Stuck Before the Magic: Disney Guests Hit With Massive Entry Delays

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Mickey and Minnie walk with a family in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.

Credit: Disney

If you’re at Disneyland Resort today, good luck—because the crowds are here in full force. Long security lines have stretched far beyond the usual checkpoints, with guests waiting before they even get a glimpse of Main Street, U.S.A.

For years, Disneyland had predictable crowd patterns. Holidays, weekends, and big seasonal events meant longer waits, while weekdays in the off-season were more manageable. Now? Every day feels like peak season.

A family of four, including two young children, interacts with Mickey Mouse in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland.
Credit: Disney

Security Nightmare Hits Disneyland Again

A trip to Disneyland doesn’t start when you scan your ticket—it starts at security. And today, even that first step is a massive bottleneck.

According to MouseInfo, the Toy Story Parking Area security line has grown so long that it’s fully switching back and stretching all the way to the white barricades. That’s before guests even reach bag check.

So this is the back of the line to get through security at Toy Story. It fully switches back once you get through the gates and then the lines at security are fully back to the white barricades.

Once past security, guests still have to board shuttle buses to Disneyland Resort. While reports indicate that the bus wait times aren’t bad, it still took guests 45 minutes just to reach that point.

And this isn’t just a one-off crowd surge. February saw similar lines, with guests packed shoulder to shoulder at security checkpoints thanks to Anaheim’s cheer competitions. Back in December, the security line was so long it overflowed into the Uber lot, as holiday visitors swarmed the resort.

At this point, it doesn’t take a holiday to trigger Disneyland’s crowd chaos—it just happens.

The Best Way to Beat Disneyland’s Crowds

With Disneyland crowd levels consistently unpredictable, your best shot at avoiding hours-long waits is Lightning Lane Multi Pass. This paid service lets guests book a return time for major rides, including Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!, and WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure.

A little girl rides her father's shoulders outside Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure Park
Credit: Disney

For guests who only want to skip the biggest rides, Lightning Lane Single Passes are available for Radiator Springs Racers and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance—both not included in the Multi Pass. If you really want to avoid planning ahead, there’s the Lightning Lane Premier Pass, which grants one-time entry to every Lightning Lane attraction across both parks on your own schedule.

At this point, long lines and random crowd surges are just part of the Disneyland experience. With wait times creeping up even on “slow” days, expect security delays, packed walkways, and high demand for Lightning Lane. However, if you don’t want to pay extra for the service, there are still ways to beat the crowds.

Once in the parks, head straight to the most popular rides before lines build. Use mobile ordering for meals to skip long wait times at restaurants, and take breaks in quieter spots like Tom Sawyer Island or the Animation Academy when crowds feel overwhelming. During peak hours, opt for less crowded attractions like the Enchanted Tiki Room or Mark Twain Riverboat until wait times drop in the evening.

Are Disneyland crowds worse than ever?

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