Security Line

[dmcdixie]

Hi! This is my first time staying offsite, we have always stayed on property and never waited more than 10 mins in security. I have been seeing posts that from other entrances this is not the case.

We are staying at courtyard main gate, by the hojo. We do not have magic mornings since myself and dd have annual passes. We going the last week in April and the park opens at 9. We would like to be there for rope drop, not necessarily the first in line. How long should we plan for security?

 

[SMD]

It really depends on how many lines they have open and how they're staffing the metal detectors. Even when the lines have been almost back to Harbor I've still never waited more than 20 minutes to actually get my bag checked and never more than 5 additional minutes for a metal detector. It just feels like a lot more as you're inching along anticipating being in the parks. I'd probably budget 30 minutes for security and 15-20 for the turnstile.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

We usually get there around rope drop, and often we wait about 20 minutes for security on the Eastern side. A few times there have been CRAZY lines and it's been longer, but I'd say 20 minutes is a good average (even when the lines look long and feel like they're not moving much, they actually don't take that long). Then 15-20 minutes to get into the park. So I'd say arriving to security 40 minutes before rope drop would be more than sufficient most days... But you never know!

 

[ehrawn]

You won't have a line at security that early. I was there a few weeks ago. At that time, the Parks opened at 8:00 am. We left the Fairfield Inn on Harbor at 7:15 each morning and were at the gate by 7:30. By comparison, Google Maps says it's a 9 min walk, so give yourself an extra 5-10 min to get through security.

 

[MillauFr]

We waited 45 minutes back in November when we were there. In February it was much faster, 10 minutes. I guess the answer is it depends.

 

[GatorChris]

Just a month ago, I waited 15-25 minutes on a Wednesday and Thursday, and then 5-10 for gates. I would say get there at 8:30. That way if there's a crowd, you'll still get there around rope drop. And if there's not a crowd, you get to the front of the rope drop line.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

Hi! This is my first time staying offsite, we have always stayed on property and never waited more than 10 mins in security. I have been seeing posts that from other entrances this is not the case.

We are staying at courtyard main gate, by the hojo. We do not have magic mornings since myself and dd have annual passes. We going the last week in April and the park opens at 9. We would like to be there for rope drop, not necessarily the first in line. How long should we plan for security?

When we were there the first week of April (decently crowded but down a bit from the worst of spring break), we waited about 15 minutes for security one day because we happened to get in line right behind a couple big groups. The rest of the time, it was less than 5 minutes. We were aiming to get there at about 7:30-7:40 for 8:00 rope drop.

 

[jerseyjersey]

We were there in both late April and early November last year, and we found the entrance lines to vary a lot from day to day, with no apparent rhyme or reason as to why. Even the CMs manning the entrance were surprised that the lines were so much longer on our second day vs our first.

 

[lorijohnhill]

We are here now. One thing we have noticed is that the security lines directly ahead of the sidewalks look longish. However, of you head as far left as possible, those lines are either empty or very short.

 

[DLRExpert]

We are here now. One thing we have noticed is that the security lines directly ahead of the sidewalks look longish. However, of you head as far left as possible, those lines are either empty or very short.

This is correct unless the buses from Toy Story Parking Lot drop the guests off on that side, but the TSPL drop off goes in waves so it's a bit random.

The main thing to be aware of is the long line to actually get into Disneyland, especially if you are trying to make rope drop.
It seems to be a bit better on EMH/MM days as most early morning guests are already inside.
On non-EMH/MM, the line to get in can take quite a while unless you are there 30 minutes before the park opens at 8 am. For a 9 am opening, you may have to be at the entrance even earlier as some guests will think the park opens at 8.

One trick to use at the Disneyland Entrance on an EMH/MM day is to get into the line closest to the EMH/MM entry gate. As it gets closer to official park opening those EMH/MM turnstiles will turn into regular operating turnstiles. That is when you move from the line you're in, into one of those newly opened lines.

DCA is usually much easier to enter.

ME

 

[todzwife]

We we were there at the end of February, my husband and older 2 kids left about 2 hours before the park opened to "be first" in line at the gates. I came about an hour later (so about the same time that MM started) and the security line was 45 minutes long. We did not get in before they started letting people inside the park.

 

[disfan07]

We are going in 2 1/2 weeks and staying at the new Residence Inn convention center. So we plan on walking to the parks and entering on harbor. Does everyone go through the metal detectors? Has anyone here gone through the new security with medical equipment? I have a port a cath and will be running TPN in the parks (so IV pump and 1 liter bag of TPN). I will also have IV meds, so vials of meds plus syringes, saline, heparin, a couple of 100ml IV dextrose mini bags, plus my usual epi pens, glucagon, and other meds. Does anyone know how that will work? We are only going for 1 1/2 days and my best friend is coming with us and she has only ever been for 1/2 day 3 years ago so I dont want to hold everyone up at security with such a limited amount of time.