Disneyland Parking over the Years

YEARS ~ PARKING FEES ~ PARKING DETAILS

Disneyland parking entrance off Harbor Blvd ~  circa 1959

Imagine the thrill as a child, you are heading south on Harbor Blvd. through the quaint town of Brea. You pass the city plunge on the right and you know that you are that much closer to your destination. Your family has been saving for months for this day. From the back seat you lean forward, anxiously looking for the one site that will confirm you are near…. the snow-covered MATTERHORN MOUNTAIN! This was the dream of so many excited children over the years… a trip to DISNEYLAND!

This blog page is the product of over 35 years of actively collecting Disney paper media and many months of research and typing to compile this list. The following information is gleaned from vintage Disneyland Today guides, parking ticket stubs, photos of price signs taken at the park, various vintage Disneyland brochures and other park media. This is dedicated to all the castmembers who worked at the parking entrance, directed traffic, drove trams, and provided assistance to weary drivers!

Disneyland quite often changed their prices at various times during the year, the following information is as close as I could obtain but will occasionally differ. Where information is missing, it is because I could not find any information…. YET! Enjoy!

The Original Disneyland Parking lot was located at 1313 South Harbor Boulevard in Anaheim, California. The entrance was found between Ball Road and Katella Street on the west side of Harbor Boulevard. The original parking lot was approximately 100 acres, although only 50% of it was used the first few years. As parking needs grew, so did the parking lot.

Opening day to the general public was Monday, July 18, 1955

From 1955 thru 1956, the DISNEYLAND PARKING LOT fee was $ 0.25.

Disneyland Hotel Parking tour ~ circa 1956

• Parking lot includes 12 sections and 20 aisles.
• Sections are labeled A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, and M with aisles 1 - 20 in each section.
• Guests are transported from their parking sections by trams that stop at the ends of the rows of each section and transport guests to the Main Entrance of the park. These trams were yellow and pulled by a tractor engine. Guests faced forward in rows that seat 3 to 4 across. 
• On March 18, 1955, ground-breaking began for the Wrather-Alvarez Corp’s DISNEYLAND HOTEL being built across from the Disneyland parking lot on Center Street [Later to be West street/Disneyland Drive]. 
• In October 1955, the DISNEYLAND HOTEL was opened to the west of Disneyland with 204 new rooms, gourmet restaurants and an Olympic sized swimming pool located at 216 East Center Street Anaheim. [which is now Disneyland Drive] Guests could reach the hotel front desk by calling KE-(keystone) 5-8171. Guests from the Disneyland Hotel could get to the main entrance of the park by tram via the Tram waiting station located near the shop at the front of the hotel. These yellow trams were pulled by diesel tractors and guests faced looking out of the sides of the small tram cars.

In 1957, the DISNEYLAND PARKING LOT fee was still $ 0.25.

• Parking lot includes 12 sections and 30 aisles.
• Sections are labeled A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, and M with aisles 1 - 30 to add more room for cars.

From 1958 thru 1960, the DISNEYLAND PARKING LOT fee was still $ 0.25.

• Parking lot includes 13 sections and 30 aisles. 
• Sections are labeled A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M and R with aisles 1 thru 30. An “R” section was added.

From 1961 thru 1963, the DISNEYLAND PARKING LOT fee was still $ 0.25.

• Parking lot sections include 13 sections and 30 aisles.
• Sections are labeled A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, R, and X with an “X”-tra lot added and no “E” lot.
• 1961 ~ There are now two ways to travel from the DISNEYLAND HOTEL to the park entrance 1] the HOTEL TRAM SERVICE or 2] the new MONORAIL SYSTEM which takes you directly into the park disembarking from the Tomorrowland Station.

From 1964 thru 1966, the parking lot fee was still $ 0.25.

• Parking lot sections include 13 sections and 30 aisles.
• Parking sections were not changed.

In 1967, the parking lot fee was RAISED to $ 0.50.

• Parking lot sections include 14 sections and 30 aisles.
• Sections are labeled B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, R, U, V and X with aisles 1 thru 30 with the      parking lot sections reconfigured. [No A with U and V added.]

From 1968 thru 1970, the parking lot fee was $ 0.50.

• Parking lot sections include 14 sections and 30 aisles.
• Sections are labeled B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, R, U, V and X with aisles 1 thru 30.
• 1969 ~ The original TRAM ENGINES are replaced with compressed natural gas engines. The tram bodies stay the same.

In 1971, the parking lot fee remained $ 0.50.

