Disneyland Ends Early Entry for Hotel Guests: What Does This Mean for Your Travel Plans?

         Booking one of Disneyland's three on-property hotels keeps you fully immersed in the magic with the various character dining, shopping, and sometimes special events and activities. But let's be honest, it can mean digging pretty deep into your pockets compared to booking a Good Neighbor Hotel for example. For years, one perk stood out to the guests who wanted a little more bang for their buck: Early Entry. Unfortunately, earlier this month Disneyland announced that they're going to officially retire the perk all together. According to reporter Scott Gustin, Disney officials stated their reasoning was that the benefit "was not widely used." What does this mean for your next trip?

A Quick History of Early Entry

        This long standing perk existed virtually unchanged for decades under the name "Extra Magic Hour." This perk was available every day a guest had a park ticket and were staying at an on-property resort and allowed guests to choose between either Disneyland California Adventure or Disneyland Park and enter an hour early to ride popular E-ticket attractions with little to no wait times before any other guests that day.

        Upon reopening in 2021, Disneyland rebranded the perk as Early Entry and shortened it from an hour to 30 minutes. By 2024, Disneyland rotated the benefits between either park each day instead of giving guests the option of either park. Disneyland would be open for Early Entry on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays while DCA would be open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. While unconfirmed, I suspect this restriction contributed to why Early Entry isn't widely used.

Vacations Prior to January 5th, 2026

        The good news: While Disney has already announced their plans, they're not doing it right away. Any Disneyland resort & park vacation that takes place on January 4th, 2026 and before are still eligible for this perk. Just be sure to check the calendar for information on which park is open for Early Entry the days you're visiting!

        The not so good news: Starting on January 5th, Disney will have officially done away with Early Entry. In its place, Disney will be offering resort guests the choice of one Lightning Lane Multi Pass for participating attractions. This Lightning Lane choice is once-per-guest for their entire stay, not daily. This is a major change in value for any guests who used the perk to get the more popular rides done early in the day, especially when Lightning Lane isn't an option for all rides so if your trip is planned for the 5th or further out, make sure you (and your travel agent) are factoring this into your vacation plans! 

What about Disney World?

        Southeast park-goers can breathe a sigh of relief. On Disney World's website, they confirm that the Early Entry benefit will continue through 2026. That means resort guests will still get to keep their 30-minute head start every day. Of course, Disney is always tweaking perks and policies, so we'll be keeping a close eye on any updates on Disney's Florida parks.

Conclusion

        For many longtime Disney fans, this has felt like a major loss. Early Entry was a major incentive for many guests to stay on-property and while an extra Lightning Lane pass can come in handy, it doesn't carry the same weight. One single Lightning Lane just doesn't feel like it measures up to the daily head start the original perk offered. You can still make the most out of your mornings with things like smart planning and rope-dropping but many guests have reported feeling burned by this decision.

        What do you think? Does this decision make you less likely to stay at a Disneyland hotel or will you still book on property for the experience alone?

FAQ

Does Disneyland still have Early Entry?
Yes, but only until January 4th, 2026.

When does Early Entry end at Disneyland?
Early Entry officially ends on January 5th, 2026.

Will something replace Early Entry at Disneyland hotels?
Disney will offer resort guests the choice of a once-per-guest per-stay Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

Does Walt Disney World still have Early Entry?
Yes, Walt Disney World is confirmed to be keeping Early Entry, at least through 2026.