Yes, the lines will be long by 8:45. In late November (not a busy week), we got to the gates at 8:05 for 8:00a.m. EMH. By the time we got back to 7DMT, it was already a 45 minutes wait... If you want a short wait, I would recommend getting to the gates by 7:45 so that you are back at the castle, ready to go, by 8:00am.