early entry/ RD frontierland strategy

[mgc]

Hi All- This will be our first trip back with the new early entry/ genie system. Trying to figure out if this is realistic and what the best strategy is for our MK day.
I think the earliest we will get to the park is 8 (we are driving from 2 hours away, so anything earlier is unlikely).
The day we are going, Feb 22, is crowd level 9 per TP.
Do you think we could get space mountain and 1 other ride (either Buzz or Speedway) done and get over to Frontierland in time to rope drop BTM and Splash? We'd also like to do haunted Mansion but I am guessing it's better to RD BTM and Splash first?
Which is the best route to to get over to frontierland RD from tomorrowland? Any tips/ideas are welcome!

 

[gatorlisa]

Are you checking into a hotel later that day? Early entry is only for resort guests. That said, with early entry being only 30 minutes, you would be hard pressed to so Space and Buzz and manage to get with the rope drop crowd for Frontierland. You would need to be at the very front of the pack heading to Space Mountain to attempt to make that work. I would probably go back to the hub and across into Adventureland to head towards Splash and Thunder Mountain from Tomorrowland.

 

[mgc]

Thanks gatorlisa! Yes- we are staying at the Poly that night, so I think as long as we do online check-in prior to park arrival we should be able to get in for early entry, correct? Thanks for your input...I suspected that Space + another ride might be unrealistic but Touring Plans seems to think i can do it. Maybe we will wing it and just see what we can do in tomorrowland for 20 minutes and then plan to get to Frontierland RD at 8:50? Will we be able to see the Let the Magic begin show from there?

 

[gharter]

Agree that you need to be there at least 30 minutes before EE so you are at the front of the line heading into Tomorrowland so you can be in the first few cars of Space Mountain. Buzz should be a short wait after that.
Going across the Hub to Frontierland or going through Liberty Square and then taking path ride by the river should be your shortest route. But, by that time you will be fighting the main crowd, of which most will be heading to 7DMT or PP. Generally the main crowd is not headed to Frontier land at park opening.

 

[kmrobins03]

Are you planning to arrive the parking lot at 8am or arrive MK entrance at 8am? With a crowd level 9 (and arriving 30minutes prior to RD opening), I think it will be difficult to spend only 20 minutes for Space Mountain and Buzz. Keep in mind that there is quite a walk from SM entrance to the ride and then to the exit. Suggest Buzz over speedway. Buzz has a shorter ride time which will save you precious minutes and it is closer to the hub to get to Frontierland.

The line for BTM builds very quickly. I have rope dropped Frontierland after an early entry and it was nuts. Given the fact you are going in Feb, you should be able to go on Splash Mountain with limited wait. But I think BTM will be difficult to catch a short wait time.

Alternatively, you could consider purchasing ILL$ for space mountain and focus on Frontierland first.- just an idea.

 

[mgc]

Are you planning to arrive the parking lot at 8am or arrive MK entrance at 8am? With a crowd level 9 (and arriving 30minutes prior to RD opening), I think it will be difficult to spend only 20 minutes for Space Mountain and Buzz. Keep in mind that there is quite a walk from SM entrance to the ride and then to the exit. Suggest Buzz over speedway. Buzz has a shorter ride time which will save you precious minutes and it is closer to the hub to get to Frontierland.

The line for BTM builds very quickly. I have rope dropped Frontierland after an early entry and it was nuts. Given the fact you are going in Feb, you should be able to go on Splash Mountain with limited wait. But I think BTM will be difficult to catch a short wait time.

Alternatively, you could consider purchasing ILL$ for space mountain and focus on Frontierland first.- just an idea.

Thanks for the info...we are begrudgingly spending $ on ILL for 7DMT, so hope to not do it for space too...we'll figure it out. Question about walking from Tomorrowland to RD Frontierland...we are a group of 8 people, ranging in age from 5-75...How crazy will it be to cross the masses through the hub to get over to Frontierland without someone getting lost or trampled :/ Wondering now if it's too crazy for us to attempt!

