DHS goes dropless

[LaurenT]

Didn't see a thread just about this, so thought I'd share.
DHS has gone the way of Epcot and eliminated the rope drop....
No more running of the bulls to TSM!
Be at the turnstiles well in advance of open (by 8:10 in case of an 8:30 open, which they've been doing unannounced) and you'll be one of the first in the park, on the ride and holding a FP!

 

[Huff]

Didn't see a thread just about this, so thought I'd share.
DHS has gone the way of Epcot and eliminated the rope drop....
No more running of the bulls to TSM!
Be at the turnstiles well in advance of open (by 8:10 in case of an 8:30 open, which they've been doing unannounced) and you'll be one of the first in the park, on the ride and holding a FP!

Disney's calendar shows next week DS opens at 9am each morning on non EMH days. Are you saying they actually open at 8:30am and have rides open at that time?

 

[LaurenT]

Disney's calendar shows next week DS opens at 9am each morning on non EMH days. Are you saying they actually open at 8:30am and have rides open at that time?

I can't say they will, of course, but that is what they have been doing these past days....

 

[vwaller72]

Is this permanent or just temporary?

 

[LaurenT]

Is this permanent or just temporary?

I'm gonna go with permanent. Epcot was permanent.
Unless they go back to rope drop...then it will have been temporary.

 

[Dizneefamily+4]

I'm gonna go with permanent. Epcot was permanent.
Unless they go back to rope drop...then it will have been temporary.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Robo]

Is this permanent or just temporary?

I'm gonna go with permanent. Epcot was permanent.
Unless they go back to rope drop...then it will have been temporary.

Well, having the Rope Drop USED to be "permanent."
Now, it's not.

So, there's no telling if this new situation will be as "permanent" as the Rope Drop was.

 

[kate14]

I saw this on another site yesterday... wondering whether the unannounced early opening (8:30 in the case of a 9am open) would hold true with early EMH? We're planning our first day in Feb to be an early EMH DHS day... just want to know how early I'm going to need to haul my jet-lagged self out of bed.

 

[mlittig]

I'm gonna go with permanent. Epcot was permanent.
Unless they go back to rope drop...then it will have been temporary.

 

[g-dad66]

We arrived at both DHS and Epcot last week about 8:40 (for 9:00 "official" opening), and in both cases, the turnstiles were open, and there was no rope.

Nice uncongested walk to our first attraction at each park.

Hope it stays this way.

Magic Kingdom opening was the same as usual, and we were running late on our AK day so didn't arrive at turnstiles until 9:00, so not sure if there was still a rope drop there or not but didn't see any sign of one at AK.

 

[LaurenT]

I saw this on another site yesterday... wondering whether the unannounced early opening (8:30 in the case of a 9am open) would hold true with early EMH? We're planning our first day in Feb to be an early EMH DHS day... just want to know how early I'm going to need to haul my jet-lagged self out of bed.

I think you should arrive at 7:15, and then let us know! Worst case scenario, you wait 45 minutes to get in, but you'll most likely be the first one in the park...best case, you're riding TSM at 7:35 am!

 

[g-dad66]

Are you saying they actually open at 8:30am and have rides open at that time?

Yes, Star Tours, Rock n Roller Coaster, and Toy Story Mania were all running by 8:50 when we got to them (we did a 3-way split...). Probably they were running at 8:30, but can't say from first-hand experience.

 

[Robo]

I saw this on another site yesterday...

1- wondering whether the unannounced early opening (8:30 in the case of a 9am open) would hold true with early EMH? We're planning our first day in Feb to be an early EMH DHS day...

2- just want to know how early I'm going to need to haul my jet-lagged self out of bed.

1- Nobody knows. We don't even know if the new "half-hour early" will hold true, even for regular hours, for very long.

2- I'd be prepared for that to happen.

The thing that trumps all other "plans" is to arrive early.
When something is important to you,
getting to a park or event "far too early" will always be better than arriving "just a tiny bit too late."

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

It's a great idea.

Someone was going to trip and really get hurt plus just the stress of the whole crowd teaming with nervous energy before the drop. Not a great situation IMO and a soft staggered opening alleviates all that.

 

[NYDisneyKid]

Why no AK or MK non-rope drops?

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Why no AK or MK non-rope drops?

AK did away w/ the RD procedure back in Dec.

I think MK is holding onto thiers b/c of the welcome show, it is something that is pretty elaborate (compared to the others) and gets positive guest reviews. MK also has enough park and major attractions to thin out the heard once the running of the strollers starts down Main Street in the morning, so it isn't as compacted and the other parks were when there were only 2-3 main attractions everyone was headed for.

 

[kathleendsm]

I keep misreading the title and thinking "Who's going topless??"

So how does this work? Do people get held outside the turnstiles, and eventually they just open them up sometime before the official park opening?

 

[LaurenT]

I keep misreading the title and thinking "Who's going topless??"

So how does this work? Do people get held outside the turnstiles, and eventually they just open them up sometime before the official park opening?

People wait at the turnstiles and are let in when the park is actually open...so there is no regrouping at a rope inside the park. Whether or not they start before the officially posted opening time on a regular basis waits to be seen.

They have been opening Epcot about 15 or 20 minutes ahead of schedule, and so far DHS has been opening 30 minutes ahead of schedule...but there is no guarantee that will continue. If it's still happening a day before you leave for vacation, your chances will be very good....

If it is happening the day before you leave for vacation and then, when you get there you have to wait till 9 am...then you have really bad luck!

 

[magpomom]

I'm trying to figure out how this might impact my 8 a.m. ADR at Hollywood & Vine. Should I be able to leave breakfast before 9, grab some fast passes for TSMM and then head back to H&V to finish breakfast? Or is that a little over the top? I'd love to be able to take advantage of this new procedure and earlier opening at DHS, and it would be nice to have fast passes in hand and then ride standby after we're done with breakfast!

 

[LaurenT]

I'm trying to figure out how this might impact my 8 a.m. ADR at Hollywood & Vine. Should I be able to leave breakfast before 9, grab some fast passes for TSMM and then head back to H&V to finish breakfast? Or is that a little over the top? I'd love to be able to take advantage of this new procedure and earlier opening at DHS, and it would be nice to have fast passes in hand and then ride standby after we're done with breakfast!

That's what I'd do!
At 8:30 I'd leave hubby to deal with June and Leo while I go get some FPs for TSM. Then I'd go back and relax, finish my coffee - have some more bacon....