This isn't the first RunDisney race in California with the new security measures. The first one was the Avengers Half Marathon weekend in November 2015, and then they added metal detectors at the Star Wars Light Side weekend in January 2016. However it WILL be the FIRST time that the Tinkerbell race weekend will have them.
For any 10K and Half Marathon Tink runners out there, BE PREPARED for a longer walk and longer time to get to your corrals. The corral entrances USED TO BE close to the street corner of Disneyland Drive and Katella, which was great if you stayed at the Grand Californian Hotel or the Paradise Pier Hotel, because the corrals were right outside the front door.
But ever since they added these new security policies, in order to enter ANY corral, all runners need to go thru a security checkpoint to get your bag checked (SPIbelts count as bags).
UPDATE: There are now several security checkpoints and th are at locations DIFFERENT than the ones for the January 2016 Star Wars Half Marathon:
(1) One for those walking from the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure toward the main stage area & bag drop off.
(2) Another one located in the Downtown Disney valet parking area (near ESPN zone), which is for those walking from the hotels that want to enter the main stage area & back drop off.
(3) And finally a third one to enter the corrals, located at the Paradise Pier parking attendants booths.
So, what does this mean?
If you're coming from a hotel that's located on Harbor Blvd, just take the same route you usually do to get to the main park gates, walk thru Downtown Disney, turn left at the Earl of Sandwich, and walk toward Paradise Pier Hotel. The security checkpoint is located near the parking attendant booths for the Paradise Pier parking lot.
If you're coming from Ball Road or the Parking Structure, walk toward the main stage area, pass thru that security checkpoint, then walk toward the AMC Theater, turn right at ESPN Zone, turn left at the Earl of Sandwich, and walk toward Paradise Pier Hotel. Go thru another security checkpoint located near the parking attendant booths for the Paradise Pier parking lot.
If you're coming from the Disneyland Hotel or the Grand Californian, walk thru Downtown Disney toward ESPN Zone, turn left at the Earl of Sandwich, and walk toward Paradise Pier Hotel. The security checkpoint is located near the parking attendant booths for the Paradise Pier parking lot.
May the Pixie Dust Be With You all this weekend. And Happy May the Fourth!
