Anna and Elsa Wait Times at Rope Drop

[gerryrobinson]

There's no disputing that A&E is and will be the headliner attraction at MK for the foreseable future. My 9 year old twin daughters are over the moon at the idea of meeting them at the end of August for this years trip. Having said that, we are not waiting 3-4 hours to do so. So trying to figure out which strategy to use. We have BBB rezzies for 8:10am (park opening is at 9am) and figure we'll be done by park opening. Original plan was to shoot straight over to A&E and use a FP+ (if we can get one for 9-10am). Now second-guessing whether we need to even to use the FP+ if we get there right at 9am. But I am worried that BBB might run long and if we don't get to A&E till 9:10 or later, that the SB line might already be rediculous. So just wondering from people who have waited for A&E right at RD, what their SB wait times were like. Thanks.

 

[mesaboy2]

There's no disputing that A&E is and will be the headliner attraction at MK for the foreseable future. My 9 year old twin daughters are over the moon at the idea of meeting them at the end of August for this years trip. Having said that, we are not waiting 3-4 hours to do so. So trying to figure out which strategy to use. We have BBB rezzies for 8:10am (park opening is at 9am) and figure we'll be done by park opening. Original plan was to shoot straight over to A&E and use a FP+ (if we can get one for 9-10am). Now second-guessing whether we need to even to use the FP+ if we get there right at 9am. But I am worried that BBB might run long and if we don't get to A&E till 9:10 or later, that the SB line might already be rediculous. So just wondering from people who have waited for A&E right at RD, what their SB wait times were like. Thanks.

You need a FP or an insane amount of luck or you're looking at a multi-hour wait, even at rope drop. Read this: http://www.easywdw.com/uncategorize...s-mine-train-media-event-closures/#more-13347.

 

[maybs607]

Do a FP if you can get one, even for later in the day. The Standby lines are long even if you get there right drop.

 

[PEC]

1st advice is get a FP. That said my Niece went close to closing (5 PM for A&E) and only waited about 35 minutes. I have heard of similar reports that later in the day the line isn't as bad.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Right now it is posted 300 minutes.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

It's really nuts.

Personally, my clan - although they do love Frozen, have seen it multiple times and we own the BluRay Combo pack - like Entangled better.

And Rapunzel was never THIS popular.

It must be the sister thing.

 

[cheap traveler]

FP+ - if it's that important for your daughters to see them, don't leave it to chance.

I was THRILLED 2 weeks ago when I finally told my girls (10 & 8) that Anna and Elsa were in the park, with very long waits. DD10 says: "That should make the lines for everything else really short!"

 

[mom2rtk]

Get the FP and head the opposite direction from Fantasyland when the park opens.

 

[gerryrobinson]

FP+ - if it's that important for your daughters to see them, don't leave it to chance.

I was THRILLED 2 weeks ago when I finally told my girls (10 & 8) that Anna and Elsa were in the park, with very long waits. DD10 says: "That should make the lines for everything else really short!"

I LOVE how the minds of little kids work! It definately looks like getting a FP, any FP for this attraction is the way to go. I was just under the impression that if we are there before the park even opens with only a small amount of others who have early dining/BBB rezzies, that maybe we could jump ahead of all the rope droppers even. But I don't think I want to chance it.

On a side note, have any folks been having a hard time getting a FP for A&E? We are staying on site and plan to go on at midnight of the 60th day out. Just wondering what others have experienced? Thanks again.

 

[lizard1]

FP+ - if it's that important for your daughters to see them, don't leave it to chance.

Agreed! Think of it this way, you can always make the FP and then if you decide that the wait is short enough and you want to do it standby, you can always log into MDE while you are waiting and change the FP to something else. That way, you have a guarantee that you will meet them with little wait either way.

 

[JimmyV]

I was just under the impression that if we are there before the park even opens with only a small amount of others who have early dining/BBB rezzies, that maybe we could jump ahead of all the rope droppers even. But I don't think I want to chance it.

