Tell me about the entrances to Disneyland

mickeymom22

DIS Veteran
Joined
Dec 28, 2012
WDW pro here! I can tell you how to get from point A to point B all over WDW, but now I am headed to DL! I will be staying at a hotel that I can walk to DL. What is the best entrance for both parks? Best meaning less stressful...perhaps less crowded...or the best to use when you are trying to get in at rope drop/extra magic hour...???

Thanks!
 
WDW pro here! I can tell you how to get from point A to point B all over WDW, but now I am headed to DL! I will be staying at a hotel that I can walk to DL. What is the best entrance for both parks? Best meaning less stressful...perhaps less crowded...or the best to use when you are trying to get in at rope drop/extra magic hour...???

Thanks!

Which hotel? It makes a difference...
 
Generally the Downtown Disney entrance off of Disneyland Drive is quicker, but if it means walking all the way around from the Harbor Blvd side I'm not sure it's worth the time. You hear this mentioned on the Podcast as well. If you are going to Uber, I'd go to the Downtown Disney entrance.
 
It depends on where you are coming from. There are a few “entrances” to the resort area (DTD and the esplanade). And then some easier ways to get into the parks depending on where you’re coming from. What hotel will you be staying at? It may be more helpful to advise if we know. Sometimes, the bag checks/entrances that are “less stressful” can be long because they have less security lines open, and vice versa.
 


WDW pro here! I can tell you how to get from point A to point B all over WDW, but now I am headed to DL! I will be staying at a hotel that I can walk to DL. What is the best entrance for both parks? Best meaning less stressful...perhaps less crowded...or the best to use when you are trying to get in at rope drop/extra magic hour...???

Thanks!

Coming from Embassy Suites Anaheim South...

Actually when I checked on Google Maps, its saying a 30 minute walk, which to me is a bit far to be walkable.

disney.JPG

So anyways, if you are walking, just walk straight up Harbour Boulevard to the pedestrian entrance to Disneyland. When you walk onto Disney property, follow the people and you will see the line of security bag check tents in-front of you.
 
Have not stayed at E-Suites but friends have. As shown, it's a hike. Thoughts:

1) Can walk to the Toy Story Lot and take the parking shuttle, which looks to be 2/5 of the walking distance (it's right at the "31 Min" sign in the screen shot above). They have new security screening at this lot, which will allow you to bypass the security at the main Harbor Blvd entrance.

2) E-Suites South has a complimentary shuttle, unless something has changed. This will take you to Harbor Blvd security, likely the busiest. This HAS been reconfigured recently to prepare for Star Wars, so it's hopefully much improved. But we haven't seen the "crowds" yet.

3) As mentioned, consider an Uber/Lyft to the Downtown Disney entrance near Disneyland Hotel. This should be the least-crowded tents. If low-stress is worth a few bucks to you, this is a really nice option. And the walk through DTD is really nice in the morning. Mobile order from "Starbucks West" during your ride and should be ready for pickup.

I would probably try a mix of #1 and #3 myself. If you sense crowds are not bad, #2 would work. But I would call the hotel lobby and ask if their shuttle makes stops at other hotels. If it does, the loading/unloading can be frustrating in the morning.

Last thing: If you have strollers, make sure you are up to speed on the new rules before leaving hotel. Have fun
 
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1) Can walk to the Toy Story Lot and take the parking shuttle, which looks to be 2/5 of the walking distance (it's right at the "31 Min" sign in the screen shot above). They have new security screening at this lot, which will allow you to bypass the security at the main Harbor Blvd entrance.

While I would still recommend walking to the Toy Story lot instead of walking all the way to DL, I don't think they have started the security screening there yet so you will be dropped off at the Harbor/Pedestrian entrance screening stations. At least they weren't screening there when we went this Tuesday. Can't wait until they start though!
 
While I would still recommend walking to the Toy Story lot instead of walking all the way to DL, I don't think they have started the security screening there yet so you will be dropped off at the Harbor/Pedestrian entrance screening stations. At least they weren't screening there when we went this Tuesday. Can't wait until they start though!

Thanks, there was a report that it opened on Wednesday (May 1) which I'm guessing was in conjunction with start of the new stroller rules. They would not want people parking, taking the shuttle, and being turned away at Harbor Screening with strollers.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/just-a-friendly-reminder-about-crowd-calendars.3747748

Of course, it's not guaranteed to be open every day since it's brand new. Hopefully others will report experience. But my guess is it would be full speed soon, if not already.
 
Thank you all for your replies! I was hoping the walk wouldn't be that bad, but I don't know about 30 minutes...that is a little too much.

We are a family of five and I don't like to spend too much on the room because we literally will only be in there to sleep...

What about the Tropicanna inn and Suites? It appears to be right across the street and they don't mind that we have 3 kids!

Any thoughts on this motel?
 
