Hollywood Studios Rope Drop Advice Needed

[tinkalicious]

So...I need some advice planning our HS morning on Tuesday, June 4. It will be me, DS 8 and DD 4. It's a recommended park by pretty much everybody. Due to that, and it being between two SWW's, I theorize that it will be an especially low crowd day (feel free to correct me LOL).

I'm trying to figure out a few things:

1. We have an 8:05 H&V adr. I've heard mixed opinions on whether that's a great idea as far as RD goes. We've never done an early breakfast ressie before. My DD is Disney Junior obsessed, so it's a big deal that we meet those characters. But we can get a lunch ressie if that works better touring-wise.

2. My kids must do JTA. But, we're also doing SWW on Friday June 7, and they'll be Obi Wan and Leia (cute, right? LOL). So what I'd like to do on Tuesday is TSM at RD, grab TSM FPs, Disney Jr. and LM, then head to JTA and try to sign up (just so they can do it twice during the trip.) Would there be anything left around 11 or so? I'd be fine with an afternoon slot. Actually I'd kinda prefer it.

Then on Friday, our #1 goal will be JTA. We won't be trying for autographs or anything that day, just character meets and shopping and SW fun.

Will that work? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[tjmj9801]

Tuesday June 4 is recommended for HS for sure. I would recommend JTA immediately after RD as there is no FP or second chance once those spaces are filled. You can ask for a later spot. We fast walked and got an 11:50 time, the 4th JTA of the day. It's extremely popular. Have a great trip!

 

[Swissmiss]

The only risk you have is that if the characters are slow coming around at H&V, you may feel like you need to rush away from breakfast or risk not meeting someone. Since your DD wants to meet them, it may be worth doing your RD plan and having lunch at H&V as a good mid-day break.

JTA is wonderful, my kids enjoyed themselves enormously. I would aim to get into the queue as early as possible, we waited a long time! We were, however, able to specify a time a little later in the day (around 2pm) rather than the 11am slot they suggested (because we had a conflict with our lunch plan).

Have a great time! I'm sure both ways can work for you!

 

[Robo]

So...I need some advice planning our HS morning on Tuesday, June 4. It will be me, DS 8 and DD 4. It's a recommended park by pretty much everybody. Due to that, and it being between two SWW's, I theorize that it will be an especially low crowd day (feel free to correct me LOL).

I'm trying to figure out a few things:

1. We have an 8:05 H&V adr. I've heard mixed opinions on whether that's a great idea as far as RD goes. We've never done an early breakfast ressie before. My DD is Disney Junior obsessed, so it's a big deal that we meet those characters. But we can get a lunch ressie if that works better touring-wise.

2. My kids must do JTA. But, we're also doing SWW on Friday June 7, and they'll be Obi Wan and Leia (cute, right? LOL). So what I'd like to do on Tuesday is TSM at RD, grab TSM FPs, Disney Jr. and LM, then head to JTA and try to sign up (just so they can do it twice during the trip.) Would there be anything left around 11 or so? I'd be fine with an afternoon slot. Actually I'd kinda prefer it.

Then on Friday, our #1 goal will be JTA. We won't be trying for autographs or anything that day, just character meets and shopping and SW fun.

Will that work? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

1. Since, at DHS, there is no longer an internal rope drop holding area for guests, nor is there any rope drop SHOW, and the park can open for guests as early as 30 minutes BEFORE the published opening time...
It is not a very good plan to schedule an "early" breakfast, if you plan to "beat the crowds" to the attractions and sign up for JTA.

I'd just grab a snack breakfast some time AFTER doing the early-morning must-do's at DHS.

2. Early morning, first-thing plan to be sure to get a Jedi Training spot:
Arrive at DHS 45 minutes, or more, before opening time.
They will open the gates before the published "opening time."

No park tickets are needed for Jedi sign-up.
Send all the tickets with another adult in your party to grab TSM FP's.

How to sign up for Jedi Training:

NOTE: Recently, DHS has been actually opening to guests (unannounced) at about 8:30-8:45AM (or so) on days when the published opening time is 9AM.
I'd plan on arriving at DHS -at least- by 8:15 so as to be in a better position to enter the park when the gates open to sign up for Jedi Training and to grab TSM FP's.

On AM EMH days, I'd be there by 7:45 or earlier (if you are a WDW Resort guest.)
The line will start forming as soon as the gates open for AM EMH.
How soon the CM's will actually start taking names during AM EMH can vary.

That said,
arrive well before park opening time.
When you get inside, take the child with you to the sign-up area.**

Note: You do not need your park tickets to sign up for Jedi Training so,
if another member of your party is available, you can send that person
(along with ALL of your park tickets) over to grab FP's for TSM
while you and the Jedi candidate child head for the sign-up.

You'll get a time for the child to return to the Jedi stage and participate.

**Sign-ups will be either just past Hollywood & Vine Restaurant, or at the Sounds Dangerous entrance (even inside the Sounds Dangerous building,) or at the Jedi Stage.
Look for the sign-up area, in the order of the above, until you find it.

