I'm stressed about rope drop at MK

[missypie]

We've been to DL and DLP but not to WDW. We have always been very first in the line at rope drop and love being among the very first in line for a great ride.

Is it accurate that at MK there is some opening show, while everyone is still held at the turnstiles? So then after the park opens, EVERYONE has to get through the turnstiles before racing to the rides?

That seems very stressful. At DL, we didn't have to be first in line at the turnstiles to be first in line at rope drop. Plenty of people who were ahead of us stopped for pictures, to look in the shops, etc.

And then there are the CRT people....they will already be in the park...one can only hope they'll all rush to Dumbo instead of Space Mountain.

If one arrives at the MK turnstiles about 45 minutes before park opening, is that early enough to be among the first on the rides?

(I know that there's no pre-show in EMH days.)

 

[TiggerStac]

You do not wait at the turnstiles. You actually go thru the turnstiles and wait before the railroad station. There is a decent size area there. We are usually towards the front (far enough to see the show) and we get right in. Our first day, we are usually dashing for the barber shop, but others, we go right to rides and walk right on. Last trip, we walked right onto Buzz to start the day off..a perfect start for our 3yr DS.

 

[ccgegg]

Hmmm, different experience here. We went in Feb and were waiting at the turnstiles til opening at 8am. Third in line. When it was 8am, they just started letting people in.... no actual rope and once you got through the turnstile, you could go anywhere.

 

[cudworth]

We have only done Magic Kinkdom at early entry. We have always had to wait at the turnstiles until the opening time then it is either a slow walk or a fast run to space mountain it just depends on who is working that day.

 

[kirbsam]

Stressful??? You will be at wdw waiting for the parks to open. If you find that stressful because you are used to being first in line, I have no advice for you, other than enjoy it.

 

[Stitch's Greatest Fa]

Do you really HAVE to be first in line, are you so self obsessed that this is more inmportant than anything i.e. the thousands of other people there on the same day who would also like to be first but are not obsessing over it because they are there to enjoy the whole experience. Apologies if my post comes over funny, but your post sounded as if it was a life or death situation. Chill, relax, enjoy the magic - if you are lucky, you may be chosen to take part in the rope drop ceremony, if you're not, don't let it spoil your day.

 

[dizagain]

Hi!

My memory (from '03) tells me that we went through security, etc., but waited at the turnstiles to get in. If not, then we definitely waited outside the railroad tunnel behind a rope. We sat on the brick wall in front of the train to watch the show and then got in line to enter. Once in, the crowd disperses fast and it's really no big deal. We accomplished alot in that first hour and we never "ran" anywhere or tried to be first. We never waited for anything really until about 1 1/2 hours after opening and I've heard that even on busy days that holds true.

Relax, get there before opening, and HAVE FUN!!

 

[ely3857]

Do you really HAVE to be first in line, are you so self obsessed that this is more inmportant than anything i.e. the thousands of other people there on the same day who would also like to be first but are not obsessing over it because they are there to enjoy the whole experience. Apologies if my post comes over funny, but your post sounded as if it was a life or death situation. Chill, relax, enjoy the magic - if you are lucky, you may be chosen to take part in the rope drop ceremony, if you're not, don't let it spoil your day.

Agree completely!

I am the kind of person to stress over stuff that shouldnt matter but I would never do this on holiday, If you are there for rope drop right at the front and your family get chosen to join in AND you then get to SM first then great for you BUT if you happen to be 2nd or god-forbid 3rd in line then just relax, chill and go with the flow, You will enjoy yourself sooooo much more.



Jodie

 

[missypie]

Do you really HAVE to be first in line, are you so self obsessed that this is more inmportant than anything i.e. the thousands of other people there on the same day who would also like to be first but are not obsessing over it because they are there to enjoy the whole experience. Apologies if my post comes over funny, but your post sounded as if it was a life or death situation. Chill, relax, enjoy the magic - if you are lucky, you may be chosen to take part in the rope drop ceremony, if you're not, don't let it spoil your day.

