Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Now Available at Disneyland Resort

Kevin Rafferty, Jr.

by , Communications, WDI

Twenty ChargePoint charging ports have been installed on the first floor of the Mickey & Friends parking structure for guests with electric vehicles! Guests can begin using them today by scanning their ChargePoint card or by easily registering for a free ChargePoint account at the charging station, or online at http://www.chargepoint.com.

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According to ChargePoint, the Disneyland Resort is now home to one of the largest collections of public EV charging stations in Southern California. Guests arriving at the Mickey & Friends parking structure can ask a cast member for directions to the charging stations. Separate charging stations are also available to cast members for a total of 30 charging ports at the resort. To learn more about our environmental efforts at the Disneyland Resort, click here!

Comments

  • If I am staying at the Grand Californian, can I charge my car overnight? I have a Premium Annual pass with parking privileges at the parking structure. Thanks for your time.

  • Can I access the EV parking if I am just going to downtown disney or only if I am going to the park? I ask because of how parking is charged.

  • This is GREAT. Back in Dec 2011 Linda Trump from DISNEYLAND® Resort
    Guest Communications made no indication that this was even being considered when I asked about it.

    There needs to be better signage letting people know this this is EV parking only area. The signs on the charging units are not obvious enough. Autos that are not EV’s are using it for handicap parking.

    All in all this is great for every one.

    Thanks

  • Kevin wrote: Thanks, Daniel. The charging stations are first come, first served. Please visit the ChargePoint website or app for real time availability.
    _____
    Yes, I understand that ChargePoint stations are first come, first served. What I and several others are saying is that the situation at Disneyland creates a special challenge for that arrangement because of the very long time that most users may be in the park, after their vehicles are fully charged. When the chargers become very popular (as we hope they will) this may require some creative procedure to allow optimum use of the facility. I would ask that you forward this question to someone on the staff who works with such aspects of the park procedures. Some of the posters here may have useful suggestions to contribute.

    incidentally, I did have a chance to plug in at the facility for the first time earlier this week and it worked great. There were about eight cars plugged in when we left, mid-afternoon. Prior to this, I had been reluctant to take the electric to the park because it was right on the edge of my range. No problem now. Thanks!

  • I noticed that the chargers are spread out so that a car can park on either side of a charger. There was a EV Protocol I saw that stated that all cars have external indications of there level of charge. I have a Leaf and there are 3 lights. if 2 are solid and the 3rd is blinking, it means I am over 66% charged. The protocol said that if a car is full (all lights solid) you may remove charger from car and plug into your car. There was another protocol that if you are over 66% you can do the same for a short while and return the charger.

  • This is great, but coming from about 90 miles away in a fully electric car, I would need to charge for 4-5 hours. Will Disney be monitoring the parking so that vehicles that are fully charged can be moved or unplugged for others to plug in?

  • This is potentially great news. I am a journalist (AutoMatters) so I will probably report on this in my weekly newspaper and online column.

    I live in San Diego, have a Premium Annual Passport and drive a Prius Plug-in Hybrid. I bought that car specifically for the cost savings of long distance trips. The limited (I don’t have an LA transponder) carpool lane access is a bonus.

    My car has a short all-electric range (about 10 miles plus whatever gets added through regenerative braking). To make the best use of that all-electric range (which is controlled by a switch), I mostly use it for driving in city or gridlocked traffic.

    It recharges in considerably less time (about 3 1/2 hours at 120 volts, half of that at 220 volts) than I typically spend at Disneyland and California Adventure. As has been pointed out to me in notes that have been left on my car (including one that was left on my car at the LA Convention Center while it was recharging during the LA Auto Show), proper charging etiquette is to move one’s car after it is charged. However, this is not convenient to do. Are Disney and ChargePoint aware that cars that are plugged in are likely to be left there for the entire day? Will there be an additional charge for leaving cars plugged in — perhaps for hours, after they are charged? As I have already experienced once in a Blink charging station in San Diego, some pay-as-you-go rechargers keep track of time spent plugged in and not recharging, and then customer get billed (by the hour) for monopolizing the charger.

  • Kevin, This is great! I’ve requested such plug in services in the past and am very pleased to see it in place. So, a question. Any thoughts on planned procedure for optimum use? A guest arrives at 9 am and plugs in. Fully charged by noon, let’s say. Any method by which other guests can make use of that plug when they arrive later? If this service is as popular as we hope, we’ll need some way to make best use of the service. I’d hate to drive down, counting on plugging in and see all the spots occupied. Once a guest gets on the tram, he or she may not be back to tend the car for many, many hours. Thoughts? I know that some facilities allow plugs to be accessed by multiple parking spaces and provide cards for users to put on their vehicles. Those signs indicate if it’s ok to unplug once the car is fully charged. Anyway … a modern challenge that we’ll have to figure out.

    • Thanks, Daniel. The charging stations are first come, first served. Please visit the ChargePoint website or app for real time availability.

  • This is fantastic news! I’ve been waiting for these for almost 2 years! I live just outside the range for a round trip in my EV to DLR and now I can comfortably do it!

  • What about hotel guests? Is there any way to arrange charging during a stay?

    • Hi Kimberly – Limited electric vehicle charging is available through Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa valet service.

  • Excellent! I’m an annual pass holder and EV owner in Orlando and would love to be able to plug in at Disney World. Any news for us FL folks?

    • Hi Billy – A few charging stations are coming to Walt Disney World Resort later this year. Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog for details.

  • Is there a monetary charge for this? Do regular parking garage rates apply?

    • Hi Benjamin – Yes, regular parking rates apply.

  • This is great news!

  • Some ChargePoint stations are free to use, but others charge fees. Which are these?

    • Hi Brian – The rate is $.35 per kilowatt hour, with a minimum service amount of $1.50.

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