Walking from PPH to esplanade...not through the GCH???

[SFMommy]

We are booked to stay at the PPH over Labor Day Weekend. I read something about not being able to cut through the GCH to get to DTD and then to the esplanade. But I can't find details.

What would be the quickest path the esplanade now? Why can't we walk through the GCH exactly?

We also have a reservation at the Fairfield Inn for half the price. Now I'm questioning if the PPH is worth it.

Thanks!

 

[StormyCA]

New security measures have moved the bag checks on the west side of DTD to near the ESPN Zone and Earl of Sandwich so now the entire DTD district is within the bag check area. There is also now a bag check at the Grand/DTD entrance by Sephora, I call it the 'Breezeway'. To avoid crowding and long lines, especially in the mornings, it was decided that only guests of the GCH and those with dining reservations will be able enter the front doors to the Lobby, thereby 'cutting off' guests that walked over to the GCH and used the Breezeway entrance to DTD. People walking to the Grand to use the entrance are told to continue to DTD via the DLH. I've never walked from that way myself, so I can't give you specific directions.

You can still enter the GCH via the Breezeway, and can exit the GCH that way, too, once you're done doing whatever. You just cannot enter the GCH via the front door anymore unless you are a registered guest.

 

[Geemo]

We are booked to stay at the PPH over Labor Day Weekend. I read something about not being able to cut through the GCH to get to DTD and then to the esplanade. But I can't find details.

What would be the quickest path the esplanade now? Why can't we walk through the GCH exactly?

We also have a reservation at the Fairfield Inn for half the price. Now I'm questioning if the PPH is worth it.

Thanks!

This thread has info about the change.
http://www.disboards.com/threads/lo...bout-the-new-security-check-in-place.3565716/

You can use this link to check distances for both places to the main gates.
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=3...20&m=h&gz=0;-1179189795;338090519;54;1448;0;0

This link will give you information about the NEW Eastside entrance to the parks.
http://www.disboards.com/threads/new-parking-structure-pedestrian-bridge-question.3535621/

You might want to think about construction noise by Labor Day Weekend.

Geemo

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I have walked that way on my way back to a hotel on Katella once, so I can try to summarize. If you walk up the sidewalk on the same side as PPH to DLH, you'll wind through a bit of land that would be considered DLH property and eventually pop out at the crosswalk over by ESPN zone where security is now. It is a longer walk. I'm not sure how much longer since I didn't time it. Maybe 5 minutes more? At most? I'm also not sure if things have changed in terms of sidewalks and pathways, but that's how the walk was in 2015.

 

[Nonsuch]

Old path from PPH to esplanade: 2554 feet
New path from PPH to esplanade: 3374 feet

 

[Pintail]

Fairfield Inn would be my call, unless extra magic hours are really important for you.

 

[emmybee]

Is there no sidewalk on either side of that road that runs between PPH and the GCH?

 

[Darkbeer1]

There is a sidewalk on the east side of Disneyland Drive that goes from Katella Avenue to the South to past Ball Road on the North. But there are no breaks for pedestrians to get off the sidewalk, except at the GCH driveway, which has a security check at the corner, with Disney CM's asking for room keys, or looking your name up on the reservation list (same procedure as the vehicles deal with at the corner). Going north you go under Downtown Disney which is on a bridge at that point, and then there is a crosswalk at Magic Way near the Parking Structure. There was a pathway to Downtown Disney that was closed with multiple fences to keep the area "secure". No way to access the parks or DtD on that side.

The west side crosswalk on Disneyland Drive goes from Katella, but stops at the traffic light for GCH, as there is no crosswalk north of the intersection until Ball Road.

So basically no other option than to walk to the ESPN and then head east towards the parks.

Also Disney offers no sort of transportation from the Hotels to the parks, so your only real choice is to walk, or take a taxi/Uber/Lyft to Harbor Blvd, and enter through the Security checkpoint n the East side of the parks.

So that is why the off-property Hotels/Motels on Harbor Blvd between Manchester and Disney Way and popular and often mentioned.

 

[StormyCA]

Great post, Darkbeer!
Great map, Nonsuch!

I've stayed at the Grand and the DLH, but never the PP. I just couldn't visualize the 'new' way to get to DTD from PP.

 

[ImDMous]

Is there no sidewalk on either side of that road that runs between PPH and the GCH?

The walkway from the hotels and ESPN/EoS side of DTD to the Lego/DL side of DTD is a bridge that goes over that road. The security checkpoint is on the hotel side of the bridge. If you stay on the road there's no way to get to DTD.

 

[bumbershoot]

FWIW it's not the new way to get from pph to the parks. It's been signed to go that way for at least 10 years. If you solely look at signs in the hotel they send you out the back which goes towards dlh and the back side of dtd.

I'm not saying I like this. It's ridiculous. But it's how the signs have pointed.

My issue is that for forever pph and dlh guests have been officially included in using the dca entrance and now it seems they can't. Even though the costs for pph are through the roof compared to just a few years ago.

 

[Steven G]

In the past it just wasn't worth forcing pph guests to go the other way since there was no security checkpoint except into DCA. But they only have so much available space for the new checkpoint into dd from GCH, so I can accept,that. It definitely devalues pph though. Dlh not so much of course.

 

[hsmamato2]

it's a pretty long hike back in through there..... I'd choose a closer hotel on Harbor IMHO

 

[bumbershoot]

I have used mapmyrun to get distances.

Outside PPH in front to the center of the esplanade by the Grand was .46 mile.

Outside PPH in back/side to the center of the esplanade going by their signs is .63 mile.

This isn't "destroy your feet" distance. Manage to finish up each evening in Tomorrowland and take the monorail, and it's even shorter.


Again, this irritates me. It also irritated me that they put the corrals for Star Wars last weekend OUTside the secure zone so you had to go through security after you ran 13 miles to get back to DTD to get through security on Harbor so you could just get to your hotel. Why not move the zones a bit? It's irritating. It makes PPH, my fave onsite hotel, worth a bit less while still charging the earth.

But .46 vs .63 isn't worth me crying about since I know it.

Now, our FIRST trip to PPH, I cried about it LOL. Because I thought that following the signs WAS the shortcut, and it was just so crazy long to my feet (I was way heavier then and not in good shape at all). When we got home and I found out that I hadn't taken the shortcut I was sad.

 

[scrapshappen]

We stayed at the PPH this past Sunday-Tuesday and didn't regret it at all. We walked back through the Grand at the end of the day, but around the other way in the mornings. I'd stay there again.