DHS rope drop this AM another end of an era.

[MAD on Disney]

Of all the things posted about on these boards, this is the one that has finally gotten me angry. All the other stuff I consider an inconvenience, but this has me so mad. I know TSMM is gonna be my kid's favorite ride in all 4 parks. He is obsessed. My plan was to ride it at RD, go meet Buzz and Woody (Who I assume are also gonna be a 45+ minute wait at RD now) and then ride TSMM again using FP+. Just when I found my loathing of Frozen fading, I'm back to wanting to punch that stupid snowman in his stupid snowman face again.

I know most people are thinking, and you probably are meaning, Olaf; but when I read this I thought to myself that perhaps "stupid snowman" is code for someone in Disney parks management.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

I know most people are thinking, and you probably are meaning, Olaf; but when I read this I thought to myself that perhaps "stupid snowman" is code for someone in Disney parks management.

LOL, lets go with that. The people who implemented FP+, designed NFL, haven't cast more A&Es and allowed DHS to be Frozen over shall all be referred to as "That stupid snowman" hence forth.

 

[Planogirl]

LOL, lets go with that. The people who implemented FP+, designed NFL, haven't cast more A&Es and allowed DHS to be Frozen over shall all be referred to as "That stupid snowman" hence forth.

I'm with you there. I'm dreading the day when World Showcase is ruined by that stupid snowman.

Wow, rope drop sounds difficult at DHS. I imagine that it's much the same at Epcot.

 

[MAD on Disney]

LOL, lets go with that. The people who implemented FP+, designed NFL, haven't cast more A&Es and allowed DHS to be Frozen over shall all be referred to as "That stupid snowman" hence forth.

Agreed! (Now how to get others to follow along? This isn't exactly one of the more active threads.)

 

[ariane37]

Agreed! (Now how to get others to follow along? This isn't exactly one of the more active threads.)

Oh I totally agree We've had our HS opening run down-pat for the last couple years now. First FP+ messed with it, and now we can't go where we want to as soon as the park opens??? I guess it won't increase our wait since nobody else can get there before us but it cuts into that short span of time before the lines DO get long. And I can't even pull another FP after I ride it the first time........

I'm not a big fan of Frozen either so that doesn't help. Plus this being our 1st summer trip, we're planning on going back to the resort mid-day so want to get as much done as we can in those first couple hours (just like everyone else, I know ). I just don't understand holding everyone for a show that not everyone may want to see.................

 

[snowweisz]

Does this touring plan still work? I am going on Monday 9/22. Crowd level 3 and HS is highly recommended.


1. Ride Toy Story Mania: 8:55am – 9:10am
2. Ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster: 9:20am – 9:35am
3. Ride Tower of Terror with FastPass+: 9:40am – 10:05am (FP for 9:05-10:05)
4. Ride Toy Story Mania with FastPass+: 10:20am – 10:40am (FP for 10:20-11:20)

Actually, Josh did those first 3 last month when he was writing about the new DHS rope drop
http://www.easywdw.com/uncategorize...-your-hollywood-studios-touring-plan-july-10/

What I gather from his post is that even tho it was a non recommended day for DHS and RnRC was down for some time, he still made it out before 10:30. Doesn't sound so bad for mid summer on a non rec day.

 

[lola789]

Thanks for the info! I moved ToT to my last FP.
Now it's TSMM 10:20-11:20
Star Tours 11:20-12:20
ToT 12:10-1:20

 

[garada3]

At opening SB lines are 60 minutes. We went right to TSMM and the SB line at opening crawled. Why? The FP+ line was a steady stream right from opening. And I mean STEADY! Even though we were some of the first people on it did not walk at a steady clip to the beginning of the ride as it had in the past even during peak crowds.

Thanks for the update on conditions at RD. This is what I am worried about for our Studios day on Friday.

May I ask what time you arrived to the gates and where in the RD crowd were you, at the rope, in sight of the rope, half way back?

Thank you and I hope you are having a great trip!

