Please help me figure this out!?!?!?!

[honeebee86]

My husband and I will be going for our 1st trip to DLR August 6th-9th and we are staying at the Holiday Inn & Suites on Walnut. My question is if we want to take advantage of the magic mornings offered on Tuesday, what is the best way to get to DL? Can we cut through downtown Disney or is it not open that early? They mention something about a "secret" entrance located near Rainforest Cafe but I have no idea where this is or if it is accessible that early in the morning. Thank you so much!!!

[Disney4us2]

I have parked in the Mickey and Friends lot very early. The trams were not even running at that time. We ended up walking. There is a walk way from the parking lot to the park. It is basically along the tram route. When you are on Disneyland Drive you will come to some signs. If you go straight I believe it will take you to DTD and the GCH. We went to the left along sice DTD and to the park esplanade entrance.

It is probably faster to follow to the left and take the tram route. The only thing open early in DTD may be LaBrea Bakery. Not sure of anything else.

[BrerGnat]

The location of your hotel will make things kind of inconvenient and tricky.

Will you have a car? Or, will you be walking? You can walk, but it's a LONG walk. You would head South on Walnut Street, then take a Left at Magic Way, and walk the length of that until you get to the crosswalk at Disneyland Drive at which point you cross and get on the path that takes you to the entrance gates. You would want to start this walk a good hour before EMH begins, so you can be in line at the turnstiles prior to EMH starting.

Another way you can do it is to cut through Downtown Disney, but that's a longer distance. It's not a "secret entrance"...it's a very obvious entrance into Downtown Disney, but it's at the other end from the parks, so it's not a time saver.

As mentioned, trams do not run that early, so you will have to basically walk.

If possible, I'd consider a different hotel, closer to the main gate. There is another Holiday Inn Express on Katella...that one is much closer...

[honeebee86]

Thank you both for replying. I feel better knowing I can cut through downtown Disney early in the morning. I read a lot of reviews on TripAdvisor and a lot of people say it only takes about 15-20 minutes at most to walk to Disneyland from the hotel. This is fine with us. I would rather be a little ways away and have a cheaper ($84/night) cleaner, quieter hotel than an expensive run-down, loud motel just outside the gate. We would probably only make that walk that one day and if we feel it was too far then we would take the ART the rest of the time. We were planning on leaving the hotel at about 6am to get there for magic mornings so I guess we will be fine.

[NewDVCowner]

I think that the 'secret enterence' that you mentioned is the monorail that has a stop near the Rainforest Cafe. You need to be staying at a Disney property in order to get on it from that side. You can take the monorail from Tomorrowland to Downtown Disney without being a guest at a Disney resort, however they check room keys if you're trying to get in on the DTD side.

[tinkwest]

. . . they check room keys if you're trying to get in on the DTD side.

Really? When did that start? Are you referring to all day or just during Early Admission Hours? I have never had to show a room key to use the monorail from either location during regular park hours. I didn't think the monorail ran during the Early Admission Hours, but perhaps I'm wrong about that. (?)

[NewDVCowner]

Really? When did that start? Are you referring to all day or just during Early Admission Hours? I have never had to show a room key to use the monorail from either location during regular park hours. I didn't think the monorail ran during the Early Admission Hours, but perhaps I'm wrong about that. (?)

I stayed at the DLH in December and had it checked every time I got on there - not just during early morning hours. Maybe it was just because of the holiday??

[BrerGnat]

I stayed at the DLH in December and had it checked every time I got on there - not just during early morning hours. Maybe it was just because of the holiday??

Are you sure you don't just mean that you had to swipe your park ticket (on your room key, maybe)? Everyone entering the monorail at the DtD stop has to have valid park admission that is required for entry to the station.

The Disneyland monorail has never been exclusive to the resort guests, but they DO operate the monorail during EMH sometimes, and when they do that, they do check room keys.

[honeebee86]

After digging through some things on the internet, the "secret" entrance was that of the monorail stop next to Rainforest Cafe. Also, it seems to be true that they check hotel cards during Magic Mornings but after that anyone who has a valid admission ticket can use it. So far we are planning on trying the walk the first night we get there. We are only going to go for not quite even a half day the first day, so we will see how bad the walk is and if it is far, we will take a taxi for Magic Mornings. After that, we will just walk since we walk all the time. I just don't want to have to get up SUPER early that one day. Thank you all for your help!!!