Carsland experience with no AP EE or EMH

[jsoren11]

Can anyone speak about their recent experience of visiting CL without an AP or EMH early entry? We are staying off site starting Thursday Aug 2nd, Im wondering what it has been like to arrive at the gates without an early entry. What time should I arrive for an 8am opening? like 7? or 6:30?
Should I go directly to FP line? Is the line already long from all the AP EE people?
What if I go directly to the ride? about how long will the RSR line be by the time we get in at rope drop 8am?
How about single rider line? Is it long at rope drop already? Should I expect a huge crowd outside DCA for the 8am opening waiting to join the already huge crowd of EE inside?

Most trip reports Ive read here, seems like people are showin up around 9am and just deciding to skip RSR. Well, we plan on goin comando to get on this stupid ride, what's your advice??

 

[elaw]

Can anyone speak about their recent experience of visiting CL without an AP or EMH early entry? We are staying off site starting Thursday Aug 2nd, Im wondering what it has been like to arrive at the gates without an early entry. What time should I arrive for an 8am opening? like 7? or 6:30?
Should I go directly to FP line? Is the line already long from all the AP EE people?
What if I go directly to the ride? about how long will the RSR line be by the time we get in at rope drop 8am?
How about single rider line? Is it long at rope drop already? Should I expect a huge crowd outside DCA for the 8am opening waiting to join the already huge crowd of EE inside?

Most trip reports Ive read here, seems like people are showin up around 9am and just deciding to skip RSR. Well, we plan on goin comando to get on this stupid ride, what's your advice??

Even though we are AP holders, we havent done the EE for them yet. We usually arrive 7:30, wait for rope drop and head right over to RSR. The first 2 times we did that we only had a 25 minute wait. They have changed rope drop a little since then ... they walk everyone to the ride entrance now. If you want to just do the FP thing ... get there early ... 7:00 ish so that you are one of the first people let in at 7:30 and at the front of the FP line at Carthay Circle. EE folks get first crack at the FP's so the front of the regular FP line (at Carthay Circle) joins the end of the EE line at 8:00 (Rope Drop)

 

[kelmac284]

I'm worried about this as well. We went in June but were lucky enough to stay on property so we got the hotel MM. But when we go in Dec (going the week between Xmas and New Year's) we can't afford to stay on property and we all have AP's so no EE either. I am going to be monitoring these boards closely but from what I heard they did away with or are going to do away with the AP EE so not too sure what strategy we should use.

I figure the only thing we CAN do is get there early and go straight to FP. I know from when we did EE that the line already was over an hour long or more just from the EE people so trying to get on it when you already have EE people won't work. I guess my question is will there be NON EE days since they are getting rid of the AP EE? If they just have EE every OTHER day if you go on a non EE day would it be feasible to get on the ride or at least have a decent shot at a fp?

 

[jimmysmom74]

Is it possible to arrive at normal opening, and ride RSR, then go get a FP while my family rides a different ride??

 

[Chumpson]

I was there last week Tuesday through Thursday. The line wasn't ever under 2 hours to ride. I ended up being given a fastpass, which was the only way I rode it. While on the ride I talked to a girl who said she rode the single rider line and it took her about 1/2 hour. If you are going to do the ride I would suggest single rider, or show up at 7:30ish for the 8:00 opening then go to the FP line. The FP line will likely be over 1/2 an hour, but this would be better than waiting in the 2 hour line. By the time you get there the line will be huge. I got in in then my family told me not to worry about it. In retrospect I think I should have waited because only two of us got to ride the ride during our trip with those fastpasses that were given to us. On the day I got out of the line we were going to do TSMM to have minimum wait, but it was closed and there wasn't anything else in the park that we wanted to do that we couldn't get a FP for, so I regretted the decision.

All in all we just weren't willing to give up park time for the line, grabbing the FP seems to be the only option other than single rider for the normal visitor. I also remember talking to one guest that the line for RSR in magic mornings was already over an hour so they used the time to get in the FP line, so those people will get a jump on you for the FP.

Hope all that made sense.

I will be posting, in a few minutes, a trip report somewhere so people can see what we did get done while at the parks.

 

[elaw]

Is it possible to arrive at normal opening, and ride RSR, then go get a FP while my family rides a different ride??

Not Likely ...FP's are USUALLY all gone shortly after 9:00AM and the FP line is about an hour long just after they let folks in at 7:30am

 

[AustinTink]

We were there on Sunday the 22nd. Our plan was to arrive by 7am and wait outside the gates. Our wake-up call never came and we ended up half an hour behind schedule.

We arrived at 7:30 to DCA. They were already letting people in. We went straight to the fp line and had our fps in about an hour. A cm told us later that they ran out of fps that day at 9:45.

 

[Butterfly123]

We were there July 17-20, with no EE. We arrived at the gates of DCA aroung 7:15. They started letting non-EE people in at 7:30 to line up for FP's for RSR. I waited for the FP's, while my family wandered around Buena Vista Street. The line for the FP's started moving at 8:00, and by 8:20 to 8:25 I had our FP's with a return time of noon-ish. If you are doing FP's for your group remember that everyones ticket needs to have been activated by them entering the park that day. When we used our FP's on the ride it took about 10-12 minutes to get on the ride. We used our FP's in the alotted time, as we were nervous that ride may go down, and we wanted to use them as early as possible. We did this twice (Wed and Thurs), and it worked out well. It is much easier to wait in a line in the early, cool part of the day. The ride is a blast, and was worth the trouble of getting the FP's. We didn't want to use the single rider line, as we wanted to go together as a family. The regular stand by line ws always 2 hours, and the single rider was usually about 1 hour, so waiting for the FP's seemed not so bad.

 

[DarthMole]

We were there July 17-20, with no EE. We arrived at the gates of DCA aroung 7:15. They started letting non-EE people in at 7:30 to line up for FP's for RSR. I waited for the FP's, while my family wandered around Buena Vista Street. The line for the FP's started moving at 8:00, and by 8:20 to 8:25 I had our FP's with a return time of noon-ish. If you are doing FP's for your group remember that everyones ticket needs to have been activated by them entering the park that day. When we used our FP's on the ride it took about 10-12 minutes to get on the ride. We used our FP's in the alotted time, as we were nervous that ride may go down, and we wanted to use them as early as possible. We did this twice (Wed and Thurs), and it worked out well. It is much easier to wait in a line in the early, cool part of the day. The ride is a blast, and was worth the trouble of getting the FP's. We didn't want to use the single rider line, as we wanted to go together as a family. The regular stand by line ws always 2 hours, and the single rider was usually about 1 hour, so waiting for the FP's seemed not so bad.

This is exactly our experience on the 18th as well. I couldn't have asked for a smoother experience. FP is the way to go if you want to ride as a group.

People considering FP vs. just waiting Standby need to realize time waiting for a FP before rope drop is not the same as waiting in Standby while you could be doing other things. Prior to rope drop, time is cheap. Once 8am arrives, every second counts.