 

[DisTXMom]

Would love to hear recent experience rope dropping Frontierland for guests that have EE. We plan to be in the park for EE but our priority will be getting to RD BTMRR and Splash.

 

[gharter]

Our last trip, we did something similar, except we walked through Fantasyland and were stopped at Columbia House until RD. The crowd there was not very large. We then were able to use the boardwalk around the lake and avoid the crowds on the street. If Fantasyland is super crowded, getting through there may not be any better than the hub except for a much smaller crowd at the rope.

 

[ninafeliz]

No. We were there last week well before 8:30 and it was a mess. Hotel guests funneled right in the hub, then you had to jostle with the crowd to get anywhere. We did PP, and we didn't get to the line until 8:40 after following the masses to PP mixed with those for SDMT, and the PP line was already 45 min long. It totally screwed up our entire day, I had planned Splash and BTMRR at 9:00 RD. The biggest crowds are for PP, SDMT, and space. 30 min is nothing. Maybe you could do a quick, short ride like Pooh, teacups, carrousel, etc, and still get in position to RD Frontierland, but that's about it IMO.

 

[mgc]

No. We were there last week well before 8:30 and it was a mess. Hotel guests funneled right in the hub, then you had to jostle with the crowd to get anywhere. We did PP, and we didn't get to the line until 8:40 after following the masses to PP mixed with those for SDMT, and the PP line was already 45 min long. It totally screwed up our entire day, I had planned Splash and BTMRR at 9:00 RD. The biggest crowds are for PP, SDMT, and space. 30 min is nothing. Maybe you could do a quick, short ride like Pooh, teacups, carrousel, etc, and still get in position to RD Frontierland, but that's about it IMO.

I agree with the above. We were there last week and the crowds were huge. We had LL for Splash but were hoping to rope drop Haunted mansion and BTM. We only managed Buzz for EE. When we got out of that, the Morning Magic Show had already started. We were able to make our way across the hub to get the where the rope is to walk towards Liberty Sq/ Frontier. Once that rope dropped we could see the hordes of EE people funneling in from Fantasy land, then it looked like they were being held at the entrance to Frontierland. We decided to do HM first and by the time we got over to BTM, the wait was 45 mins (and looked accurate based on the length of the line).

 

[HydroGuy]

No. We were there last week well before 8:30 and it was a mess. Hotel guests funneled right in the hub, then you had to jostle with the crowd to get anywhere. We did PP, and we didn't get to the line until 8:40 after following the masses to PP mixed with those for SDMT, and the PP line was already 45 min long. It totally screwed up our entire day, I had planned Splash and BTMRR at 9:00 RD. The biggest crowds are for PP, SDMT, and space. 30 min is nothing. Maybe you could do a quick, short ride like Pooh, teacups, carrousel, etc, and still get in position to RD Frontierland, but that's about it IMO.

I agree with the above. We were there last week and the crowds were huge. We had LL for Splash but were hoping to rope drop Haunted mansion and BTM. We only managed Buzz for EE. When we got out of that, the Morning Magic Show had already started. We were able to make our way across the hub to get the where the rope is to walk towards Liberty Sq/ Frontier. Once that rope dropped we could see the hordes of EE people funneling in from Fantasy land, then it looked like they were being held at the entrance to Frontierland. We decided to do HM first and by the time we got over to BTM, the wait was 45 mins (and looked accurate based on the length of the line).

Rather than hassle with the hub, if you are in Fantasyland I assume there is a rope to get into Liberty Square by the PP ride. Would that be an easier place to manuever prior to official RD?

 

[gharter]

Rather than hassle with the hub, if you are in Fantasyland I assume there is a rope to get into Libery Square by the PP ride. Would that be an easier place to manuever prior to official RD?

Thats the route we took last time and was much less crowded than the hub. You stop close to Columbia Harbour House.

 

[Delirium]

You should ask Genie+ what to do.

 

[gharter]

You should ask Genie+ what to do.

