Head to HM at rope drop on the last day?

[I459WDW]

As I feared, HM is closing the day we planned to start our park days. Ugh. BUT we will actually be in Anaheim on the last Sunday it's open, so we are thinking of going that day instead of the Monday we had planned. (5 day pass) I hear Sunday and Mondays are the busiest days, - with August 21st being the last day of HM before closing for overlay, should I head there at rope drop? What will the line look like that day? (what is that line like typically out of curiousity?)

 

[disneyxica20]

i don't remember the wait time being any longer than usual on the last day before it closes, so i wouldn't worry about it too much. i think the wait time is usually about 30 minutes, but you can always get a fastpass too. if it's going to be hot that day, then i'd probably get it out of the way in the morning (or wait until the evening) because there's not a whole lot of shade in the queue.

 

[Angrose]

Sunday rope drops are wonderful! The first few hours are blissfully quiet and you will be able to walk on to everything on that side of the park. Enjoy!

 

[WonkaKid]

I wouldn't hit it first thing. I usually go to DL every Sunday and don't visit the HM till around 9:20 and it's still a walk-on. However, I see that DL doesn't open until 9:00 on the 21st, so maybe hit PP, Alice and a few other FL rides and then the mansion. Up to you, of course. Merely my $.02.

Rob

 

[beachdreamr1229]

HM will likely not have much of a line until at least 10 in my experience. Maybe stop at Indiana Jones on your way over there, or walk over to Splash Mountain before it gets packed. You should still be able to get on HM no problem. It's much worse after the Nightmare overlay goes up.

 

[Epek]

If you go at opening, not even necessarily right at rope drop, and you just head that direction, you'll have the run of those lands for about 2 hrs. Sunday mornings are awesome! Really, any morning if you head towards Adventureland and New Orleans square at opening, you're pretty golden. For reference- I was there June 1st. We got in right after opening, headed to Starbucks, then got some beignets, and after sitting and eating, headed to HM. We were in the stretching room with less than 30 people! It was easily an hour after opening.

 

[IBLarsen]

I've been worried about our Sunday and Monday crowds for the 15/16th we will be there, so this week I watched the wait times posted on the Disneyland app for those days just to get an idea. The parks were listed as a 9/10 crowd and the mornings have still be great if looks. To my surprise HM, big thunder and pirates have not had more than 10 minute wait until afternoon.

 

[tarheelalum]

It won't get bad til later in the day.

 

[hawkfam]

This isn't about HM but we're going to DLR over the Avengers Half-Marathon weekend. Everyone above seems to be in agreement that Sunday mornings are quiet but could the same be said during a marathon weekend? We were actually planning to go off-site that day thinking that Sunday would be really busy with the marathon crowd. Does anyone have any experience with marathon crowds and whether those Sunday mornings are as quiet (our other trips have always been during the week so we haven't experienced weekend crowds yet). I assume Saturday on a marathon is bad no matter what time you go? Thanks!

 

[I459WDW]

Thanks so much everyone! I'm feeling much better about heading there Sunday morning now! And I'll make sure to keep up my tradition and head to PP first!!!

 

[Epek]

This isn't about HM but we're going to DLR over the Avengers Half-Marathon weekend. Everyone above seems to be in agreement that Sunday mornings are quiet but could the same be said during a marathon weekend? We were actually planning to go off-site that day thinking that Sunday would be really busy with the marathon crowd. Does anyone have any experience with marathon crowds and whether those Sunday mornings are as quiet (our other trips have always been during the week so we haven't experienced weekend crowds yet). I assume Saturday on a marathon is bad no matter what time you go? Thanks!

I've noticed that marathon Sunday mornings are busier getting in and walking around, but not busy at the rides. A lot of the marathoners seem to take pictures or go to breakfast and some are heading back to the hotels at park opening. The last marathon Sunday I attended had a huge line on the DTD side of the bag checks, and I thought it was going to be crazy, but once we got in, it wasn't bad at all.

 

[Angel Ariel]

This isn't about HM but we're going to DLR over the Avengers Half-Marathon weekend. Everyone above seems to be in agreement that Sunday mornings are quiet but could the same be said during a marathon weekend? We were actually planning to go off-site that day thinking that Sunday would be really busy with the marathon crowd. Does anyone have any experience with marathon crowds and whether those Sunday mornings are as quiet (our other trips have always been during the week so we haven't experienced weekend crowds yet). I assume Saturday on a marathon is bad no matter what time you go? Thanks!

The bag check lines, especially by DTD, will have long lines, but we were there for Avengers weekend last year and the parks were fine. I met DH at the finish line, then we stopped in DCA quickly for some pictures and to pick up RSR fastpasses (they were at a 3ish return time around 10-10:30 am or so). We went back to the hotel at that point to meet my parents and our daughter. DH stayed at the hotel until appx 2pm or so to rest for a bit..I think a lot of runners do that. My parents and I headed back into DCA, and wait times weren't bad at all.

 

[figment_jii]

I concur; getting into the parks (and especially the M&F parking structure) is really tough on a marathon morning, but the actual attraction lines weren't that bad. The parks did feel crowded, but that wasn't necessarily reflected in wait times. If you can avoid M&F parking structure (or driving all together), I would highly recommend it. It took my friends and I over 30 minutes just to get into the parking structure on Sunday morning just before park opening.

 

[DahliaRW]

We were there W, Th, F in July and never saw hm longer than 20 minutes. And the parks were crowded! We would just check and head that way when the line was short. Never waited longer than 5 minutes. I wouldn't waste that first hour in the park on hm. The line won't build that quickly.