Looking for someone to talk about the new Security Check in place

[ashley0139]

I would love an update on if walking is still an option. When the kids fall asleep in the stroller after a long day the last thing I want to do is unload them, get on the tram, and then go wait in line for the elevator after all that. This might sway me heavily towards Toy Story parking if we can't walk anymore.

You should be able to walk through DTD to M&F still even if the walkway by the tram is no longer open.

 

[dshimel]

2. This now makes staying at PPH much less desirable.

It adds about 100 yards to the walk. The distance from the gate, under the train tunnel, to the flag pole.

4. This also makes staying at BW Stovalls or BW Pavilions much less desirable, too.

It adds about 300 yards to the walk. Same distance form the gate to the partners statue.

 

[mom2rtk]

It adds about 100 yards to the walk. The distance from the gate, under the train tunnel, to the flag pole.

Whether something is less desirable is in the eye of the beholder. It's much less desirable to us as well.

100 yards is the length of a football field. In addition to all the other walking I will do that day.

More than that though, the walk through the GCH broke it up. If weather was too hot or too cold (we've had both) it gave us a break in the middle of the walk there. It gave us interesting things to see along the way.

We were always back and forth on whether PPH was worth the price. This change just tips it in favor us us staying offsite next time. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm thinking there are hotels on Harbor that are closer and could save us some money.

Not to worry, I know Disney has a dozen people waiting in a virtual line somewhere to take my place.

 

[dshimel]

We were always back and forth on whether PPH was worth the price. This change just tips it in favor us us staying offsite next time. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm thinking there are hotels on Harbor that are closer and could save us some money.

This was always true. The 100 yards barely moves the needle on that math. But if you stay on Harbor in the next 1.5 years, be prepared for a lot of construction noise as Disney builds a new parking garage and elevated walkway bridge.

AND, when done in 2018, that will add more than 100 yards to the walk from most Harbor hotels.

The flip side of not restricting the GCH/DTD path is that there is just not enough room in there for a lot of check stations. Without these restrictions, the lines would be very long, meaning to avoid the line, GCH hotel guests would have to do the 500 yard walk instead of PPH guests doing 100 yards.

 

[mom2rtk]

This was always true. The 100 yards barely moves the needle on that math. But if you stay on Harbor in the next 1.5 years, be prepared for a lot of construction noise as Disney builds a new parking garage and elevated walkway bridge.

AND, when done in 2018, that will add more than 100 yards to the walk from most Harbor hotels.

The flip side of not restricting the GCH/DTD path is that there is just not enough room in there for a lot of check stations. Without these restrictions, the lines would be very long, meaning to avoid the line, GCH hotel guests would have to do the 500 yard walk instead of PPH guests doing 100 yards.

I'm aware of all of that. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion on it. I already emailed PPH to tell them to fill my spot with one of those countless people wanting to take my place.

And 2018 doesn't bother me. I don't want any part of the crowds SWL will be bringing in for a while. We plan to swap back to WDW.

 

[dshimel]

I should correct something I said earlier. PPH the new path adds 200 yards, not 100. GCH guests forced to walk around by Earl of Sandwhich to avoid long lines created by short-cutters would add 900 yards, not 500.

I thought the mapping tool stayed in last settings (km), but when I reopened it, it had switched back to miles instead of kilometers without me noticing.

 

[mom2rtk]

I should correct something I said earlier. PPH the new path adds 200 yards, not 100. GCH guests forced to walk around by Earl of Sandwhich to avoid long lines created by short-cutters would add 900 yards, not 500.

I thought the mapping tool stayed in last settings (km), but when I reopened it, it had switched back to miles instead of kilometers without me noticing.

Thanks. I'll mark it down as 2 football fields. The numbers really don't matter to me. We've gone both ways before (when stopping at EOS on our way back to the room) and I already knew how I felt about the difference.

We actually liked going to the parks via GCH and returning via monorail with a quick stop at EOS. I understand we can return now via GCH, but that doesn't help. I really just think that between this and the elevator issues we had on our last trip, we're done with PPH. It costs too much for what we feel we are getting.

