How early is too early?

[ccarolinec]

For people who visit the parks often: how early is too early to get to the gate for rope drop? By get to the gate, I mean be through security and in line at the turnstile. Call me crazy, but I love getting to the parks early and the rush of rope drop, in fact it's probably my favorite time of the day. I'm normally at DL and DCA so I know how early I need to get there in order to be one of the first ones touching the rope (it's usually around 75 minutes early). However, for my May 19-24 trip to the world I'm wanting to get to some of the parks (such as AK) even earlier (for example-be at the gate at 7:30 for a 9 opening). Do the buses at the resorts even run early enough to get me at security, or would I need to uber or lyft?
Here are my rope drop rides:
Epcot: Soarin' then single rider test track line
HS: TSMM then TOT
AK: FOP (have a FP but want to ride twice) then run to NRJ hoping the line isn't too long
MK: BTMR then Splash, etc.

 

[siren0119]

It really depends on whether it's important for you to be FIRST in, or just in the first wave. If you want to be in the first group - plan on 90 minutes before opening for HS and AK, an hour before for MK and Epcot. If it's important to be FIRST in, add 30-45 minutes to that.

Bus service starts 45 minutes before park opening, so if you want to be there earlier you would have to get an Uber or Lyft.

 

[ccarolinec]

It really depends on whether it's important for you to be FIRST in, or just in the first wave. If you want to be in the first group - plan on 90 minutes before opening for HS and AK, an hour before for MK and Epcot. If it's important to be FIRST in, add 30-45 minutes to that.

Bus service starts 45 minutes before park opening, so if you want to be there earlier you would have to get an Uber or Lyft.

I don't need to be the absolute first per say, just in the first wave enough so that I'll walk on the rides.

 

[Calee]

It really depends on whether it's important for you to be FIRST in, or just in the first wave. If you want to be in the first group - plan on 90 minutes before opening for HS and AK, an hour before for MK and Epcot. If it's important to be FIRST in, add 30-45 minutes to that.

Bus service starts 45 minutes before park opening, so if you want to be there earlier you would have to get an Uber or Lyft.

The bus service 45 minutes before park opening is something I've seen in writing, but in practice I've been able to get a bus at 6:30 for a 9 am opening. They run early for PrePark opening breakfasts and such. So it may depend on what park you are going to and what early entrance choices they have as far as how early of a bus you can get.

 

[siren0119]

I don't need to be the absolute first per say, just in the first wave enough so that I'll walk on the rides.

Just so that expectations are level set, FoP won't be a walk on - but if you're in the first wave of people you won't wait more than 10-15 minutes once they allow you into Pandora. You should be ok for TSMM since most of the RD crowd is going for SDD, and at MK most head for 7DMT so BTMRR should be pretty quick. Soarin - you will probably bump up against people who had PPO reservations for breakfast, but if not a walk on it'll be a quick wait.

 

[gap2368]

For people who visit the parks often: how early is too early to get to the gate for rope drop? By get to the gate, I mean be through security and in line at the turnstile. Call me crazy, but I love getting to the parks early and the rush of rope drop, in fact it's probably my favorite time of the day. I'm normally at DL and DCA so I know how early I need to get there in order to be one of the first ones touching the rope (it's usually around 75 minutes early). However, for my May 19-24 trip to the world I'm wanting to get to some of the parks (such as AK) even earlier (for example-be at the gate at 7:30 for a 9 opening). Do the buses at the resorts even run early enough to get me at security, or would I need to uber or lyft?
Here are my rope drop rides:
Epcot: Soarin' then single rider test track line
HS: TSMM then TOT
AK: FOP (have a FP but want to ride twice) then run to NRJ hoping the line isn't too long
MK: BTMR then Splash, etc.

Epcot: Soarin' then single rider test track line. You should be fine gettting to EPCOT 30-45 minutes before RD
HS: TSMM then TOT since you are not doing SDD or A2S then you should be fine getting to the park 30 to 45 minute before park opens
AK: FOP (have a FP but want to ride twice) then run to NRJ hoping the line isn't too long this is the one where you will want to get to the park 60-75+ minute early
MK: BTMR then Splash, etc. most go to 7DMT or PP you should be fine getting to the park 15-20 minutes early

 

[BrianL]

The bus service 45 minutes before park opening is something I've seen in writing, but in practice I've been able to get a bus at 6:30 for a 9 am opening. They run early for PrePark opening breakfasts and such. So it may depend on what park you are going to and what early entrance choices they have as far as how early of a bus you can get.

