Who sleeps in instead of doing Rope Drop?

[wdw4rfam]

After 15+ trips we just made rope drop for the first time on our last trip in September. It was the first one with FP+ and we figured we better because we only get 3 FP so we hit the park early and rode the other big rides first that we didn't have FP for.

 

[pktbMouse]

vacation = not getting up early...so nope...never made RD in my life nor do I intend to.

 

[anniemae]

I hate to admit it but we are total sleeper inners. I feel like I will be tarred and feathered for sleeping in on vacation. Folks on this board really believe in RD! Never done RD. Next trip we will attempt it. Maybe.

 

[mickey1968]

@mickey1968 did you do your CP in spring 1991??? Am I reading that correct? I was there too-EPCOT merch!

That's right! I worked culinary under Tommorrowland in the lovely Utilidors. I want to take the Keys to the Kingdom tour sometime just so I can go backstage again.

 

[itchin2go]

To answer OP's question: Who sleeps instead of doing rope drop?
Most people, and that's why rope drop is so magical.

 

[quiverofadams]

This will be our 10th trip in Sept., and we've never been to RD! Maybe this year?

 

[ilovebassets]

Unfortunately, my children do not understand what "sleeping in" is. 6am is a normal wake up time in our house. Even if they stay up super late. They are just programed to waked up. Drives me nuts...but works well at WDW.

This exactly. In fact, I have been up since 5:36 this lovely Saturday morning. I have not slept past 6:00 in months. We have no problem hitting breakfast at the resort and then getting to rope drop.

Before children we never did rope drop. In fact we used to shut down the parks at night. You just have to know how to tour for whenever you do decide to go in the parks and not try to do exactly the same things in exactly the same order regardless of when you show up.

 

[klo1335]

I have been up since 5:36 this lovely Saturday morning. I have not slept past 6:00 in months.

We actually slept in until 6:45am this morning!! Yes, that is sleeping in for our house

We are planning a "resort" day during our stay so maybe we will sleep in then but I don't foresee that happening.

 

[autumnpalm]

Depends on the season for us!

We arrive just after park opening in the summer months because early morning/late evening touring is so much more comfortable and we don't really do mid-day touring. Would prefer to be relaxing at the pool with a good book and a drink!

In the cooler seasons, we will sleep in until 10!

 

[maine girl]

My eldest daughter and I have vowed to make rope drop for every park when we go in August. The other 3 in our party will stay in bed. I'm the only early riser in the family and I go crazy every trip waiting for everyone to get up. I told my eldest daughter that I will go it alone if she wimps out, but she says she is in

 

[mickey1968]

I am here now and am midway through my trip. The first day I managed to get to Universal by 10am, but the other days I have not left the room before about 11am. Today I didn't even wake up until almost Noon! My plan had been to do touring in the morning until lunch then break and return in the evening. Oh well!

 

[JCornell]

We never do rope drop. We get there when we get there, but typically we're in the park around 10-10:30.
We've been enough times that missing something is no big deal and FP+ helps to ensure we get our favorites in.

 

[WEDWDW]

To answer OP's question: Who sleeps instead of doing rope drop?
Most people, and that's why rope drop is so magical.

This.

Us RD people are in the VAST,VAST minority-that's why it's so advantageous.

 

[itchin2go]

We actually slept in until 6:45am this morning!! Yes, that is sleeping in for our house

We are planning a "resort" day during our stay so maybe we will sleep in then but I don't foresee that happening.

Yes, we may strategically plan a day to relax and do nothing, but if we're touring, then we wouldn't miss those hours in the morning when most everything is a walk on. Last trip, we did plan one day where we didn't enter a park until evening. It was Thanksgiving Day, and we had a late (for us) breakfast at Boma, then just hung out until nighttime, when we went to DHS for Thanksgiving dinner at Hollywood Brown Derby and Osborne Lights. We used 2 FPs, but otherwise, it wasn't "touring" time.

All that is to say that we definitely rope drop most days, but will plan some off time in there somewhere. But if we're entering a park later, then we're not "touring" so to speak. Maybe we're just having doing Food and Wine at Epcot, or something like that. It would just eat me alive to stand in the longer lines, knowing if I'd just gotten up sooner, they would have been walk-ons.

 

[lelesansan]

We always try to make rope drop but some how can't seem to get up, LOL. We have though made it to the parks shortly after rope drop when it is still completely empty, so to us the extra 5 minute snooze, and sips of coffee are worth it to us

 

[skeettafic]

My kids and hubby are all early risers so we're up at 6:00 anyway, even if they've stayed up super late the night before. They are up and at 'em kind of people. Our first trip 2 years ago, we were either in the park for an early ADR or the first people in line at the ropes. Yep. We're those people. LOL.

 

[Parker Clan]

We usually try for RD on our Epcot day, so we can get to Soarin' and wait in less of a line before our FP+ for TT. Other than that, try as we might, it's so hard to get up in the morning when your whole body is achy from the go-go-go of the vacation

 

[dchronister]

We don't do rope drop, we are a stay up late kinda family at home, so we don't change it at Disney, and we love the parks at night, especially MK, so we do every late EMH, except HS for now, hopefully it gets better with the adding of new things, and the FP+ actually helps the late park arriver. We tried rope drop a few times and my youngest who was 5 on the trip, was sooooo grouchy that we couldn't deal with her so we changed up our touring style, and yes we are probably missing some stuff but we have been enough times to know what we like and what we want to do, so we don't sweat it anymore.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

I always sleep in, but I don't have kids so that helps! I try to get to the parks mid-morning (but sometimes don't get there until noon) and I like to stay until close/end of Evening EMH (or until I have done everything I wanted to do). Obviously, I go during the low-attendance seasons. I always get Park Hoppers. I am not a morning person and have energy/stamina issues, so that's another reason I sleep in.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I think once for the fun of it to get SDMT or something is ok. Otherwise, I wouldn't the entire trip. We had friends come stay who went in around 1-2 noon everyday from 4/8-4/12 (some busy spring break but gradually tapering off) and it made for some great nights. Others went early, petered out and didn't last to the fireworks and had to do a blitz hop day at night to catch it. They just were done at 4, saw everything they wanted (minus night stuff) and left the first night. None of this group had kids under 17, so this is just going off of adult stamina. If you go into the parks early, you start baking around 11 and it just gets worse until 3-4pm. By then, you have been at it about 8 hrs already, most in the heat. We have noticed that when we come at 1 or 2, hit something inside like Monsters or a show, (and we will have already gotten FPs of course for 4-7 p) ride a few things, then the sun sets and its so beautiful and I love HS, EP and AK at night, its the best! Its cooler, the comedians at Monsters are funnier and its a totally different experience than the stroller brigade at 10am.

Now that we have passes and live close, we just go after work at 4, even AK even though it closes at 7, and we still get our 3 guaranteed walk on FPs plus a few other things that have died down by then. I walked in and Tarzan was just hanging out, no line nothing, so I snapped a quick selfy. Evenings at the park is the best! I'd say, pick one day rope drop and plan carefully for early, Philharmagic or inside stuff. Pace yourself in the heat and you should be able to make it to the evening. Give yourself the next day by the pool, rest and eat a real breakfast, already have planned FPs towards 3-7 pm or even later, and have a splendid 12p-12a (most days) twelve hours or even later! And what's worse, don't come at 9:15am!! The bag and stroller check is murder!