Entering MK and other parks at rope drop. What time is it really?

[jasper]

If MK opens officially at 9 am, can you walk up Main Street to the hub/castle for rope drop, or is rope drop at the main entrance? Is anything open on Main Street before 9? Do they ever drop the rope to the "lands" before 9?

Same question for the other parks, are there areas you can walk to in the park before official opening and do they ever drop rope before official time?

Thanks

 

[jpeltier]

bump!

 

[ccgegg]

I've been to MK prior to opening and don't recall seeing an actual rope. I'm assuming that's just an expression. MK opened at 8am that day though, so maybe that has an impact. Anyway, you could not enter the park at all until it opened that day. But you could do the security check ahead of time.

 

[Goofy4]

From experience I can say that there is a rope drop at the castle (you'll need to have breakfast PS at the Castle to get there).

Many people have mentioned a rope-drop on main street. Perhaps you have to arrive very early for that?

I recall Birnbaum's guide mentioning that they periodically "stage" the early crowds at the entrances to the different lands. Perhaps it depends on the anticipated crowd level.

 

[Aidensmom]

They have the rope drop at regular hours even if there is EMH.

A few weeks ago DS3 and I tried to get there for rope drop. MK opened officially at 9, but had EMH at 8. We got to the TTC at 7:45 and were the first ones there besides the EMH'ers. It was unusually cold that morning (well, it was in the 50's, but for us Floridians that is the dead of winter) and the CM recommended we walk over to the Poly for a cup of coffee and come back, as they could not let us on the monorail till 8:30. Since DS said he was cold (and was begging for a donut), and I never can pass up a cup of coffee (though I should have, tasted like it was brewed 3 days earlier), I followed the CM's advice. I came back 30 minutes later to have hundreds of people in line ahead of me and didn't make it on the first monorail, and missed the rope drop. I know they had one, because one of the families in my line was chosen to be the openers, whatever you call that, and they were taken ahead of everyone else.

If you want to be there at rope drop, get there EARLY, and DO NOT go for that cup of coffee!

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

A few years ago we got to MK very early, (probably 8:00 on a Non-EMH day - opening at 9) and ran directly to the castle. There WAS an actual rope, and we were some of the first people in when the rope dropped. The kids still talk about that as being such a "cool" thing.

 

[SqueakyMouse]

This really depends on the time of year and the size of the crowds. Last fall when dh and I visited, no one was admitted to the park until opening time -- both on the EE and regular entry days we visited. Every time I've visited during the summer, we were admitted at least a half hour early (There didn't seem to be one set time.) to go and wait near the hub for rope drop. I say: ask at your resort each day. Hopefully the resort CMs will know what happening at MK.

 

[bbowers]

I have made it to 2 rope drops at MGM. It was EXACTLY at opening time and was at the spot right before you can cut right to RNRC/TOT. I got there about 15-20 min before rope drop and was able to get near the rope - I was right AT it one time.

But, this was while I was traveling by myself and could get up/in early and weasel about...