Correct. 45 minutes is what they say, but in practice buses start running very early (I'd say between 6 & 6:30), though maybe less frequently than they do as it gets closer to park opening.

To the OP, it's never too early to get there. I like to be on the first bus out too, and I am never alone!

 

[CaLuCa]

I too love rope drop! I've never been THE first, but usually are in the first groups of people. Got close once at Epcot when we were the second or third family there.

I haven't done Epcot in awhile because our last experience with them BOTH Soarin and Test Track were down for the majority of emh. They opened Living with the Land for us.

MK: If you are not going to 7DMT, it will be like a stroll in the park to BTMR. 30-45 would be plenty.

HS: I aim to be there at the tapstiles by 7:15. This lets us walk off SDD before or just a few minutes after 8.

AK: Aslo 7:15. Because of the calmer nature of AK emh (meaning less people can rump and jump ahead of those walking), we typically are off by 8. 15 minutes later here means not walking off FoP till 9.

We drive so we don't rely on Disney transportation for emh.

 

[kwdw]

AK - if it's an EMH morning - you need to be catching a bus at least an hour in advance of the beginning of EMH. The problem is - it's hard to predict when that early bus will come. If EMH starts at 7 am - there will probably be a bus between 6:30 am and 7 am. Exactly when in there? Good guess. But I would be at the bus stop at 6:30 if you really want to be one of the first. And if you are one the first - the FOP and then NRJ will work.

If it's not an EMH - plan to be at the park at least 75 minutes in advance if you want to be one of the first's on.

 

[js]

We (three adults, my dd, my mom in a ECV, and I) were at AK in September 2018 (week after Labor Day) and January (4-12) 2019 and got to AK an hour before opening. We were in the first wave and FoP was a walk on for us, meaning we got right up to the CMs and started the "journey" of going in the first room.

We finished FoP and Navi and were walking out of Pandora about 10 minutes prior to the listed park opening time.

We did the same for MGM and walked on SDD, did AS and TSM, all walk on. Walking out of the land and seeing EVERYONE walk in was almost frightening LOL They didn't let us in early since it was a paid EMH event before RD. Have to say the RD for SDD was cut throat and the worse I have ever seen people getting to an attraction. There was lots of elbowing, much trying to walk in front of people and little pushing. My dd-25 couldn't believe how people acted and we walk fast...we are from NY!

I would most certainly be standing in line an hour prior, not arriving, parking, pulling up by bus, but standing in line an hour prior.

Good luck!

 

[Sara_H]

We (three adults, my dd, my mom in a ECV, and I) were at AK in September 2018 (week after Labor Day) and January (4-12) 2019 and got to AK an hour before opening. We were in the first wave and FoP was a walk on for us, meaning we got right up to the CMs and started the "journey" of going in the first room.

We finished FoP and Navi and were walking out of Pandora about 10 minutes prior to the listed park opening time.

We did the same for MGM and walked on SDD, did AS and TSM, all walk on. Walking out of the land and seeing EVERYONE walk in was almost frightening LOL They didn't let us in early since it was a paid EMH event before RD. Have to say the RD for SDD was cut throat and the worse I have ever seen people getting to an attraction. There was lots of elbowing, much trying to walk in front of people and little pushing. My dd-25 couldn't believe how people acted and we walk fast...we are from NY!

I would most certainly be standing in line an hour prior, not arriving, parking, pulling up by bus, but standing in line an hour prior.

Good luck!

I love that you called it MGM! That's still what I call it too!

