Has the Skyliner affected rope drop crowd at International Gateway?

[texasgingerbread]

Hi, I tried searching for the answer to this but didn't find anything. Has having the skyliner open affected rope drop crowds at the International Gateway entrance? How fast is security? Would you still say everyone is getting places about the same time as the front entrance? Thanks.

 

[mickey520]

They made the entrance at International Gateway much bigger in preparation for this. I saw a Touring Plans video (I'm pretty sure it was post-skyliner) not too long ago comparing rope drop from both entrances and how long it takes to get to FEA and it was exactly the same walk time from both gates. We're staying at YC late-January, so I'll follow along for any more current feedback on this!

 

[Isabelle12345]

Following also! Has anyone had recent experience with this?

 

[KimBean]

Same to FEA but it wouldn’t be same to Soarin right?

 

[yorkieteacher]

Also interested in this, especially for our June trip when Ratatouille should be open. I'm debating on whether or not a PPO Garden Grill breakfast would get us to Ratatouille before those entering International gateway at opening. We are staying at Boardwalk Inn so International Gateway is convenient for us. I would think both Soarin' and Test Track would be closer to the Main Entrance, but I hope someone will test the walk times for these.

 

[buzzgirls&dad]

We used the IG in late Oct. as we stayed at the BCV. The lines were pretty much the same as they were before as there were more security tables and metal detectors. It did seem a little congested as there were still construction walls up. The hold area by the bridge was the same but the line stretched back to the shop which I hadn't seen before. Also, this was only about a week to 10 days after the reopening of the skyliners after the accident. YMMV with the holiday crowds.

 

[gharter]

We were also there the end of October staying at Boardwalk. It was a little more crowded coming in, but not as big of a difference as I expected.
I noticed a much larger crowd leaving the park at the end of the night. Once you passed the Skyliner, the crowd was back to normal.

 

[CastAStone]

Also interested in this, especially for our June trip when Ratatouille should be open. I'm debating on whether or not a PPO Garden Grill breakfast would get us to Ratatouille before those entering International gateway at opening. We are staying at Boardwalk Inn so International Gateway is convenient for us. I would think both Soarin' and Test Track would be closer to the Main Entrance, but I hope someone will test the walk times for these.

There's some youtube videos. It comes down in part to when they open the entrances. 1 minute difference in letting people in is the difference between IG making it to Soarin at the same time and IG being at the end of the line.

Test Track is barely different in Touring Plans video.

 

[Bushando64]

My wife and I stayed at AoA literally the day after the Skyliner opened to the public, and we rode it over to the IG just a couple of days later.

I had never used IG before, but when we went during the first week of October it was a pretty smooth process; theoretically speaking it seems to me strictly because it's arguably a more "exclusive" gate it should be a bit easier to navigate in general as opposed to the main one?

Obviously YMMV depending on the time of year like others have said, but that's my account of it.

 

[PSUGuy]

We were at BW late Oct to Nov 6 and I thought our IG entrances were quicker and smoother. As before, be sure to race any arriving Friendship boats there as their arrival was and is the greatest cause of delays.

Bill From PA

 

[lovin'fl]

We were there in Oct and I found the lines to be longer than before. They did add more security but not much more. Still way less than front gate. But it moved at a decent pace. Leaving after fireworks, though, was a cluster flippin mess. They still had part of the gate area walled off for renovation and they cattle called us through a tiny shoot at park closing. WAs a madhouse. I hope they have the entire gate done and open by now. But it's still not much bigger than it was before. Like just 1 more line to get in than previously. I don't see how folks keep saying it's 'way' bigger. Seriously, there are 8 tapstiles (Mickey things we tap bands to). I think they may have had that before. And in this photo they even have some covered.

