Security to enter the parks is the absolute worst. THE WORST

[mom2rtk]

That isn't true. We have also stayed at all 3 and they are blue for regular rooms and gold for club level. But like was mention above, it wouldn't be hard for them to print the hotel name on them.

We only use that entrance into DCA in the afternoon/evening and I'd hope they'd still allow it at slower times. In the morning, it's not worth it even when you're staying at the GCH. We will see in a few days though.

We never use the DCA entrance in the morning either. It's the entrance into DTD that I would be unhappy losing.

 

[Malcon10t]

To clarify, I only asked about the DCA entrance. I did not ask about the DTD entrance from the GCH. They said they will call me back tomorrow to clarify another issue and I will ask about that then.

 

[mom2rtk]

To clarify, I only asked about the DCA entrance. I did not ask about the DTD entrance from the GCH. They said they will call me back tomorrow to clarify another issue and I will ask about that then.

I appreciate that. Thanks!

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

We never use the DCA entrance in the morning either. It's the entrance into DTD that I would be unhappy losing.

Me too!

To clarify, I only asked about the DCA entrance. I did not ask about the DTD entrance from the GCH. They said they will call me back tomorrow to clarify another issue and I will ask about that then.

I will be interested in hearing what you report back.

 

[DLgal]

For what it's worth, I was at Downtown Disney today. They have the new security areas "staged" but not being used yet. They look done to me. There was one near ESPN Zone and one near Earl of Sandwich. They have put up dark green chain link fencing around the security check areas so that everyone has to funnel towards them.

I visited the GCH to buy some cookies from the pop up up holiday stand. There was absolutely nothing "staged" at the GCH-DTD entrance near Sephora. I don't know what they plan to do but as of now it looks like nothing is being planned. They absolutely cannot restrict the DtD entrance to only hotel guests. There are restaurants and shops, a spa, etc there. People have reason to visit without staying there. I feel like a security checkpoint at the hotel's front door is inevitable though. And I can definitely see them restricting access at the DCA park entrance, but they have kind of always done that. Used to have to show a receipt if you were trying to come back into DCA from GCH as a non Resort guest, then they officially added Pass holders to those that were "allowed", then they took away the restrictions and let anyone use it after 12:00 noon. Although I like using it, I always felt it should have been kept exclusive to guests of just THAT hotel.

I plan to go back on the 15th. I will see what they end up doing at the DtD entrance.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

...I plan to go back on the 15th. I will see what they end up doing at the DtD entrance.

Looking forward to hearing what you report back.

 

[fsjking]

Didn't read through all of this, but experienced the terrible security waits last week. Only used the DTD entrance. The two worst times were on Sunday evening between the two Candlelight processionals and you had mobs trying to leave clashing with people stuck in security trying to get in. It got downright rude between people. The other was on a Wednesday at opening when it was over 30 minutes to get through and that was after sliding by the fountain to find one of the shorter lines. The dumbest part to me is why not designate one or two lines to those with no bags, strollers, wheelchairs, etc. They were sending people through metal detectors anyway, so it makes no sense putting everyone through the same line. Doing a no bag line would greatly shorten the lines as you can fly through security without bags. Knowing that you can essentially skip the lines would probably entice more people to not carry bags in too.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Alas, Disney has tried no-bag lines in the past, and at Disneyland, every time it caused more problems and delays. People don't understand that "no bags"doesn't mean no bags except mine, or no bags includes fanny packs, etc. Also, some claim they don't understand English and they don't need to get in the main lines, etc....

Same with trying to set up lines for Annual Passholders to enter the turnstiles, or returning guests that already have had their photo taken, etc. Every test/Pilot programhas failed.As the joke goes, People leaves the brains at hone when going to a Theme/Amusement park....

Such is life, and of course, it seems I always pick the line with the longest wait, just like at the grocery store.

 

[doomer]

I've seen nothing about the timing of the Harbor vs. DTD checks when this change happens. Now, both sides start letting people into the esplanade at the same time. If this continues, there will be an advantage to entering from Harbor.

