If you’ve been to Disneyland Resort recently, you’ve probably noticed the long lines and overwhelming crowds that are making entering the park feel more like a marathon than a magical experience. While Disneyland is no stranger to large crowds, the current congestion at security checkpoints is unlike anything guests have seen in a while. What’s fueling the surge? It turns out that a combination of high-profile local events and the resort’s shared security entrance system are leaving many visitors in for an unexpectedly long wait.
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A Reddit user recently shared a photo that captured the intensity of the situation: rows upon rows of park-goers lining up to pass through the security tents. This post, which quickly gained traction among fellow Disney fans, included a comment from the original poster detailing the situation. “The security guard told me cheer competitions ended yesterday and today is their day off before going home. I got up early for rope drop, L……O…….L,” the post humorously explained, highlighting the sheer magnitude of the crowd.
It’s real ladies and gentlemen
byu/justlookingaround_ inDisneyland
What many may not know is that Disneyland Resort, which includes Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure, and Downtown Disney, shares a single, consolidated security checkpoint. Unlike other Disney parks like Walt Disney World, where separate security lines exist for each park, Disneyland Resort operates on a much smaller scale, leading to serious congestion at the sole security checkpoint. Add in large, event-driven crowds—such as the ongoing cheer competitions—and what you get is a recipe for long waits and serious crowding.
The Cheerleading Impact: How Events Are Changing Crowd Patterns
The Anaheim area, home to Disneyland Resort, frequently hosts major events, and cheerleading competitions have become a staple of the local event calendar. These competitions bring thousands of families and spectators to the area, inevitably creating a domino effect of crowded security lines and slower-than-usual park entry. The cheerleading events, which are held across Anaheim, coincide with peak Disney attendance, further exacerbating the issue. It’s not just a Disneyland problem; these events also take place at Walt Disney World, where they similarly add pressure to already busy park environments.
The event schedule for Anaheim’s cheerleading competitions is already packed, and according to a mother whose child competes in one of the local cheer teams, this issue is only going to intensify. There are more events lined up in the coming months, including the “Anaheim 3” event from March 28–30, “Anaheim 4” from May 23–27, and the World Cheerleading Finals in July. With more cheerleading competitions on the horizon, it’s likely that Disneyland’s security lines will continue to see massive crowds, leaving visitors scrambling to navigate through the bottleneck.
Security System Breakdown: Why the Waits Are Longer Than Ever
The security process at Disneyland Resort is an essential safety measure for guests, but it’s clear that the infrastructure struggles under the weight of such large crowds. Disneyland uses traditional metal detectors, which require every guest to empty their pockets and remove any metal objects like phones, wallets, or keys. In addition, bags and strollers are manually searched, a necessary measure but one that adds a significant amount of time to the security process.
Interestingly, Disneyland’s security checkpoints have also undergone some procedural changes recently. Security now handles the task of placing guests’ items into a dish to be scanned, which means visitors no longer need to do it themselves. While this shift was made to improve the process, the overall system still operates at a relatively slow pace, particularly during the busiest times of the day, such as in the morning when many visitors arrive for rope drop.
Security has also struggled with the high volume of guests coming from various locations, as both Downtown Disney and the two theme parks are accessed through the same security point. This shared entrance, while efficient in theory, creates a bottleneck, especially when events like the cheer competitions amplify the volume of guests. With so many people funneled into one entrance, there’s no escaping the fact that longer waits are becoming the new norm at Disneyland.
Solutions and What Disneyland Is Doing to Tackle the Problem
Thankfully, Disneyland Resort is actively addressing the problem with several changes in the works. To streamline the guest experience and reduce some of the wait times at security, the resort has begun rolling out new ticket scanners similar to the ones used in Disneyland Paris. These advanced scanners allow guests to scan their tickets quickly and enter the park without the need for manual photo verification, reducing the amount of time spent at the gates. The hope is that with these scanners in place, entry will be quicker once guests pass through security, ultimately easing the pressure on both security lines and entry gates.
Another major change comes in the form of new entrances for hotel guests. Disneyland Hotel will soon offer a dedicated private entrance into Downtown Disney. This new access point will allow hotel guests to bypass the main security line entirely, helping to ease congestion for both those staying on property and those trying to access the shopping and dining options in Downtown Disney.
In addition, as Disneyland’s Downtown Disney area undergoes major renovations, the resort plans to build a more efficient, streamlined entrance for non-hotel guests as well. The new entrance will be located at the old AMC Theater site, and plans include new landscaping, a lawn space, and additional improvements to make the experience more pleasant for everyone.
Is This the New Normal for Disneyland’s Security?
The surge in crowds, especially during peak event seasons like cheerleading competitions, has undeniably impacted the experience of visiting Disneyland Resort. For now, guests can expect to deal with longer waits, crowded security lines, and an overall slower entry process. While changes to the ticketing system and hotel guest access will help alleviate some of the pressure, the park’s shared security checkpoint will likely continue to be a source of congestion for the foreseeable future.
For those planning a visit, it’s wise to arrive early and expect longer waits, especially during high-traffic periods. If you’re visiting during a time when cheerleading competitions or similar events are taking place, it’s important to plan for delays as the crowds will be particularly heavy. However, with the ongoing improvements to security, ticketing, and guest access, there’s hope that the Disney experience will continue to improve for visitors in the years to come, even if the lines remain long in the meantime.
In the end, Disneyland Resort remains one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, and while the crowds may be challenging, the magic and the experience are undeniable. Hopefully, the changes underway will make the experience a bit more magical in the future—without the long waits.
