How do YOU rope drop?

[WhoFramedRogerRabbit]

What is YOUR rope drop technique? What are YOUR best rope drop tips and tricks? How does this affect your fp+ choices?

Recently, I've been micro-planning my upcoming WDW trip (Dis 20th anniversary here I come!) to the last minute and realized I don't have a proper rope drop technique! I've never attended a rope drop out of my 40+ trips because I come from a family of chronic lateness. Fortunately, I have not developed this trait myself and will be on my own for my upcoming trip. Please teach me your ways, rope drop experts!!

 

[Moushe]

We usually rope drop since we have small kids who wake up at the crack of dawn. So first and foremost make sure you know what time each park opens and plan on being at the entrance about 30 min prior to that. Keep in mind there is extra traveling involved in getting to MK if you are staying offsite, as well as the bag check lines.

That being said rope drop is different at each park. For MK our strategy is to head straight to Frontierland where we ride BTMRR and SM with little to no wait. We then circle over to Adventureland and ride POC, Jungle Cruise, and Aladdin again with barely any wait (this does depend on time of year and crowd level but we've never waited more than 10min). We make our first FP for something in Fantasy Land either the Mine Train or Peter Pan and then go from there.

At Hollywood Studios they will actually let you IN the park but will hold you on Hollywood Bldv. until opening. Then a cast member will lead the crowd out to the different areas. We usually head for RNR and then TOT.

We don't usually rope drop Epcot but I hear it is usually a mad dash towards Soarin or TT.

At AK they will hold the crowd in front of the Tree of Life and then you are free to head in whichever direction you choose. We usually do the Safari or Everest, but with Pandora opening my guess is everyone will be headed that way.

In general rope drop helps us get on some of the headliners with minimal lines thus opening up our FP options.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Hit one headliner first then on to our favorites that usually carry longer wait times through the day. We usually schedule out FP+ (when we schedule them at our morning park and don't plan on hopping) starting about 10 am. If we plan to hop, we almost always schedule them in the park we hop to (not our morning park).

So MK would be something like
Mine Train - standby
Ariels Grotto -standby
Splash - standby
Thunder - standby
Pirates - standby
Jungle Cruise - Standby
Then start our FP+
Space Mnt - FP+
Buzz - FP+
Mine Train - FP+

AK would be
Safari - standby
Rafiki's PLanet watch
Festival of the Lion King - standby
Primevil Whirl - standby
Everest FP+
etc etc

 

[dobtia]

It is myself and son who is 14. We are normally there in early June.

AK...we normally pick an EMH and hit up Everest a few times in that first hour and then head to Safari before opening. When we have to rope drop we head to Safari first and Fastpass Everest and others....of course Pandora changes things...we will see how plans change after this trip.

DHS...we head straight to Toy Story...then start using Fastpasses after that.

EPCOT...we Fastpass Soarin and head towards Test Track to start.

MK...We always always do two days. On first day we make Fastpasses for Splash, Big Thunder, and Mine Train for when we return in evening. We always head to Tomorrowland to start day one. Our second day is normally the Sunday before we leave. We always start this one by hooking a left. Jungle, Pirates, several Big Thunders and Splash rides. We use our Fastpasses mid day and afternoon by finishing up in Tomorrowland....

 

[ArielDreams]

MK - After rope drop we do Frontierland (Splash and Thunder standby) then Adventureland standby. We book Fantasyland and Tomorrowland FPs for later in the day. I find most people run to the other lands at RD and Frontier and Adventure are super light.

AK - we run to Everest so we can ride at least once together before utilizing single rider the rest of the day. Then hit up the safari after a light breakfast (usually FP) Of course I'm not sure how we will do it with Pandora in the mix!

HS - We go to RnR and ToT first and then to a TSM FP later in the day.

Epcot - usually just visit in the evenings but planning on going to Soarin 1st