Official 2017 Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend!

[MommyLove]

What is this?? Hadn't heard about this!

Once they made some changes to the security checkpoints, they also started to dis-allow non-Grand guests to come in from the entrance. You can still cut through the Grand from Downtown Disney and go OUT the entrance, but you can't come IN through the entrance if you're not a Grand guest.

It's mentioned here: http://www.disboards.com/threads/walking-from-paradise-pier-with-new-rules-and-security.3573153/
as well as other places on the DL board.

 

[Ariel484]

@MommyLove well that's a bit of a bummer but at the same time, I get it. I'd be upset if I paid for a GCH room and that benefit of the DCA entrance was minimized for me because anyone could use it. Thanks for the heads-up!
EDIT: ah, I see - can't go there to get to DCA OR Downtown Disney. They're cracking down!

 

[VickiHD]

YAY! Now that it's 2017 it seems so much closer! My DD17 and I are soooooooooooooo excited. I bought another piece to my costume today.

And now that they don't let you cut through the Grand Californian anymore I'm thinking of booking a different hotel. Currently booked at BW Stovall's

The location of BW Stovall's makes getting to start of the race very easy.....basically right across the street. We've stayed there MANY times for races.

 

[The Expert]

Anyone have experience walking from Springhill Suites? It's roughly on the corner of Harbor and Katella. I'm wondering which direction is best to go -- can you get to the corrals via Katella or should I plan to go up Harbor to the main entrance and through that way?

 

[ZellyB]

Anyone have experience walking from Springhill Suites? It's roughly on the corner of Harbor and Katella. I'm wondering which direction is best to go -- can you get to the corrals via Katella or should I plan to go up Harbor to the main entrance and through that way?

I've wondered the same. We are at the Residence Inn at the Convention Center, so also near Katella and Harbor intersection. Since it's my first race, I'm not sure where the corral line-up is. It seems like for just basic park-going it's closer to just walk up Harbor to the main entrance, but aren't the corrals for the race closer to the Katella entrance and the Disney hotels?

 

[Wink25]

@MommyLove well that's a bit of a bummer but at the same time, I get it. I'd be upset if I paid for a GCH room and that benefit of the DCA entrance was minimized for me because anyone could use it. Thanks for the heads-up!
EDIT: ah, I see - can't go there to get to DCA OR Downtown Disney. They're cracking down!

Yes, we had to deal with this Star Wars weekend and thought it was just because of the race but after doing a little research it seems it applies all the time, even for Paradise Pier guests!!

 

[roxymama]

I was reading up on this over the weekend (the new security checkpoints.) Am I correct to assume that now once you get security checked once inside the Disney bubble (including downtown disney) that you don't have to do any other checks until you exit the bubble?
So if I go through bag check in the morning, I can then go to Disneyland, DCA and shop in Downtown Disney and not go to a bag check over and over.
But if I want to go to the DL hotel to attend the expo, I'd be leaving the bubble and have to go back to bag check again to get back into it?

I'm so used to WDW that this is new for me.

I'm assuming morning of the race there will be security checks too but my question is more related to just regular park day.
I'm staying at Tropicana so I can see on the new maps posted online where my bag check would roughly be for park day....I'm just gonna follow the masses on race day.

 

[Ariel484]

Yes, we had to deal with this Star Wars weekend and thought it was just because of the race but after doing a little research it seems it applies all the time, even for Paradise Pier guests!!

So I was reading the thread and it sounded like they do that until 11AM only, and then after that time anyone can go through? I guess I'll find out!

I was reading up on this over the weekend (the new security checkpoints.) Am I correct to assume that now once you get security checked once inside the Disney bubble (including downtown disney) that you don't have to do any other checks until you exit the bubble?
So if I go through bag check in the morning, I can then go to Disneyland, DCA and shop in Downtown Disney and not go to a bag check over and over.
But if I want to go to the DL hotel to attend the expo, I'd be leaving the bubble and have to go back to bag check again to get back into it?

I'm so used to WDW that this is new for me.

I'm assuming morning of the race there will be security checks too but my question is more related to just regular park day.
I'm staying at Tropicana so I can see on the new maps posted online where my bag check would roughly be for park day....I'm just gonna follow the masses on race day.

I'm wondering this too. Last time I was in DL they had regular bag check but hadn't implemented the other stuff. At least not that I can remember.

