Calmest early entry?

[LarsoftheJungle]

Here's the deal: Disneyland early entry (staying at Disneyland hotel specifically for that perk) on a Saturday. Just me & a little kid with big sensory sensitivity. He desperately wants to go to Disneyland because of Star Wars and more or less Star Wars only. His life can be pretty hard and I want this for him. So we have a very narrow scope of focus - we aren't trying to make every ride. What's more important to us is avoiding as much crowds/bustle AS ABLE. Yes, I know it's Disneyland. Yes I know it's always crowded. Yes I know there are lines everywhere. My question is what is the LEAST crowded/noisy way to get into Disneyland for early entry?

(I know Galaxy's edge isn't open early, but a few of his other interests are and just being introduced to the park with fewer people will aid in his capacity for the experience later)

My plan was to do DTD entrance and ride the monorail (another of his special interests) into Tomorrowland for Star Tours, but ALAS the monorail & railroad are closed for refurbishment while we are there (CRY). I'm worried that if we are just in a total sea of rope drop folks without something else to keep his interest (like getting on a monorail), his capacity for this day will get burnt out before we even get in. So what is the chill-est way to do this? Get there crazy early? Hang back? Which security has the most general orderliness? Is it clear where early entry folks need to go to get in at the front entrance? Are you slogging through 100s of other people also there just waiting? I wanted the early entry because I understand the park will be a little less crowded in the morning, but now I'm wondering if just the getting INTO the park at that time will undermine the benefit of light crowds once inside. I spent a lot of money on this hotel for this experience, and now the monorail down is really de-railing our plans. *rimshot* Yes I know it goes down in the afternoon anyway - every bit support for him helps.

Just, as a little aside, I see a LOT of "you'll have to wait in line anyway" "there's crowds all the time" "if you can't wait in a line, you shouldn't go to Disneyland anyway" answers to folks trying to sort out how to help family members with neurological differences access Disneyland. I think a lot of folks don't realize that neurological differences like autism and others are DYNAMIC disabilities, meaning an individual's capacity for all kinds of stuff will change depending on their demand load. So, the demand of each extra child jumping around or each extra minute in line or each extra unexpected new thing can hasten the individual losing their ability to speak or toilet, cause elopement or aggression, or some other issue the line. It's cumulative. How "disabling" their neurological difference becomes can be often be managed by strategizing around the individual's sensory needs/demand load. And who knows those sensory needs best? That individual and their caregivers. So I humbly ask that anyone interacting with this post trust I know my own kid's dynamic capacity and sensory needs best and stick to helping me understand what my LEAST loud/bustling/crowded plan of attack should be. I'm not looking for other suggestions on how to manage his sensory needs at this time. Already purchased Genie+ (which is now LLMP) and will be applying for DAS.

Thank you for any tips & info you can share with me about park entry!

Sincerely,
SuperMom

 

[2tinkerbell]

I wouldn’t be so upset about the monorail being closed. It is my understanding that it doesn’t open for early entry anyway.

Some things that might be helpful -
Noise cancelling headphones/earbuds
Stay to the side and not the center when walking
If appropriate, a stroller tagged as a wheelchair offers a sensory sensitive kiddo their own space
Personal - don’t try new clothes on a day when there is going to be a lot of sensory input. Also keep the day before your Galaxy Edge experience calm and get a good nights sleep.
If the rides are the big thing - do those first then do what and how much is next on his list. Galaxy’s Edge is full of sights and sounds and can be overwhelming even without sensory problems. Don’t push and go at his pace. Even if you have to leave the area and come back - better than dealing with overwhelm and over stimulated.

You might consider a DAS for your son. The disabilities forum is great for information and ideas.

 

[Dr. G]

You sound like an amazing mom, and you will have a wonderful time with your son! I'm not familiar with the issues at hand, but here are some thoughts. Since you have early entry I'd try for it and see what the lines look like in hopes that you can have a more mellow 30 minutes initially. If the lines look crazy, backup plan would be to not get in the lines to the park and explore a little bit in downtown Disney. Maybe the outside of the Lego store? Check out flowers, water etc? Or grab a bite to eat for breakfast.

Give the sensory issues, I'd be inclined to NOT do rope drop at regular opening time with your son. That is the craziest time of the day to get into the park with large lines etc in my opinion. If early entry doesn't work, I'd consider hitting the line into the park 30-60 minutes later when at least the line is moving. potentially short, or maybe non-existent through the gate.