It says "ride the carousel"

 

[Delirium]

Frankly, I think it's bad form on Disney to offer 'early entry' but not have Adventureland and Frontierland open. Even when they offer a 'perk' to onsite guests, it's a K-Mart blue light special.

 

[Sabine W.]

No. We were there last week well before 8:30 and it was a mess. Hotel guests funneled right in the hub, then you had to jostle with the crowd to get anywhere. We did PP, and we didn't get to the line until 8:40 after following the masses to PP mixed with those for SDMT, and the PP line was already 45 min long. It totally screwed up our entire day, I had planned Splash and BTMRR at 9:00 RD. The biggest crowds are for PP, SDMT, and space. 30 min is nothing. Maybe you could do a quick, short ride like Pooh, teacups, carrousel, etc, and still get in position to RD Frontierland, but that's about it IMO.

We also want to RD BTMRR and have ETPE. Do you think it would be better to "forfeit" that half hour of ride time and instead use it to get in a better position for Frontierland?

 

[ninafeliz]

We also want to RD BTMRR and have ETPE. Do you think it would be better to "forfeit" that half hour of ride time and instead use it to get in a better position for Frontierland?

Either that or be at the front of the pack and ride a small short ride with next to no wait like buzz, Pooh, teacups, carrousel, etc and then do the true RD for Frontierland. they held people that were at EE just past the PP queue, around the rapunzel bathrooms and memento Mori. I’m not completely sure, but maybe ride one quick ride (or not) and then wait at that rope to hightail it over to BTMRR and then splash? Might be a little better than waiting at the ropes with the main crowd in main st to go through Adventureland?

 

[Sabine W.]

Either that or be at the front of the pack and ride a small short ride with next to no wait like buzz, Pooh, teacups, carrousel, etc and then do the true RD for Frontierland. they held people that were at EE just past the PP queue, around the rapunzel bathrooms and memento Mori. I’m not completely sure, but maybe ride one quick ride (or not) and then wait at that rope to hightail it over to BTMRR and then splash? Might be a little better than waiting at the ropes with the main crowd in main st to go through Adventureland?

Thank you--this is very helpful. I keep reading what a nightmare Fantasyland is these days at RD!

 

[JennCa]

What about this?
Space Mountain for early entry
Buzz early entry, then rush to Splash (what would the quickest way be?)
then straight to Splash which is a major hike and then Big Thunder (can't imagine people are headed to Splash first thing in the am)

What do you all think?

Jenn

 

[HydroGuy]

What about this?
Space Mountain for early entry
Buzz early entry, then rush to Splash (what would the quickest way be?)
then straight to Splash which is a major hike and then Big Thunder (can't imagine people are headed to Splash first thing in the am)

What do you all think?

Jenn

If you read the reports on trying this earlier in the week you will see it did not work well for these guests...

No. We were there last week well before 8:30 and it was a mess. Hotel guests funneled right in the hub, then you had to jostle with the crowd to get anywhere. We did PP, and we didn't get to the line until 8:40 after following the masses to PP mixed with those for SDMT, and the PP line was already 45 min long. It totally screwed up our entire day, I had planned Splash and BTMRR at 9:00 RD. The biggest crowds are for PP, SDMT, and space. 30 min is nothing. Maybe you could do a quick, short ride like Pooh, teacups, carrousel, etc, and still get in position to RD Frontierland, but that's about it IMO.

I agree with the above. We were there last week and the crowds were huge. We had LL for Splash but were hoping to rope drop Haunted mansion and BTM. We only managed Buzz for EE. When we got out of that, the Morning Magic Show had already started. We were able to make our way across the hub to get the where the rope is to walk towards Liberty Sq/ Frontier. Once that rope dropped we could see the hordes of EE people funneling in from Fantasy land, then it looked like they were being held at the entrance to Frontierland. We decided to do HM first and by the time we got over to BTM, the wait was 45 mins (and looked accurate based on the length of the line).