Hey there Genevieve,
Welcome to planDisney and thank you for your question and welcome to planDisney! It looks like your trip to the Disneyland Resort is coming up in just a few days - how exciting!
It's always good to know your options, so I very much appreciated this question. The answer is that both parks of the Disneyland Resort have two ways to enter.
For Disneyland Park, you have the main entrance or you can also enter the park by taking the
Disneyland Monorail in from the
Downtown Disney District stop to the Tomorrowland stop right above
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. The Downtown Disney monorail station is near the
Disneyland Hotel and therefore extremely convenient to access if you're staying there or at
Pixar Place Hotel nearby.
To access it, you'll go through a security checkpoint to enter the Downtown Disney District then you'll need to scan your theme park tickets at the entrance of this monorail station. From there you might have a few minute wait but then will board the monorail into the park.
I love this option - especially when staying at one of the two previously mentioned hotels - because you get to skip the walk through the main entry gate and can often bypass larger crowds on Main Street U.S.A. like during parades or nighttime spectaculars. However, keep in mind that it can be a pain if you have a stroller as it will need to be folded up to bring it on the monorail car.
You can also exit the park this way as well! Just keep an eye on the attraction's run times in the
Disneyland Resort mobile app.
As for Disney California Adventure Park, you have the main entrance but then can also enter through
Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. To use this entrance, start in the lobby and follow the overhead signs to Disney California Adventure Park. To access the entrance, you'll go through a security checkpoint, then scan your ticket, and you'll enter near
Grizzly River Run.
I also love utilizing this entrance, specifically if I'm staying in one of the
hotels of the Disneyland Resort as it's quick and a great way to bypass some of the larger crowds near the main entry gate.
Thanks again for this great question, Genevieve! I hope it gives you some fun options to consider your upcoming trip.
Have a Magical Day,
Greg