Star Wars/Galaxy's Edge is a huge land with a lot to see and do and explore without feeling crowded. The one exception would be around the entrance to Rise of the Resistance where crowds can build a bit. So hopefully you can explore that land with no worries. Star Tours doesn't seem to get overly crowded and if you have Lightning Lane add on you'll likely get a super quick return time for Star Tours (and the Millenium Falcon ride). Rise of the Resistance line can be long with a lot of people around but if it is moving there is lots to see in there for a Star Wars fan. Might be best to just bite the bullet and pay the extra to skip the line, if the ride and all that is going on with it isn't too much for your son's sensory issues.

Disneyland can feel very crowded and overwhelming, but there are a ton of places to step off the beaten path and relax away from the main traffic flow corridors.

Wishing you all the best!

 

[Dr. G]

Another fun place in Downtown Disney would be the Star Wars Trading Post but it may not be open until later in the day.

 

[sophy1996]

I would consider heading in just after the initial crowds—not waiting in line super early for security, but getting there maybe a bit after 7, so the initial long line has broken into the individual lines. Hopefully then you could reach the gate about 7:25-7:30 just after the turnstiles have opened, so you can join a ticket line that is already moving. Then right into the park with no waiting for EE to start.

There are no dedicated early entry lines to enter the park. The turnstile lines toward the center seem to be a bit shorter just because people are heading for the nearest lines from DTD side and Harbor side.

The least stressful entrances to the parks we’ve had is when we coasted in about 8:10, right after rope drop folks were off to their first destinations.

I wouldn’t be so upset about the monorail being closed. It is my understanding that it doesn’t open for early entry anyway.

When it’s running, it can be possible to take it in for EE. The first monorail left the station about 7:30, so we lost a bit of time, but we arrived to a nearly empty Tomorrowland.

 

[Howry]

I have a son that has Autism and its now to the point he cant go to Disneyland anymore because it is just to much for him but here is what we found worked for us. (Sorta)

Early entry did not work well for us. The problem we ran into is the early entry line to get into the park gets very long and can move slowly initially. Then when you get in there are a huge amount of people gathering waiting for the rope to drop. I get why people do it since you can get through a bunch of rides before it gets to crowded but it didn't work for us. We would wait until park opening and go or 15 minutes after it opened. Usually the initial long wait has pushed through the turnstile and the hub isn't all stacked with people waiting for rope drop.

If you are looking to ride the star wars rides this is how I would handle it.

If it were me I would wait a little until after rope drop and wait for the chaos to pass through before entering, then I would get a paid pass to ride Rise of the Resistance so you can skip the majority of the line. Depending on the return time you can head to the Millenium Falcon ride while you wait for your Rise time to be available.

Good luck! Its not always easy!

 

[MomDoc_99]

I don't have recent experience at DL, but what has worked for us at WDW is to plan on arriving at the park shortly after the start of Early Entry. The Early Entry crowds have entered and dispersed, and the regular entry crowds have not built up much.

 

[Tinkaboo]

I second everyone”s suggestion to hold back until the rope drop is over. Those people will take off like crazy, go where they are going to go and will disperse quickly, leaving you to meander at your own pace to either StarTours or back to Galaxy’s Edge, which is a LONG HAUL to the very back of the park. Pay for ILL and there won’t hardly be a line at all. If you have to do standby, that line will always be long, and sometimes ROTR doesn’t open early morning.

But the first two hours in the park are the ideal time to ride most anything without a long wait. I used to be a rope dropper but I can’t handle crowds now and I’ve found just timing my entry to 8:10 or so, I miss all the rush.

I don’t ride Star Tours any more but it used to have a great queue that my son loved when he was small, lots of little scenes with characters.

If he just loves looking at all the StarWars stuff, then plan on spending lots of time back in GE. There are lots of characters usually just hanging about to interact with.

I hope you have a marvelous time and your son enjoys it!

 

[twodogs]

I don't have recent experience at DL, but what has worked for us at WDW is to plan on arriving at the park shortly after the start of Early Entry. The Early Entry crowds have entered and dispersed, and the regular entry crowds have not built up much.

I can’t remember how they do EE now at WDW, but at DL, everyone lines up at the gates, and they open them all a little before 7:30am. There are no designated entry gates for EE. Then everyone rushes down Main Street, with the regular entry folks filling the hub and the area to the left, towards Adventureland. The EE folks head to the right side of Main Street and are held at the hub as it enters Tomorrowland. At 7:30, CMs near the Tomorrowland entrance drop the robe (sometimes not an actual rope) and start to scan hotel keys or the app to let people into that area for EE. The folks without EE fill the hub rapidly, so the whole area becomes very congested very quickly, even before they “drop the rope” for the EE guests, and certainly before the rope drop for regular entry.

