Currently, Disneyland has two main checkpoints, one on either side of the esplanade separating the two theme parks. The eastside checkpoint, the one nearest Harbor Blvd., will remain in place for now, though it eventually will move east of Harbor, once Disneyland completes its next parking garage.
On the other side of the esplanade, Disney by the end of this year will push the security checkpoint back to the ESPN Zone, bringing Downtown Disney within the secured area. With that, visitors can come and go to Downtown Disney as well as the two theme parks without having to go back through the security check.
That should help reduce the wait times at the checkpoints later in the day, especially when the after-work and after-school crowds of annual passholders descent upon the parks. Since the tram drop-off is located within what will be the newly expanded secure zone, Disney will create a new checkpoint at the tram loading area outside the Mickey and Friends parking structure.
What the Register story doesn't address is... what about people who choose to walk from Mickey and Friends to the park? And what about people staying in the Grand Californian who head to the park via the hotel entrance into Downtown Disney, next to Sephora? Disney would need to add security checks at those points, in addition to the ones at Mickey and Friends and the ESPN Zone.
Assuming Disneyland does that, people entering Disneyland from the west will go through one of five checkpoints, instead of the current one: at Mickey and Friends for people parking there and riding the tram, on the access walkway for people walking from Mickey and Friends, one at the ESPN Zone for people in the Downtown Disney parking lot, another at ESPN for people walking over from the Disneyland Hotel, and one at the Grand California. (That's in addition to the current checkpoint at the Grand Californian for people entering Disney California Adventure.) The change also would bring the Downtown Disney monorail station inside the secure zone, so there would no longer need to be a bag check there.
The new checkpoint at Mickey and Friends likely would be the big one, though, although it should see a more even distribution of people, rather than the surges hitting the current checkpoint when trams arrive. But Disney will need the other four checkpoints on the west side of the resort to take a lot of the pressure off the Mickey and Friends checkpoint, because there's not enough space at the Mickey and Friends tram loading area to handle people coming off the trams plus anywhere near the current length of lines waiting at the existing checkpoint during a busy Friday afternoon rush.
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The checkpoints never deterred from going to Downtown Disney but it did me riding the monorail for some reason. Maybe because I remember days when all you needed was to get your hand stamped at the DLH to return to DL.
It’s going to be a plus for Downtown Disney and considering the large number of locals who treat the resort as others would their regional mall it makes a lot of sense.
They should include the Grand California into the perimeter. It has a some fine restaurants like Napa Rose where theme park guests want to visit. The bell service should screen all luggage and bring them up to the room.
Then have to go through security, and I can see less trips to visit the Shopping mall.
Now, the tenants might actually make out, as it will be easier for park guests to eat and shop the area. So will that offset the few guests that will attend.
One of the big local draws, House of Blues is moving to the nearby Anaheim GardenWalk, though it does have the same paid parking issues.
Guess it is a win for the local malls, The Outlets at Orange, Main Place Mall, and Buena Park Mall. All have movie theaters and lots of "entertainment" options along with dining and shopping. Plus free parking and easier access to the malls.
@66.87.65.222
Perfectly legal for a hotel to screen guests for guns. It's private property so they can do as they please as long as it is not done in a discriminatory manner. And this is actually the American concept of liberty and freedom in action: private property owners can set the rules of entry and agency within their domain.
@Daniel Galvan
The point of a well-designed and implemented security gate is not to stop acts before or at the gate, but after the gate. 99% of your day will be spent at the space after the gate, and it will now be gun-free. That's the point of the security gate and why the White House, Pentagon, most stadiums, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, etc. have them. After going through the gate, I don't have to think about a nut with a gun mowing down guests in front of the castle during the fireworks. And I'll take my chances against a plastic knife (which I can outrun and/or fight back against) than a Glock. Bomb making with plastic explosives is a red herring as they are extremely hard and expensive to build, and difficult to get the proper materials. Quite a few wannabe bomb makers blow themselves up in the process of construction (and good riddance).
This is the future of American public space as security technology improves (more efficient and invasive) and gets cheaper. Eventually, security gates will be implemented at all places where the American public gathers.
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Since there will never be any real change in US gun laws and regulation, this will eventually be the future of all large spaces where the public can gather.