Disneyland ending early entry for hotel guests in 2026: Here's what replaces it

From January 05, 2026, guests staying at Disneyland Resort hotel in California will no longer get early entry into the parks. 

Until now, hotel guests could enter one park 30 minutes before regular visitors. This benefit will stop next year.

Instead, each hotel guest will receive one Lightning Lane entry per stay. This pass will allow them to skip the regular line once for a popular rife, depending on availability. 

Rides may include Space Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds, and Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: BREAKOUT.

At present, hotel guests enjoy early access to one park each day. But Disneyland says the perk was not being used as much. 

Some visitors also felt the early entry did not match their preferred park.

With the new change, guests will have more control over their visit. The “Lightning Lane perk” gives them the chance to save time on a top attraction instead of entering early.

Disneyland also confirmed that the “exclusive Pixar Place Hotel entrance” to Disney California Adventure will close on January 5, 2026. 

From the date, Pixar guests can use the private entrance through Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa instead.

Resort officials said the early entry option was underused, while guests wanted more flexible benefits. 

By offering a Lightning Lane pass, Disneyland hopes to make hotel stays more useful and family friendly.