From Your Hotel to the Parks

You've made it to your hotel and you're ready to head to the parks.  You already know you don't want to waste the time and money driving since you're so close to the Resort entrance, but now what do you do?  The solution for Good Neighbor Hotels is simple, but unless you already know about it getting to and from the parks and the Disneyland Resort Hotels can be more complicated.  It doesn't sound like it should, but believe me that there's more to know than meets the eye.

Good Neighbor Hotels

Getting to and from the parks from Good Neighbor Hotels is simple.  You really only have two options outside of driving:

1. WALK - You can easily walk to the entrance through the transportation plaza off Harbor Boulevard from most Good Neighbor Hotels.  If your hotel is on Katella Avenue and close to Disneyland Drive, it may be faster for you to walk up Disneyland Drive and enter through Downtown Disney.
2. SHUTTLE - Shuttle services take guests from Good Neighbor Hotels directly to the transportation plaza.  These are generally not free shuttles, but the cost can be worth it if your hotel is not within walking distance of the parks.  It can take some time, too, since shuttles stop at multiple hotels before and after they reach the transportation plaza.

Paradise Pier Hotel

The Paradise Pier Hotel is not the furthest from the parks, but ever since the latest security changes you can no longer take the short-cut through the Grand Californian Hotel to get to the Entry Plaza/Esplanade.  In order to get to the parks you must exit the hotel out the back door and take the walkway to Downtown Disney.  Once there you can enter security across from the Disneyland Hotel and take one of two options:

1. WALK through Downtown Disney to the Esplanade so you can enter either parks.
2. TAKE THE MONORAIL from the Downtown Disney station directly into Tomorrowland in Disneyland Park.

After your fun day in the parks, you can get back to the Paradise Pier Hotel by one of three routes:

1. WALK back through Downtown Disney toward the Disneyland Hotel and take the path back to the rear entrance of the PPH.
2. TAKE THE MONORAIL from the Tomorrowland station directly to Downtown Disney and then take the path back to the hotel.  This option only works from Disneyland Park and is subject to the Monorail's regular operating hours.  Long lines can also make this option take some time.
3. CUT THROUGH THE GRAND CALIFORNIAN HOTEL and cross Disneyland Drive back to the hotel.  You may not be able to enter the parks this way, but they don't mind if you exit.  It works best if you're leaving from Disney California Adventure or if you enter the hotel in Downtown Disney.  Be careful not to abuse this option.

Disneyland Hotel

Although it's technically the furthest from the Esplanade, the Disneyland Hotel is directly across the road from Downtown Disney so you don't have to walk far at all to get to security.  Guests at the Paradise Pier Hotel have a little further to walk before they get there.  You have the same two options for getting both to and from the parks, making transportation much more straightforward:

1. WALK across Downtown Disney.
2. TAKE THE MONORAIL between Downtown Disney and Tomorrowland in Disneyland Park.  Again, be sure to check their hours of operation and wait times since they often shut down the Monorail temporarily during fireworks shows.

Simply walk under the giant Sorcerer Hat into Downtown Disney!

Grand Californian Hotel

As an added perk, guests staying at the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa have an extra option to make entering the parks faster and more convenient.  If you're staying here, these are your options:

1. WALK through Downtown Disney directly from the hotel to the Esplanade.  This is the only quick option if you are heading to Disneyland Park but can also be used for Disney California Adventure.
2. TAKE THE MONORAIL from Downtown Disney to Tomorrowland in Disneyland Park.  Yes, this is technically an option, but it will actually take more time than simply walking to the gate since the Downtown Disney entrance from the hotel is past the Monorail station.  I don't generally recommend this.
3. PRIVATE ENTRANCE - The latest security changes have made it so that guests at the Grand Californian Hotel are the only ones able to use the private entrance from the hotel into Disney California Adventure.  Make sure you have your hotel key handy when you approach this entrance.

To head back to the hotel, your options are the same so simply do them in reverse.

Getting to and from your hotel may seem like a simple thing, but the new security checkpoints can be confusing if you're not used to them.  Use this guide to save you some time and frustration and get to the parks as quickly and efficiently as possible!