Confirmed: Disney to Revamp Entry Gates at Both Parks This Year
A new project is set to commence this year at the Disneyland Resort. Park officials have confirmed that both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure will be getting an expansion and upgrade on their respective entry gates.
Disneyland is still working with the old school-style turnstiles. At each one, a cast member has to scan each individual guest’s ticket in order to gain entry. Then, each guest has to squeeze through the (rather small) turnstiles, which often causes a traffic jam.
It isn’t unheard of the see the queue at the gate to stretch across the esplanade to the opposite park, causing queues to mix and become a hodgepodge of confused park-goers, wondering if they’re even standing in the correct queue.
The expansion is expected to solve (or at least, minimize) these issues. According to a Disneyland Resort spokesperson, they will be modeled at those at Disneyland Paris, where, after a cast member validates the guest’s ticket, a gate automatically opens, allowing the guest to seamlessly enter the park.
Additional features coming with this upgrade include additional gates, with some designed for those who’re differently abled and others that are more stroller friendly than the current set-up.
The same Disneyland Resort spokesperson also confirmed that construction on the project will be done in phases in order to “minimize impacts to arrivals” and would begin later this year.
This is just one of a few major projects happening at the park in 2024, including the expansion of the Haunted Mansion’s grounds, queue and exit, and the reimagining of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.