Harbour Security Line

Hello,
Does anyone have any comments or updates on how long it has been taking to get through Security in the morning? Haven’t been since Feb 2017, and remember this definitely being the longest line of the day for us, and the toughest wait for the kids. It didn’t seem to matter much if we were 30 minutes early, or an hour late.

Hoping things have improved with possibly more stations or other optimizations. Would love if Lines or the official app showed expected wait time for that, similar as for attractions. Last time we just couldn’t get the kids there over an hour early which was recommended, but this info would help weight the benefit of coming even earlier, vs showing up closer to opening…wait an hour early or waiting slightly longer on the first rides.

Thanks!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Harbor lines have gotten way worse in the last year. It is really unacceptable to me, it feels like such a huge security risk with so many people. I was there in July and September, both trips the lines were often all the way to the Harbor crosswalk. Try to be an hour early if you can.

I haven’t been since Aug 2017 but don’t remember security being all that stressful. Our trick is to have one person go through the bag check line and everyone else goes through the “no bag” line. While we wait for the bag person to get through the line the rest of us do something fun - take pictures, look at names on the bricks, etc

Sorry also to add to @Wahoohokie’s experience, that in our most recent trips this has been worse & worse. This year we’ve gone in May, July, August, September, October & November and we always stay along Harbor so use this entrance almost exclusively.

The only times we’ve had where the Harbor security line hasn’t been backed is when we go 45-60 minutes prior to park opening. Even this last trip we made a point of being 45 or more minutes early & there was still some sort of a line, but it did move pretty steadily & only took 20 min at most but was still a line. I would strongly suggest being an hour early. You’ll not only minimize the time it takes to get through security but be among the first to be lined up for park entry & often times they begin letting in 30 min early so you’ll really only have 20-30 min. wait & a much happier spot being within sight of the parks rather than the security tents!

To help get us there quicker, we usually skip eating bfast at the hotel (but instead pack it to go) & make sure we have everything laid out so everyone can just do a quick change. I also have us shower/bathe at night or during midday breaks so mornings are faster. Those shortcuts help get us there 60 min. early & then when we have the down time of waiting at the park entry gates, I like to use that time to help the kids get situated with their on-the-go breakfast/snack & a drink if we weren’t able to do that prior to leaving the hotel room/in security line. Also we do the first application of sunscreen & get pictures of everyone’s excited faces at the gates. I have also been known to do my daughter’s hair in the park entry line (one less thing to do before getting out the hotel room door). And then if there’s still time, I check our plan for the day, walk everyone through the first few steps so they know what we’ve got geared up to do first. All of this is far more enjoyable than that awfully slow-moving security line & totally worth it to hurry up at the hotel to be there early.

What’s been most frustrating for me in these recent trips (the ones from August on) is that anytime we’ve taken a midday break, we’ve come back to GIGANTIC lines to get back in weather we come back after a short break at 2-3pm or a longer/later one at 6/7pm. There’ve been more than 2 times when we’ve been 60 minutes from security to park entry and that is just ridiculous. On one recent trip, to avoid this hassle we took our kids to the lobby of the GCH and had them take naps in the stroller while in the lobby and DH & I relaxed on our phones for an hour-hour 1/2 (the baby was slightly uncooperative in napping with everyone else as he had already napped in the stroller in the parks, but luckily we were near the Mickey cartoons that play in the lobby so that kept him pretty well occupied).

If your kids need that midday break to be rested, I would still take it at the hotel, but know that you should keep your plans for the evening very flexible, if you have FPs to come back to, make sure you are arriving at the security line near the start of your FP window or be prepared to forfeit it/miss it entirely if you’re cutting it any closer than that. And be prepared again to have that wait. You could try to pack much lighter for the evening & have most of the party go through the no bag line & just send one person through the bag line & catch up with them in the Esplanade if that’s a feasible situation for your party. Now that DTD is within the security perimeter, they could even browse through World of Disney while waiting for the person going through the bag line.

Good info to have. I am going solo and since DH will not be with me, I will be staying off site. I have cringed when seeing the security line for Harbour. Another perk for onsite is quicker access via security.

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Thanks everyone. I doubt this will get any better by the time we’re there. I may rethink our breaks and have some quiet time within DLR.

If anyone throughout the year does a trip report, would greatly appreciate any info on how long your wait was and what time you were there, especially for returning back to the park in the afternoon.
Cheers

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Any chance getting through security has improved recently? Our group of 6 will be going May 5th, and we haven’t been since Nov 2016.

I have heard that Harbor security has greatly improved in the last few months now that they’ve added more stalls and have metal detectors at all of them. Haven’t been myself since the changes though, but would love to hear more firsthand accounts after you’ve been. My last trip was March, 2017, and that was always our worst line of the day.

I was there in August 2018 and again last month, March 2019. We had no trouble getting through security on Harbor and we entered and exited multiple times throughout the day. The wait was never more than 3-5 minutes. It was really efficient and low stress for us.

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We were there March as well and it was a HUGE improvement over our recent past experiences of Harbor security. Our waits were also never more than 5 min. and we were there a variety of times from 45 min. before rope drop to the hour after, to late afternoon/early evening. In a lot of our recent trips prior to the permanent security fixtures similar times the security lines would take 30-45 min.

Thank you so much for the replies…So good to hear! Even though the kids are grownups, we still like to go back to the hotel and rest!

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