Disneyland Eliminates Early Entry for Resort Hotel Guests Beginning January 5, 2026

[LAS2AMS]

Walking into the EPCOT International Gateway when you are used to DL security makes you feel like you are getting away with something…. and yes… THE EYEGLASS CASE!

Because DL is a local’s park, people bring too much crap in. Lately the trend has been the Mega Strollers and wagons (which are allowed only for special need children but people know they can just say that). The machines used at WDW aren’t effective in screening tons of crap and will set off an alarm anyway.* So until something better is designed, we’re stuck with this set-up.

*there’s also a greater concern at DLR in people bringing weapons into the park

 

[KEK1]

Wow. Flabbergasted by this decision. We booked DVC points to stay at the GCH in April, which are non refundable. Coming from Australia it’s our once/decade DL trip. Bringing a friend who has never experienced any Disney parks. Already hard to explain to her why the hotel was so $$$$ now this.. ((

 

[tarheelalum]

Disney’s greed knows no bounds.

 

[MartyParty]

My guess is that they feel they can sell the hotel rooms without any additional perk. They moved from 7 days/wk at both parks to alternating days, then eliminated it completely. It saves a lot of staff wages if they open both parks at 8 am.

I'm a bit late to the pile one. Makes me sad to hear early entry going away at Disneyland. It was 1 hour both parks. Then 30 minutes alternating parks.

LKing, totally agree with your cost savings comment. My grump is that the parks have been the cash machine for the overall Disney company for a while. This feels like squeezing the balloon of cash out of Disneyland into something else not park related. On a positive thought, if it's to save spend for helping to pay for Disneyland Forward that would be ok. I doubt it though. Disneyland Forward should pay for itself via additional guests coming through the park gate.

Having early entry even if for only 30 minutes was incentive to stay at a Disney property.

 

[reddog21]

Disney’s greed knows no bounds.

I don't disagree but don't you think that more the corporate culture in the US rather than specific to Disney.

 

[xdan0920]

WOW. I am shocked by this, and it really takes a lot to be shocked by TWDC these days.

 

[bakofarmgirl]

will they start to charge for it?

 

[gottalovepluto]

will they start to charge for it?

If that was the plan they wouldn’t have stated it was under untilized. You don’t dump on something you want to sell.

 

[DLRExpert]

Now the nearby hotels will raise their prices because they are no longer at a disadvantage.

 

[bakofarmgirl]

but if its a locals park maybe itd be more utilized and theyd make more money which is a big motivator

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

will they start to charge for it?

I don't think so. If I understand DLR's argument is that the staff costs are too much, and demand doesn't exist. So, if people aren't showing up for free, why would they show up for a price?

I have deep feeling that TWDC will begin pushing WDW and DLR to move to a ticket system for rides in addition to current park admission. They have already started down this road by removing free Fastpass, changes to DAS, ILL and multiple tiers or LLMP and LLPP. Now that they have eliminated EE, it makes it far more easy to just tell people that they need to buy a ticket book (virtually through the App) and have people pay for their rides after admission costs.

The timing would be perfect with the 70th anniversary too. They could find some talentless marketing CM to start a whole new marketing campaign that this is an effort to return to Walt's roots by charging for each attraction and that it is sustainable. Because so many (especially younger adults) will do anything for sustainability.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

Now the nearby hotels will raise their prices because they are no longer at a disadvantage.

True. Increased demand will cause higher prices. Perhaps they will also have mandatory length of booking, if you book with our hotel you are required to book 3 nights minimum whether you want stay 3 nights or not? I hope this won't be the case but I fear it is coming.

 

[DLRExpert]

My take
- save money on labor
- entice more Disney hotel guests to purchase LLMP and LLSP.
- when Disney starts to see fewer hotel bookings they will introduce or bring the old perk back.

 

[joseph821]

My take
- save money on labor
- entice more Disney hotel guests to purchase LLMP and LLSP.
- when Disney starts to see fewer hotel bookings they will introduce or bring the old perk back.

Exactly. If hotel bookings drop…expect a summer promotion with early entry returning and the bonus of extra LL thrown in!

 

[MonocularVision]

I'm reposting my question from this morning (many pages ago in this fast-moving thread!) because I'm still curious about it. You can't just lop off 30 minutes from the schedule of a full-time employee, especially a union member. So how is removing half an hour from the current EE rides going to make a difference in operating costs?

My original posting:

My guess is that a very large portion, if not a majority of employees are not full time. It’s fairly simple that reducing this 30 minute time pan will reduce operating costs.

 

[OlliePop27]

Now the nearby hotels will raise their prices because they are no longer at a disadvantage.

I don't disagree with the sentiment. But as someone who usually stays offsite now, I have not felt at a disadvantage on recent trips. You simply book the park without EE. Frankly, we usually start at least one day at a park with EE and it basically has made no difference for us. We get LLMP anyway, and with arriving at RD and using LL wisely, we can easily ride everything we want multiple times.

This change makes it so I can book any starting park on any day and not worry about it. It certainly makes being offsite even more appealing for that reason (we always have hoppers).

 

[buzlite]

Honestly I've been fine with the majority of changes at Disney in the past but this was 1 step too far. They are taking away any perk of staying on site and actually incentiving you to stay off resort. I guess they make a larger profit from LL then they do onsite hotels? So they would rather you stay offsite and pay for LL then stay onsite.
This makes our decision to cancel our DLH Dvc purchase even easier. OFF-site here we come!

