New Security Entrance

[LKing]

There is also a security entrance between the old ESPN building and Star Wars Trading. Some of the people from the parking structure go through that entrance. Others walk around to the new entrance.

 

[Disney0010]

Tuesday morning we tried to do early entry. The security line was backed up and down towards the GC parking lot. The line moved pretty quickly but due to the amount of people trying to get through, it was a mess. This morning at 9:00 they had three lines open and it was backed up. Disney needs to be better than this. Paying almost $700.00 a night for a Holiday Inn type room and have to deal with this. I can say from experience that GCH security moved much quicker. We went there a few times for cocktails or food and had to use the security to re-enter DTD and it was quick and painless. Next time, back to GCH.

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

 

[Disney0010]

Just went through DTD security. Took about fifteen minutes. There was one security officer apologizing about the wait times. He stated that they were short people and he said in a joking way that we should not be posting photos on social media of the long lines. I guess they don’t like the negative press. I say post even more until someone decides to correct the situation.

 

[Porsche4]

Just went through DTD security. Took about fifteen minutes. There was one security officer apologizing about the wait times. He stated that they were short people and he said in a joking way that we should not be posting photos on social media of the long lines. I guess they don’t like the negative press. I say post even more until someone decides to correct the situation.

Couldn't agree more, unfortunately its the only way sometimes that Disney will listen. They hate bad press.

 

[AndrewC]

Yeah, post post post, but when lines are short, DON'T POST. Just let the hotel guests realize they're short because they physically have to walk past them to get into Disney, lol

 

[OlliePop27]

Thanks to everyone sharing. Sorry to hear about the continued issues. I am not staying at DLH, but planning to do an early Goofy's dinner at 4:00 one day. This would put me going through the new security check around 5:00. This thread is making me wonder if it's worth it!

Also, any recent reports from Harbor? It sounds like it's really hit and miss at DLH, parking structures, and Harbor based on how many people they have staffed at any given time.

 

[LKing]

While the lines may look long, I'm curious how long people actually waited. Did anyone wait more than 20 min to get through this security entrance? If so, how long was your wait?

@OlliePop27 what are your plans after dinner? Goofy's Kitchen is a trek from the parks. Is there some place that you need to be at a certain time?

 

[OlliePop27]

Thanks to everyone sharing. Sorry to hear about the continued issues. I am not staying at DLH, but planning to do an early Goofy's dinner at 4:00 one day. This would put me going through the new security check around 5:00. This thread is making me wonder if it's worth it!

While the lines may look long, I'm curious how long people actually waited. Did anyone wait more than 20 min to get through this security entrance? If so, how long was your wait?

@OlliePop27 what are your plans after dinner? Goofy's Kitchen is a trek from the parks. Is there some place that you need to be at a certain time?

Nothing specific, I just don't want to wait too long with little kids. No particular plans, probably take the monorail to Tomorrowland. It's kind of a tradition to do Goofy's one day. It used to be very short security from there. You make a good point the actual wait might not be too long.

 

[LKing]

Nothing specific, I just don't want to wait too long with little kids. No particular plans, probably take the monorail to Tomorrowland. It's kind of a tradition to do Goofy's one day. It used to be very short security from there. You make a good point the actual wait might not be too long.

I've been through it a couple of times. On Father's Day the parks were light and there was no wait at 2 pm (post #24). The other time (10:30 am), the lines looked long but were they were constantly moving. I barely had time to take photos. It took less than 15 minutes to get through (post #4).

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

What time does this new entrance actually open in the morning? Thanks!

 

[LKing]

What time does this new entrance actually open in the morning? Thanks!

Should be 7 am.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Should be 7 am.

Thanks I always use the Harbor entrance and that usually opens about about 7:10 am, makes sense that the DTD would open a bit earlier than Harbor to compensate for the walk through DTD.

 

[Philsfan77]

Today was our last day and we kept our DLH reservation. Checked in on the 26th and checking out tomorrow. Went through the new entrance 8 times, with 3 rope drops. Here are my takeaways:

Disneyland in general doesn't really follow set times like World does. On Thursday we went down around 6:30 and were 5th in line. Obviously things moved very quick in that position. I counted 5 checkpoints open in the morning (this was consistent throughout our trip at all hours of the day as well). On Friday we went down closer to 6:50 and were probably about 60-80 people back (maybe more honestly). When they opened the lines, we made it into one of the lines without stopping, took about 5 minutes from there (maybe less). This morning was actually the earliest I went down (around 6:20) and I was around 20th in line. Still moved fast from that spot once they opened the lines (i'd guess less than 3 minutes).

Inconsistency on opening lines was interesting though. Day 1 they opened at 7:05, yesterday around 7:03 and today right at 7:00. This seems to be the norm with everything, Fantasmic for instance started at 9:02 on the night we watched it. Parades always a few minutes late, early entry opened at 7:32 this morning, one day at DL they opened the turnstiles at 7:26, and today was 7:22. Being used to world where things seem to work like clockwork on the dot, this was noticeable to my wife and I.

We passed through the turnstiles (coming home) at 2 on Thursday, and there was no line at all. We went back around 5 and again zero line. Friday we came home around 3, and when I passed on my way back, there was again zero lines. I went into DTD to grab dinner around 5:30 and still zero lines (5 turnstiles open). Coming out however (around 6:30) all 5 lines were at least 22 people deep (I counted people in the line closest to where I walked out).

Today we passed the turnstyles around 4 and there was minimal line.

