How to walk to Disneyland from Motels north of Mickey and Friends?

[Boku41]

We are staying at the Super 8 north of Ball Rd and the Mickey and Friends parking lot. How do you walk to the park with the new security. It used to be you could catch the tram. Have they changed this? Anyone have any ideas?

 

[biochemgirl]

I'm interested too! I haven't stayed at that end of the parks since the changes and wonder how rasily/quickly we could get into the parks now.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

From the Super 8, you will go south on Disneyland Dr. to the crosswalk at Ball Rd. Cross Disneyland Dr. heading east to the side where the Majestic Garden Hotel is (opposite the gas station). (You must be on the Majestic Garden side because the sidewalk will end shortly after you cross Ball on the gas station side.) Cross Ball Rd. going south (still on Disneyland Dr.). You will see the M&F parking structure across the street on your right hand side. Keep heading south until you get to the light and crosswalk at Magic Way. Cross there heading west toward the parking structure. Keep heading west on Magic Way and look for a path/entrance on your right side that will lead you toward the structure. Follow that path into the parking area and into the ground level of the structure. It will lead you around and into the bag check zone past the escalators. Go through bag check/security, then follow everyone else toward the tram boarding area (that is in the same place as it was before). This isn't complicated, and once you've done it, it will be easy to do again. Hope this makes sense.

 

[Boku41]

Thanks!

 

[StormyCA]

I think I'd just take an Uber over to Harbor.

 

[2Bnºoºt2B]

I walked to Walgreens from DL Hotel yesterday morning - 1st time back to Disneyland in 25 years so amazed with all the changes. Saw the crowds lined up to get in at the Main entrance as I walked against the flow - wow - no way I was going to walk back - especially loaded up with bottles of H2O pop and such. Took an Uber back to the hotel - even brought back take-out breakfasts from the IHOP next to the Walgreens. Yup - things certainly have changed

 

[Lesley Wake]

From the Super 8, you will go south on Disneyland Dr. to the crosswalk at Ball Rd. Cross Disneyland Dr. heading east to the side where the Majestic Garden Hotel is (opposite the gas station). (You must be on the Majestic Garden side because the sidewalk will end shortly after you cross Ball on the gas station side.) Cross Ball Rd. going south (still on Disneyland Dr.). You will see the M&F parking structure across the street on your right hand side. Keep heading south until you get to the light and crosswalk at Magic Way. Cross there heading west toward the parking structure. Keep heading west on Magic Way and look for a path/entrance on your right side that will lead you toward the structure. Follow that path into the parking area and into the ground level of the structure. It will lead you around and into the bag check zone past the escalators. Go through bag check/security, then follow everyone else toward the tram boarding area (that is in the same place as it was before). This isn't complicated, and once you've done it, it will be easy to do again. Hope this makes sense.

Have you done this recently? I heard they closed off that pathway (made it Castmember only). So now anyone staying at the Super 8 would need to go south to Ball Road, then east on Ball Road, crossing the freeway overpass. Then South on Harbor Blvd (crossing the freeway again) til you reach the east Disney entrance. In total it would be about 1.2 miles, or 25 minutes.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Have you done this recently? I heard they closed off that pathway (made it Castmember only). So now anyone staying at the Super 8 would need to go south to Ball Road, then east on Ball Road, crossing the freeway overpass. Then South on Harbor Blvd (crossing the freeway again) til you reach the east Disney entrance. In total it would be about 1.2 miles, or 25 minutes.

Yes, we just did this over the summer. This route from the hotels north of Ball around M&F to the trams goes over almost all public sidewalks (on Disneyland Dr., Ball Rd., and Magic Way), so it is unlikely that Disney would close that off for CM only access. The pathway that goes from Magic Way to M&F goes through the tram parking lot, and as of this past summer, that was still open. If that has been closed, the OP can still continue walking on Magic Way (heading west) to the first light (the intersection for Downtown Disney), turn right, and head straight for the structure and the trams (we do this often -- as recently as a week or so ago).
You might have been thinking of the shortcut people were taking from Ball Rd. through the Pluto lot to get to M&F and the trams (S. West Pl.). That access has been cut off to the public and is now CM only. The pathway that goes behind DTD from Disneyland Dr. was also made CM only at the beginning of the year when all the security changes were made. Thus my suggested route to the OP of sticking to the public sidewalks on the perimeter of M&F, then going through the structure to get to the tram security stations, then boarding the trams. There is no need for the OP to walk to Harbor unless he chooses to go that way. We usually find bag check at M&F or DTD to go much faster than the bag check on the Harbor side.

