UPDATED 2024. One of the most common questions we hear at Get Away Today is about Early Entry to Disneyland Resort. What is Early Entry? What happened to Magic Morning and Extra Magic Hour? We break down these and other Disneyland Resort Early Entry questions and answers here.
When planning a Disneyland vacation, there are a lot of questions that come up:
- When should I go to Disneyland?
- Where should I stay for my Disneyland vacation?
- How many days do I need at Disneyland? Hint: We have 5th day free tickets!
- Disneyland Park: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
- Disney California Adventure Park: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
What is Early Entry at Disneyland Resort?
Early Entry allows guests of the Disneyland Resort Hotels to enter Disneyland or California Adventure Park 30 minutes prior to the general public. It’s time well spent hitting up your favorite rides in select areas of the parks.
Using Early Entry always tops our list of how to make the most of your time at Disneyland Resort. Getting to the parks early is a good idea, no matter the time of year you travel. It lets you beat the crowds and get so much done.
How Do I Get Access to Early Entry
Here are the three things you need to qualify for Early Entry:
- Book a stay at any one of the Disneyland Resort Hotels
- Add discount Disneyland tickets to your vacation package
- Make your theme park reservations and be ready to rise and shine on Early Entry days at the applicable park.
Can I Add Early Entry to My Disneyland Ticket?
No, you cannot buy or add Early Entry to your Disneyland ticket. Early Entry is only available to guests of Disneyland Resort Hotels who also hold valid theme park tickets and reservations.
What Attractions Are Open During Early Entry?
During Early Entry admission, the following offerings are available for you to enjoy. Attractions at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park are always subject to change, this list can change.
Disneyland Park Attractions:
Disneyland Park dining and shopping options are also available:
Disney California Adventure Park dining and shopping options are also available:
- Alice in Wonderland
- Astro Orbitor
- Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
- Disneyland Monorail
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- King Arthur Carrousel
- Mad Tea Party
- Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
- Peter Pan's Flight
- Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
- Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
- Space Mountain
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
Disneyland Park dining and shopping options are also available:
- Fantasyland Fruit Cart
- Galactic Grill
- Guide II
- Esplanade Stroller Shop
- Little Green Men Store Command
- The Mad Hatter in Fantasyland
- Main Street Fruit Cart
- Market House
- The Star Trader
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission BREAKOUT!
- Incredicoaster
- The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
- Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
- Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
- Soarin' Around the World
- WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure
Disney California Adventure Park dining and shopping options are also available:
- Cappuccino Cart
- The Collector’s Warehouse
- Esplanade Stroller Shop
- Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe
- Fillmore’s Taste-In
- Mortimers Market
- Seaside Souvenirs
- Oswald's
- WEB Suppliers
When Should I Get There to Use Early Entry?
We always recommend getting in line at security at least half an hour before either Early Entry begins. That normally means that you should arrive at your hotel’s security check point an hour before regular park operating hours. That should give you enough time to get through security and to line up at whichever gate you are using to enter the parks.
Where Do I Enter the Parks During Early Entry?
You have a few options on how to get into the parks for Early Entry and sometimes it depends on where you’re staying.
Disneyland Park Entrances
- Main gates, accessed through Downtown Disney and into the esplanade.
- Tomorroland via the Disneyland Monorail. The Monorail begins operating at Early Entry start time.
- Main gates, accessed through Downtown Disney and into the esplanade. Main gates, accessed through Downtown Disney and into the esplanade.
- Grizzly Peak via Grand Californian Hotel guest exclusive morning entrance.
- Paradise Gardens Park via Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel exclusive morning entrance.
How is Early Entry Different from Magic Morning and Extra Magic Hour?
While Magic Morning and Extra Magic Hour have both been discontinued, these are some of the ways they differ from Early Entry.
The Old Magic Morning:
- Magic Morning was valid for admission into Disneyland Park one hour before the park opens to the general public.
- It was included in 3-Day and longer Disneyland tickets, for use 1 time at Disneyland only.
- It was only valid on select days, typically Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
- Extra Magic Hour was only available to guests staying at one of the three Hotels of the Disneyland Resort.
- Extra Magic Hour allowed entry into the park an hour before it opens to the public.
- Extra Magic Hour for Disneyland was typically available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
- Extra Magic Hour for Disneyland was typically available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.Extra Magic Hour for California Adventure was typically available on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Booking Your Early Entry Disneyland Vacation
We hope that answers all of your questions about Early Entry. It can seem overwhelming initially, but it's really quite simple. If you have any questions that we haven't answered, please leave them below. We'd love to answer them and add them to this article.
And of course, we'd love to help you book your vacation so you can take advantage of Early Entry and other specials. You can find all of our Disneyland packages and Disneyland tickets online. Or, you can always call our vacation experts at 855-GET-AWAY during our regular business hours.
How Much Does Early Entry cost?
The cost of Early Entry is included with your Disneyland Resort hotel stay. The cost of your hotel stay will vary depending on which of the three hotels you choose and the time of year that you visit. Watch for specials from Get Away Today to help you save the most on the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort.
Early Entry is then tied to your ticket and hotel reservation automatically. When you arrive for Early Entry you may be asked to show proof of hotel reservation by scanning a MagicBand+, a valid hotel room key and/or theme park ticket.
Join the Conversation!
Leave A CommentGet Away TodayAugust 21 2019
Rebecca- We are so sorry to hear about your Magic Morning experience. Would you mind contacting us with more information so we can look into this for you? 855-GET-AWAY
RebeccaAugust 21 2019
We were just at Disneyland Saturday morning (bought our package through this site) and it was our third day of tickets (we bought 3-day park hopper w/ maxpass). Decided to use our Magic Morning on Saturday. All signage listed it was an Extra Magic Hour AND a Magic Morning. We got all the way to Rope Drop, and we were stopped, told we could not enter unless we had a Disney hotel room key card. I said i thought it was Magic Morning, they said sorry no, not unless i have a keycard. So beware. It was our third day of Disneyland, so we were frustrated, but had done everything already anyways. So we walked back to Starbucks on Main and got breakfast while we waited for the rope drop. Just annoying. Not sure if employees didn't understand, not sure if we didn't do it right, not sure if we didn't understand how we should've worked it.