Disneyland Resort hotels to drop early entry in 2026, adds Lightning Lane perk

Guests staying at Disneyland Resort hotels will see a major change to their early access perk beginning next year.

Starting Jan. 5, 2026, hotel guests will no longer be able to use the Early Theme Park Entry program, which currently allows 30-minute access before park opening.

Instead, guests with a valid hotel reservation will receive one complimentary Lightning Lane entry for a Lightning Lane Multi Pass attraction during their stay. A list of participating attractions at each park can be found here.

Valid theme park admission and a same-day park reservation are required. Disney Vacation Club reservations qualify, but bookings at Good Neighbor Hotels do not.

Disneyland officials said the early entry program “was not widely used,” prompting the shift to the Lightning Lane benefit, according to Nexstar’s Scott Gustin. Nexstar Media Group is the parent company of KTLA 5.

Guests can continue to take advantage of early entry through Jan. 4, 2026. Disneyland currently offers early entry on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, while Disney California Adventure Park offers the perk on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

The Lightning Lane Multi Pass system allows guests to bypass standby lines for participating rides, making one reservation at a time through the Disneyland app.

Popular attractions such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Radiator Springs Racers are not included and require a separate Lightning Lane purchase.