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Thread: Parking + Security: Which Option Would You Choose

  1. #1
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    Parking + Security: Which Option Would You Choose

    Hello all,
    I'm coming to the the resort solo on a Saturday from the L.A. Area (so taking the 5 south).

    I haven't parked at M&F since we lost the ability to walk from there across the street and out by Haagen Dazs - so I have only done security lately on the Harbor side (walking from near HoJo).

    Which of these is the most time-efficient option:

    A: Park at Mickey & Friends (with the flyover). GO through security there and take the tram

    B: Park at Mickey & Friends (with the flyover). Walk to DTD and do security there

    C: Park at Toy Story. Take tram and do security at Harbor.

    Would love pros and cons!

    Hakuna Matata
    Parent of a Princess, Disney Cruise Line Community Leader, DL College Program Alum (PM me for info) , and former Disney Store Plush Princess
    There's nothing like listening to "Feed the Birds" while sitting on the steps of St. Paul's.

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  3. #2

    Parking + Security: Which Option Would You Choose

    While I haven't done it yet tons of my friends do options A bit if security line is really long then they do B. But they all say avoid C if you can.

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  4. #3

    B.
    Security when we go is often much shorter at DD (we usually arrive early Sunday or Saturday). We have been known to order Starbucks when we get out of the car, walk in through DD, and it's just ready when we arrive. This has the advantage of not requiring a wait for the tram.

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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveMartin View Post
    B.
    Security when we go is often much shorter at DD (we usually arrive early Sunday or Saturday). We have been known to order Starbucks when we get out of the car, walk in through DD, and it's just ready when we arrive. This has the advantage of not requiring a wait for the tram.
    Love the Starbucks tip - I think I'll use that. Can you walk me through the new route? Off the escalator and then what?
    Hakuna Matata
    Parent of a Princess, Disney Cruise Line Community Leader, DL College Program Alum (PM me for info) , and former Disney Store Plush Princess
    There's nothing like listening to "Feed the Birds" while sitting on the steps of St. Paul's.

  6. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Niwel View Post
    Love the Starbucks tip - I think I'll use that. Can you walk me through the new route? Off the escalator and then what?
    Make a U-turn at the bottom of the escalator so you're facing the structure**. To the left of the restrooms you should see a fence and a sign for the walkway to DD. There will be CMs there acting as crossing guards as you have to cross the tram pathway to access the walkway. Then, walk towards the unused gate booth at the edge of the open lot and cross the street and you'll on the walkway towards DL hotel - make a short jog to the left before the hotel and you'll see the security checkpoint at the cul-de-sac near ESPN Zone.

    **We usually take the stairs down to ground level which puts you in the open lot by the structure without having ot cross the tram path.
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  7. #6
    Romance @ Disney Goddess
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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveMartin View Post
    Make a U-turn at the bottom of the escalator so you're facing the structure**. To the left of the restrooms you should see a fence and a sign for the walkway to DD. There will be CMs there acting as crossing guards as you have to cross the tram pathway to access the walkway. Then, walk towards the unused gate booth at the edge of the open lot and cross the street and you'll on the walkway towards DL hotel - make a short jog to the left before the hotel and you'll see the security checkpoint at the cul-de-sac near ESPN Zone.
    That sounds like a great option.

    So like a 10-15 minute walk?
    Hakuna Matata
    Parent of a Princess, Disney Cruise Line Community Leader, DL College Program Alum (PM me for info) , and former Disney Store Plush Princess
    There's nothing like listening to "Feed the Birds" while sitting on the steps of St. Paul's.

  8. #7

    Yep.

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  9. #8

    I've found that there is no one-size-fits-all answer here. I've found M&F security to a breeze or agonizingly slow with no pattern as to when it will be like that. As far as walking, it's sort of the same thing. I've seen it really backed up at DTD and I've seen them skip the metal detectors, making it faster, but there's no way I could have predicted that. I tend to go to Toy Story and enter on Harbor because lately I haven't been getting right on the freeway to go home.


  10. #9
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
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    Don't forget that this weekend is a race weekend, so beware of possible road closures in the area in the early mornings.

    Pam
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  11. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pammer View Post
    Don't forget that this weekend is a race weekend, so beware of possible road closures in the area in the early mornings.
    Oh shoot - that's right. They are telling racers/spectators to park at M&F. Looks like it's Harbor....
    Hakuna Matata
    Parent of a Princess, Disney Cruise Line Community Leader, DL College Program Alum (PM me for info) , and former Disney Store Plush Princess
    There's nothing like listening to "Feed the Birds" while sitting on the steps of St. Paul's.

