Hello,
We are considering staying at an Airbnb (for many reasons) in Midway City (southwest of DL park).
Anyone familiar with the area, how long will it generally take us to get to the Disneyland parking garages and then from the garages to the park? We also might park at a nearby hotel and walk to the park because I’ve seen that recommended as well.
Mainly curious about the drive from Midway City.
We are a group of adults and would like to rope drop.
Thank you for your time.
I’ve been to DLR many, many times and have never heard of Midway City. One of the great things about DLR is the ability to walk from so many hotels, personally I would stay in a close hotel and walk. It is so worth it!
Be prepared for potential lines at the parking garage - MIckey & Friends and/or Pixar Pals. I’ve encountered that a couple of times and there is nothing as frustrating as being in a line of cars when you want to be high-tailing it to the gates. If you are driving, I would consider the Toy Story lot. If you rope drop that parking lot, you can go through security there and the bus drops you in a place where you can go right to the gate. Last summer, they were not opening Harbor security until the first bus from Toy Story arrived, so you’re not really behind the walking crowd this way either.
Another option might be to Uber or Lyft instead of drive. Depending on how many of you there are, it might be cheaper than parking. Lyft and Uber drop off on Harbor so it’s a quick walk to security from there.
I know Midway City is a city in the DC universe 
but am a California native and I too have never heard if it so Google said it was midway between Long Beach and Santa Ana. Like Karen said above there are many walkable within price range places that might be closer to the park.
I assume you have a good reason to choose Midway City. I just googled it (I too had never heard of it) and I would plan about 20 minutes for the drive and another 40 minutes for getting to the gate. Altogether, I would plan to arrive at the garage about 90 minutes before park opening, so leave about 2 hours before park opening.
If you wanted to live dangerously, if you left your Airbnb 1 hour park park opening, you might just make it right at park opening if everything went perfectly, but you would be behind the rope drop crowd.
I’m also in the club of never heard of it but Googled it and it looks like it’s right next to Westminster, CA which I am slightly familiar with as my DH’s parent’s best friends (and DH’s godparents) live in the area. When DMiL & DFiL come on trips with us we drive to their friends’ place to visit and often go eat food at many of the tasty Asian restaurants in Little Saigon which is Westminster. It’s always been a quick drive from there to DL (less than 15 minutes usually) but we’ve never tried the drive during peak traffic times so I’m not sure if that would affect it, and I’m not sure if Midway City has any unusual quirks that make it any different than Westminster.
I would highly recommend using Waze or another traffic navigation app you’re familiar with to calculate a good time planning to be at the garage or Toy Story lot at the soonest possible time they will letting in cars.
I lived 20 minutes from there for about 10 years of my life and still have never heard of it