A suspicious package found near the Disneyland Resort Esplanade, the entry plaza between Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, led to a heavy police presence that forced guests exiting the park to divert away from the area Monday night.
Police Close The Disneyland Esplanade
Anaheim Police closed the entire Esplanade from Harbor Boulevard to the start of Downtown Disney between 9:30 p.m. and about midnight. As a result, park guests were forced to leave the park via “backstage” in areas typically used by cast members and into Downtown Disney.
“For everyone’s safety and out of an abundance of caution, we closed the entire area of the Esplanade and Harbor-East Shuttle Area and sent everyone toward the Downtown Disney exits to be away from the area until we could render it safe,” Anaheim Police Sgt. Eric Andersen said.
What Cast Members Found Near The Shuttle Area
Around 9:30 p.m., Disneyland cast members reported seeing a suspicious device near the Harbor-East Shuttle Area, Andersen said. A Disneyland Security bomb-sniffing dog responded but did not alert to explosives, but police sought to investigate further because of the device’s appearance: two bags in a dolly, one of which had wires exposed from its opening and the other that had sharp objects protruding from it and duct tape wrapped around, Andersen said.
The sharp metal objects visible were Disney-type crowns, belt buckles, and other miscellaneous metal objects, Andersen said.
Bomb Squad Finds No Explosives
At Anaheim Police Department’s request, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad examined the device and found no explosives. The area was cleared around 11:45 p.m.