  12. #11

    If you park at toy story be prepared for a line that is over an hour long. A tip here, you can stand on the bus but they never call for standing only so just walk up when it fills and ask for standing and go right in. I would never park there if I had a choice.

    Flyover from Mickey and Friends and if you want to walk to DTD then take the monorail right in just past security if the park is already open. I don't think that is any faster than the tram.

    For security at M/F the line to the farthest right as you are looking at it is almost always shortest. They all move pretty fast though.

    For the tram just walk up. A single should be able to walk right on without much trouble as most groups won't fit what is left.

    If you are real sneaky, the handicapped bus is at the end of the tramway. I have never tried it but I have seen a few get on without any visible impairment.

    Mickey and Friends will open 30 minutes before the earliest entry to the park so if there is a magic hour or extra hour that starts at 7 the parking will open at 6:30.

    Good Luck
    .


  13. #12

    We park at M&F, then check the congestion at the security tents before descending on the escalators. If the lines look long, we know we'll be heading for DTD. If the lines look short, we head for the trams. It's just helpful for us to know before we get on the escalators which way we'll be heading.


  14. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by binki View Post
    If you park at toy story be prepared for a line that is over an hour long. A tip here, you can stand on the bus but they never call for standing only so just walk up when it fills and ask for standing and go right in. I would never park there if I had a choice.

    Flyover from Mickey and Friends and if you want to walk to DTD then take the monorail right in just past security if the park is already open. I don't think that is any faster than the tram.

    For security at M/F the line to the farthest right as you are looking at it is almost always shortest. They all move pretty fast though.

    For the tram just walk up. A single should be able to walk right on without much trouble as most groups won't fit what is left.

    If you are real sneaky, the handicapped bus is at the end of the tramway. I have never tried it but I have seen a few get on without any visible impairment.

    Mickey and Friends will open 30 minutes before the earliest entry to the park so if there is a magic hour or extra hour that starts at 7 the parking will open at 6:30.

    Good Luck
    .
    Wouldn't M&F be open early on race weekend?

    Just remember that the structure is designed for mass entries or mass exits. When there are lots of people attempting to enter AND exit it gets ugly (i.e. when racers leave in the am).
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  15. #14
    Disneyphiles Janis and Aaron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by binki View Post
    If you park at toy story be prepared for a line that is over an hour long. A tip here, you can stand on the bus but they never call for standing only so just walk up when it fills and ask for standing and go right in. I would never park there if I had a choice.
    Are you saying that the line at Toy Story would be over an hour long because it's a race weekend? Because if you're saying that's typical at TS, I have to tell you that you're dead wrong. That's the lot I always use in my frequent trips to the park, and it is a dream! Buses are usually frequent, are air conditioned, and have comfortable seats. There is a queue to get on - no mad dash like for the M&F trams. If it's a busy time, they usually have a ton of buses ready to jump into service. There are some far-flung areas of the lot so you may have a bit of a hot walk on a busy day, but you don't have the choke point of escalators to get to your car. The line to get into M&F can be much slower, and getting out at a busy time can be just awful (ask my friend, who was stuck in traffic inside M&F after the 4th of July fireworks to the point where her car did not move one foot in an hour).

    I have only had one bad bus experience at TS in probably a hundred uses.
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  16. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Janis and Aaron View Post
    Are you saying that the line at Toy Story would be over an hour long because it's a race weekend? Because if you're saying that's typical at TS, I have to tell you that you're dead wrong. That's the lot I always use in my frequent trips to the park, and it is a dream! Buses are usually frequent, are air conditioned, and have comfortable seats. There is a queue to get on - no mad dash like for the M&F trams. If it's a busy time, they usually have a ton of buses ready to jump into service. There are some far-flung areas of the lot so you may have a bit of a hot walk on a busy day, but you don't have the choke point of escalators to get to your car. The line to get into M&F can be much slower, and getting out at a busy time can be just awful (ask my friend, who was stuck in traffic inside M&F after the 4th of July fireworks to the point where her car did not move one foot in an hour).

    I have only had one bad bus experience at TS in probably a hundred uses.
    You must be in a different TS lot that I have been at. I guess it depends on the time of day or I have just been unlucky. The cars lined up to get in is long, the lot is a mess, the buses do not get fully loaded and the lines are long to get on them and worse going back. The only good thing is being able to walk up to a 'full' bus and ask for standing room and get on. Other than that I will take the tram any day.

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