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

For people who visit the parks often: how early is too early to get to the gate for rope drop? By get to the gate, I mean be through security and in line at the turnstile. Call me crazy, but I love getting to the parks early and the rush of rope drop, in fact it's probably my favorite time of the day. I'm normally at DL and DCA so I know how early I need to get there in order to be one of the first ones touching the rope (it's usually around 75 minutes early). However, for my May 19-24 trip to the world I'm wanting to get to some of the parks (such as AK) even earlier (for example-be at the gate at 7:30 for a 9 opening). Do the buses at the resorts even run early enough to get me at security, or would I need to uber or lyft?
Here are my rope drop rides:
Epcot: Soarin' then single rider test track line
HS: TSMM then TOT
AK: FOP (have a FP but want to ride twice) then run to NRJ hoping the line isn't too long
MK: BTMR then Splash, etc.

We’ve never been to rope drop, it just seems way too crowded and stressful.

We have ridden all of the rides on your list near the end of the evening, and the longest wait for any of them was 17 minutes for FoP last June. Most are 10 mins of less.

 

[js]

I love that you called it MGM! That's still what I call it too!

I can't get myself to say HS and DTD is still that to me, not DS

 

[dawnnikol]

We went in April 2017 but drove into MK. It was a disaster trying to park (race weekend too). We arrived very early, but we apparently beat the parking attendants? So, we arrived to a closed parking lot, turned around to go back in and they had "opened", but nobody was there! We drive around the completely empty lot looking for someone to pay and we see someone and they're all "Uhh... you shoulda paid back there? But no one was there? Just park for free!" So we did.

Gotta say I'm really hoping the Skyliners run early so I can get there for my ADRs and avoid running in circles because we beat the CMs.

 

[angierae]

We’ve never been to rope drop, it just seems way too crowded and stressful.

We have ridden all of the rides on your list near the end of the evening, and the longest wait for any of them was 17 minutes for FoP last June. Most are 10 mins of less.

I've done it twice, and have decided since we aren't bringing small kids who are up that early, I never need to do it again.

 

[MinnieWebster]

Something to keep in mind, for MK if it's an EMH morning, I don't believe Frontierland opens until regular park open. At least in the past it (and possibly Adventureland as well) has not been open for EMH. But if you aren't doing EMH mornings, you should be fine to rope drop.

 

[BrianL]

Something to keep in mind, for MK if it's an EMH morning, I don't believe Frontierland opens until regular park open. At least in the past it (and possibly Adventureland as well) has not been open for EMH. But if you aren't doing EMH mornings, you should be fine to rope drop.

This is correct. For MK Morning EMH only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland will be open, but most of the attractions will be operating in each. They are the best priorities for rope drop anyway, so it works. You can hit them both, then move over to Adventureland/Frontierland and be well ahead of the regular rope drop group.

 

[Klayfish]

We’ve never been to rope drop, it just seems way too crowded and stressful.

We have ridden all of the rides on your list near the end of the evening, and the longest wait for any of them was 17 minutes for FoP last June. Most are 10 mins of less.

Yes, when I'm on vacation anything before 9:30am is too early.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

Yes, when I'm on vacation anything before 9:30am is too early.

10:30 for us. We book the first FP for 9:30 then hope to arrive by 10:45. Fortunately, the gate attendants will still let you in if you miss that grace period by a bit.

 

[ccarolinec]

We (three adults, my dd, my mom in a ECV, and I) were at AK in September 2018 (week after Labor Day) and January (4-12) 2019 and got to AK an hour before opening. We were in the first wave and FoP was a walk on for us, meaning we got right up to the CMs and started the "journey" of going in the first room.

We finished FoP and Navi and were walking out of Pandora about 10 minutes prior to the listed park opening time.

We did the same for MGM and walked on SDD, did AS and TSM, all walk on. Walking out of the land and seeing EVERYONE walk in was almost frightening LOL They didn't let us in early since it was a paid EMH event before RD. Have to say the RD for SDD was cut throat and the worse I have ever seen people getting to an attraction. There was lots of elbowing, much trying to walk in front of people and little pushing. My dd-25 couldn't believe how people acted and we walk fast...we are from NY!

I would most certainly be standing in line an hour prior, not arriving, parking, pulling up by bus, but standing in line an hour prior.

Good luck!

This is my goal for my AK morning, so I can head over to EE while the masses are still heading to Pandora. Thanks for sharing your experience!