 

[dshimel]

It costs too much for what we feel we are getting.

Personally, I have ALWAYS felt that way about Disneyland's on-site hotels. The only time I've ever stayed in one of them was early October 2001, less than a month after 9/11 attacks brought down WTC. Got GCH for $125 a night, which was still double what off site hotels were charging at the time. Our room looked out directly at Grizzly River, which I guess is premium view.... Looking that up, it is 7x the price of an off-site hotel.

 

[gottalovepluto]

...It costs too much for what we feel we are getting.

You make a good point there. But now that Disney has changed the rules a bit the formula for evaluating what you're getting for your $$$$ has changed (a bit). It will be interesting to see if all this has any affect on people's decisions to stay off/on or PPH/DLH/GCH.

 

[closetmickey]

I always love cutting through the GCH whenever staying at PPH. But really- this had to be done. $300 night just can't buy the same perks as $600 night. Unfortunately......

 

[mom2rtk]

Personally, I have ALWAYS felt that way about Disneyland's on-site hotels. The only time I've ever stayed in one of them was early October 2001, less than a month after 9/11 attacks brought down WTC. Got GCH for $125 a night, which was still double what off site hotels were charging at the time. Our room looked out directly at Grizzly River, which I guess is premium view.... Looking that up, it is 7x the price of an off-site hotel.

Yes, the value for the cost has always been marginal for us. But we come down on the side of staying onsite because of early entry. With crowds growing every year, the early entries are when we have really had our most enjoyable times. I just haven't been convinced I would be as happy with our trips without the early entry. So we stay in the least expensive room at PPH. I understand that a $300 isn't the same as a $600 room, but it's still a $300 and all I can do is evaluate whether I'm getting enough value to justify the cost for me.

You make a good point there. But now that Disney has changed the rules a bit the formula for evaluating what you're getting for your $$$$ has changed (a bit). It will be interesting to see if all this has any affect on people's decisions to stay off/on or PPH/DLH/GCH.

Exactly that. Now that the formula is changing, all I can do is evaluate again whether that marginal value is still there for us.

I always love cutting through the GCH whenever staying at PPH. But really- this had to be done. $300 night just can't buy the same perks as $600 night. Unfortunately......

I get that. I do.

But when I'm evaluating value, I can't consider someone else's value for what they are spending. I can only consider whether what I'm getting is worth what I'm paying.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Exactly that. Now that the formula is changing, all I can do is evaluate again whether that marginal value is still there for us.

I get that. I do.

But when I'm evaluating value, I can't consider someone else's value for what they are spending. I can only consider whether what I'm getting is worth what I'm paying.

While I entirely understand your your feeling of loosing perceived value from restricting access of entering though the Grand in the morning but still have it for the return trip...I have to ask...is there no value that has been added to you by eliminating what was regularly a significant backup at what was the old security checkpoint and now reportedly is almost free flowing upon entering DTD?

On the way into the park I am on a mission to get to the gates...not stop and smell the roses. That I do on the way out....and still can.

While loosing something is typically a bummer...and it still is...to me not dealing with that security nightmare anymore at least on the DTD side is well worth the sacrifice. Yeah, we lost something but the resulting benefits make staying on site a HIGHER value to me vs Harbor side which at least for the short term remains unchanged.

 

[mom2rtk]

While I entirely understand your your feeling of loosing perceived value from restricting access of entering though the Grand in the morning but still have it for the return trip...I have to ask...is there no value that has been added to you by eliminating what was regularly a significant backup at what was the old security checkpoint and now reportedly is almost free flowing upon entering DTD?

On the way into the park I am on a mission to get to the gates...not stop and smell the roses. That I do on the way out....and still can.

While loosing something is typically a bummer...and it still is...to me not dealing with that security nightmare anymore at least on the DTD side is well worth the sacrifice. Yeah, we lost something but the resulting benefits make staying on site a HIGHER value to me vs Harbor side which at least for the short term remains unchanged.