• Parking lot sections include 17 sections and 25 aisles.
• Sections are labeled B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, R, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z with aisles 1 thru 25 with the addition of the W,Y and Z sections

From 1972 thru 1974, the parking lot fee was $ 0.50.

• Parking lot sections include 17 sections and 30 aisles.
• Sections are labeled B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, R, U, V, W, X, Y and Z with aisles 1 thru 30 with 5 more aisles added in some sections.
• 1972 ~ A new fleet of PARKING LOT TRAMS arrives at Disneyland.

From 1975 thru 1977, the parking lot fee was $ 0.50. 

• Parking lot sections include 26 sections and 30 aisles.
• Sections are labeled A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y and Z with aisles 1 thru 30. 

From 1978 thru 1982, the parking lot fee was RAISED to $ 1.00.

• Parking lot sections include 18 Sections with 25 aisles.
• Sections are labeled A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, U, V, R, M, W, Y, and Z with aisles 1 thru 25.

In 1983, the parking lot fee was still $1.00.

• Parking lot sections include 18 Sections with 25 aisles.
• Sections are labeled A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, U, V, R, M, W, Y, and Z with aisles 1 thru 25.

In 1984, the parking lot fee was $ 2.00.

• Parking lot sections include 17 sections with 25 aisles.
• Sections are labeled B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, R, U, V, W, X, Y and Z with aisles 1 thru 25.

In 1985, the parking lot fee was $ 2.00.

• Parking lot sections include 17 sections with 25 aisles.
• Sections are labeled B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, R, U, V, W, X, Y and Z with aisles 1 thru 25.

1986 parking lot map

In 1986, the parking lot fee was RAISED to $ 3.00.

• Parking lot included 19 sections with 20 aisles.
• Parking sections were now assigned names for the parking sections based on Disney characters including: 

• ALICE ~ BAMBI ~ DONALD ~ EEYORE
• FLOWER ~ GOOFY ~ HAPPY ~ JIMINY CRICKETT
• KANGA ~ KING LOUIE ~ MICKEY ~ MINNIE
• OWL ~ PINOCCHIO ~ ROBIN HOOD ~ SLEEPY
• TINKER BELL ~ THUMPER  ~ WINNIE THE POOH 
• with aisles 1 thru 20 in each section.

From 1987 thru 1988, the parking lot fee stayed at $ 3.00.

• Parking lot included 19 sections with 20 aisles.
• Parking sections were now assigned names for the parking sections based on Disney characters with aisles 1 thru 20 in each section.

In 1989 thru 1990, the parking lot fee was RAISED to $ 5.00 

[with a $ 10.00 Seasonal parking pass available.]

• Parking lot included 19 sections with 20 aisles.
• Parking sections were now assigned names for the parking sections based on Disney characters with aisles 1 thru 20 in each section.

From 1991 thru 1993, the parking lot fee was RAISED to $ 6.00 

[a $15.00 Seasonal parking pass available]

• Parking lot included 19 sections with 20 aisles with the same character names as the previous years.

From 1994 thru 1999, the parking lot fee was RAISED to $7.00 

[a $9.00 VIP 1-DAY parking pass was offered.]

• Parking lot included 19 sections with 20 aisles with the same character names as the previous years.
• On March 3, 1995, the EEYORE SECTION of the original parking lot is downsized to provide room for the backstage area of Indiana Jones: Temple of the Forbidden Eye.
• In June of 1998, the original parking lot is closed to begin construction on Disney California Adventure. The MICKEY and SLEEPY parking lot sections located behind the south side of the Disney California Adventure Construction are renamed the TIMON parking lot.
• In 1999, Tram service from the DISNEYLAND HOTEL is discontinued when construction begins on Disney’s California Adventure.

The original parking lot located south of the Main Entrance to Disneyland began with a total of 12,175 parking spaces. Before it closed, it had been expanded to include 15,167 parking spaces. With the addition of a second gated theme park. It was closed forever!

Original parking lot in 1956 and the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure 2016

From JULY 24, 2000 thru 2002, the new Disneyland MICKEY & FRIENDS parking structure fee is $ 10.00.

• The Mickey and Friends parking structure opens on July 24, 2000 with 10,281 new parking spaces at a cost of $90,000,000. 

There are 6 levels including:

·       CHIP & DALE [brown level #1]

·       DAISY [purple level #2]

·       MICKEY [red level # 3]

·       GOOFY [green level #4]

·       DONALD [blue level #5]

·       MINNIE [pink level #6]

• Aisles are mark with number for your row and an alphabetic letter for the section within that row. Guests are picked up at a loading station located at the south end of the parking structure.
• Also opened is the PINOCCHIO overflow and oversized vehicles parking lot on the northeast corner of  Walnut Street and Disney Way with access from Disneyland Drive.
• In 2002, A part of the TIMON parking lot is used to build the new, A Bug's Life area of Disney’s California Adventure.