 

[Praying Colonel]

OP, thanks for the report. Unfortunately, this is what I was expecting when I heard they were doing a RD show again at DHS. Combine that with FP+ starting at 9 (and more attractive with Disney encouraging people to burn through FP+ early to get a 4th) and you have a recipe for longer SB waits earlier.

Just makes it easier for us not to renew our APs and go somewhere else for vacation next year. In the meantime, we're going to try the Sunset Boulevard side first in the morning and FP TSM later. I'm hoping SB waits for RnRC will be shorter at RD than TSM.

 

[DisneyKidds]

DHS rope drop definitely isn't what it has been the past few years. Is it dead, under the current configuration? No, but much less useful if you aren't at the front of the rope drop pack.

We were there yesterday. We didn't have an ideal morning checking out of our hotel, so we were about 30 minutes behind where I wanted to be. We were parked at 8:50, in the park at 9:02 just as the opening show was ending, and we were a minute or two behind the main mob in arriving at TSMM at 9:05. Posted wait as we walked by the ride entrance was 45 minutes, as we walked past to get on the end of the line near Wandering Oaken's. Posted time was 55 minutes as we entered the building. Arrived at 9:05, exited at 10:00. 55 minutes start to finish, including the ride time. Watching the FP+ side, people started filtering in more steadily around 9:30, but it wasn't constant. It pained me to wait on line for 45 minutes, but it was departure day and TSMM, RnR and ToT were the targets, and we had nothing else we needed to do before our 10:00 RnR FP.

The rope drop method definitely results in a mob of people having to be absorbed by the ride first thing. If you are waiting at the rope and are at the front front of the mob you will be in and out in 15 minutes. Middle of the mob make it 30 or so. Back of the mob 45+. So, you can still have a short line at rope drop, you just have to be there early enough to be at the front of the pack.

 

[lugnut33]

Ack.

A second DHS rope drop experience similar to the one described here:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3311091

This is bad, bad news for us rope droppers.

But thanks for letting us know.

Yeah, but you were an uber-user obviously and now you can just sleep in. What else would you rather be doing on vacation than sleeping in?

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

.

The rope drop method definitely results in a mob of people having to be absorbed by the ride first thing. If you are waiting at the rope and are at the front front of the mob you will be in and out in 15 minutes. Middle of the mob make it 30 or so. Back of the mob 45+. So, you can still have a short line at rope drop, you just have to be there early enough to be at the front of the pack.

Sadly this now makes an 8am H&V reservation a liability rather than an asset. Thinking I should cancel this ADR if I want to ride TSMM twice (Once at RD, once via FP)

Thanks for the report though, good to know what to expect.

 

[sorahl1]

Sadly this now makes an 8am H&V reservation a liability rather than an asset. Thinking I should cancel this ADR if I want to ride TSMM twice (Once at RD, once via FP)

Thanks for the report though, good to know what to expect.

haven't been yet (next week) but yeah I think that it is a liability. we are planning on skipping the 'frozen opening' and waiting at the 'rope' to head down to RnRC

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
9:10 AM - 10:10 AM
Toy Story Midway Mania!
10:10 AM - 11:10 AM
Star Tours® – The Adventures Continue
11:10 AM - 12:10 PM

Now I know that ToT I won't need a FP really but we will do RnRC atleast once... maybe twice, then get to ToT by 10:10, if SB is still short we'll do it again, then head to TSMM but not directly. As long as we get to TSMM before 11:10 that's fine. Might do animation or Little Mermaid, or TGMR. then do Star Tours by 12:10 with Muppets mixed in. goal is to leave RIGHT about 12:15, head back to YC and i'll go in to International Gateway to get some evening FP+'s as we are eating in EPCOT Centre that evening.

john

 

[ariane37]

haven't been yet (next week) but yeah I think that it is a liability. we are planning on skipping the 'frozen opening' and waiting at the 'rope' to head down to RnRC

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
9:10 AM - 10:10 AM
Toy Story Midway Mania!
10:10 AM - 11:10 AM
Star Tours® – The Adventures Continue
11:10 AM - 12:10 PM

