How busy are BTMRR and Splash at rope drop?

[jlnten17]

If we plan on rope dropping BTMRR and Splash is it usually possible to do both with little wait? Would it be possible to do PP then head to BTMRR/Splash and experience a short wait? We typically head straight to PP or 7DMT and then stick around Fantasyland so we don't have any rope drop experience in that area despite many trips.

 

[ErinsMommy]

ive never rope dropped MK but IMO I would think those that do would head for Peter Pan and SDMT first.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

It does depend on the time of year. But, having just done two trips at Spring Break time (late March and first week of May), these two are my go to at Rope Drop. I have (those trips and previous trips at less crowded times) always had success going right to BTMRR and them immediately gong to Splash - getting on both with relatively little wait. Often, I can sneak Pirates or Haunted Mansion in as well.

Two caveats, though. This (obviously) doesn't work if MK has EMHs, and keep an eye out for the Splash rehab coming up this summer. If that's the case, I would still do BTMRR, but I would likely do PP or 7DMT first then b-line to BTMRR if Splash is down.

 

[bookgirl]

I've never had them be busy at rope drop. Actually the first hour or so is usually reasonable. I think people wait until the hot part of the day or the end of the day just in case of wet clothes.

 

[bffdisney]

Do BTMRR before Splash. Splash is a looooooong ride, so if you see both with a short wait, by the time you get off Splash, BTMRR might be a long wait. But both should be easy to do first thing after PP.

 

[dprincessmom]

Last morning we RD the MK we rode BTMRR 3 times in a row without getting off, as no one was in the cue for our row. Then we hit splash for two back to back rides. Most of the people will run toward fantasyland - so frontierland and adventureland are great for the morning.

 

[Jamie77]

I've been at MK for rope drop a few times and have done both BTMRR and Splash with no lines because everyone was headed to Fantasyland or Tomorrowland. I was able to ride BTMRR a few times without having to get off because when our train came back into the station, the CMs looked around and said, "No one is waiting right now so you all get to do this again." There was literally no other people waiting in the station. I must have done this three times before I wanted to try something else.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Would it be possible to do PP then head to BTMRR/Splash and experience a short wait?

Yes. Ive done Mine Strain and BTMRR and Splash numerous times.

 

[CAS239]

Usually walk ons or a very low wait for the first hour

 

[rg35]

First hour is almost no waiting. You can really do space, splash, and thunder at rope drop without much wait at all these days. It seems like 7DMT and PP really grab a lot of the early morning crowds now leaving the mountains with low waits in the mornings.

 

[Amy Hammack]

when there are extra magic hours, what mountains aren't open? Will they let you line up a few minutes before they open?

 

[wisblue]

when there are extra magic hours, what mountains aren't open? Will they let you line up a few minutes before they open?

When there is AM EMH at MK only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are open So, Space Mountain and 7DMT are open, but Splash and Thunder Mountain are not.

Until the regular park opening time, guests are held out of the Adentureland/Frontierland/ Liberty Square parts of the park by ropes near the Adventureland arch, the entrance from the hub to Liberty Square, and where Fantasyland transitions into Liberty Square (near the Tangled restroom area). At opening guests are let into the rest of the park, but are usually walked in by cast members so the three groups arrive at the Splash/Thunder area at the same time.

In our experience, that first wave of guests creates an immediate line at BTMRR (moreso than Splash) but as a PP said, we still prefer going to BTMRR first because that line moves pretty quickly and the ride is pretty short. When we go right from BTMRR to Splash, it is still pretty much a walk on. Because Splash is a longer ride, the line at BTMRR may be a little longer (but still usually manageable) when you get off if you elect to do Splash first.

My favorite approach to that part of the park if we go there right at opening after EMH is to do my five favorite rides in this order:

BTMRR
Splash
Jungle Cruise (because the line there builds up faster)
Pirates
Haunted Mansion

When we do this, we can experience these 5 attractions in about 2 hours or a little less. When we get to Jungle Cruise the posted time is often 20 or 30 minutes but we get in line anyway because the wait is usually not that long and we have a pretty good idea from the number of people in line if it will be that long.

When we go back to Pirates the posted and actual wait times are usually about 10 minutes, and at Haunted Mansion our actual wait is not more than 15 minutes or so, even if the posted time is a little higher.

This plan has worked well for us many times, including on the Friday after Easter (Star Wars Dark Side Weekend) with an 8 AM EMH and 9 AM park opening.

 

[kj2mom]

On the 4th of July last year we did pics in front of the castle, PP, Small World, Haunted Mansion then headed to BTMR and it still had no wait. To be fair, this was an 8am opening (not EMH just a regular opening but it was at 8am). I totally agree to do BTMR first because the ride time for Splash is rather long and you might lose that no line window while on Splash.

 

[texasgingerbread]

When there is AM EMH at MK only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are open So, Space Mountain and 7DMT are open, but Splash and Thunder Mountain are not.

