Special Early Entry Gates????

[Porsche4]

Just watched a UTube video today of DCA entrance and it seemed there was a sign in front of one of the turnstiles that said Early Entry Hotel Guests. Does anyone know are there now dedicated gates for EE Hotel Guests or do you still just have to line up with everyone else and hope you don't waste too much of your EE standing in line to get through the gate. I am always that person that chooses the wrong line and gets stuck behind someone that takes ages or has problems and I just don't want to waste that precious half hour.

 

[Pluto468]

I'm not sure because I haven't been there for EE lately, but maybe you could ask a CM.

 

[Jawwdoc]

We have visited DLR multiple times since the return of the 1/2 hr early entry and out of 15 + days at the parks we have only seen the early entry specific gates used once. They were filming for a movie in fantasyland and had early entry guests queuing up on the harbor side of the entrance, very similar to the pre-pandemic magic mornings. There were no designated early entry gates on any of the remaining days of that same trip.

 

[Hollywood1423]

We were just there in the last week of March - we had to line up with everyone else in the main gate. They started letting everyone into the main gate before the EE time and once inside you had to look for the EE signage. You would then line up in a separate EE line and were able to scan our hotel key. There was a sign for EE near Carthay Circle Restaurant, but we took a left and headed towards Guardians and there was another EE off on the sidewalk. There were about 15-20 people in front of us in line. We scanned our hotel key, took a deep breath and off we went. Everyone else is held at the rope for drop 30 mins later.

 

[Sjwillia]

I have not done EE since they changed it to just 1/2 hour. What time do they start letting everyone in the gates now and when did you line up to be sure you were through the gates before EE starts?

Also, do they just have physical room key cards or can you open your room with your phone?
Appreciate your help.

 

[Steven G]

I was there a couple weeks ago, but didn't take advantage of EE., so I cant answer that part. The Disneyland App does have a similar feature to DW app where you can unlock the room with your phone (and other areas of the hotel that are locked to non hotel guests). You do need to link your hotel reservation to your account to get this advantage (depending on how you reserved the hotel reservation this may or may not be automatic).

 

[geargrinder]

Can't answer your question directly, but I was there in Feb. Wife and I used to Pixar entrance behind Grand Cal for Early Entry. Walked right in.

 

[ksinniger]

Can't answer your question directly, but I was there in Feb. Wife and I used to Pixar entrance behind Grand Cal for Early Entry. Walked right in.

We were there last week and had the room at the Grand Cal that was right at the Pixar entrance, and I can confirm that folks started lining up there about an hour prior to the start of early entry, but I can't tell you when they started letting them in (because once I realized there were dozens of people standing 10 feet away from my hotel room, I stayed far away from the windows/patio door).

 

[Porsche4]

It seems so silly to me not to dedicate at least one gate to Hotel Guests like they do at Hong Kong Disney. With EE only being half an hour every minute counts and to be stuck behind regular park goers is going to make it sooo stressful for me, thinking I may be wasting my precious time trying to get through the gates with everyone else. For the price you pay for that onsite accommodation you'd think they would give you peace of mind to be able to use the perk better. Sorry rant over

 

[OlliePop27]

It seems so silly to me not to dedicate at least one gate to Hotel Guests like they do at Hong Kong Disney. With EE only being half an hour every minute counts and to be stuck behind regular park goers is going to make it sooo stressful for me, thinking I may be wasting my precious time trying to get through the gates with everyone else. For the price you pay for that onsite accommodation you'd think they would give you peace of mind to be able to use the perk better. Sorry rant over

I agree with you about dedicated entrances for EE folks - they should always have them.

The only time I visited post-Covid when there were dedicated EE entrances was when there was filming happening on Main Street before regular park open. A previous poster mentioned this happening to them too. They had the EE people go through the Main Street bypass on the east side to be held at the hub. I'm not sure where the regular guests were held, but they might have let them in right at 7:30 to then be held at Main Street like usual. Filming was already wrapping up when hotel guests were entering at 7:15.

 

[Jawwdoc]

I have not done EE since they changed it to just 1/2 hour. What time do they start letting everyone in the gates now and when did you line up to be sure you were through the gates before EE starts?

Also, do they just have physical room key cards or can you open your room with your phone?
Appreciate your help.

Onsite hotel guests (PP, DL, GC) can use the DL app to open your hotel room. We have had mixed results using the app to open the gate from PP to DCA and the nearby gate to GC. The quickest way thru the EE checkpoint is to scan your room key card but you can also show the CM a copy of your hotel reservation in the app, just make sure you know how to find it quickly.

As far as rope drop goes, if you want to truly rope drop (as in be standing next to the rope when they allow EE guests to enter TL or FL) you should plan to be at security between 6:15-6:30, security typically starts allowing guests to enter DTD/Esplanade at 7:00 so all onsite guests and guests coming from harbor and the parking garages/lots will start queuing up at the main gates shortly after 7 am, the lines on the DL side general back up to the monorail beam by about 7:20 (sooner on busy days), if you arrive at security at 7:30 you will not have much time to enjoy EE.