 

[Wink25]

So I was reading the thread and it sounded like they do that until 11AM only, and then after that time anyone can go through? I guess I'll find out!

I'm wondering this too. Last time I was in DL they had regular bag check but hadn't implemented the other stuff. At least not that I can remember.

This is as of Star Wars, so of course things could change again but for us, the security entrances were at the beginning of DTD and on the side entrance. When we left for the expo and came back we had to go through security again. As for the race, they only had the DTD security spot and one on Magic Way. During the 10k, security initially wouldn't let me (a spectator) go through the check on Magic way, but then later on they were letting people through. Without the magic way entrance, I was advised that I would have to go all the way down the walkway of the Disneyland Hotel and make a u-turn at the roundabout (this seems to be a standard crossing area in most races I've done) and go back to the DTD security point. On the Sunday, we were able to go through the magic way run Disney security point and then through the "normal" security point at the entrance of DTD next to Rainforest.

It is nice to be able to walk right up to the entrance from DTD but it is a little frustrating during race weekends when you have to go all the way around the finish line to get to the DTD security point. I imagine during non-race weekends it is a smooth process.

Anyway, hope that's clear as mud!

 

[Kender]

Note that you don't actually have to be staying in GCH to use the front entrance. There is a backdoor [edited to fix jumble mess] in that if you are patronizing a service of GCH, you are considered a guest.

I was reading up on this over the weekend (the new security checkpoints.) Am I correct to assume that now once you get security checked once inside the Disney bubble (including downtown disney) that you don't have to do any other checks until you exit the bubble?
So if I go through bag check in the morning, I can then go to Disneyland, DCA and shop in Downtown Disney and not go to a bag check over and over.
But if I want to go to the DL hotel to attend the expo, I'd be leaving the bubble and have to go back to bag check again to get back into it?

I'm so used to WDW that this is new for me.

I'm assuming morning of the race there will be security checks too but my question is more related to just regular park day.
I'm staying at Tropicana so I can see on the new maps posted online where my bag check would roughly be for park day....I'm just gonna follow the masses on race day.

Yes, you're still in the bubble. It used to just be DL, DCA, and the esplanade, but since they moved the security checkpoint on the DTD side, it now includes DTD. It's one of the big reasons why many are adamant that a hopper is a good investment. It's not just the proximity, it's that you don't have to be rescreened between parks.

The on site hotels are outside the bubble, though, yes. So you will need to be rescreened.

It was all implemented back in December as I recall. I know it was after my Thanksgiving trip, but before my NYE trip. I just don't remember the exact date, lol.

And yes, race day will be its own beast .

 

[The Expert]

I've wondered the same. We are at the Residence Inn at the Convention Center, so also near Katella and Harbor intersection. Since it's my first race, I'm not sure where the corral line-up is. It seems like for just basic park-going it's closer to just walk up Harbor to the main entrance, but aren't the corrals for the race closer to the Katella entrance and the Disney hotels?

It's my first DL race, but not my first DL trip. Yes, entering from Harbor is probably easiest for regular visits. From what I can tell from last year's Tink event guide, the corrals are in the parking lots to the south of the DL hotel, right next to Katella. I just don't know if you can enter from there.

Does anyone who has done this before know?

 

[MommyLove]

EDIT: ah, I see - can't go there to get to DCA OR Downtown Disney. They're cracking down!

Yep. :/

The location of BW Stovall's makes getting to start of the race very easy.....basically right across the street. We've stayed there MANY times for races.

Ya, it'd be great for race day. But not for the three other days we'll be going into the parks (we're annual passholders) so I opted to cancel the BW Stovall's ressie and book Park Vue. The free breakfast (including hot protein), free parking, discounts for returning customers, and the fact that they still have availability right now (!) made it a no-brainer for us. Just extra walking on race day then for us instead of the other three. We really like to start early and take a break in the middle of the day when doing the parks so the three other days weighed more heavily for us.

Yes, we had to deal with this Star Wars weekend and thought it was just because of the race but after doing a little research it seems it applies all the time, even for Paradise Pier guests!!

That's what I'm reading. I'd be quite unhappy about that if I were a PP guest!

I was reading up on this over the weekend (the new security checkpoints.) Am I correct to assume that now once you get security checked once inside the Disney bubble (including downtown disney) that you don't have to do any other checks until you exit the bubble? So if I go through bag check in the morning, I can then go to Disneyland, DCA and shop in Downtown Disney and not go to a bag check over and over.