Now I know that ToT I won't need a FP really but we will do RnRC atleast once... maybe twice, then get to ToT by 10:10, if SB is still short we'll do it again, then head to TSMM but not directly. As long as we get to TSMM before 11:10 that's fine. Might do animation or Little Mermaid, or TGMR. then do Star Tours by 12:10 with Muppets mixed in. goal is to leave RIGHT about 12:15, head back to YC and i'll go in to International Gateway to get some evening FP+'s as we are eating in EPCOT Centre that evening.

john

Yeah, guess that's what DS12 and I will be doing since we always hit RnRc first. Unfortunately DH & DS8 will hit TSMM first thing so they'll have to watch the show, which stinks Normally we split like that & do RnRc/TSMM like twice before using a FP (or FP+ in Feb. and in.....21 days-hopefully). USED to then grab a FP for all of us to do TSMM but of course those days are gone Just hoping we can still get 2 rides in before we use our 10:10 FP's and then get another FP for RnRc later on after we use our 3! My fear is that holding everyone back will not allow us those 2 pre-FP rides with little wait.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

Ok, please let me know what I need to do about our H&V res. We have one at 8:05 but are willing to "let it go" and pay the no show fee if that will help us be at the front of whatever line we need to be in! We aren't going til November, but I, too, feel they will continue this Frozen stuff past summer.

Please help me! TSMM is DH's favorite attraction and we want to ride it at least twice.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, Everyone!!

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

We're getting rid of our H&V ressies, Carrie. Total bummer because my kid loves Handy Manny and Doc and can't see them elsewhere, but gotta prioritize. Great system, Disney.

 

[chapie1968]

For the last few years we have gotten here an hour before opening. They open the turnstiles and you walk to TSMM in the order you got to the gate. When the ride first opened there was a show and a real rope drop then the running of the bulls. It was awful. Although we would be the absolute first family at the gate so many people would push past us, cutting in front walking through my family holding hands we stopped going altogether until RD became more orderly.

Unfortunately they moved backward. They put a show up on a stage under the hat and are doing a RD.

At opening SB lines are 60 minutes. We went right to TSMM and the SB line at opening crawled. Why? The FP+ line was a steady stream right from opening. And I mean STEADY! Even though we were some of the first people on it did not walk at a steady clip to the beginning of the ride as it had in the past even during peak crowds. I repeat that, we done this crowd level many times, and this is the first time from RD to the from of the line in 40 minutes.

We stopped at the top of the SB line while several dozen people in the FP+ line went past. This was at 9:30.

So between the new RD and FP+ it took us longer to get through TSMM then it ever has.

Welcome to the Trashpass+ era

 

[chapie1968]

I actually expect a Frozen Fall Fun followed by a Frozen Winter Fun. This is a money maker.

;-)

 

[Carrie in AZ]

We're getting rid of our H&V ressies, Carrie. Total bummer because my kid loves Handy Manny and Doc and can't see them elsewhere, but gotta prioritize. Great system, Disney.

I am sorry for your family. We are going solo without our tween kids, I only made a res because we absolutely love early morning park entrances. We eat super fast so that we can be where we need to be before the masses. In this situation, we'd be willing to not show up and pay the no show fee so that we can get in a line earlier in order to get to TSMM quickly.

 

[Jkpark]

Here is my plan for our DHS day. Late Sept. RD. Boys and one of their parents head to JTA. DH and I and our girls, plus young girl and one parent head to RnR. Hopefully ride 2x so friend can trade off and ride. Or hit ToT is RnR line grew too fast. Maybe our friends can meet us if JTA sign up is quick. We have a 10:30 H&V for 4yo girl who loves those characters. Then our FP+ start. TSMM 11:25-12:25, Star Tours 12:25-1:25, Tower of Terror 1:25-2:25. Hopefully catch a few shows and a Butterfinger cupcake and call it a day. No idea how it will work...with tiering we are trying rides SB, late breakfast and then use FP+. Wish us luck