DL Park Opening-Does everyone had to Peter Pan first?

[jenhelgren]

I am trying to decide how to plan out our first full morning for DL. It will be a Wednesday and not EMH so I am hoping to be able to get a lot in! Do most of the crowds head straight for Peter Pan at park opening? I am wondering if we would be better off stopping at Matterhorn or another ride and then Peter Pan second to avoid the "herds". This is our first trip so I am not quite sure what to expect in the mornings! We will be staying at PPH and the park opens at 8 am. What is the latest we should plan on leaving the room to arrive by park opening time?

 

[SMD]

People go in all directions.

 

[dancin'bec]

I'm wondering the same thing. It's the first ride I go to at WDW, and I have very little (or no) wait. I read wait times for PP at DL at opening were already rather long. Heading there end of Feb or beginning of March and trying to figure out my plan of attack as well.

 

[chickapin parterre]

the narrow passage makes it seem that everyone is headed to Peter Pan. Those who are in the know,like you are now, will head to Peter Pan first to accomplish that attraction under 20 mins. If not there at rope drop, then 40 min wait is breathing down your neck. If it is a 8:00 gate opening as opposed to rope drop, then no problem. Don't let the PP stroller bottleneck or the long line scare you, in all my first trips to Peter Pan, the chains are never open and we bunch up fast. From what I have read, Peter Pan is in "warm-up" mode right up to rope drop, which is why a CM is positioned to give direction. But it has never been closed in all my first attraction morning visits.

Wednesday mornings are the lightest, so Peter Pan will not take long, but still at 40 mins by half hour of opening. Wednesday morning will be great for any goals you set, other than waiting later to ride Peter Pan.

You should be at the gate by 7:20. Since it is your first trip, ride Peter Pan, then head west to the ROA area. Avoid the east side of the park. On Thursday you can accomplish Fantasy land and matterhorn and be in position for fastpass at 9:00 for tomorrowland and then ride east side all that you missed on Wednesday

 

[figment_jii]

The crowds head to a variety of attractions throughout the park at opening. That being said, Peter Pan is one of the most popular destinations, so the line will very quickly grow when the park opens. Unfortunately, Peter Pan is one of the most popular attractions in DL and a slow loader, so the line tends to remain long throughout the day. So unless you're one of the first guests to arrive at Peter Pan in the morning (which means you were in the very front of the crowds waiting at the end of Main Street to be let into the park at opening), you're looking at a 30 to 60 minute wait regardless of when you go to Peter Pan.

 

[chickapin parterre]

very front can be defined as about 10 people deep waiting on Main street. You don't have to see the rope, so don't panic. Main street is so narrow that all it can do is bunch up, whereas on MM, a long rope is spread across the hub and many more folks can touch the rope. The beauty of Main street rope drop is that it is a long ways to RUN, so folks tire and are settled down. Whereas on castle hub rope drop, folks pretty much run to their attraction. I UPS shuffle as I know how PP functions first thing so no need to run with everyone else. Many folks head thru the castle are doing other traditional FIRST ATTRACTIONS, so it is a mixture. And folks who have no idea what to do, always head left to the very empty Snow white and her wooden neighbor.

 

[PanIsMine]

What about going to PeterPan ride when the park is closing at midnight?

 

[mikana876]

I haven't had any luck heading to Peter Pan first thing in the morning. I always end up with at least a 20-30 minute wait. Even when I walk fast. I'd rather spend that 20-30 minutes riding 4 other walk-on rides, personally.

 

[chickapin parterre]

unfortunately not a novel idea, the wait is still the same late into the night....though I have never been there at midnight.....when I leave Cassey jr at 10:30, the PP line is still at 40mins. And I guess the question, if there at park opening, is PP magical at midnight??? an Unfounded folklore ( that is no photograph) was that an elderly couple always were the last to close on PP

 

[chickapin parterre]

By 20 mins, is that defined from entering chains to exiting PP???

 

[taniahappy]

It is VERY popular, 20 minutes if you are one of the first to get there....

 

[SMD]

If the line for Peter Pan was only 20 minutes I'd ride it every time I'm there. I always plan for 40 minutes and it I see anything shorter I jump on it.

