Best way to get to AK for rope drop??

[klangl6]

We will be at AK on 12/8 and plan on doing rope drop for FoP. What would be the best way for us to get there early enough (uber or bus)? The park opens at 9AM that day, so we're planning on being there 7:30-7:45.

 

[hiroMYhero]

We will be at AK on 12/8 and plan on doing rope drop for FoP. What would be the best way for us to get there early enough (uber or bus)? The park opens at 9AM that day, so we're planning on being there 7:30-7:45.

Discussion and bus scheduling are in this current thread:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/r...ening-what-time-should-i-leave-hotel.3639094/

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

If you're interested in an alternate strategy, you can always wait until later in the evening when the lines are the shortest. This may be a more efficient use of time than being at a bus stop at 7 am and fighting through a huge crowd.

Per Touring Plans a few weeks ago:

At 9:30 am, the posted wait was 210 minutes with an actual wait of 240.

At 9:30 pm, the posted wait was 60 minutes with an actual wait of 30.

 

[HandsofReiki]

I will be there on 12/8 too.

I had read about the evening hours things and perhaps later evening hours makes a difference?

park close is 8pm that day.

I checked lines app last night at 745pm and it like like 210.

maybe as we get closer and getting some more confirmation that entering the line at 740pm will be 30 minutes, I might consider.

I am offsite at Hilton, who does have a shuttle. barring walking out and having the shuttle right there and going direct to ak...i am ubering it.

 

[BigredNole]

Here's my take on it. If you are only going to AK one day for your trip and you must do FoP without a FP, are you willing to risk not getting on at all or wait the long hours?

As some have stated, late at night it "may" be 30 minutes. Waiting until close to park close to find out you won't be able to ride is a risk you have to be willing to accept. Going at rope drop has 2 strategies that can be followed. First, you can get there early (60-90 minutes) and be at or near the front of the pack. What this allows is getting off the ride first to get to other attractions before lines get long. Second, get to the park closer to opening, wait about 60-90 minutes to get on. The disadvantage here is that you are waiting in a long line while the other attractions lines are getting longer.

Personally, we prefer to wait at park opening. Sometimes the park opens early, sometimes it doesn't. This past Summer, Park opening was at 8AM. We were there at 6:30AM, near the front, and off the ride before 8AM. The second time we went, the park opened on time and we were at the front and off at 7:30AM (7AM park opening).

The strategy you use really depends on how your family operates.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

We took a cab last time we went to AK for rope drop (EMH rope drop). This was pre-Pandora but it only too about 10 minutes to get there from Yacht Club. We got there around 7:25 and were first in line at one of the turnstiles. Probably need to get there at least an hour before open though with Pandora though. In any event, I'd take Uber/Lyft.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

I will be there on 12/8 too.

I had read about the evening hours things and perhaps later evening hours makes a difference?

park close is 8pm that day.

I checked lines app last night at 745pm and it like like 210.

maybe as we get closer and getting some more confirmation that entering the line at 740pm will be 30 minutes, I might consider.

I am offsite at Hilton, who does have a shuttle. barring walking out and having the shuttle right there and going direct to ak...i am ubering it.

AK was open until 9 last night. According to Touring Plans, the posted wait time 10 minutes before close was 75 minutes. The actual wait time was not reported, but standard behavior suggests that the actual time was probably half or less of the posted time.

 

[NH-to-FL]

We will be at AK on 12/8 and plan on doing rope drop for FoP. What would be the best way for us to get there early enough (uber or bus)? The park opens at 9AM that day, so we're planning on being there 7:30-7:45.

You are targeting the right time to be at the park for a rope drop FoP visit. Whether you decide on user or the bus depends on how much more time you want to invest in your rope drop morning. Uber would probably be, on average, quicker. Or perhaps more better to say more predictable than waiting for a bus. I think it is up to you to decide if time is important.
Wishing you a visit!

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

Here's my take on it. If you are only going to AK one day for your trip and you must do FoP without a FP, are you willing to risk not getting on at all or wait the long hours?

As some have stated, late at night it "may" be 30 minutes. Waiting until close to park close to find out you won't be able to ride is a risk you have to be willing to accept. Going at rope drop has 2 strategies that can be followed. First, you can get there early (60-90 minutes) and be at or near the front of the pack. What this allows is getting off the ride first to get to other attractions before lines get long. Second, get to the park closer to opening, wait about 60-90 minutes to get on. The disadvantage here is that you are waiting in a long line while the other attractions lines are getting longer.

Personally, we prefer to wait at park opening. Sometimes the park opens early, sometimes it doesn't. This past Summer, Park opening was at 8AM. We were there at 6:30AM, near the front, and off the ride before 8AM. The second time we went, the park opened on time and we were at the front and off at 7:30AM (7AM park opening).

The strategy you use really depends on how your family operates.

Just curious: How would waiting until closing time prevent anyone from riding? Everyone who is in line before park close will be allowed to ride, no matter how long the wait is. Fortunately, closing time lines are the shortest of the day and the waits are generally not very long at all.