Sometimes you can ask for the child to be signed up for a specific show, later in the day, but that can depend on the CM doing the sign-ups.
However, it's easy to get a later show, even if they are doing it first-come, first-served.

Just pay attention to those being signed ahead of you.
If they are signing for a show earlier than you'd like, just step out of line slightly and invite guests behind you to "go on ahead."
Keep listening and when they begin to sign for the show you want, just step back into the line and sign up.

 

[RalphinSC]

As someone who did a pretty similar thing last year (DHS twice in one week, one day on a SWW, one on a "regular" day), I'd HIGHLY reccomend signing up for the JTA first thing when you go during the REGULAR day. IF you are not at the very front of the masses during SWW, the sheer insanity of the crowd rush for JTA is crazy. The line on those days almost immediately backs up to a 30+ minute wait JUST TO SIGN UP and if you are that far back, even with the expanded slots you'll be signing up to be on the stand-by list.

By doing it on a regular day and going right at rope drop, you guarantee a smaller class (read, no huge jostling to see your kid with TWICE as many parents and even fewer good sight lines), definite interaction with Darth Vader, and a chance to actually pick your time (never had a problem with picking a 1:20 show, even though we were one of the first there). You also avoid the sheer insanity of the crowd all plowing that way during SWW.

What I'd do (and what I did). Arrive an hour pre scheduled opening during the regular day. You'll be first in your turnstile. You then walk to the JTA sign-ups and get your appointed time (with almost no wait). And then you are free to go and snag those TSM fastpasses or ride it standby with NO WAIT as most people are still not even in the park. And you'll probably STILL be early for your H&V ADR.

On the SWW day arrive at least an hour and a half pre-rope drop. When all the masses run their kids to the JTA sign-ups, head right back to the soundstage and instead sign the little ones up for the Padawan Mind Challenge. It is a really cute show and is on the MAIN stage at SWW so it's a cool a pretty unique experience. The kids get to interact with Snig, Oopla, and some other characters (they had R2D2 and C3PO last year). You can have it all and even more with some good touring. Also, after the Padawan sign-ups, you can go hit an EXTRA character line pretty early or something else and still be in very good shape; where if you did JTA you'd still likely be in line waiting to get a stand-by slot.

 

[ghtx]

There will be no JTA spots left by 11am.

 

[wiigirl]

There will be no JTA spots left by 11am.

You can count on that.

 

[Belleandtinker]

When you get through the turnstile before opening time, can you go straight to the JTA line ? Or do you still wait for the rope without the sow?

 

[DMLAINI]

Don't do the 8:05 breakfast. We were there this past April & we had the same time scheduled but I changed it last minute to 10am. Park opened 20 min, early and we got soooo much in before the 10 am ressie. Characters are a little slow moving there so if you make it later, it would be more relaxed.

 

[MarineVet]

Don't do the 8:05 breakfast. We were there this past April & we had the same time scheduled but I changed it last minute to 10am. Park opened 20 min, early and we got soooo much in before the 10 am ressie. Characters are a little slow moving there so if you make it later, it would be more relaxed.

I agree. We had an 8:05 reservation in May and the computer system had an issue that day. Check in was slow and redundant. We were finally seated at 8:20. While still eating we saw they had started letting guests in at the gate about 7:35. So we shot ourselves in the foot with that move.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[tinkalicious]

Thank you sooo much, everybody. Fabulous advice. H&V is now 11:00 lunch, and we'll do JTA sign ups then TSM. We should be able to get in all the must do's before lunch. I think it's gonna be the best HS day ever!

 

[tjmj9801]

Thank you sooo much, everybody. Fabulous advice. H&V is now 11:00 lunch, and we'll do JTA sign ups then TSM. We should be able to get in all the must do's before lunch. I think it's gonna be the best HS day ever!

Perfect! Have a great time! JTA was the highlight of our day, for sure, for DD's 6 and 4, the only female Jedi's in their class.

 

[angryduck71]

Might see you there Tuesday! Although, my DS6 is afraid to do the Jedi Training.

 

[RalphinSC]

Forgot to mention but also a good idea that you are trying to ensure that JTA class on your first day because Florida weather can be rain-heavy in June and shows get cancelled a good bit due to rain or lightning. Our 1:20 show last year just made it in before a storm but the next show got rained out (rained out shows get special meet n greets with Darth Vader instead inside Star Tours.)

Was just about to come back on a add that when I saw you were going to try hard and get that JTA sign-up done first thing Tuesday. I can think of only few worse "disneymares" than to miss out on one day for a late sign-up and then be rained out on a second day when the kids (and parents) are so looking forward to it.

After the Tuesday, you can see if you want to do it again at SWW or if you want to try the Padawan Mind Challenge instead for a different unique kids experience.

 

[brian95]

we had an 810 at hv on Tuesday the let everyone in the park at about 835 we had a wait for tsm If we do it again we would make it as late as possible.

 

[melissafox18]

Two out of the three days we went to rope drop at DHS, we got in at least 15 minutes before the posted park opening time. The first day we got in at 8:35 and the second we got in at 8:45. Both days we rode TSM twice and got a fast pass for later in the day before 9:15.

I'd be concerned about an ADR given our past experience.