Have you ever been the first to arrive at a park?

[GreatLakes]

Back in 2008 they held a Kidney Association 5K at Epcot. It was before all the running events on property where RunDisney events. I was down there with friends for something off property but wanted to do the race and I had written down the wrong time. I was there before any other runners. They hadn't even began setting up the race stuff yet. It was me and one or two of the volunteers who also had the wrong time.

 

[MrPTato]

Went to do a tour was there about 20 mins before I need to be. It was me and the lawn people cleaning that Mickey face ledge in front of MK.

 

[ksinniger]

Like others we weren't first, but were first at our tapstyle last August at DHS. Had nice talks with the CMs as we ate our breakfasts. They brought over all those Olaf fans before opening so we wouldn't have to stop after scanning our MBs.

 

[DisneyFive]

Great pics!!!

Thanks!!! Was a cool experience that I'm glad I got to do once. Problem was getting up so dang early, while on vacation, to do it!

Dan

 

[roxymama]

I know this doesn't exactly count, but we received dream parking during the "year of a million dreams" promotion or whatever it was called. We had the very front parking spot. So we at least looked like we were first

 

[MakiraMarlena]

outside of things like special tours, no at WDW but yes at Disneyland.

 

[jiminykrikkit]

Yup. We seriously overestimated the amount of time we'd need to get to MK for an early morning tour. We even beat the security guards at bag check. They saw us lingering, threw away their coffee, and opened a line for us. Told them they didn't have to get rid of the coffee, but they did anyway. (felt bad about that) One of them went to find a towel to dry off a bench for us since everything was pretty damp. It was kind of awesome. Heard the morning sound check of the sound system. Finally saw the cool art on the ground outside the gates. Awesome sunrise. Amazing. That was 2013 and we still talk about it at least once a week.

This made me smile! What a great memory.

 

[Dr Gevil]

Yes, about 5 years ago on a Mother Daughter trip my Mom and I somehow ended up at DHS at 7:30am for a 9:00am opening. It was just us there. First ones at the turnstyles.

Yep - did the same thing at DHS. Walked from BCV to DHS to get in line for Jedi Signups for what I thought was an 8am EMH day. Got there at 7am and no one was there. Walked up to MB scanners - gates are down and the security guard gives me a "what the hell are you doing here look". Tells me DHS does open until 9am. Called family and told them to go ahead have some breakfast first (bring me a doggy bag) and meet me line at the very front, far left.

Well, I at least I knocked off a bucket list item of being first in line, first in a park at WDW.

 

[cgattis]

Yes, about 5 years ago on a Mother Daughter trip my Mom and I somehow ended up at DHS at 7:30am for a 9:00am opening. It was just us there. First ones at the turnstyles.

Heh heh....we did this at Blizzard Beach once! Disney website changed the opening time after I'd printed the page and I never checked again....ha. And DD still didn't get picked to open Summit Plummet. One of these days I intend to get to MK that early

 

[garris3404]

We were the first family at arrive at DHS back in 2006. We were rewarded by being chosen as the family to open the park.

 

[juliekzp]

I was the third at Epcot in March 2014 - the early days of Anna and Elsa, when I ran (and lost all dignity) all the way to Norway.

 

[ErinCat]

My children were chosen to open Animal Kingdom and we were also taken on a special first Safari. We were Disneybounding as African Safari explorers.

 

[danny1649]

Interesting stories, fun thread and easy to moderate.

 

[Dr Gevil]

I was the third at Epcot in March 2014 - the early days of Anna and Elsa, when I ran (and lost all dignity) all the way to Norway.

You're not doing it right if you don't! Mad respect for making that sprint and surviving!

 

[DisneyGal24]

Yes! We were first in line at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios in June 2013. My kids kept getting up extremely early. We were afraid they'd wake up our whole building at OKW so we left for the parks. We were the only ones on the bus!

 

[Brave teacher]

We have had a few.

We go to the waterparks every summer trip. We are normally the first at the tapstyles. Someone in our party has been chosen on 3 separate occasions to be the first on Summit Plummet that day.

We were chosen as the first family at AK during our May 2009 trip and got the private safari That was pretty awesome.

I wanted so very desperately a couple of years ago to try to be the first family at MK. We got to the park shortly after 7. We were the only ones there for quite a while since it was a 9 AM opening. I was there for the alarm check. I was talking to the right CM the whole time. A second family showed up and explained how sad they were that this was their last day, and she asked them instead.

 

[juliekzp]

You're not doing it right if you don't! Mad respect for making that sprint and surviving!

Lol, I had done a very fast walk before (to Rapunzel at MK) and was planning to do the same. But when I saw all the dads start running, I sure as heck wasn't going to let them beat me there!! Of course, then we were still in line behind the Akershus breakfast crowd .

 

[Sarah Brozdonis]

Yes! In January/February of this year my friends and I went for a week.....we were first, if not among the first in line and every day for the first 4 days (once per park)! We mostly chatted with the other people near us and cast members. We weren't chosen to open a park or anything, but it kind of built up the anticipation and made us want to do our favorite things even more.