrance, which is at the corner of Disney Way open to keep the city of Anaheim happy. But more than likely you will be going to Simba (as there is a good chance that the DtD employees will be loosing its parking in the same area, to make up for the lost Timon spaces). This will require Disney to pay for a shuttle for the DtD employees, put they can always add a special fee to the tenants.

But going back to the AP issue, in reality I have never been refused parking, and I have been in every lot. Some are obvious, such as when Disney sends you away from the M&F structure if it is full, but it has been a unofficial policy to allow you to park anywhere.

On the other hand, I have heard folks claim that while others were being allowed to park in Timon, they were given a special colored piece of paper and sent to M&F. My guess, they were coming in during a private party.

Glencie
07-20-2007, 09:38 PM
Darkbeer, thank you so much for your knowleged responses. It seems it's best to operate as if Timon does not exist. Too much of a gamble and you are correct; on hot days parking in the M&Fs lot gives you less chance of your CDs melting.

PanFan
07-20-2007, 11:04 PM
I'm still trying to figure out why they call it the "Lion King Tram" when all it services is Timon. He wasn't the Lion King. And the Simba lot doesn't get tram service. They should have some kind of offering for those who have to park so far away (Simba and Pumbaa), though I don't know how they would logistically pull it off.

Darkbeer
07-21-2007, 07:09 AM
I'm still trying to figure out why they call it the "Lion King Tram" when all it services is Timon. He wasn't the Lion King. And the Simba lot doesn't get tram service. They should have some kind of offering for those who have to park so far away (Simba and Pumbaa), though I don't know how they would logistically pull it off.

The Lion King tram used to have service to Simba (2 different stops) during the construction of DCA, it was the way hotel guests got to Disneyland. They stopped the service in either 2001 or 2002. One main reason, that a law allowing Disney to drive trams over city streets expired, and they would have to use "street legal" buses instead.

Also, they did try buses for Pummba, but with just one entrance to the bus, and folks folding up stroller, it took a long time to load and unload, and since they try and fill up Pummba as quickly as possible, the wait for the bus was really long.

If they need to open up Buzz Lightyear (the lot next to the Strawberry Field sough of Katella), then they contact Coach USA, the folks who run ART and the Disneyland Express to have buses, and I have parked there, it does take a long time to load the trams.

IMHO, they need to look into the Metro Rapid stretch buses, with the low floor on most of the bus, along with three sets of doors. But you would have to build new loading areas, as the buses need a larger turn around area