New Security Entrance

[Porsche4]

My take on all this is that they are doing the bare minimum expenses wise until they work out what they are going to do with the proposed expansion. If the plans go as per the drawings that whole car park will no longer exist but will become an extension of DCA? If thats the case this entrance may have to move so they probably don't want to pour money into scanning booths and then demolish them. Just a thought anyway.

 

[LKing]

Disney.kid.at.heart posted a video of the construction today.

The first photo shows what it currently looks like if you are walking from DTD towards the DLH Fantasy Tower. The second picture is what is happing between the hotel and the wall. It is normally blocked but trucks were moving in and out today.



I shared this on the other thread (about regretting a trip to DL). In the following photo, you can see where the new entrance is located relative to Adventure Tower on the left.

 

[LKing]

We were at the parks for Father's Day today. We had brunch at Paseo and spent some time in DTD. I took pictures of the new security entrance to give you a better idea of what it looks like.

This is the new entrance from inside DTD. You can see that it is now between Adventure and Frontier Towers.

On the right side of this picture you can see the lattice pattern on the wall surrounding the new restroom.



This is a view of those same restrooms on the left and and the new Din Tai Fung restaurant.



When you enter, you can walk along the path in front of Din Tai Fung, or on the path to the right towards where Parkside Market will be located.




If you take the path to the left, you will walk to the front of Din Tai Fung. The Sorcerer's hat just beyond the fence on the right is where the previous entrance was located (between Adventure & Fantasy Towers). Looking back behind the restaurant is where the new entrance is located.



The path to the right will lead you to Star Wars Trading Post.



Below is a photo of the Parkside Market construction. You can see the top of the Lego store behind it to the left.



Finally, below is a picture taken from Din Tai Fung showing where Pixar Place is located relative to where I took these photos.

 

[BriannaRuth]

Thanks for the photos!

I am trying to recall what was previously where Din Tai Fung is now and am drawing a blank?

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

I think it was an Earl of Sandwich before? Thanks so much for the photos, @LKing! I'm still confused but... it's not for al ack of trying on your part.

 

[LKing]

I am trying to recall what was previously where Din Tai Fung is now and am drawing a blank?

At least part of the area used to be movie theaters.

I'm still confused but... it's not for al ack of trying on your part.

That's okay, it looks completely different. There were a lot of people relaxing in the chairs and kids running around on the (fake) grass. It was nice to see.

 

[brightlined]

Thanks for the photos!

I am trying to recall what was previously where Din Tai Fung is now and am drawing a blank?

Earl and the old movie theater building.

 

[Disney0010]

Have been here since Monday and staying at the DL hotel. The security line is ridiculous. Never enough lines open and slow security officers going through bags. We just left having lunch at Centrico at DTD and walked back to our hotel. The security line snaked all the way back to the main entrance of the DL hotel (across from the former security checkpoint). Disney needs to correct this.

 

[BriannaRuth]

How has it been in the mornings? Have you been trying to rope drop?

 

[Philsfan77]

Have been here since Monday and staying at the DL hotel. The security line is ridiculous. Never enough lines open and slow security officers going through bags. We just left having lunch at Centrico at DTD and walked back to our hotel. The security line snaked all the way back to the main entrance of the DL hotel (across from the former security checkpoint). Disney needs to correct this.

This was my fear as we are staying at the DL hotel next week. Seriously considering switching to Grand Californian. We were doing the DL hotel because it's the one we haven't stayed at yet, but I may just go back to Grand Californian for the convenience. How was this area at early entry/early morning?

 

[JerrodDragon89]

I just went and used it on Saturday and Sunday

Saturday Morning was like a long wait nothing insane but not all stations open and they just take their time. This is why I want scanners like to have to pick up pretty much every item in your bag and then you have to re arrange it just sucks
Saturday afternoon was worst then the morning but that was because they had less stations open....and there is not enough shade.

Sunday Morning/Afternoon was much quicker but also less people in line.

Just not a fan of the set up, if your going to make people wait have shade but also if you know because of reservations how many people are coming in staff for it

 

[LKing]

I'm curious about mornings as well. I've seen reports of security in the parking structure backing up so people are walking from the structure to DTD to go through security there.

 

[JerrodDragon89]

I'm curious about mornings as well. I've seen reports of security in the parking structure backing up so people are walking from the structure to DTD to go through security there.

This morning Via a Facebook group I'm in people are trying this at larger and larger numbers, so while not as bad as Mickey and Friends...its getting longer because people are trying to avoid the lines

Its why I now have to get to the parking area's 10 mins before they open because of these insane lines and I dont want to have to wait 20-30 mins to get into a tram

 

[Porsche4]

We are staying at the DL Villas the first week in December. I really hope they have the dedicated security area open by then but I'm not holding my breath, they are so slow at building things lately.

 

[JerrodDragon89]

We are staying at the DL Villas the first week in December. I really hope they have the dedicated security area open by then but I'm not holding my breath, they are so slow at building things lately.

Right now they just need to have all lanes open

When I went 3-6 Lanes were closed. So many of these lines could literally be cut if half if they just staffed for the demand

 

[AndrewC]

I'll be curious how this affects things in the fall... that old security near DLH has *always* been really fast for me, maybe 3 to 5 minutes longest wait... I don't rope drop, but I'll be past that security point maybe three times from around 8:45am and 7pm, and it's NEVER busy... in fact usually on my return trips in the afternoon (maybe around 1 or so) and after a quick refresh in the hotel for dinner around 5 or 6pm, it's usually walk through for me. I have items in my hands ready to dump into a bin and almost don't even stop moving... like 20 seconds max.

 

[Porsche4]

Right now they just need to have all lanes open

When I went 3-6 Lanes were closed. So many of these lines could literally be cut if half if they just staffed for the demand

Yep just another case of cost cutting along with everything else at the moment. They gotta pay for all these expansion plans somehow and stay in the black, its all about profits, profits, profits these days and not the customers experience.

 

[AndrewC]

Yep just another case of cost cutting along with everything else at the moment. They gotta pay for all these expansion plans somehow and stay in the black, its all about profits, profits, profits these days and not the customers experience.

As much as I hate paying more for things, I kinda wish they would just increase prices and increase the quality to go with them

 

[JerrodDragon89]

As much as I hate paying more for things, I kinda wish they would just increase prices and increase the quality to go with them

They increase prices every year past inflation most the times

Changes nothing sadly, the money always flows upwards...not to the CMs, not to fixing effects on attractions or adding more entertainment

 

[AndrewC]

They increase prices every year past inflation most the times

Changes nothing sadly, the money always flows upwards...not to the CMs, not to fixing effects on attractions or adding more entertainment

I know... but I wonder what it might (or could) be like if like the "bottom" of ticket prices (so if you got a 5 day pass) were like $175 or something vs just under $100. And also if the APs were *much* more expensive, or if the only APs they sold were ones that had black outs for basically all of September/October, all July and August, and like a week all around every holiday or something. Keep the locals feeding the machine midweek by buying food and stuff, but totally don't add to the burden of busy periods.

I thought it was very interesting just over 100,000 people had the Dream Key... that number was larger than I was expecting and makes you wonder how many have the lower end passes...