Thanks, there was a report that it opened on Wednesday (May 1) which I'm guessing was in conjunction with start of the new stroller rules. They would not want people parking, taking the shuttle, and being turned away at Harbor Screening with strollers.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/just-a-friendly-reminder-about-crowd-calendars.3747748

Of course, it's not guaranteed to be open every day since it's brand new. Hopefully others will report experience. But my guess is it would be full speed soon, if not already.
No, that post was talking about the fact that when the lines get long in the Harbor side, they’ve been dropping off the Toy Story busses on the “pick up” side instead of where they drop off during normal times.

This means that people disembarking the busses get funneled to specific security check lines, on the far left, and don’t deal with the crowds stretching back to Harbor.

There’s nothing in the lot itself, at all. I know they announced there will be (when they move the CM parking and open up Katella access?), but that’s a long way off.
 
I prefer Tropicana because of its location! But, no breakfast if that matters to you.
 
Thank you all for your replies! I was hoping the walk wouldn't be that bad, but I don't know about 30 minutes...that is a little too much.

We are a family of five and I don't like to spend too much on the room because we literally will only be in there to sleep...

What about the Tropicanna inn and Suites? It appears to be right across the street and they don't mind that we have 3 kids!

Any thoughts on this motel?

I have stayed at Tropicana and it worked out well. Desert Inn & Suites is also a good option, especially with a larger family. It was the only place my family of 6 stayed when I was a kid because there was plenty of room to sleep all of us.
 
Thank you all for your replies! I was hoping the walk wouldn't be that bad, but I don't know about 30 minutes...that is a little too much.

We are a family of five and I don't like to spend too much on the room because we literally will only be in there to sleep...

What about the Tropicanna inn and Suites? It appears to be right across the street and they don't mind that we have 3 kids!

Any thoughts on this motel?
We are also a family of 5 and the Tropicana is a favorite of ours. The 2 Queen/ 1 sleeper chair rooms are a little tight with 5 but fine for place to sleep and usually decent rates. I don't know how old your kids are but the sleeper chair probably isn't great for a larger/heavier kid- my DD7 was ok on it and DD9 would have been too but DD13 would have grumbled. Location is fantastic. There are lots of options much closer than your Embassy Suites that will accommodate a family of 5. We've also done the HoJo (love the kids suite- king bed in one room, bunks and sleeper sofa so no sharing beds in the other and TWO BATHROOMS!!!) and Holiday Inn Express with the 5 of us (I've stayed at many other Harbor hotels as well but only these three with all of us). Tropicana is the closest and probably my top choice followed by HoJo of those three. There are others that will take 5 as well so hunt around. We're trying the BW Park Place Inn in June and I'm curious to see how it compares (2 queens + double sofa). It's about as close as you can get to the Harbor crosswalk and entrance.
 
Thank you all for your replies! I was hoping the walk wouldn't be that bad, but I don't know about 30 minutes...that is a little too much.

We are a family of five and I don't like to spend too much on the room because we literally will only be in there to sleep...

What about the Tropicanna inn and Suites? It appears to be right across the street and they don't mind that we have 3 kids!

Any thoughts on this motel?

Yeah, I google mapped it, Embassy Suites South is 1.5 miles. You would not want to walk that with 3 kids. I mean, it's doable, and in the morning it might feel okay when you're all fired up, but I guarantee that at the end of the day, it will feel like a hundred miles.

How old are your kids, and what are your dates? I definitely love staying across the street. My go-to has been Desert Inn. They are not at all fancy, but clean and comfortable. Their standard room is 2 queens, but you can get a "parlor suite" with 2 queens and a sofa bed in a little entry room/ sitting area with a tv. Desert Inn is usually the least expensive of all the hotels that are near the main entrance crosswalk on Harbor. They have a free continental breakfast (which is pretty lame, but I like to just have groceries in the room for breakfast, anyway-- muffins, juice, yogurt, etc). Rooms have a mini fridge and a microwave.
 
Embassy Suites is quite a bit farther than the Red Lion, which is the absolute farthest south I'd go on Harbor and still plan to walk.
 
means that people disembarking the busses get funneled to specific security check lines, on the far left, and don’t deal with the crowds stretching back to Harbor.

Not to steal the OP’s thread but is this a better option than the regular security lines? We’re staying at the Clarion in August (where we usually stay!) and we usually alternate between those or ART. Although the whole reason we shuttle is because I have nerve damage issues in my legs so I hate to make the trek over to TS shuttles if it won’t save time in the end.
 
Not to steal the OP’s thread but is this a better option than the regular security lines? We’re staying at the Clarion in August (where we usually stay!) and we usually alternate between those or ART. Although the whole reason we shuttle is because I have nerve damage issues in my legs so I hate to make the trek over to TS shuttles if it won’t save time in the end.
Yes, but you can't guarantee that they'll actually drop you on that side (the normal "pick-up" side). Once that side was full, so we got dropped off on the other side anyway and had to deal with the masses over there.

This only becomes a factor if security is very backed up. 90% of the time, it doesn't matter.
 

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