If you’re group is larger, you need the flexibility of having a car close by to get somewhere in a timely fashion or you just happened to find the one hotel without a shuttle then parking at the park may not be an option. In this case do your best to get to the Mickey & Friends structure. This structure is massive – the size of some small shopping centers and while that means a lot of people waiting to get on the trams from the lot to the park (a 5 minute ride) it’s also covered parking, lit parking, large parking, closest to the park and there’s even restrooms right at the lot.

Opposite the Mickey & Friends lot is the XX lot which is a much smaller uncovered lot that’s often quicker to get in and out of than Mickey & Friends. However this lot fills quickly and can be a longer walk than the structure. You also run a higher risk of being diverted to one of the non-tram serviced long-walk away lots if you approach this lot first.

If you’re visiting the park only for a few hours (perhaps after a lunch out) there’s a small uncovered lot in Downtown Disney. While this lot states it is not for theme park parking there’s just about no way they can enforce this for just a few hours as downtown Disney has a theatre and restaurants that people spend all evening at. This lot charges you by the hour although validation from just about any store gives you several hours free. Shortly after park close the lot generally opens up with no charge at all. Don’t push your luck and try to park here all day but for a few hours in the evening it’s free and close by.

Note: The Mickey & Friends lot is located behind the park and requires you to come in and make a u-turn from most entrances. Simply go past the Grand Californian, Downtown Disney and turn around to enter the lot. The signs pointing you to Disneyland parking on Harbor Blvd. will take you to outdoor lots first unless traffic is being directed to Mickey & Friends.

If you’re flying in the nearest local airport is John Wayne/ Orange County (SNA) which while fairly small (just 1 terminal with less than 20 gates) receives flights from all over the US every day. Because the airport is just 15-20 minutes to the park there’s a lot of “Disney” about it and you’ll find easy access to park shuttles, hotel shuttles as well as rental cars onsite. John Wayne’s small size also makes it a quick in-and-out with security lines often under 20 minutes.

Unfortunately John Wayne doesn’t get flights from everywhere and the flights they do get can be a lot more expensive than those to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) located about 45-60 minutes away. LAX is a major airport serving dozens of carriers with flight routes from all around the world. Like with SNA there’s an abundance of transit options but because it’s almost 50 miles from the airport to the park it can cost $50 or more for private transportation. If you do end up hiring transportation from LAX always use a flat-fee service as traffic can cause hours of delays and you don’t want a cab meter running! LAX is also a busy airport and while that means more food choices when you’re waiting to leave expect and plan for long security lines and delays during peak periods.

Money Saving Tip: If John Wayne is too pricey, fly into Long Beach Airport (LBA) located about 25 minutes from the park. While even smaller than John Wayne Jetblue serves this airport and often has great ticket deals.

If you’re driving remember that while you may not technically be in LA, you’re going to hit what we locals would call “LA traffic” which is bad. Rush hour doesn’t end here; it just gets worse at times and less worse at others but generally staying off the freeways from 8-10 and 3-7 ideal. Luckily many of the freeways (including all of I-5) have dedicated carpool lanes with just 2 passengers required to qualify 24 hours a day. No kids? No problem, you’re still in and often times flying.

As far as how to drive there, well Google maps can do the directions but put basically get to Disney drive or Harbor Blvd. in Anaheim and find your way to the hotel or right to one of the park entrances. Things are well marked and easy to find… for the most part. And don’t worry if you get a bit lost either, everyone around you is looking at signs or telling their kids to quiet down anyways.

Need Gas? Fuel near the park isn’t the cheapest in the area but it isn’t horrible either. You can find two nice stations with mini-marts by the Mickey & Friends Parking structure entrance.

Need snacks? Before you drive back head a few miles down Harbor Blvd. past most of the hotels and you’ll find a Target and a supermarket to stock up on whatever drinks and snacks you need for the drive home.