Until the regular park opening time, guests are held out of the Adentureland/Frontierland/ Liberty Square parts of the park by ropes near the Adventureland arch, the entrance from the hub to Liberty Square, and where Fantasyland transitions into Liberty Square (near the Tangled restroom area). At opening guests are let into the rest of the park, but are usually walked in by cast members so the three groups arrive at the Splash/Thunder area at the same time.

In our experience, that first wave of guests creates an immediate line at BTMRR (moreso than Splash) but as a PP said, we still prefer going to BTMRR first because that line moves pretty quickly and the ride is pretty short. When we go right from BTMRR to Splash, it is still pretty much a walk on. Because Splash is a longer ride, the line at BTMRR may be a little longer (but still usually manageable) when you get off if you elect to do Splash first.

My favorite approach to that part of the park if we go there right at opening after EMH is to do my five favorite rides in this order:

BTMRR
Splash
Jungle Cruise (because the line there builds up faster)
Pirates
Haunted Mansion

When we do this, we can experience these 5 attractions in about 2 hours or a little less. When we get to Jungle Cruise the posted time is often 20 or 30 minutes but we get in line anyway because the wait is usually not that long and we have a pretty good idea from the number of people in line if it will be that long.

When we go back to Pirates the posted and actual wait times are usually about 10 minutes, and at Haunted Mansion our actual wait is not more than 15 minutes or so, even if the posted time is a little higher.

This plan has worked well for us many times, including on the Friday after Easter (Star Wars Dark Side Weekend) with an 8 AM EMH and 9 AM park opening.

This should be a sticky. Thanks - great info. If I'm coming from Tomorrowland from EMH - which way should I go to get to BMTRR first at the official open time.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Honestly if you want to rope drop those, you won't wait for either if you ride them B2B and you can even walk leisurely there. We Rope Dropped 7DMT and were all in the first car of the first ride out and then we walked over and rode Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion and then Splash and then BTMR all with no wait at all. We were able to head over to Pirates, Jungle Cruise with zero wait and then off to Space and Buzz with less than 10 minute wait. We could have easily rode all of those rides (2 adults and 5 kids) and been out of the park in about 1.5 hours if we chose to leave! LOL

 

[ArielDreams]

Not very! These are my "go to" at MK rope drop. I agree with BTMRR 1st. Then Splash. We usually arrange FPs for Fantasy and Tomorrowland later in the day.

 

[wisblue]

This should be a sticky. Thanks - great info. If I'm coming from Tomorrowland from EMH - which way should I go to get to BMTRR first at the official open time.

I don't think it really matters because, like I said, they try to lead people from each of the entrances to that area about the same time. Being there first, as compared to just being in the wave, doesn't give you that much of an advantage. Sometimes the line at BTMRR is blocked at the entrance (maybe because the ride isn't quite ready) but it moves pretty quickly if the ride is operating because they won't be using that much of the line area inside the building.

We usually enter from Fantasyland. It gives us a chance to stop at the restroom that's right there if anyone needs to, and the only people entering from there will be people there for EMH. We also sometimes try to ride Peter Pan just before the end of EMH if we get there 15-20 minutes before the EMH ends. With no FPs during the EMH hour the wait time is not that bad. The entrance closest to Tomorrowland would be the one from the hub into Liberty Square.

It always seems like a mob heading to the BTMRR area when it first opens, but it gets absorbed into the rides pretty quickly.

 

[texasgingerbread]

I don't think it really matters because, like I said, they try to lead people from each of the entrances to that area about the same time. Being there first, as compared to just being in the wave, doesn't give you that much of an advantage. Sometimes the line at BTMRR is blocked at the entrance (maybe because the ride isn't quite ready) but it moves pretty quickly if the ride is operating because they won't be using that much of the line area inside the building.

We usually enter from Fantasyland. It gives us a chance to stop at the restroom that's right there if anyone needs to, and the only people entering from there will be people there for EMH. We also sometimes try to ride Peter Pan just before the end of EMH if we get there 15-20 minutes before the EMH ends. With no FPs during the EMH hour the wait time is not that bad. The entrance closest to Tomorrowland would be the one from the hub into Liberty Square.

It always seems like a mob heading to the BTMRR area when it first opens, but it gets absorbed into the rides pretty quickly.

Thanks I'm trying to be in the first mob of 7dmt at EMH then do space and potentially Buzz and head to BTMRR.

 

[wisblue]

Thanks I'm trying to be in the first mob of 7dmt at EMH then do space and potentially Buzz and head to BTMRR.

That is definitely doable if you get to 7DMT with the first wave. We did that a couple of times, but now we usually use a FP for 7DMT later in the day, or on another day, so we don't have to deal with the mob. When we did go to 7DMT first we also went to Space then Buzz and usually had time for at least one more thing before the EMH ended, maybe even Peter Pan.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

We have done Jungle Cruise first, the BTMRR twice or maybe 3 times then Splash once with little to no wait on all of them so I think doing PPF first at RD should be no problem.