From 2003 thru 2006, The Mickey & Friends parking structure fee is $ 12.00.

• Aisles are mark with number for your row and an alphabetic letter for the section within that row.
• Guests are picked up at a loading station located at the south end of the parking structure.
• In 2004, a portion of the TIMON parking lot is used to build the new, Hollywood Tower of Terror.

From 2007 thru 2009, the Mickey & Friends parking structure fee is $ 14.00.

• Aisles are mark with number for your row and an alphabetic letter for the section within that row.
• Guests are picked up at a loading station located at the south end of the parking structure.
• In December 2008, the diesel run tram engines were replaced with 16 NEW TRAM ENGINES that were fueled by compressed natural gas to run cheaper, be environmentally safer and run more efficiently.
• On July 6, 2009, the TIMON parking lot is completely closed to make room for the construction of Car's Land.

From 2010 thru 2012, the Mickey & Friends parking structure fee is $ 15.00.

• Aisles are mark with number for your row and an alphabetic letter for the section within that row.
• Guests are picked up at a loading station located at the south end of the parking structure.
• On March 19, 2010, the TOY STORY PARKING LOT is opened on Harbor Boulevard across from the Anaheim Convention Center on March 19, 2010. Its sections include WOODY, JESSE, and BUZZ LIGHTYEAR.
• In May 2010, safety doors are added to the PARKING STRUCTURE TRAMS.

In 2013, the MICKEY & FRIENDS PARKING STRUCTURE fee is $ 16.00.

• Aisles are mark with number for your row and an alphabetic letter for the section within that row.
• Guests are picked up at a loading station located at the south end of the parking structure.
• In 2013, the SIMBA PARKING LOT located behind the Paradise Pier Hotel lot is used for employee parking only and occasional special event volunteers.

From 2014 thru 2015, the MICKEY & FRIENDS PARKING STRUCTURE fee is $ 17.00.

• Aisles are mark with number for your row and an alphabetic letter for the section within that row.
• Guests are picked up at a loading station located at the south end of the parking structure.

In 2016, the MICKEY & FRIENDS PARKING STRUCTURE fee is $ 18.00.

• Aisles are mark with number for your row and an alphabetic letter for the section within that row.
• Guests are picked up at a loading station located at the south end of the parking structure.
• In 2016, the PUMBA PARKING LOT with 1300 spaces opens. It is located on Disney Way off of Harbor Blvd. It is used for overflow guest parking during busy seasons and castmember parking. Although originally intended as space for a parking structure this never happened.

From 2017 thru 2018, the MICKEY & FRIENDS PARKING STRUCTURE fee is $ 20.00.

• Aisles are mark with number for your row and an alphabetic letter for the section within that row.
• Guests are picked up at a loading station located at the south end of the parking structure.
• In 2017, 455 more parking spaces are added to the TOY STORY PARKING LOT.
• In March of 2018, the MICKEY & FRIENDS TRAM loading area is moved from the previous loading plaza to the ground floor CHIP & DALE PARKING LEVEL and new security check stations are added. The PINOCCHIO PARKING LOT is also closed for construction of the new sister parking structure.

From 2019 thru 2020, the PIXAR PALS and MICKEY & FRIENDS PARKING STRUCTURES fee is $ 25.00.

• Aisles are mark with number for your row and an alphabetic letter for the section within that row.
• Guests are picked up at a loading station located at the south end of the parking structure. 
• On June 30, 2019, the PIXAR PALS PARKING STRUCTURE opens with 6,500 more spaces on 6 levels including:

·       INCREDIBLES      [grey level #1]

·       COCO                     [purple level #2]

·       CARS                      [red level #3]

·       MONSTERS INC   [green level #4]

·       FINDING NEMO   [blue level #5]

·       INSIDE OUT          [pink level #6]

On October 7, 2019, Disneyland announces that all children must be removed from the strollers and all strollers must be folded up prior to boarding the PARKING STRUCTURE TRAMS. They will also no longer allow double strollers or wagons.

In 2019, 2,150 more parking spaces are added to the TOY STORY PARKING LOT located on the east side of Harbor Boulevard across from the Anaheim Convention Center Hotel Circle.

In 2019, SIMBA PARKING LOT located at 1717 South Disneyland Drive behind Paradise Pier Hotel is now used for Downtown Disney parking.

The END! 

Hope you enjoyed the journey!