Ya, we loved it on our last trip (were were there 3 weeks ago) that we didn't have to re-screen after shopping in DTD then heading back to the parks like how you used to have to.

So I was reading the thread and it sounded like they do that until 11AM only, and then after that time anyone can go through? I guess I'll find out!

That just applies when you're going from the Grand to CA Adventure from what I read: "The GCH to DCA gate is now GHC only guest before 11am where prior it was all resort guests. After 11 it is still open to all."
I don't think it matters what time you're trying to go in through the front Grand entrance - you have to be a Grand guest to do it from what I'm reading on the DL board.

Note that you don't actually have to be staying in GCH to use the front entrance. There is a backdoor, so

???
A backdoor to the front entrance of the Grand?

It's one of the big reasons why many are adamant that a hopper is a good investment. It's not just the proximity, it's that you don't have to be rescreened between parks.

I don't ever recall security screening between DL and DCA.

 

[Kender]

???
A backdoor to the front entrance of the Grand?


I don't ever recall security screening between DL and DCA.

Weird. My post cut out some of what I had typed before and jumbled it... It makes zero sense because of it, lol! The "backdoor" content that got scrambled was something I was typing about how you are considered a guest if you are patronizing a service at GCH. "Backdoor" not meaning a literal backdoor, but a metaphorical one. Sorry about the confusion .

And that's because there never had been security between the two parks and I wasn't suggesting there ever had been. I said there isn't and that's why hoppers have always been recommended. I brought it up since this is something that a WDW vet (and new to DLR) would not be used to. I only indicated the inclusion of DTD in the secure zone was new as of December 2016.

 

[MommyLove]

Weird. My post cut out some of what I had typed before and jumbled it... It makes zero sense because of it, lol! The "backdoor" content that got scrambled was something I was typing about how you are considered a guest if you are patronizing a service at GCH. "Backdoor" not meaning a literal backdoor, but a metaphorical one. Sorry about the confusion .

And that's because there never had been security between the two parks and I wasn't suggesting there ever had been. I said there isn't and that's why hoppers have always been recommended. I brought it up since this is something that a WDW vet (and new to DLR) would not be used to. I only indicated the inclusion of DTD in the secure zone was new as of December 2016.

LOL about the backdoor thing!

Oh, ok yeah, I get the comment now when it's for WDW vets. I'm a DL vet who's never been to WDW, so I'm clueless on giving advice for WDW vets!

 

[Kender]

LOL about the backdoor thing!

Oh, ok yeah, I get the comment now when it's for WDW vets. I'm a DL vet who's never been to WDW, so I'm clueless on giving advice for WDW vets!

Thank you for drawing attention to it! I hadn't noticed my post got partially eaten.

 

[bellanotte10]

just realized i'll be able to make it to the tentative dismeet up! I had the date wrong on my plans! now it fits in perfectly because we were already going to spend the afternoon there!

 

[Ariel484]

Okay pixies! Are we thinking we'll try to do an informal DIS meet-up during Tink weekend??

If so, I'm thinking Friday or Saturday at a non-park location may work best. That way everyone is in town by then and people don't have to burn a park ticket if they don't want to.

Maybe Saturday at the Disneyland Hotel - the outside patio/deck at Trader Sam's? 2PM? I'll bring the name tags.

Speaking of - re-posting the tentative DIS-meet info!

 

[Lola_Stark42]

I have the *I need to do this race* bug. I'm running Princess for the first time in 2 or 3 years, so now I want to run Tinkerbell and get the pretty pink Coast to Coast. Seeing as I'll be I CA for Avengers weekend, to do it means I have to spend as little as I can. Does anyone have any good deal sites they use to book flights/hotel combo? I know there are plenty out there I just want to make sure I get the best deal. Also, has anyone used AirBNB for their stay? I'm considering it but I feel awkward staying in someone else's house.

 

[bellanotte10]

Speaking of - re-posting the tentative DIS-meet info!

Saturday at Trader Sam's at 2 works for me. I couldn't do Friday....but don't go off just me hahaha

 

[Ariel484]

Saturday at Trader Sam's at 2 works for me. I couldn't do Friday....but don't go off just me hahaha

So far no one has suggested an alternative, so that's what it is for now!