Can you walk to garage and use trams?

[ADLFAN]

Is it possible for people staying in the hotels near Mickey and Friends to walk to the garage, go through security and take the trams to the Downtown Disney drop off?

 

[mouschievous]

Technically yes, but when we stayed near there it was about the same walk to go into the parking garage and access the tram as it was to just walk to downtown Disney. That was when construction was going on (2018) so maybe it's different now.

 

[bwvBound]

That idea might make more sense for the Toy Story Parking lot with the nearest hotels along Harbor. You can walk onto the lot, get through security and ride the bus (not tram). We do that occasionally ... but given the lines at security ... we are more likely to simply walk directly from hotel to Disney's Harbor entrance/security.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Yes, but they are only accessible via the pedestrian pathway off Magic Way. There is no shortcut through the garages. As mentioned above, it may save you a few footsteps but will likely take longer than to just keep walking through DTD.

 

[DLgal]

There is literally no reason to do this. You will end up walking further and it will take at least twice as long.

 

[ADLFAN]

Thanks for the replies. I am helping my friend plan and they are staying at the Holiday Inn and Suites that is butted up to Mickey and Friends and I thought it might make it easy because they'd be past bag check already, they'd save their feet a bit and could perhaps do it on their way back to the hotel, too, and lastly, to save them from having to walk the entire length of DTD because it looks like the tram drops you off by the World of Disney store rather than the walking path that puts you way down by the DL Hotel. They have 4 day tickets and I know when we had to walk that crowded DTD corridor every day from the DLH, it got old fast.

 

[mouschievous]

Thanks for the replies. I am helping my friend plan and they are staying at the Holiday Inn and Suites that is butted up to Mickey and Friends and I thought it might make it easy because they'd be past bag check already, they'd save their feet a bit and could perhaps use do it on their way back to the hotel, too, and lastly, to save them from having to walk the entire length of DTD because it looks like the tram drops you off by the World of Disney store rather than the walking path that puts you way down by the DL Hotel.

We stayed in a house right across from that hotel in 2018 and at that point you had to walk all the way around the garage. Our friends stayed in the same house in 2015 or 2016 and they didn't have to, so the shortcut went away with the construction. But also when we were there in 2018 I'm pretty sure the hotel had a shuttle...? Well, I know they had some kind of shuttle because my SIL tried to get on it But I can't guarantee it was a DL shuttle.

 

[brightlined]

That idea might make more sense for the Toy Story Parking lot with the nearest hotels along Harbor.

Could someone theoretically just walk into the Toy Story lot and hop on a bus? I've stayed at a hotel near there before, but was hesitant to try to do that.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Could someone theoretically just walk into the Toy Story lot and hop on a bus? I've stayed at a hotel near there before, but was hesitant to try to do that.

Yes...parking in a lot is not required to hop on the trams or buses...but it is not often convenient to do so as the pedestrian access is often very limited from the outside to get to the security checkpoints and loading areas.

 

[ParkHopper1]

thought it might make it easy because they'd be past bag check already

Opposite actually. The DTD security lines on that side can be much shorter and easier to get through than the ones in the parking garage to get on the trams at peak times.

 

[bwvBound]

Could someone theoretically just walk into the Toy Story lot and hop on a bus? I've stayed at a hotel near there before, but was hesitant to try to do that.

Yes...parking in a lot is not required to hop on the trams or buses...but it is not often convenient to do so as the pedestrian access is often very limited from the outside to get to the security checkpoints and loading areas.

FWIW, walking on/off the Toy Story lot is fairly common. There are times we've actually parked in the lot and still walked to the DLR entrance on Harbor as the parking lot staff warned us of hour-long backups reaching the busses. We've also walked back from the parks to the same lot when the wait for a bus leaving DLR looked overwhelming. Thus, walking on/off the lot is accepted and nobody has ever challenged our reason for accessing the lot from either Harbor or Katella.

 

[DLgal]

Thanks for the replies. I am helping my friend plan and they are staying at the Holiday Inn and Suites that is butted up to Mickey and Friends and I thought it might make it easy because they'd be past bag check already, they'd save their feet a bit and could perhaps do it on their way back to the hotel, too, and lastly, to save them from having to walk the entire length of DTD because it looks like the tram drops you off by the World of Disney store rather than the walking path that puts you way down by the DL Hotel. They have 4 day tickets and I know when we had to walk that crowded DTD corridor every day from the DLH, it got old fast.

Unfortunately, even though the building for the structure is *right there*, there is no access point for pedestrians without going all the way to the pedestrian bridge, walking up that staircase, walking over the bridge, then having to go back down to the ground level and then wait in that security line, then wait in the tram line. I mean, by the time you get to the pedestrian bridge, it's literally just a 2 minute walk to the Downtown Disney security checkpoint, which never has a line. They have reopened the entrance near the old ESPN zone.They could then monorail into DL or just walk another 5 minutes to the front gates.

Tell your friends to walk up Walnut, turn left onto Magic way, and the right onto Downtown Drive. That walk is 0.6 miles. From there to the park gates is another 0.5mi. It's really not that bad.

Going into the structure to take the tram saves them under 1/4 mile overall. The tram drop off is still about 0.15 miles from the park gates.

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

Thank you for asking this. I came on here to ask the same question. We are also staying at the Holiday Inn and if you just look at the map it looks like it would be a great idea to go to the parking lot and take the tram.

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

Unfortunately, even though the building for the structure is *right there*, there is no access point for pedestrians without going all the way to the pedestrian bridge, walking up that staircase, walking over the bridge, then having to go back down to the ground level and then wait in that security line, then wait in the tram line. I mean, by the time you get to the pedestrian bridge, it's literally just a 2 minute walk to the Downtown Disney security checkpoint, which never has a line. They have reopened the entrance near the old ESPN zone.They could then monorail into DL or just walk another 5 minutes to the front gates.

Tell your friends to walk up Walnut, turn left onto Magic way, and the right onto Downtown Drive. That walk is 0.6 miles. From there to the park gates is another 0.5mi. It's really not that bad.

Going into the structure to take the tram saves them under 1/4 mile overall. The tram drop off is still about 0.15 miles from the park gates.

Do you mean turn right onto Disneyland Drive? I don't see a Downtown Drive on the map. Nevermind now I found it lol. So we would end up around the Disneyland Hotel and then just cross over Disneyland Drive to get to the parks or would it be better to just take Disneyland Drive off of Magic Way?

 

[DLgal]

Do you mean turn right onto Disneyland Drive? I don't see a Downtown Drive on the map. Nevermind now I found it lol. So we would end up around the Disneyland Hotel and then just cross over Disneyland Drive to get to the parks or would it be better to just take Disneyland Drive off of Magic Way?

You can't walk Disneyland Drive. There is no entry to Downtown Disney or the parks from there. The Downtown Disney walk is elevated over DIsneyland Drive. There is a bridge that you won't even realize is a bridge that crosses over it.

You need to go to the security check circled in yellow on the attached photo.

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

You can't walk Disneyland Drive. There is no entry to Downtown Disney or the parks from there. The Downtown Disney walk is elevated over DIsneyland Drive. There is a bridge that you won't even realize is a bridge that crosses over it.

You need to go to the security check circled in yellow on the attached photo. View attachment 656441

Thank you so much. I have never entered the park from this area before, in case you couldn't tell lol, so I need the help. I hope we can find our way to the security check ok. Will there be signs telling us where to go to take that bridge?

 

[DLgal]

Here is the whole walk