Help me plan for rope drop/LL/Genie+

[westie55]

Hi everyone. I live on the east coast and am a WDW veteran but I'm a Disneyland newbie. I will be staying at the DLH August 15-20 (so have early access at 7:30 am) and am fully prepared to pay for individual lightning lane and genie+ since I have 3 young kids including an infant and do not want to wait in lines longer than 30 minutes. We will have 4 day park hopper tickets.

How quickly do the lines build for rides like RSR, Web Slingers, ROTR, MFSR, and Peter Pan?

If I plan to "rope drop" 3 mornings in DLP and one in DCA, which individual lightning lanes would you buy (if any) and which rides would you hit at rope drop each day in order to minimize wait times?

 

[mdmost]

So if you're willing to pay for the lightning lanes for Rise, WS, and RSR, I wouldn't bother worrying about rope dropping any of them. Use your rope drop for something else. If you're getting in early with the hotel benefit, I would angle yourself towards the area you want to rope drop around 8am. You'll get the jump on some people.

Rise and RSR will have the longest lines really quickly. Webslingers could be a good candidate to rope drop. We rope dropped Incredicoaster instead and rode it 3 times in the first 30 minutes of park opening.

If you want to ride MFSR a couple times, I would recommend rope dropping it as most go to Rise. We did that and road it twice with little waiting. Then you can Genie+ it later.

Peter Pan might be part of the early morning hotel perk. Not completely sure. If not, you'll be in the driver's seat if you are in Fantasyland before 8am. Everyone is on the other side of the Castle, waiting to pounce.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

So if you're willing to pay for the lightning lanes for Rise, WS, and RSR, I wouldn't bother worrying about rope dropping any of them. Use your rope drop for something else. If you're getting in early with the hotel benefit, I would angle yourself towards the area you want to rope drop around 8am. You'll get the jump on some people.

Rise and RSR will have the longest lines really quickly. Webslingers could be a good candidate to rope drop. We rope dropped Incredicoaster instead and rode it 3 times in the first 30 minutes of park opening.

If you want to ride MFSR a couple times, I would recommend rope dropping it as most go to Rise. We did that and road it twice with little waiting. Then you can Genie+ it later.

Peter Pan might be part of the early morning hotel perk. Not completely sure. If not, you'll be in the driver's seat if you are in Fantasyland before 8am. Everyone is on the other side of the Castle, waiting to pounce.

Peter Pan's Flight was recently added to the list of rides that will be open during early morning hours.

 

[heathpack]

So if you're willing to pay for the lightning lanes for Rise, WS, and RSR, I wouldn't bother worrying about rope dropping any of them. Use your rope drop for something else. If you're getting in early with the hotel benefit, I would angle yourself towards the area you want to rope drop around 8am. You'll get the jump on some people.

Rise and RSR will have the longest lines really quickly. Webslingers could be a good candidate to rope drop. We rope dropped Incredicoaster instead and rode it 3 times in the first 30 minutes of park opening.

If you want to ride MFSR a couple times, I would recommend rope dropping it as most go to Rise. We did that and road it twice with little waiting. Then you can Genie+ it later.

Peter Pan might be part of the early morning hotel perk. Not completely sure. If not, you'll be in the driver's seat if you are in Fantasyland before 8am. Everyone is on the other side of the Castle, waiting to pounce.

Along these lines…

We have a one night DVC Grand Californian stay booked Aug 18. We bought three day SoCal resident tickets, non hopper. We’re going to EMH DL on Thursday Aug 18 and DCA on Friday Aug 19. Crowds are predicted to be heavy on Thursday and OK on Fri. We’d like to avoid the up charges on principle, but are willing to buy ILL or Genie+ in a pinch. We hate lines and won’t wait more than 30 min. We’re going to do a long day Thursday and probably leave mid afternoon Fri.

For our DL day, the plan is check into VGC at 6:30am and EMH the park opening by 7:30. Try to wrap up rides by 1-2pm, eat our Plaza Inn dining pkg lunch, then go relax by the pool. Back in the park for our 7pm Hungry Bear Fantasmic pkg (I’m sure we won’t be hungry). Then MSEP, fireworks, second Fantasmic show, then maybe mopping up a few late night rides. Priorities are Rise, Space Mountain, BTMR, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Matterhorn, Tea Cups. We never ride Peter Pan but would ride it if no wait.

Do you think it’s feasible to ride Space and Peter Pan during EMH, then rope drop Rise from Fantasyland? Or are we better off just doing Space and skipping Peter Pan, maybe hitting up Fantasyland after the second Fantasmic show? I just can’t figure out quite how long Space will take- 20 min? I’m thinking we probably can only really do Space and then rope drop Rise.

 

[mdmost]

With 30 minutes, I don't think it's feasible to ride both. Peter Pan is always some sort of wait. Space Mountain can be a walk through. Peter Pan never is because of the load system. I would choose which is more important. Maybe check the wait times on the app and see if there's a time that gets the lowest wait.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

With 30 minutes, I don't think it's feasible to ride both. Peter Pan is always some sort of wait. Space Mountain can be a walk through. Peter Pan never is because of the load system. I would choose which is more important. Maybe check the wait times on the app and see if there's a time that gets the lowest wait.

I think it is hard to know until the 8th. No one knows what 30 minutes at both parks each day for only hotel guests will look like.

 

[mdmost]

I think it is hard to know until the 8th. No one knows what 30 minutes at both parks each day for only hotel guests will look like.

I'm basing that on my own experience with Extra Magic Mornings. There was still a long wait for Peter Pan and that was with an extra hour.

 

[westie55]

Along these lines…

We have a one night DVC Grand Californian stay booked Aug 18. We bought three day SoCal resident tickets, non hopper. We’re going to EMH DL on Thursday Aug 18 and DCA on Friday Aug 19. Crowds are predicted to be heavy on Thursday and OK on Fri. We’d like to avoid the up charges on principle, but are willing to buy ILL or Genie+ in a pinch. We hate lines and won’t wait more than 30 min. We’re going to do a long day Thursday and probably leave mid afternoon Fri.

For our DL day, the plan is check into VGC at 6:30am and EMH the park opening by 7:30. Try to wrap up rides by 1-2pm, eat our Plaza Inn dining pkg lunch, then go relax by the pool. Back in the park for our 7pm Hungry Bear Fantasmic pkg (I’m sure we won’t be hungry). Then MSEP, fireworks, second Fantasmic show, then maybe mopping up a few late night rides. Priorities are Rise, Space Mountain, BTMR, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Matterhorn, Tea Cups. We never ride Peter Pan but would ride it if no wait.

Do you think it’s feasible to ride Space and Peter Pan during EMH, then rope drop Rise from Fantasyland? Or are we better off just doing Space and skipping Peter Pan, maybe hitting up Fantasyland after the second Fantasmic show? I just can’t figure out quite how long Space will take- 20 min? I’m thinking we probably can only really do Space and then rope drop Rise.

Unfortunately I believe Matterhorn and HM will be closed on those dates

 

[limace]

I

I'm basing that on my own experience with Extra Magic Mornings. There was still a long wait for Peter Pan and that was with an extra hour.

It will be interesting to see how they compare-EMH was longer but also open to a lot more people (and everyone went to same park, right?).

 

[heathpack]

Unfortunately I believe Matterhorn and HM will be closed on those dates

It’s ok, we’re going back Sept 2