Early entry From GC question

[son3disfan]

If DL opens at 9am but DCA doesn't open until 10........

What time will they allow us to get fast passes from the private entrance from GC? What time will we be allowed to enter the parks and ride the rides....

Thanks!

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

The posted opening time of DCA is usually 10 AM, but they open the gates to everyone at 9:30. Only Disney hotel guests though are allowed through the GCH entrance at opening time; others are supposed to enter through the front gates. At 9:30 AM, Soarin' will be open and fastpasses are usually already available for distribution. During the summertime, Grizzly started running at 9:30 as well, not sure if this is still going on, but it didn't look like it last week. Maybe again this summer. WoC fastpass distribution starts at 9:30. The rest of the rides (and fastpass machines) are unavailable until 10 AM. Grizzly fastpasses weren't available until a little later in the day still since their machines are dedicated to WoC early in the morning. There are three rope drop locations that people wait at before 10 AM: entrance to Hollywood, central corridor just before Bug's Land, and between the San Francisco buildings and the new Ariel ride.

 

[son3disfan]

Ok thanks.
Im not sure I'm understanding the benefit of a 9:30 entrance from the hotel then. If everyone gets in at 9:30., what is the big deal? Am I missing something?
Also DL opens first at 9am.
Wouldnt I want to get at DL for 9 first and collect fastpasses there?

Then move over to DCA at 9:30 to collect fastpasses?

confused.

 

[ArchOwl]

Just checked out of the GCH this morning and driving back home. They were letting hotel guests into DCA as early as 9am to get W0C fastpasses. Soarin' opened at 9:30 as well as Fastpass for Soarin'. No other rides were open when we were there.

 

[ArchOwl]

Well, if it is a Magic Morning Day, you want to be at DL an hour before the parks open to regular guests. Ride the Fantasyland rides,etc. Then it depends on your goals for the day, if you want to see WOC, hop over to GCH and grab a WOC FP before the gates open to the masses at 9:30. This also means you are first at rope drop for TSMM.

However, if your goal is to collect FPs for Disneyland, you might want to stay there and hop over to DCA later in the day. Depends on what you want to do!

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Ok thanks.
Im not sure I'm understanding the benefit of a 9:30 entrance from the hotel then. If everyone gets in at 9:30., what is the big deal? Am I missing something?
Also DL opens first at 9am.
Wouldnt I want to get at DL for 9 first and collect fastpasses there?

Then move over to DCA at 9:30 to collect fastpasses?

confused.

The usefulness of this perk has always been a little iffy to me too. You do have the advantage of entering closer to the WoC fastpass machines from the GCH side so will probably beat the crowd entering from the front. If you are fortunate enough to be let in before 9:30 AM, then you should definitely beat the front gate crowds because I have not seen those open before 9:30 AM with a 10:00 park opening time.

I'm with you on your approach to DL opening. If DL is open first, I would go there first, if for no other reason than to get a fastpass for later. Then if DCA was a priority for me as well that day, I might choose to hop over there for that 9:30 opening to ride Soarin' right away or get a WoC fastpass if you're into that.

Also, with DL opening at 9:00, it is likely that they will open the gates before that time and hold everybody at rope drop near the end of Main Street. So you can be up and ready even earlier for the parks. We do DCA as our first park of the day on sleep-in days; otherwise, we start with DL.

Just checked out of the GCH this morning and driving back home. They were letting hotel guests into DCA as early as 9am to get W0C fastpasses. Soarin' opened at 9:30 as well as Fastpass for Soarin'. No other rides were open when we were there.

I think your mileage may vary on this. I heard this 9 AM opening to hotel guests was happening regularly during summer. We had friends who stayed at GCH last week though, and we ourselves happened to eat at Storyteller's one morning and were allowed to take advantage of the GCH entrance at opening. They held everybody at that gate on Tuesday, Feb. 22 until 9:30 AM. My friends also indicated that they did not find that entrance open before 9:30 during their 4 day stay. So obviously I'm not disputing that you experienced a 9 AM opening, just commenting that it doesn't seem to be happening with absolute regularity right now so shouldn't be counted on.

 

[ArchOwl]

Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if the opening of the GCH entrance varied. On Saturday, Februar 26th we were let it early, but I agree it is not something you can count on. But you WILL be at the WOC FP machines before the hordes walking from the front gate, as long as you are at the GCH entrance by 9:30.

The other main benefit to the entrance was its close proxmity toour hotel room! So easy to sneak up to the room and/or to Napa Rose or Hearthstone for a drink.