Entrance to California Disney Park Abruptly Blocked, Hundreds Impacted Daily
A major perk for guests staying at Disneyland Resort’s Pixar Place Hotel is currently unavailable. As of Monday, May 12, 2025, the private entrance from the Disney Resort hotel into Disney California Adventure Park has been closed without advance notice, forcing hundreds of guests each day to reroute their Disney Park entry.
The sudden closure is part of a phased project across the resort to update old turnstiles with modern “tapstile” systems. These new entry points feature facial recognition, digital screens, and touchless gates, replacing the more traditional ticket scanning systems used in the past.
Similar upgrades were recently completed at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, where its private entrance to Disney California Adventure had been closed for months. That entrance reopened the same day the Pixar Place Hotel access point went offline.
Theme park reporter Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) confirmed the change on X (formerly Twitter), writing:
NEW: Pixar Place Hotel’s dedicated entrance to Disney California Adventure Park is closed starting today through through mid-June while crews install new turnstiles.
Disney says: “During this time, Guests may access the park through an alternate entrance located in Disney’s Grand California Hotel & Spa, near GCH Craftsman Bar and Grill.”
Disney says: "During this time, Guests may access the park through an alternate entrance located in Disney's Grand California Hotel & Spa, near GCH Craftsman Bar and Grill."https://t.co/MYZtOt1zh7
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) May 12, 2025
While the main gates to both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park remain open, the closure of the Pixar Place Hotel-exclusive entrance presents an inconvenience for Disney Resort guests, who often rely on that pathway for its ease and crowd-free access. Disneyland Resort is now directing Pixar Place Hotel guests to use the newly reopened entrance at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, located near GCH Craftsman Bar and Grill.
Disneyland Resort has not announced a firm reopening date for the Pixar Place Hotel entrance, only stating that it will remain closed through mid-June. Until the “tapstiles” are fully functional, Disney cast members are stationed at alternate park entry points to assist guests using mobile devices to scan tickets, MagicBands, or other forms of admission.
These upgrades began in late 2024 and are part of a larger rollout intended to streamline the entry process at both Southern California Disney parks without significantly disrupting the guest experience. Still, for Disney Resort hotel guests accustomed to stepping straight into the magic, the unexpected change may literally add extra steps to the start of their park day.
Do exclusive theme park entrances impact your decision to stay in a Disney Resort hotel? Share your opinion with Disney Dining in the comments!