 

[chickapin parterre]

The problem with waiting for Peter Pan is that it is the worse waiting que for an attraction. Chains and chains of people, the later in the day, the more zombie those folks become with their trapeze children. I think that the toy story waiting chains were modeled to not repeat what is currently happening at peter Pan. At dumbo, alice, but not toad so much, you can watch the attraction, view another horizon, guess how light bulbs are not working in the Alice flowers, so folks are willing to invest more time in waiting.

 

[riostoker]

We went straight to PP at rope drop last week on a Wednesday. We weren't too far back from the rope at rope drop (maybe 6 people back?). We walked very quickly, but by the time we got there, the line was already through the Castle entrance and said it was a 40 minute wait. We gave up and rode a whole bunch of other rides in Fantasy land with absolutely no wait. I just hated to kill that much of my precious no-wait morning time actually standing in a line. If you have to ride PP though, that is the best time to do it.

 

[figment_jii]

What about going to PeterPan ride when the park is closing at midnight?

I haven't really noticed much of a drop in the line even at park closing. Peter Pan is just one of those rides that is very popular and a slow loader, so you're probably looking at a fairly good length wait whenever you go.

 

[chickapin parterre]

We went straight to PP at rope drop last week on a Wednesday. We weren't too far back from the rope at rope drop (maybe 6 people back?). We walked very quickly, but by the time we got there, the line was already through the Castle entrance and said it was a 40 minute wait. We gave up and rode a whole bunch of other rides in Fantasy land with absolutely no wait. I just hated to kill that much of my precious no-wait morning time actually standing in a line. If you have to ride PP though, that is the best time to do it.

Thank you. interesting information. I wonder if the attraction was open upon your arrival. I have experienced that Main Street opening is the best rope drop to slow folks down and castle hub is more of crushing rush with even more folks spread out along the very long rope. But again, that was a T day, so maybe not as many folks inclined to ride. I also wonder if there is now even a stronger concept of running. I have seen sprinting, jogging, UPS shuffle (me) , very quickly walking, quick walking and nah!!! I am going to do snow white.!!! So one suggestion would be to drop family in line and have one person scout out if folks are standing in the chains or moving in the chains. The chains are the key. When I arrive, the chains have just opened and are mazing our way into the loading dock. So, yes the line can back up to the sign that never changes, but does not necessarily mean that the wait is that long first loading in the morning.

The concept to remember about Wednesday mornings, that yes it is empty and very easy to accomplish many attractions. My average Wednesday follows as Peter Pan, Alice, Toad, Snow white three times in same vehicle, Puppet two times, all before 9:00. 9;00 is my deadline to head over to empty ROA and implement fastpass plan. So investment of 30 mins to Pan, will still have you on Alice and toad under an hour. Then off to the opening canal section and then on to your day. I only ride dumbo on cloudy sunsets. at 60 years of age dumbo is a tight circle, so I have to have other reasons to become vertigo, and the peter pan weather vane in the sunset is glorious

 

[Winnowill]

We went straight to PP at rope drop last week on a Wednesday. We weren't too far back from the rope at rope drop (maybe 6 people back?). We walked very quickly, but by the time we got there, the line was already through the Castle entrance and said it was a 40 minute wait. We gave up and rode a whole bunch of other rides in Fantasy land with absolutely no wait. I just hated to kill that much of my precious no-wait morning time actually standing in a line. If you have to ride PP though, that is the best time to do it.

My experience is that it is posted 40 minutes at park opening. When we were there in August, we were the first ones there one day, and it was posted 40 minutes. If the indoor queue isn't full, it is definitely NOT a 40-minute wait.

 

[chickapin parterre]

thank you, I have never paid attention to the sign on my UPS shuffle, I am always committed to ride PP first so I have blinders for my vision. however, at 7;20, when I am exiting the ride, the chains are in full function and the line has extended past the sign and to the castle

 

[Mrs.Hades]

Last time we visited DL (3yrs ago) PP always had a ridiculous wait time so we never got around to checking it out. Is it worth all the fuss? Hmmm, I'm going to check out YouTube!

 

[TwoLittlePrincesses]

Is PP at Disneyland the same as at Magic Kingdom?