 

[LKing]

but if its a locals park maybe itd be more utilized and theyd make more money which is a big motivator

Locals don't start arriving until 10 am or so. That's part of the reason that EE and early mornings are so nice at Disneyland.

There are many reasons that locals aren't likely to pay to enter the park at 7:30 am. One is that "local" doesn't mean that someone lives down the street. Local refers to people who live anywhere from San Diego to the San Fernando Valley. Most local guests need to use a freeway to get to Disneyland and rush hour, or traffic in general, impacts how long it takes to get to DLR. I live 45 min - 60 min away. With traffic or an accident, it can take me 1.5 hrs. Parking, security, tram, combined takes at least 30 min. Then I need to get through the line at the turnstiles and into the park. If I wanted to enter the park at 7:30 am, I would need to leave home around 5 am.

Parking currently opens 1 hour before the regular park opening. Opening earlier for guests who drive means that Disneyland needs to open parking earlier. That involves even more wages for parking attendants and security at the structures & lot.

when Disney starts to see fewer hotel bookings they will introduce or bring the old perk back.

I don't think they will bring EE back. I think they will either provide another perk or play around with LL to see how many LL provide a perceived value. There are people who stay 5 days in a hotel but take a day off in the middle and don't visit the parks. If they offered one LL per day, could people bank them and use multiple LL on a single day? Or would it be a "you snooze, you lose" situation in that, if you don't use the LL on the day it is dated, it becomes void? Of course, this is hypothetical because they are only offering one per stay, not one per night.

So they would rather you stay offsite and pay for LL then stay onsite.

I think the majority of onsite guests pay for LLMP.

 

[OlliePop27]

Locals don't start arriving until 10 am or so. That's part of the reason that EE and early mornings are so nice at Disneyland.

There are many reasons that locals aren't likely to pay to enter the park at 7:30 am. One is that "local" doesn't mean that someone lives down the street. Local refers to people who live anywhere from San Diego to the San Fernando Valley. Most local guests need to use a freeway to get to Disneyland and rush hour, or traffic in general, impacts how long it takes to get to DLR. I live 45 min - 60 min away. With traffic or an accident, it can take me 1.5 hrs. Parking, security, tram, combined takes at least 30 min. Then I need to get through the line at the turnstiles and into the park. If I wanted to enter the park at 7:30 am, I would need to leave home around 5 am.

Parking currently opens 1 hour before the regular park opening. Opening earlier for guests who drive means that Disneyland needs to open parking earlier. That involves even more wages for parking attendants and security at the structures & lot.



I don't think they will bring EE back. I think they will either provide another perk or play around with LL to see how many LL provide a perceived value. There are people who stay 5 days in a hotel but take a day off in the middle and don't visit the parks. If they offered one LL per day, could people bank them and use multiple LL on a single day? Or would it be a "you snooze, you lose" situation in that, if you don't use the LL on the day it is dated, it becomes void? Of course, this is hypothetical because they are only offering one per stay, not one per night.



I think the majority of onsite guests pay for LLMP.

I also think people conflate these message boards with reality. My neighbors down the street in DFW who might book a Disneyland trip will default to booking on-site. They don't care whether or not there's EE. Also, even though many of us on here arrive at RD and use EE, many of the on-site guests simply do not use it. There are many people who do not want to wake up at 6:30 or 7:00 on vacation. I am not one of those people, but many of our friends are shocked when I tell them we get to the parks by 7:30!

 

[joseph821]

Locals don't start arriving until 10 am or so. That's part of the reason that EE and early mornings are so nice at Disneyland.

There are many reasons that locals aren't likely to pay to enter the park at 7:30 am. One is that "local" doesn't mean that someone lives down the street. Local refers to people who live anywhere from San Diego to the San Fernando Valley. Most local guests need to use a freeway to get to Disneyland and rush hour, or traffic in general, impacts how long it takes to get to DLR. I live 45 min - 60 min away. With traffic or an accident, it can take me 1.5 hrs. Parking, security, tram, combined takes at least 30 min. Then I need to get through the line at the turnstiles and into the park. If I wanted to enter the park at 7:30 am, I would need to leave home around 5 am.

Parking currently opens 1 hour before the regular park opening. Opening earlier for guests who drive means that Disneyland needs to open parking earlier. That involves even more wages for parking attendants and security at the structures & lot.



I don't think they will bring EE back. I think they will either provide another perk or play around with LL to see how many LL provide a perceived value. There are people who stay 5 days in a hotel but take a day off in the middle and don't visit the parks. If they offered one LL per day, could people bank them and use multiple LL on a single day? Or would it be a "you snooze, you lose" situation in that, if you don't use the LL on the day it is dated, it becomes void? Of course, this is hypothetical because they are only offering one per stay, not one per night.



I think the majority of onsite guests pay for LLMP.

I used Early Entry every trip. I have always stayed on site never stayed off site in the 30 years of family and solo vacations. I always add LLMP to my park hoppers. Now with EE gone I will stay until closing. No reason not to now.
Before I woukd leave an hour before and go back to GCH but not need for that anymore.

Disney will be forced to bring it EE back if hotel bookings drop.They make much more money from the hotel revenues than LLMP.

This was foolish decision.