I always thought the people who rope-dropped or did the "Magic Hour" or "Magic Mornings," as it was called years before, were crazy. Whenever we would visit Disneyland, we'd just take our time getting to the park, maybe around 9am or 10am. Even though our kids would wake up early (until this day they are always up by 6am; 7am at the latest), we'd just have a leisurely breakfast at our hotel, then walk across the street to Disney. We did have Annual Passports which eased the pressure off of us having to wake up early or rushing for Fast Passes (as it was called back then), but since it seems way more competitive now to get on certain rides, we thought we'd try and experience Early Entry, while also using Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
Guests staying at Disneyland Resort hotel get Early Entry. Early Entry is now only 30 minutes, and parks are designated Early Entry depending on the day of the week.
In terms of Early Entry, the Magical Tour Guide YouTube videos helped immensely in guiding us where to go.
Through her videos, I discovered how to get to the security checkpoint to Downtown Disney via the Grand Californian from Pixar Place Hotel, where we stayed.
The first day of our Early Entry was a Thursday, which meant Disneyland. We got to the security checkpoint at 620am, and the line was already about 15 people deep! The security guards will brief everyone about going through the checkpoint and ask to see everyone's hotel keys or online confirmations, as only the Early Entry guests would be allowed through at 645am.
In just a few minutes we were at the main gates for Disneyland. The gates do not open until 720am, even though Early Entry starts at 730am. Also, there is no designated gate for Early Entry guests. All rope-dropping and Early Entry guests are mixed in with each other, unlike at Universal Studios Hollywood, where only SNW Early Entry guests can enter through the admission gates before the general admission guests.
Once through the gates, you have to look for the roped off areas for Early Entry guests, at which you will have to swipe your key card and let a cast member know how many in your party.
I haven't dug deep enough as to why they do the entry this way (combined with rope-droppers), especially since I've read how some people were not able to get through security and / or the gates until 15 minutes already into Early Entry since they are mixed in with rope-droppers, so it's highly recommended you get through security and line up at the gates really early.
We went to Tomorrowland and Fantasyland and got through four rides (Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Snow White's Enchanted Wish, Pinocchio's Daring Journey). Early Entry rides may not always be operable during the 30 minutes (Space Mountain was not yet open during Early Entry).
When it was DCA Early Entry day, it was the same process, but some of us got to security earlier (by 6am and ended up being the second in line), and the rest of us joined in by 630am. We ended up doing two rides - Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission Breakout! and Web Slingers (a new-to-us ride) during Early Entry. We also tried rope-dropping Radiator Springs after the rides, but the line was already 2 hours long by the time some of our family members got in line. so we just decided to buy Lightning Lane Single Pass (one of two rides at the resort you can buy passes for).
As stated in the Magical Tour Guide videos, there is a separate entrance / security to DCA, but she notes that's not the quickest way to get into DCA for Early Entry, especially if you're trying to get to Guardians or Web Slingers, or Rope Drop for Radiator Spring Racers.
Even the security guard and another guest in line confirmed this - the quickest way is to go through Downtown Disney and enter through the main gates.
I am glad we experienced Early Entry, but I will say that during our visit, because we had Multi Pass Lightning Lane, the Early Entry wasn't worth it.
We were able to secure Lightning Lane passes for everything we wanted to go on both days we were there (we also had Park Hopper), and the rides we did Early Entry for, with the exception of Guardians, had decent wait times throughout the day (for me, decent means less than 30 minutes).
There were rides we did multiple times even without Lightning Lane too (Astro Blasters, Star Tours).
And of course there are the Single Rider lines as well that minimize wait times.
If you don't buy Lightning Lane Multi Passes, the Early Entry could definitely be worth it for you, But for us, we think we'll stick to Lightning Lane and spend some extra time in bed the next time.