Disneyland appears to be trying out a new change that will speed up the security screening process. We think that if they keep this new approach, it could be a really positive change that streamlines this process. Disneyland constantly tests out new approaches and policies to try to improve the guest experience. Recently, the entry process underwent a major change with the installation of new ADA-compliant guest-driven entry gates across the resort.
Keep reading for all of the details on this new change. At Mickey Visit, we report on all of the latest Disney news, including an “it’s a small world” ride closure added to the refurbishment calendar and the impact of operations on the Downtown Disney Starbucks operations amidst the ongoing strike.
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Change to Security Process at Disneyland
Right now, we are seeing reports of Disneyland testing new “wheels” and “no wheels” security lanes at Disneyland. This looks like it means that groups with strollers and wheeled mobility devices go through a designated line, and those without these go in another.
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This should be a positive change that streamlines the screening process. Strollers and wheeled devices go through additional screening where Cast Members will check the compartments. At each security checkpoint, there has always been a main table area for guests with bags, and a middle area for strollers to be checked.
Having wheeled devices all in one line means that Cast Members are able to give clearer instructions and work more efficiently, as they are doing the same type of security screening for everyone in the line. Additionally, because this process is slower with wheeled devices due to the manual checking, this speeds up the line for those who just have bags.
An Instagram post by iamnojedi_either shows these new lines in action. See one of the “wheels” lines below. Those appear to be the standard security lines.
Here is a look at the “no wheels” security lane that has been added on the right hand side.
We don’t know if these same additions were made at the Mickey and Friends Parking Structure entrance. These changes may also just be something they are trying during these very busy two weeks at Disneyland. See our Mickey Visit Disneyland Crowd Calendar for our ratings.
The process as a whole works differently at Disneyland than it does on the other coast at Disney World. At Disney World, all guests walk through the scanner without any manual checking. If a sensor goes off, which doesn’t happen often, guests are pulled aside for additional screening. Strollers are checked separately.
Overall, the process at Walt Disney World is much quicker due to this technology, while the process at Disneyland is easily slowed down due to the manual checking. The manual process at Disneyland feels invasive and old school. The checking process at Disneyland also varies greatly between security cast members. This is one of the first experiences guests have with a Disneyland cast member during their day. There is a big room for improvement.
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Since Disneyland installed the new entry gates to the theme parks earlier this year, we have also been hearing feedback about how to make that process faster as well. Some have suggested that Disneyland could segment the park entry lines to prevent a backup from people who need to attach a new photo to their ticket or pass, vs. those who are returning on a ticket or entering with a Magic Key pass.
What do you think of the current security and entry gate procedures? Would you like to see a system similar to Walt Disney World’s offering implemented here?
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I was just in DTD yesterday night and neither security entrances near the Disneyland hotel or re-entry at the Grand had this feature.
Good to know! Thank you. We just know for sure that they were running it on the Harbor side.
They should also have designated trams bc the strollers take up all the seats creating long wait times for smaller groups
So if you’re disabled you are penalized and have to wait longer? Excellent, life isn’t hard enough so let’s make it worse.
People will still get in wrong lines because they’re shorter, or they fail to read. They should also have a line specifically for no bags. It is harder to do that at the Grand Californian because of space but they should have at least 2 lanes, one for with and one for without “wheels”. I also hope they do it for getting into the parks as well for wheels, need pics, and especially for the park hopper switch over time.
I’m going again in February so we’ll see how it goes.
Know Disneyland is the OG but does the tech have to be old school as well? Anything to speed up the process. Likwe when they introduced Magicbands plus was supposed to work like at WDW (charge to room pay for things in the park, so far nothing). Security needs to be like WDW be a lot faster for sure.
I was at DTD last Saturday night. Walked from Simba parking lot, and the ridiculous maze of trying to get to DTD and then the 1/2hr security line to be felt up worse than TSA? It was a for an office Christmas party at the bowling place… The bowling place was nice, but never again.
I take my kids often and don’t feel like this word work for the better at all unless they have a lot more security guards at the wheels line than they do the no wheels line. The wheels line is going to back up like crazy just like it does at knotts who has this process already.
I was just at disney world 3 days ago and they are pulling strollers to the side and manually checking them. Strollers dont go through the scanners.
How about they test nice security guards. There are so many awful ones that are rude for no reason. They make sure cast members are nice, but then dont even worry about the person’s first experience at Disney is with security.
What could possibly be the reason Disneyland hasn’t updated their security screenings to match those at the WDW Parks’s? It just doesn’t make sense.