We haven't experienced significant backlogs at security. We usually go in before early park entry begins and it hasn't been a problem then.

 

[DizMe]

I'm glad about restricting access at gch. As one who often pays the premium to stay there, I really don't feel that those at PPH have a valid complaint. While I understand that it's sad to lose a perk, I also recognize that it is really just losing something PPH and other non - GCH guests were never meant to have. It's like when they began enforcing the FP return times. I kicked about it because I took advantage of returning outside the window, but I have to admit that there are very valid reasons for strict enforcement.

 

[Aladora]

I really don't feel that those at PPH have a valid complaint. While I understand that it's sad to lose a perk, I also recognize that it is really just losing something PPH and other non - GCH guests were never meant to have.

I disagree. Up until just a few days ago, this was posted on the Disneyland website so the entrance was always a perk of guests of all three Disneyland resort hotels.

Why Stay at a Hotel of the Disneyland Resort?
Special Park Entrance
A convenient gateway to Disney California Adventure Park through Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa makes getting to the fun even easier for Guests of all the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort. Valid theme park admission required."

 

[gardengirl2790]

Thank you all for posting all of this information, it's all very good to know.

So this must mean that we can't use the "secret" exit into DTD from the GCH any longer?

 

[DizMe]

I disagree. Up until just a few days ago, this was posted on the Disneyland website so the entrance was always a perk of guests of all three Disneyland resort hotels.

Why Stay at a Hotel of the Disneyland Resort?
Special Park Entrance
A convenient gateway to Disney California Adventure Park through Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa makes getting to the fun even easier for Guests of all the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort. Valid theme park admission required."

Hmmm. I didn't realize they advertised that on their site. I can see why guests who booked while that was posted would expect the perk. However, I still don't think the hotel was designed for that use and with increasing crowds it really wasn't working well. The new security changes would make it even worse, so I think it's time to allow GCH its private access. I always thought it was kind of weird to have such a public thoroughfare through gch's lobby, with streams of people using it as a pass-through.

 

[ParkHopper1]

I always thought it was kind of weird to have such a public thoroughfare through gch's lobby, with streams of people using it as a pass-through.

Yes, while it was never encouraged it was not exactly ever discouraged either. There is a certain amount of value of off site guests and PPH guests walking through the GCH hotel and react with "Wow, I wanna stay here next trip". Now with occupancy as high as it has been, that certainly seem less necessary these days!

That is one reason why even though the GCH to DCA entrance has been technically for "resort guest only"...they only truly restricted access up till 11am. They want a certain amount of foot traffic through the hotel.

 

[Darkbeer1]

I disagree. Up until just a few days ago, this was posted on the Disneyland website so the entrance was always a perk of guests of all three Disneyland resort hotels.

When the GCH and DCA first opened in 2001, The DCA entrance was just for GCH Guests.

PPH Guests had their own gate that was from Disneyland Drive to near Mulholland Madness (now Goofy's Sky School). When it closed down due to lack of use, Disney did allow PPH guests to use the GCH entrance, but back then, there wasn't the demand, or early entry to DCA at all.

So it was that closing that changed the policy, and now we have DCA 2.0+, demand is much higher, plus they added the Metal Detector. So Disney has decided to go back to the original policy, GCH Guests and those with a paid restaurant receipt, since it was a convenient time to match up with the new security check policies. And it makes total sense in speeding up the process for all, with much faster Security checks, and more turnstiles that can be used for Extra Magic Hour at the main DCA entrance.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Thank you all for posting all of this information, it's all very good to know.

So this must mean that we can't use the "secret" exit into DTD from the GCH any longer?

First off, you are welcome.

And yes, though there have been issues and Security is looking for a solution, other than posting a Security CM at the exit door, and sending them back to the lobby, to ensure it is only used for the attended, emergency egress exit only. One possible answer, if the city approves, add a permanent fence to DtD, and change the egress pass to the open courtyard (wedding field), and a gate into DCA that could be open in case of fire or other true emergency.