Suppose Disneyland Park is offering early entry one morning at 7 AM. If checking on both sides begins at 6:35, the first Harbor Blvd entrants are going to get to the gates several minutes before those on the DTD side.

Maybe people will be let into DTD earlier, but still blocked from the esplanade, or ... ?

[It will get even weirder when the Eastern Gateway opens.]

 

[Niltiac]

I've seen nothing about the timing of the Harbor vs. DTD checks when this change happens. Now, both sides start letting people into the esplanade at the same time. If this continues, there will be an advantage to entering from Harbor.

Suppose Disneyland Park is offering early entry one morning at 7 AM. If checking on both sides begins at 6:35, the first Harbor Blvd entrants are going to get to the gates several minutes before those on the DTD side.

Maybe people will be let into DTD earlier, but still blocked from the esplanade, or ... ?

[It will get even weirder when the Eastern Gateway opens.]

For the businesses in DTD to be able to plan their hours and staffing needs, I would think the DTD side would need to open at a consistent time rather than be dependent on the ever-changing park schedule. So maybe that'll be the side with the advantage. Or maybe both sides will open at a consistent time now. When does Starbucks usually open?

At any rate, I think anyone who gets there early enough to be among the first through security is going to have a pretty good spot at the turnstyles even if they're on the disadvantaged side, so Disney might not bother to try to make it absolutely fair.

 

[Malcon10t]

I'm wondering about when I get up at the DLH and plan a quick run down to StarBucks or Tortilla Jos Taqueira for a quick breakfast.

 

[bumbershoot]

Disney has never advertised the "GCH Shortcut", so to them, expecting guests to head north to the ESPN Zone walking past the DLH is nothing out of the ordinary.

Define "advertise".

Is it on tv? No. but it's not advertised like that for grand either.

But has it been shown on all onsite resort pages for a decade? Heck yes. I have checked those pages often for years, since our first trip planning time (back when guidebooks were still touting the now closed entrance they closed for dvc). It's been a perk for a long time.

Still there.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/hotel-benefits/

Yep.... I have been unofficially told that they will be limiting the GCH entrances to just GCH guests. Personally, I think for DLH guests, the entrance by EOS will be easier, but will wait and see. But I see PPH guests will have a much longer walk.

Not that long. Just obnoxious. And most likely many of the pph guests are already going that way because of the signage inside pph.

And when staying at frontier tower it's actually about the same distance going through the grand vs going dlh to dtd.

 

[Malcon10t]

I wonder when they are going to change the website...

"
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."

 

[Darkbeer1]

I wonder when they are going to change the website...

"
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."

Well, maybe overnight, but knowing the Disney websites and their past record, about 3 months from now, even though the requirements were changed...

I might go to the park tomorrow, but not at opening, so hopefully those are currently there will post in the morning telling about their experiences.

 

[princessebird]

We went in mid-September and tried to limit what we took into the parks; mostly we carried our phones, power banks and cords, snacks, hand sanitizer, Kleenex, and empty water bottles. We put that all in a see-through bag (the kind that's required if you take a bag to an NFL game). Literally every security person who did a bag search thanked us for doing that, and several said that they wish everyone carried a see-through bag.

That being said, when I wrote DLR with my post-trip letter (which I always do), I told them that the part of our vacation I was least impressed with was security. While I want to be safe, there are many ways to ensure safety while not diminishing the user experience. To me the biggest frustration was picking the "wrong" line. I don't mind waiting. I mind choosing one line that ends up taking 20 minutes while another line takes only 10. And recent research says similar things; people want equitability--they don't want to feel like they have gotten screwed. Disney promises a world class experience but won't pay for additional CM to manage security lines. A single line and a CM directing the front of the line to a particular security station may not reduce wait, but it would increase user experience because it would make everyone have the same user experience.