Getting a jump on the other rope droppers means getting to the park 90 minutes before it opens. If you look at the pictures posted on easywdw in the link provided my mesaboy2, you will see that 45 minutes before the park opens, there are already thousands of people in the waiting area. And now, most of those people have one goal in mind and that is to rush to A&E. Since all FP times will be fully booked, there will be a steady stream of FP returnees arriving the moment the park opens. Even the people who have return times for the first hour seem to be arriving in the first 5 minutes of their hour-long return time. So you could be the 10th SB person in line and still wait for 30 minutes for all the FP people to clear out. And if you are the 50th SB person, you could wait an hour. This is how a line builds to 240 minutes so quickly. It isn't isn't the volume of people so much as it is that the SB line simply does not move. And if you do decide to arrive super early, then you have to build that time into your overall "wait time." The person who arrives at the turnstile 90 minutes before the park opens to be the first in line to "walk on" to a ride didn't really walk on to that ride. They waited an 90 minutes to do so. Get the FP.

 

[KelleyK75]

I would definitely try for FP+, as this guarantees a m&g with them. If you aren't able to get one (I've heard those go really quickly, too), then you might be able to get lucky if you are in the park before it opens. You'd need to make sure you are watching for when everyone is racing down Main Street, and beat everyone to the line.

When the girls were in Epcot, I did this with a 8am Akershus ADR. I went out at 8:45 and was about 6th in line. But of course this is taking a chance in MK and might mean you need to leave BBB early to get in line.

 

[mom2rtk]

OP, I know you'll be back at BBB when the park opens, and common sense says you should have a jump on the crowd. But so will everyone at CRT and CP. And as JimmyV pointed out, with FP getting priority in that line, it won't take many people in front of you to create a long wait. Besides, who wants to start their day in the MK in this sort of frenzy if it can be avoided? Now that you can add a 4th FP after using the first 3, it would be far better to make this one of your 3, then schedule others after you use them.

 

[serene56]

I would definitely try for FP+, as this guarantees a m&g with them. If you aren't able to get one (I've heard those go really quickly, too), then you might be able to get lucky if you are in the park before it opens. You'd need to make sure you are watching for when everyone is racing down Main Street, and beat everyone to the line.

When the girls were in Epcot, I did this with a 8am Akershus ADR. I went out at 8:45 and was about 6th in line. But of course this is taking a chance in MK and might mean you need to leave BBB early to get in line.

But in epcot it was super easy to hold the space in the line for the rest of your family- We did that in Dec. But in Hall are people behind you really going to let your family catch up to you without a problem??

 

[KelleyK75]

But in epcot it was super easy to hold the space in the line for the rest of your family- We did that in Dec. But in Hall are people behind you really going to let your family catch up to you without a problem??

I haven't done the m&g at MK so I don't know for sure. Just wanted to give my experience with it. I know at Epcot even if the families weren't there yet, the person just let other people go ahead of them. As I said, FP+ would be the best option.

 

[leafE]

I would say get the FP+ if you can. I was at MK last week for early entry (at 8am), and before 9 the posted time was 240 minutes.

 

[ConnieB]

I LOVE how the minds of little kids work! It definately looks like getting a FP, any FP for this attraction is the way to go. I was just under the impression that if we are there before the park even opens with only a small amount of others who have early dining/BBB rezzies, that maybe we could jump ahead of all the rope droppers even. But I don't think I want to chance it.

On a side note, have any folks been having a hard time getting a FP for A&E? We are staying on site and plan to go on at midnight of the 60th day out. Just wondering what others have experienced? Thanks again.

I'd hit A&E FP first on your midnight journey. But if you don't get it right away, keep trying. I snagged one on our 60 day, but then my girls said they wanted to go more than once, so I kept checking back and did find them two other times. Personally I think they are releasing them in waves.

 

[AngiTN]

Anyone have any clue how those at the beginning of the line each day get there? Someone has to get there first, right? Or do they take only FP+ folks for the first little bit each day?

Also, as a follow up question, anyone know what time their standby by line gets cut off on avg?

 

[Maggie'sMom]

But in epcot it was super easy to hold the space in the line for the rest of your family- We did that in Dec. But in Hall are people behind you really going to let your family catch up to you without a problem??

I've heard that CM's are telling the RD people they can't enter the line until their entire party is there. So you can't send someone ahead to hold the space for your family.

 

[FLchick415]

Anyone have any clue how those at the beginning of the line each day get there? Someone has to get there first, right? Or do they take only FP+ folks for the first little bit each day?

Also, as a follow up question, anyone know what time their standby by line gets cut off on avg?

I would imagine the people at the beginning of the line are probably the ones that had early reservations for CP, CRT or BBB.