Security Lines - Harbor Blvd.

[DisneyPiPhi]

Hi, all! We are headed to DLR January 13-19, and considering an offsite stay to save some money. We have only stayed onsite so far, and are concerned we will sorely miss the easy park access.

Will we find the security lines by the Harbor Boulevard entrance totally long and stressful? Or will they be fairly light this time of year?

Thanks!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Don't forget that you also have the option to stay walking distance from M&F. Security lines there usually move quickly, then you can board the tram for the parks. Also, if there is a long line for bag check (rare), you can walk to DTD to go through security there. Lines are usually very short there. And there is the close option of going to the DLH bag check right around the ESPN Zone building. If you don't want to walk from your hotel or if you stay on Harbor but want to skip that bag check entirely, you can have Uber/Lyft drop you off at the DTD bag check, then you can walk through DTD to the parks.

 

[smartlabelprint]

ALSO they have no bag lines.

 

[Cal-Pie]

I might just be extremely lucky, but I've never waited more than 10 minutes at security (except a few years ago during the Luigi's AP preview), and we always stay on the harbor side. Maybe it's our timing? We arrive 40ish minutes before opening, leave for an afternoon break, and return about 4-5 pm.

 

[ddwlms]

We usually arrive before the parks open and don't usually wait more than 5 minutes. However, on Saturday, October 20, we slept in. We were only going to the resort to shop. At 10AM (8AM opening) it took us 45 minutes to get thru security. (I did clock it, so I know that is an accurate number.)

 

[Winnowill]

Our experience has been that, if we are rope dropping or coming back from a break in the late afternoon/early evening, security (Harbor or anywhere else) is pretty fast and easy. But mid-morning/early afternoon, when people who sleep later and don't arrive before the park opens, security tends to be much busier with longer lines.

 

[ChrissyLou]

I had the same concerns w/ our coming December trip, (Dec. 15-19th) as I know the parks will be packed. Our 2017 December trip, although earlier in the month than this years trip, was not too bad and we were on the Harbor side, but there were times when we were re-entering the park in the evening after a break that wait times were at least 20-30 minutes +, sometimes they had a no bag line, but it seems from what I read they aren't consisent. For our upcoming trip I took that into consideration and we will be staying nearer the DTD side as I've read the lines on Harbor have gotten worse, sometimes all the way out to the street and I can't imagine they won't be at their worst on the days we are there. People might say, "oh just walk down to the DTD entrance if its too packed"...but, that's a fair amount of additional walking, especially as once you enter DTD you have to walk the same distance again to enter the parks and I'd personally rather save my feet. I do believe though that at the January time you are going the parks should not be Christmas crowd busy, although maybe the 18th and 19th (near MLK holiday on Monday) would most likely be more crowded. If I was going at that time I think I would stay where I wanted to without much thought to which side, just knowing Friday and Saturday would likely be the most busy.

 

[tarheelalum]

I've been here for the last 7 days and a few days the security lines on the Harbor side have been a bit hectic due to Disney under staffing them. But over all, they have not been that bad. Usually 5 to 15 minutes and never once have I seen the lines backed up to the street or anywhere close to that. Even on the weekend party nights.
.

 

[LizzyS]

Our experience has been that, if we are rope dropping or coming back from a break in the late afternoon/early evening, security (Harbor or anywhere else) is pretty fast and easy. But mid-morning/early afternoon, when people who sleep later and don't arrive before the park opens, security tends to be much busier with longer lines.

Bingo!

 

[cmwade77]

If you can avoid bringing bags, there is usually a no bag line now and that speeds things up a lot when it gets busy.

 

[MonocularVision]

I get less annoyed with the security wait and more annoyed at the ridiculous variance in line movement. Some of the security guards are easily twice as fast as others. We have taken into getting into two adjuacent lines, observing for a few minutes and then consolidating into the faster line. That cuts down on my frustration a lot.

 

[MillauFr]

45 minutes this morning

 

[tarheelalum]

ALSO they have no bag lines.

Harbor Blvd entrance had no bag lines on many days at the end of October and the beginning of this month. But they had to have a cast member stand at the end of the line and constantly tell people they could not go through the line with bags.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

This week's MousePlanet DL Update announced that the Harbor Bag Check will be expanded soon -- Disney hopes to have the new lines open before the peak holiday crowds arrive.

 

[MonocularVision]

There is some sort of construction going on around the Harbor security check. Several areas fenced off. We tried peaking in to see what was going on but all that had happened was the concrete had been removed. Not sure if more permanent structures are going in or what.

 

[lindyv321]

Would it make sense to have my family go through the no bag line and then get in the park entrance line while I wait in a regular line then meetup with them?

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Would it make sense to have my family go through the no bag line and then get in the park entrance line while I wait in a regular line then meetup with them?

Yes, if lines are long, I think so. I don’t think one person joining a group in an entrance line is rude or anything.

On Sunday we got into the security lines around 7:40. My husband and daughter went through the no/bag line and were in the park for rope drop. I didn’t get in to the park until 8:06.

 

[dina444444]

There is some sort of construction going on around the Harbor security check. Several areas fenced off. We tried peaking in to see what was going on but all that had happened was the concrete had been removed. Not sure if more permanent structures are going in or what.

They tore down an old information booth that wasn’t being used and they are supposedly building a shade structure and adding additional screening lanes.

 

[figment_jii]

I also think it's hard to predict what the security lines will look like. Most times it's in the 5 to 30 minute range, but I've been there when it's been considerably longer. I've found that the lines build up pretty quickly close to park opening time. I've also found that the line tends to be pretty short mid-afternoon, but around dinner time (5:00 pm), the line can pick-up again. To be safe, I would allow between 30 and 60 minutes for security if you're planning on entering the parks during peak times (i.e., around opening and before dinner (basically after school/work ends and/or people are returning after taking afternoon breaks).

When I was there a couple of weekends ago, morning security on Harbor was pretty bad. On a Sunday morning, when we got there around 8:05 am (both parks opened at 8:00 am), the no bag line was halfway to Harbor and the regular lines (on both sides) were about 3/4ths of the way to Harbor. It took about 20 minutes to get through the no bag line. By the time my friends arrived an hour later (9:05 am), the bag check line was all the way out to Harbor. They finally got in about an hour later. On most mornings (the first hour or so after opening), I've found bag check to be in the 15 to 30 minute range.

 

[Kender]

This week's MousePlanet DL Update announced that the Harbor Bag Check will be expanded soon -- Disney hopes to have the new lines open before the peak holiday crowds arrive.

I wondered what all the fences were for!