 

[Boku41]

Is it possible to just stay east of Disneyland Dr and walk all the way to Downtown Disney? Or have they shut that off for security reasons?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Coming from the Super 8, you would follow the same route to get to Magic Way. Take Disneyland Dr. south and cross at Magic Way heading west, continue on Magic Way until you get to the light. That intersection is for M&F (turn right) or DTD (turn left). The sidewalk for DTD is on the right side of the street only, so you'll have to cross at the light first (west), then cross Magic Way (south) to head for DTD. Follow everyone else -- you'll see the DLH ahead on your right and the ESPN Zone and Rainforest Cafe on your left. You'll go through bag check between those two restaurants before entering DTD. The lines usually aren't very long there.
There used to be a path from Disneyland Dr. that ran east behind DTD to the tram stop, but that was made CM only access earlier this year.

 

[Boku41]

Thanks for your help!

 

[JinxedSydney]

Disregard...question answered above.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

To update this thread:
The pedestrian access for M&F is currently at the corner of Disneyland Dr. and Magic Way -- quite clear and easy to find, and a bit closer than the old pedestrian path. Enter the pathway at that corner and walk (CMs guide the way as you cross the tram route) to bag check. Go through bag check (generally quick and easy), then board the trams to DTD.
The walk to DTD from Disneyland Dr. remains the same as before: continue on Magic Way to the signal and crosswalk for DTD, cross heading toward the DLH and ESPN Zone, go through bag check at either the station by the DLH (EOS and ESPN Zone) or the station between ESPN Zone and Rainforest Cafe. Then walk through DTD to the esplanade.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Hopefully, these diagrams/maps will help with the explanations above:

 

[Bound and Rebound]

Hi is the entrance to the tram parking lot still open? On the maps above there is actually no walkway where the green dotted line turns North and into the tram turn-around. The walkway used to be just to the west (left) of that turn around, on the map on my MacBook, which seems more up to date than the screen shots above as it shows the old loading area closed, it’s hard to tell if that sidewalk/opening into the lot is still open. If it’s not open anymore, could one walk up to the light at Magic Way/Downtown Dr and turn North to access the structure/trams? We are staying at the holiday inn on walnut and would want to come in from the west. Thanks

 

[Bound and Rebound]

I just re-read lucky rabbit's post above, got it, thanks!!

 

[MIChessGuy]

I was surprised to see the West Place shortcut from Ball Road, noted earlier in this thread as being non-public for some time, still listed as available in the 2019 Unofficial Guide to Disneyland. Seems like their updating could use some, uh...updating.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We haven't had any recent, reliable reports that people have been able to use that shortcut consistently in some time. If it's happening, people aren't reporting it here. But we have had reports in the past of people being turned away at the gate to the Pluto lot once the security changes happened.

 

[MARCIAKAZ]

Just wondering if anyone knows the current/near future situation for walking from Ball Rd. hotels (Springhill Suites, specifically) to trams, or to to parks? Still as diagrammed above? Also, about how long does it take to walk to trams/park? Finally - how long is the tram ride, and where does it drop off? Thanks in advance!!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Just wondering if anyone knows the current/near future situation for walking from Ball Rd. hotels (Springhill Suites, specifically) to trams, or to to parks? Still as diagrammed above? Also, about how long does it take to walk to trams/park? Finally - how long is the tram ride, and where does it drop off? Thanks in advance!!

The situation two weeks ago was the same as described in the most recent posts above. From the intersection of Ball Rd. and Disneyland Dr., the walk to M&F/Pixar Pals is about 10 minutes or so depending on the signal (that's a major intersection). After about a 5 minute ride, the tram drops you off in DTD, just opposite WOD and La Brea Bakery. It's about a 3-5 minute walk to the gates from there. To walk all the way to the parks from Ball Rd. & Disneyland Dr., it's about 25+ minutes depending on how fast you walk and whether you stop anywhere in DTD. If you choose to enter DL through the monorail entrance (assuming that it's open) on the west end of DTD, that would shorten your walk by a few minutes.