How important is Epcot rope drop?

[Ava]

Oh man, I didn't even realize FEA doesn't start FP times until 11am. Geez. Ok maybe we will stick to the current plan and switch breakfast to lunch then. This should give us a much easier pace rather than trying to get on two rides ASAP. Eek! Thank you for the feedback, this is very helpful.

Edited: And as soon as I posted my response I realize that DS2 isn't tall enough for this ride, so we need to do a Rider Swap pass. Maybe we will stick to breakfast so we can use DH and DS5's FP first thing and then I can go wtih DS5 immediately after. Man this is getting complicated.

Which ride isn't your DS2 tall enough for? FEA has no height requirement.

Assuming your DS2 is under 40", you can get a Rider Swap pass at both Soarin' and Test Track, and split up your FPs for those. You will have to do them on the same day, though, and one adult will need to ride one of the rides alone. For example:

DH & DS5 use FP+ for Test Track. You ride it with the Rider Swap pass, & DS5 can ride again with you.
You use FP+ for Soarin. DH & DS5 ride with the Rider Swap pass.

Then on your other Epcot day, you can all use your Tier 1 FP+ to ride FEA together.

 

[allysetraskos]

We did Epcot on our last trip with touring plans rating it as a 9/10... We were there at rope drop and there was immediately a 25-30min wait for Soarin. By the time my husband and kids were off that ride it was at a 60 min wait for Test Track... We didn't end up doing it.

 

[cubed]

Which ride isn't your DS2 tall enough for? FEA has no height requirement.

Assuming your DS2 is under 40", you can get a Rider Swap pass at both Soarin' and Test Track, and split up your FPs for those. You will have to do them on the same day, though, and one adult will need to ride one of the rides alone. For example:

DH & DS5 use FP+ for Test Track. You ride it with the Rider Swap pass, & DS5 can ride again with you.
You use FP+ for Soarin. DH & DS5 ride with the Rider Swap pass.

Then on your other Epcot day, you can all use your Tier 1 FP+ to ride FEA together.

DS2 just turned 2 and he's only 35" so he can't ride Soarin' or TT. FEA doesn't have any more available FPs for the two days we are going there, but I will keep checking. I got lucky twice so we'll see!

 

[Ava]

DS2 just turned 2 and he's only 35" so he can't ride Soarin' or TT. FEA doesn't have any more available FPs for the two days we are going there, but I will keep checking. I got lucky twice so we'll see!

Definitely keep checking, people change/cancel FP all the time. You can also try copying your FP choices for that day to your DH & DS, or try searching for 1-2 people at a time and see if you can get overlapping times. Good luck!

 

[princesslover]

Thank you everyone. Got busy and forgot to reply!! One of the things I should have mentioned is that we are doing Illuminations one of the days, so I am worried that doing RD and staying through Illuminations would be too much. I don't know. Maybe RD the day we are not staying for Illuminations and do a later arrival for Illuminations?

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

We seldom do rope drop at Epcot. We're usually among those wandering in around 9:15-9:30. The only reason I would push rope drop there is if someone in the party had a burning desire to do FEA. My family always has FP+s for Soarin'. We will ride TT if standby is not too long (not a fan of the makeover), or the kids will sometimes do single rider. Epcot has actually become a pretty laid back park day (or half day) for us, much like AK used to be. I kinda like it that way!

 

[ArielSRL]

Which ride isn't your DS2 tall enough for? FEA has no height requirement.

Assuming your DS2 is under 40", you can get a Rider Swap pass at both Soarin' and Test Track, and split up your FPs for those. You will have to do them on the same day, though, and one adult will need to ride one of the rides alone. For example:

DH & DS5 use FP+ for Test Track. You ride it with the Rider Swap pass, & DS5 can ride again with you.
You use FP+ for Soarin. DH & DS5 ride with the Rider Swap pass.

Then on your other Epcot day, you can all use your Tier 1 FP+ to ride FEA together.

This is exactly what I am doing.

 

[ArielSRL]

Another thing to think about is that FEA doesn't have FP times until 11 a.m.

Oh man, I didn't even realize FEA doesn't start FP times until 11am.

I have read on these boards that this is not the case anymore. I haven't checked it myself, though.

 

[mkb3]

We have 9:20 Reservations for breakfast at Epcot at Akershus, would it be possible to do RD for Soarin then make it to breakfast in time?

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

We have 9:20 Reservations for breakfast at Epcot at Akershus, would it be possible to do RD for Soarin then make it to breakfast in time?

You would be pushing it. The distance from Soarin to Akershus averages around a 10+ minute walk depending on how fast you walk. I would highly advise against it.

 

[merry_nbright]

Is there any ceremony or announcement? I was there last year a few minutes after opening and didn't hear anything.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Is there any ceremony or announcement? I was there last year a few minutes after opening and didn't hear anything.

It depends. Sometimes I have heard it. Other times I have not. Normally it's just a welcome announcement over the speakers saying hello or good morning in different languages I believe. I think the only time I have heard it is when they keep people at the turnstiles.

 

[DWFamilyof6]

Can I jump in here and ask an PPO question for Epcot? We've never been to Epcot and I was just looking a touring plans. We have a fall break trip and my 180 day mark is coming up in a couple weeks.
Is it possible to do an Akershus PPO, then ride Frozen right at open (is there a PPO ADR benefit for Frozen?), and head to Test Track w/out an hour long wait. Probably skip Soarin' and use a FP later for Frozen again. I know DD is going to die to do it twice.