This is to say, if one enters the gates after 7:30am to avoid the EE crowds, but before 8am rope drop, they will encounter a very densely packed Main Street for sure, as ALL guests are allowed to enter the park up to the hub at 7:30am.

 

[twodogs]

This is not my photo (I borrowed it from another frequent poster here), but it shows a regular day on Main Street, in the time between EE and regular RD. It is pretty darn crowded!




I agree with others who recommend coming AFTER regular entry starts by about 15-30 minutes. You can avoid the big lines, big crowds and noises. You will still wait in line to scan through the gate, but it will be a lot less people. Some areas of the park will remain fairly not crowded in the first hour or so.

Another option: If you are early risers, you can get to the gates super early so that you are one of the first families at a gate, waiting for them to open for EE and general entry. Lines will form behind you, but you can kind of “tuck in” to your gate where you are waiting so there won’t be people right next to you (pick one of the entry gates at the end so others only line up to one side of you at the neighboring gate). You will scan in first when they open the gates, and Main Street will be very, very briefly empty. If you walk briskly down the right side of the nearly-empty Main Street, you will be at the front of the “rope” for EE (stay to the right down Main Street towards Tomorrowland hub entrance (near Astro Orbiters). EE guests will fill in around and behind you, but it will usually only be a few minutes until 7:30am by that time, and they will let you into Tomorrowland for EE. Tomorrowland will be VERY uncrowded for all of EE (most people run to SM or Fantasyland). You can do Star Tours with almost no wait, as well as Buzz (can likely do this several times as a walk on) if that is not too loud. Remember this (Tomorrowland and Fantasyland) is the only part of the park open at EE, but it is blissful for those 30 minutes! Have a magical time, and kudos to you for caring so much about your kiddo’s experience at DL!!

 

[maleficent55]

First, you’re amazing for thinking this through and planning it out so well for your son! You are sure to have a great time!

Second, when I go to Disneyland I rope drop and/or do EE a lot. It’s my favorite. My strategy, is to get there absurdly early so that I am first. Literally, first at the rope. This may be the way to do it with your son because while once you’re there behind you it’s crazy and a sea of people but looking forward, you’re looking into an empty park. As long as he keeps his focus forward he can maybe ignore what’s behind him. Then at rope drop you guys can go in your direction of choice and viola! enjoy all that you want to enjoy.

Here is what I mean. Here are two pictures from the last day I rope dropped in April. One is what I see ahead of me vs the other is what was behind me.

 

[irlandaise]

First, you’re amazing for thinking this through and planning it out so well for your son! You are sure to have a great time!

Second, when I go to Disneyland I rope drop and/or do EE a lot. It’s my favorite. My strategy, is to get there absurdly early so that I am first. Literally, first at the rope. This may be the way to do it with your son because while once you’re there behind you it’s crazy and a sea of people but looking forward, you’re looking into an empty park. As long as he keeps his focus forward he can maybe ignore what’s behind him. Then at rope drop you guys can go in your direction of choice and viola! enjoy all that you want to enjoy.

Here is what I mean. Here are two pictures from the last day I rope dropped in April. One is what I see ahead of me vs the other is what was behind me.

Did you get stampeded and surrounded by people behind you when the rope dropped?

 

[RainyDayPixie]

I would definitely look into DAS. My sister never thought her son would be able to go somewhere like Disneyland, but with DAS they had a wonderful trip. You wouldn’t have to worry about rope drop and could book one of the SW rides, then explore until your return time. There are lots of quieter places in SWGE to explore.

 

[maleficent55]

Did you get stampeded and surrounded by people behind you when the rope dropped?

No, I’m a very brisk walker and go directly to Peter Pan. On this particular day it was down, so I continued on to Alice In Wonderland. The pack stays behind me with the exception of faster walkers/borderline mini joggers who pass me

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Maybe I missed something but are you planning on using early entry (staying a a Disney hotel) or just planning on going when there is early entry for resort guests? If you are a resort guest using early entry there is an area towards the end of Main Street that is set aside for resort early entry, and I've never seen it as backed up as is shown in some of the previously posted rope drop pictures. Actually after they initially start sending in resort guests I've just seen people flow through that entry pretty easily. I agree with others, that if possible getting there early to try to be in front of the gates is good idea then once in maybe get a space on a bench, porch, or table at the Jolly Holiday sit/relax and let the rope drop crowd bunch up (if not utilizing early entry) and once the park opens let them go and then follow with less of a crowd. I would also recommend buying Genie (or whatever it is called these days) and buying a lightning lane for Rise of the Resistance.

 

[LarsoftheJungle]

This is not my photo (I borrowed it from another frequent poster here), but it shows a regular day on Main Street, in the time between EE and regular RD. It is pretty darn crowded!