 

[Tess]

Here is my post from October and our experience at rope drop:

"While I don't have a picture of the crowd, we rope dropped EPCOT from IG on 10/14/19. We arrived at 8:15 a.m. and were first in line at the passholder tapstile. Around 8:30 or so, we tapped in and were directed to the top of the bridge (right side of the walkway) and first to arrive. After about 10 mins or so there, we were moved to the front of Rose & Crown (all were instructed to stay on the right side of the walkway) and we remained at the front of the pack. The crowd behind us went over the bridge area and back the walkway to the tapstile area. Fortunately, the back gate crew was given the green light at 8:55 a.m. or so, but as you could imagine, the front gate crowd was already bombarding Soarin' and TT. We ran for Soarin' and had a FP for TT. Our Soarin' wait was still minimal because we speed walked that park! ​

The Skyliner was running that morning and it was Columbus Day, but we have been going at the same time of year since 2010--never seen the IG that crowded. YMMV "​

​

We were dashing to Soarin' that day and arrived to a minimal wait (until it went down), but we were certainly hitting mid-pack from the front at that point. Prior experiences getting to Test Track found us reaching it and meeting a 20-25 minute wait by the time we arrived and merged with the hoards from the front. This has been our experience with Test Track each time we haven't FP'd it. We have never made the trek to FEA, but I think that would be advantage back gate.

We are not pokey moving to our destination--very fast walking without running although many were running despite the admonitions to walk. Disney needs to go back to the time when the IG was given a 5 min or so head start to get to the front. Since the front is now held at the base of SSE, they are clearly closer than the IG.

 

[kylenne]

I rope dropped via IG last month during Veterans Day weekend, so after the renovations completed and a super busy time (holiday weekend, Food & Wine), and it is definitely more crowded than it was before the Skyliner. I can't tell you how bag check was since I was bagless but there were a lot more tables than there used to be and way more tapstyles. I don't feel like it had an appreciable difference in terms of timing, but again like PP said trying to get to Soarin from there comes down to when the CM lets IG guests in.

Leaving after fireworks is an exercise in misery though, much more so than pre-Skyliner. I will say I was super happy to be staying at Beach Club because the Skyliner was down that Saturday night, Skyliner resort guests were being instructed to take buses to their resorts from BWI. People were getting real saucy with the CMs (liquor probably fueled some of it), I actually walked a family over to the bridge because they looked stressed out and confused and didn't know how to walk to BWI. That was awful and everything I was afraid of with the massive increase in guests.

 

[JohnnyB2]

We also were @ the Boardwalk in Oct,and although we didn't do a rope drop we normally go to Epcot in the evening. The time to enter @ the IG was usually longer, but coming back through after the fireworks was a nightmare. We started delaying our walk back to the Boardwalk a little longer each time. During the week nights we used to get back in time to see a Busker still preforming but not this trip. Hopefully by next Oct things are running more smoothly like the previous 15+years!

 

[KerryCM]

I am here now and I have found the lines for security to be longer than before the skyliners. I have been staying at the Epcot resort area for at least the past 15 years now. Yes, they have more check points and a no bag line, but it is still long if there are only 4-6 security guards working and only so many tap areas open. We went in at different times during the day, stayed at the Boardwalk, and always waited longer than before. Right now you have to go through through security to get to guest services too, but they have an area on the walkway to the Epcot resorts that hasn’t opened yet.

 

[texasgingerbread]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate your input.

 

[lovin'fl]

I am here now and I have found the lines for security to be longer than before the skyliners. I have been staying at the Epcot resort area for at least the past 15 years now. Yes, they have more check points and a no bag line, but it is still long if there are only 4-6 security guards working and only so many tap areas open. We went in at different times during the day, stayed at the Boardwalk, and always waited longer than before. Right now you have to go through through security to get to guest services too, but they have an area on the walkway to the Epcot resorts that hasn’t opened yet.

That guest services, out by boat and resorts, was open in early October when we were there. Odd it's not open now.

 

[shleaz]

I rope dropped Epcot from the IG last Friday 12/6. It was a breeze! We came from Hollywood Studios via the Skyliner (we went there first to grab a boarding group for ROTR), no wait at bag check at 8:30, tapped right in after that. We were held over in the Canada pavilion, everyone formed an orderly line, and when 9am rolled around we calmly walked over to Soarin'. Felt very leisurely compared to our RD experience at the main entrance a few days prior.

 

[rpb718]

No one has mentioned this, but it's hard to speculate now how the Riviera resort will effect the IG rope drop at this point since it isn't open yet. I have to assume that will also increase the traffic to the IG for RD.

 

[KerryCM]

That guest services, out by boat and resorts, was open in early October when we were there. Odd it's not open now.

There were those trees they have in the wooden containers around it. I didn’t know it was open before. Sure would be nice to have it open when we come in March for my son to activate his Military Salute tickets. He likes to do it the night before they enter the park.