I don't forsee them ever reaching a point where they open more than 5 lines...it's just not worth it, or makes logical sense to man more than that for the few rushes they probably experience (guessing 30 minutes to an hour in the early morning and around the dinner rush on the weekend). If you're going during those times, I'd expect to wait a little bit, but nothing that will throw a wrench into your plans.

 

[LKing]

Thanks for taking the time to report back.

Being used to world where things seem to work like clockwork on the dot, this was noticeable to my wife and I.

Maybe we are just a little more laid back in California. (just joking)

 

[kes601]

Today was our last day and we kept our DLH reservation. Checked in on the 26th and checking out tomorrow. Went through the new entrance 8 times, with 3 rope drops. Here are my takeaways:

Disneyland in general doesn't really follow set times like World does. On Thursday we went down around 6:30 and were 5th in line. Obviously things moved very quick in that position. I counted 5 checkpoints open in the morning (this was consistent throughout our trip at all hours of the day as well). On Friday we went down closer to 6:50 and were probably about 60-80 people back (maybe more honestly). When they opened the lines, we made it into one of the lines without stopping, took about 5 minutes from there (maybe less). This morning was actually the earliest I went down (around 6:20) and I was around 20th in line. Still moved fast from that spot once they opened the lines (i'd guess less than 3 minutes).

Inconsistency on opening lines was interesting though. Day 1 they opened at 7:05, yesterday around 7:03 and today right at 7:00. This seems to be the norm with everything, Fantasmic for instance started at 9:02 on the night we watched it. Parades always a few minutes late, early entry opened at 7:32 this morning, one day at DL they opened the turnstiles at 7:26, and today was 7:22. Being used to world where things seem to work like clockwork on the dot, this was noticeable to my wife and I.

We passed through the turnstiles (coming home) at 2 on Thursday, and there was no line at all. We went back around 5 and again zero line. Friday we came home around 3, and when I passed on my way back, there was again zero lines. I went into DTD to grab dinner around 5:30 and still zero lines (5 turnstiles open). Coming out however (around 6:30) all 5 lines were at least 22 people deep (I counted people in the line closest to where I walked out).

Today we passed the turnstyles around 4 and there was minimal line.

I don't forsee them ever reaching a point where they open more than 5 lines...it's just not worth it, or makes logical sense to man more than that for the few rushes they probably experience (guessing 30 minutes to an hour in the early morning and around the dinner rush on the weekend). If you're going during those times, I'd expect to wait a little bit, but nothing that will throw a wrench into your plans.

We must have been at different early entries this morning. They dropped the fantasyland rope at 7:30 and about 10 seconds. It wasn’t 2 minutes late. The other inconsistency with times of turnstiles opening I have noticed, but in the 10 days we’ve been here we’ve never been released from the early entry holding areas more than 10 seconds late.

In terms of the lines at security — on DL days it is going to be longer because Pixar Place guests will use it. On DCA days they have their own entrance.

 

[Philsfan77]

We must have been at different early entries this morning. They dropped the fantasyland rope at 7:30 and about 10 seconds. It wasn’t 2 minutes late. The other inconsistency with times of turnstiles opening I have noticed, but in the 10 days we’ve been here we’ve never been released from the early entry holding areas more than 10 seconds late.

In terms of the lines at security — on DL days it is going to be longer because Pixar Place guests will use it. On DCA days they have their own entrance.

Maybe my clock is fast, but we were right by the line closest to the castle line (passing in front of Astro orbiter). People were actually already on their way into Tomorrowland (at which point my wife and I both checked our phones and they said 7:31) and the older lady who eventually dropped our rope still hadn’t dropped it. It seemed she was waiting for another cast member as a younger girl walked over and eventually she dropped it when the girl came. Small potatoes in the grand scheme of everything as early entry at DL is so smooth compared to world and the amount you can get done is amazing.

Thursday they seemed to not even have the ropes up as the turnstyles opened later. We never stopped moving from the time we entered the park to boarding Peter Pan that morning.

 

[kes601]

Maybe my clock is fast, but we were right by the line closest to the castle line (passing in front of Astro orbiter). People were actually already on their way into Tomorrowland (at which point my wife and I both checked our phones and they said 7:31) and the older lady who eventually dropped our rope still hadn’t dropped it. It seemed she was waiting for another cast member as a younger girl walked over and eventually she dropped it when the girl came. Small potatoes in the grand scheme of everything as early entry at DL is so smooth compared to world and the amount you can get done is amazing.

Agreed. We did the 5 dark rides in fantasyland, ride the carousel by ourselves, and made it to Astro orbiter (one ride we hadn’t gotten to yet) before early entry was over. I think we did 16 attractions, ate at Tiana’s, and were back in our room by 11:45 today. On DCA days we can get guardians and web slingers done and the. either get in line for radiator springs racers or hit Pixar Pier before early entry is over. It shows what limiting the number of hotel who qualify will do.

 

[Philsfan77]

Thanks for taking the time to report back.


Maybe we are just a little more laid back in California. (just joking)

Honestly i think that really is what it is and why we came back. Everything is easier here especially with little kids. The amount you can get done from 730-10AM is night and day compared to World.

 

[kes601]

Yesterday afternoon we were going to Disneyland Park from the “new” Downtown Disney security entrance (staying at VDH). The line was literally longer than it is in the mornings for early entry, it was ridiculous. We walked over to Grand Cal and went through their Downtown Disney security entrance. There were only 2 others in line.

 

[LKing]

Thanks for sharing. Did you happen to see how many security lines they had open?