View attachment 886461


I agree with others who recommend coming AFTER regular entry starts by about 15-30 minutes. You can avoid the big lines, big crowds and noises. You will still wait in line to scan through the gate, but it will be a lot less people. Some areas of the park will remain fairly not crowded in the first hour or so.

Another option: If you are early risers, you can get to the gates super early so that you are one of the first families at a gate, waiting for them to open for EE and general entry. Lines will form behind you, but you can kind of “tuck in” to your gate where you are waiting so there won’t be people right next to you (pick one of the entry gates at the end so others only line up to one side of you at the neighboring gate). You will scan in first when they open the gates, and Main Street will be very, very briefly empty. If you walk briskly down the right side of the nearly-empty Main Street, you will be at the front of the “rope” for EE (stay to the right down Main Street towards Tomorrowland hub entrance (near Astro Orbiters). EE guests will fill in around and behind you, but it will usually only be a few minutes until 7:30am by that time, and they will let you into Tomorrowland for EE. Tomorrowland will be VERY uncrowded for all of EE (most people run to SM or Fantasyland). You can do Star Tours with almost no wait, as well as Buzz (can likely do this several times as a walk on) if that is not too loud. Remember this (Tomorrowland and Fantasyland) is the only part of the park open at EE, but it is blissful for those 30 minutes! Have a magical time, and kudos to you for caring so much about your kiddo’s experience at DL!!

This is all very helpful! Thank you!!
Im a little confused at the order of various lines & scanning. When you say get to “a gate” early and tuck in, do you mean security? I’m only familiar with the DTD security entrance (via research - never been) because our plan was always to go from Disneyland hotel to the monorail. Now that we’ll be going in the main entrance with everyone else, I think there’s another security entrance I should be considering? “Harbor side”? Not really sure where that is. Or am I understanding this entirely wrong and “a gate” is after security but I still need to get to & through security super early to be through THAT first so I can get to these other scan in gates? Sorry to be so dense!

 

[LarsoftheJungle]

Maybe I missed something but are you planning on using early entry (staying a a Disney hotel) or just planning on going when there is early entry for resort guests? If you are a resort guest using early entry there is an area towards the end of Main Street that is set aside for resort early entry, and I've never seen it as backed up as is shown in some of the previously posted rope drop pictures. Actually after they initially start sending in resort guests I've just seen people flow through that entry pretty easily. I agree with others, that if possible getting there early to try to be in front of the gates is good idea then once in maybe get a space on a bench, porch, or table at the Jolly Holiday sit/relax and let the rope drop crowd bunch up (if not utilizing early entry) and once the park opens let them go and then follow with less of a crowd. I would also recommend buying Genie (or whatever it is called these days) and buying a lightning lane for Rise of the Resistance.

Yes we are staying at a Disneyland hotel specifically for EE so he can acclimate to the park with less people there.

 

[twodogs]

This is all very helpful! Thank you!!
Im a little confused at the order of various lines & scanning. When you say get to “a gate” early and tuck in, do you mean security? I’m only familiar with the DTD security entrance (via research - never been) because our plan was always to go from Disneyland hotel to the monorail. Now that we’ll be going in the main entrance with everyone else, I think there’s another security entrance I should be considering? “Harbor side”? Not really sure where that is. Or am I understanding this entirely wrong and “a gate” is after security but I still need to get to & through security super early to be through THAT first so I can get to these other scan in gates? Sorry to be so dense!

You will go through security (bag check, metal detector) near the DLH, to enter DTD. Then you will walk through DTD, past the shops, World of Disney, etc and the restaurants and arrive at the entrance gates (turnstiles) to enter either DL park or DCA park. So when I say try to be first at the “gate” so you can tuck in, I mean you will be through security and then lined up at the actual entrance turnstile (gate) to get into DL park (you will be facing the DL train station while waiting at your gate). This will allow you to be first through the turnstile/gate to enter the actual park at 7:20am or so, when they start scanning tickets. Then you will have a really empty Main Street walk up to the “rope” for EE guests near the Tomorrowland entrance at the hub. You will only wait there a few minutes and will be let into Tomorrowland for EE. I will try to find a map to reference all of this! It is confusing if you have not ever been to DLR!

 

[twodogs]

These are the “gates” or turnstile to enter DL park. Once the black gate is opened, you can squeeze up next to the turnstile to wait for them to open. Lines will form behind you, straight out at us as we look at this photo.

 

[twodogs]

Some gates are at the “end” of a section, so you would not have other guests lining up on both sides of you, only on one side. Which might be easier for your kiddo.