Which entrance is best for DCA early entry-front gate or GCH's?

[TigerLaw]

Assuming I am trying to reach web slingers for my first ride of the day during early entry, which entrance is best - the front gate for the park or the side entrance for Grand Californian gursts and why? My concern with the hotel entrance is that if it gets backed up it's not adequately staffed and I will be behind the masses coming in from the front gate.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[8lovesmickey]

Assuming I am trying to reach web slingers for my first ride of the day during early entry, which entrance is best - the front gate for the park or the side entrance for Grand Californian gursts and why? My concern with the hotel entrance is that if it gets backed up it's not adequately staffed and I will be behind the masses coming in from the front gate.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Just got back - we stayed at the Grand and did early entry both mornings. I can tell you that it was a lot of chaos and frustrating at BOTH entrances from the hotel. People were merging into the courtyard from all directions and there were security people at the check stations but no one helping with lines and they went every which way. People were polite but it was kind of a mess.

BUT that said, our second day was much better than the first and it was a matter of 15 minutes. Here's what I recommend: Get in the Downtown Disney security check line because it has more lanes and goes much faster than the park entrance. It looks like a mess at first, but once it opens it goes pretty fast. Line up by 6:40 ish - they open at 7:00. You will have to wait again at the front park entrance, but that was very quick both days at both parks.

We were in the front gate line by 7:20 and through the gate when it opened at 7:30. They routed us to the "early entry" path and we were set. Our day at DCA we went straight to Web Slingers and walked on. We then had like a 5 minute wait at Guardians and started using Genie + after that (to only partial success but that's a subject for another day!).

One more hint - get a plastic key card from the hotel. They don't always offer because you can use the app to get in the room, but if you're doing early entry the card is much easier to prove you're a hotel guest.

Have fun! It's worth getting up early - on our DL day we rode EVERYTHING in Fantasyland by 8:15! Also if you're doing Genie+ you can get those as soon as you go into the park at 7:30 so jump on that. Hope that helps!

 

[twodogs]

Does the plastic card no longer have your names and dates of stay printed on it? How do they prevent people from using keys from past stays (if they accept the key and don’t make you show the app)? This is really going to devalue the Early Entry if this starts happening.

 

[mouschievous]

Webslingers is closer to the front of the park, so I would use that entrance.

 

[DC to Disney]

We stayed at GCH last week and used the direct entrance from the hotel. The security line looks long, but it moves quickly. The good thing about the GCH entrance is that you only have to wait in one line. The ticket line is a few feet past security, and you’re usually through it in about a minute. We got in line for security at 7:15 and we were in the park at 7:30. We headed directly to Webslingers. They opened it at 7:35 and we walked on with no wait.