 

[mom2rtk]

We went in mid-September and tried to limit what we took into the parks; mostly we carried our phones, power banks and cords, snacks, hand sanitizer, Kleenex, and empty water bottles. We put that all in a see-through bag (the kind that's required if you take a bag to an NFL game). Literally every security person who did a bag search thanked us for doing that, and several said that they wish everyone carried a see-through bag.

That being said, when I wrote DLR with my post-trip letter (which I always do), I told them that the part of our vacation I was least impressed with was security. While I want to be safe, there are many ways to ensure safety while not diminishing the user experience. To me the biggest frustration was picking the "wrong" line. I don't mind waiting. I mind choosing one line that ends up taking 20 minutes while another line takes only 10. And recent research says similar things; people want equitability--they don't want to feel like they have gotten screwed. Disney promises a world class experience but won't pay for additional CM to manage security lines. A single line and a CM directing the front of the line to a particular security station may not reduce wait, but it would increase user experience because it would make everyone have the same user experience.

I actually like line roulette! Size up the guests, the packages, the bag checkers...... decide which one promises to be the fastest! Then complain when you lose, or rejoice in the occasional win!

I can't say I'm a fan of having someone direct traffic. It has the potential to slow things down. Plus, I don't think there's any way they would have room for a single line.

 

[dshimel]

To me the biggest frustration was picking the "wrong" line. I don't mind waiting. I mind choosing one line that ends up taking 20 minutes while another line takes only 10. And recent research says similar things; people want equitability--they don't want to feel like they have gotten screwed.

Yep. Get half-way through the line only to realize your line is feeding one check station while the other line is feeding two, and if you'd gotten in the other line, you would be through security already... but you didn't, so you are only half-way through, but it is too late to change. ARG!

 

[Camshell]

We went in mid-September and tried to limit what we took into the parks; mostly we carried our phones, power banks and cords, snacks, hand sanitizer, Kleenex, and empty water bottles. We put that all in a see-through bag (the kind that's required if you take a bag to an NFL game). Literally every security person who did a bag search thanked us for doing that, and several said that they wish everyone carried a see-through bag.

That being said, when I wrote DLR with my post-trip letter (which I always do), I told them that the part of our vacation I was least impressed with was security. While I want to be safe, there are many ways to ensure safety while not diminishing the user experience. To me the biggest frustration was picking the "wrong" line. I don't mind waiting. I mind choosing one line that ends up taking 20 minutes while another line takes only 10. And recent research says similar things; people want equitability--they don't want to feel like they have gotten screwed. Disney promises a world class experience but won't pay for additional CM to manage security lines. A single line and a CM directing the front of the line to a particular security station may not reduce wait, but it would increase user experience because it would make everyone have the same user experience.

I agree 100%. There are many stores where I live now using this line system to buy things (they converted from the multiple lines). It works great. I don't mind waiting if there is a line, too, but nothing is worse than getting in the slow line that actually isn't moving. You start wondering if you should bail and get into a longer line or stick it out. It most definitely doesn't slow things down either, my experience is that a single line serving multiple checkouts moves much faster. I would love to see this model used for the security lines. I think there would be a lot more happier people.

 

[Phdmama06]

Just wondering, is there any reason why they are manually searching bags rather than using airport-style scanners for bags? Is it a money thing, or are the machines less effective, or is it about training staff to use them?? When I went to Universal (Orlando) they had the machines and it seemed to go a lot faster than Disney's bag searches.

 

[DLgal]

Just wondering, is there any reason why they are manually searching bags rather than using airport-style scanners for bags? Is it a money thing, or are the machines less effective, or is it about training staff to use them?? When I went to Universal (Orlando) they had the machines and it seemed to go a lot faster than Disney's bag searches.

The machines are not nearly as thorough as a manual check. Think about it, how often does TSA have to pull a bag after going through because something looked suspicious on the x ray? It also requires more staff....someone to monitor the machine and someone else to do a manual check when necessary. Also, Disney has bans on things that wouldn't necessarily show up on the x ray, like glass containers, selfie sticks, etc. And other potential weapons that can be plastic.