Disneyland Parking | Tips, Guide & Discounts!
With four different parking areas as well as multiple pricing structures, parking at Disneyland can often be a bit confusing.
Our Ultimate Disneyland Parking Guide is here to give you all of the best tips, deals, and need-to-know information to ensure the smoothest arrival possible when parking at Disneyland!
Frequently Asked Questions About Disneyland Parking + Our Tips:
- What Are The Disneyland Parking Options & Locations?
- How Much Does Disneyland Parking Cost?
- What Time Does Disneyland Parking Open?
- Where Is The Best Place To Park For Disneyland?
- Is Electric Vehicle Parking Available?
- Is Handicap Parking Available?
- Is Preferred Parking Worth It?
- Savings & Discounts On Disneyland Parking!
What Are The Disneyland Parking Options & Locations?
There are four different parking locations available to you when visiting Disneyland:
- Pixar Pals Parking Structure
- Mickey & Friends Parking Structure
- Toy Story Parking Area
- Simba Parking Lot
Pixar Pals and Mickey & Friends Parking Structures are going to be the two primary parking options at Disneyland.
A majority of the guests coming to Disneyland each day will park at either of these two parking structures as it's the most convenient place to park when visiting Disneyland.
The Toy Story Parking Area will require walking to Disneyland's main entrance or taking a shuttle provided by Disneyland. This parking area is often used as the overflow lot when the main parking structures reach capacity.
If you have an oversized vehicle (large truck, RV, bus) you'll need to park at the Toy Story Parking Area. There is no oversized vehicle parking available at Pixar Pals or Mickey & Friends.
The Toy Story Parking Area is a little less than a mile away from Disneyland which is roughly a 15-minute walk. While it's not too far of a distance, we highly recommend taking the shuttles provided by Disneyland for their convenience and air conditioning.
The final parking option is the Simba Parking Lot.
The Simba Parking Lot is primarily reserved for Downtown Disney guests, and we don't recommend parking here.
You'll find two different parking options available at the Disneyland parking locations as well:
- Standard Parking
- Preferred Parking
You'll find both preferred and standard options available at the Mickey & Friends as well as Pixar Pals Parking Structures. While over at the Toy Story Lot, you'll only have the standard parking option available to you.
Standard Parking is your basic parking option and what most guests of Disneyland purchase each day.
Preferred Parking is a premium parking option that places you closer to escalators, stairs, and elevators for a shorter walk through the parking structure - meaning you'll get to Disneyland a bit faster this way!
How Much Does Disneyland Parking Cost?
Disneyland parking fees vary depending on where you end up parking your car. We've outlined all of the options below:
Pixar Pals + Mickey & Friends Parking Structures
- Standard Parking (Car or Motorcycle): $35
- Preferred Parking: $55
Toy Story Parking Area
- Standard Parking (Car or Motorcycle): $35
- Oversized Vehicle Parking: $40
- Bus Parking: $45
We don't recommend parking at the Simba Lot (Downtown Disney parking), but you can find the whole breakdown of how much it'll cost at Downtown Disney here.
What Time Does Disneyland Parking Open?
You can expect Disneyland parking to open about 60 minutes before the earliest park opening time for the day.
This means that if Disneyland opens at 8 AM and California Adventure opens at 9 AM then you can expect parking to open at around 7 AM. Always plan around the earlier opening time!
During peak travel season such as around the holidays, spring break and summer parking may open a bit earlier than 60 minutes before, so it might not be a bad idea to arrive extra early if you want to be among the first people to get into the parking structures.
Where Is The Best Place To Park For Disneyland?
The best place to park for Disneyland or California Adventure is going to be the Pixar Pals or Mickey & Friends Parking Structures.
The Pixar Pals structure is slightly closer to Disneyland if you'll be walking, but if you're taking the complimentary shuttle tram (the recommended option) both structures are equal distance.
We wouldn't put too much thought into deciding between Pixar Pals or Mickey & Friends because they're nearly identical in every way that matters.
The Toy Story Parking Area is a distant second in our books in terms of where to park.
Unless you're arriving in an oversized vehicle or bus, in which case you must park at the Toy Story Parking Area, there's no real reason to do so.
Is Electric Vehicle Parking Available?
Electric Vehicle (EV) parking is available at Disneyland, but your options are going to be very limited.
We wouldn't recommend planning on charging your car at Disneyland because of how few spots are available and how quickly they get taken.
Is Handicap Parking Available?
Handicap parking is available at all of the Disneyland parking locations. Guests much present a disabled parking placard or license plate to access handicapped parking at Disneyland.
There are no discounts or free options for Handicap parking.
Is Preferred Parking Worth It?
More often than not we choose to skip on Preferred Parking as we don't mind a bit of extra walking on our Disneyland trips.
However, after a very long day in the parks, especially in the summer heat, having a shorter walk back to our car always sounds nice.
Preferred Parking will probably save you on average about 5 minutes of walking time (a couple of hundred steps), but can be more or less depending on where exactly you leave your car within the Preferred Parking area. Disney Cast Members direct you to a parking spot, so unfortunately you don't get to pick the best spot yourself.
If you don't mind walking a lot then Preferred Parking likely isn't worth it for you.
If you want to save as much time and energy as possible for your time at Disneyland and California Adventure, then you might find some value in Preferred Parking!
Savings & Discounts On Disneyland Parking!
The best way to get a discount or even free parking at Disneyland is by having a Magic Key.
If you possess an Inspire Key (the most premium version of the Magic Key) then you'll have free parking at Disneyland for as long as your Magic Key is valid.
The Dream Key on the other hand provides you with a 50% off discount on parking.
The smallest discounts on parking are with the Enchant and Imagine Key gets you a discount of 25% at the Toy Story Parking Area, but no discount at the Mickey & Friends or Pixar Pals parking structures.
LEARN MORE ABOUT DISNEYLAND!
How To Get Free Parking At Disneyland
How To Get Downtown Disney Parking Validation
Disneyland Tips: The Best Time Of Year To Visit!
Disneyland Hotel Parking Guide