If I go to the effort to get myself and my family up, dressed, fed and out the door an hour before the park opens, I want a reward for my effort. If "thousands of other people" do the same thing and get there even earlier than me, I won't be first. But my guess is that all but a few hundred of those thousands won't be there as early as we will be. After hearing that some folks just can't get the finger scan thing so the turnstiles move really slowly, it DOES stress me to think that I could miss the early morning "walk ons" because I chose a line of people who are slow at the turnstiles.

Have you ever "camped out" in line to enroll your child in preschool, or to get concert tickets? Is it "so self obsessed" to want a spot at the preschool, or seats for the concert after you've put in the waiting time? Are you so selfless that you would give your kid's spot at the preschool or your concert ticket to someone who slept in that day?

 

[ely3857]

Have you ever "camped out" in line to enroll your child in preschool, or to get concert tickets? Is it "so self obsessed" to want a spot at the preschool, or seats for the concert after you've put in the waiting time? Are you so selfless that you would give your kid's spot at the preschool or your concert ticket to someone who slept in that day?

Nope. Do people in the US really kip out overnight to get their children into nursery? I had no idea anybody would do this.



Jodie

NB) No offence intended at all. I just think perhaps your family and you would enjoy the day more if the plans didnt 'go wrong' before you are even in the park.

 

[Traveliz]

To make you feel better - I wasn't intending to be first but wanted to be at MK when it opened at 7am on Easter morning - day when well literally thousands of people come through the park and many start it early.

We were there by 10 til and were not the first through the turnstyles (but let me say after being there a full week over very busy Easter time the finger thing really didn't slow us down at all, it seemed to work fine for most people most of the time) but were through the turnstyles before the "rope" dropped. Once that happens the crowd dissipates into many different directions and you will easily get many things done in the first hour.

I would venture to say that the first 1000-2000 are not even noticeable...someone who comes in at number 2000 is in as good of shape as the person who first went through the ropes.

Its just that big of a park and it swallows up people just that easily.

 

[missypie]

Nope. Do people in the US really kip out overnight to get thier children into nursery? I had no idea anybody would do this.



Jodie

To get our son into a local preschool, DH got there to wait in line at 4 am. Getting there at that time (as opposed to midnight, I guess) we were on the waiting list. Enough people dropped out that he got in,but was the last one to do so. (So the people who got there at 4:05 am were out of luck.)

I guess no one camps out for concert tickets anymore, do they?...now it's all phone or online.

There use to be a summer program at a local college that we would camp out to register our kids for. Starting this year, they just opened computer registration at 8 am...much more civilized.

 

[SplashMom]

We were there for the opening one morning a few weeks ago and it was really nice. There was a countdown and then we all went in. Even though it seems like a lot of people at the gate, everyone heads for a different place. We found that for the first hour or two, we walked on every ride we wanted. We weren't first in line, but it didn't matter as long as there was no wait. That is enough reward for getting up early! I'm sure you will have no problems if you are there at opening time--just relax and enjoy!

 

[crazee4mickey]

I have 4 kids and have taken the time to get them to WDW, wake up early, feed them, dress them---all of the things the THOUSANDS of other people at WDW have also done to get there...but I certainly do not expect a reward!
Just being there is reward enough as I know many, many who cannot afford such a luxury!

 

[DVC Jen]

If you aren't the first one on a particular ride it will be OK. As long as you get there before the "main crowd" you will be able to enjoy quite a few rides before the park gets crowded.

I think we would all like to be the rope drop family. But I personally feel the magic is wasted with you plan, stress and expect it. The most magical times are those that catch you by surprise.

And yes people do camp out for preschool here. I am a preschool teacher in one of the largest preschools in Dallas county. We have had parents camping out to get their child in for years. Would I do it? No.. but I gotta tell ya it is quite flattering for the teachers and school when it does happen.

 

[missypie]

I think we would all like to be the rope drop family. But I personally feel the magic is wasted with you plan, stress and expect it. The most magical times are those that catch you by surprise.

We aren't trying to be the "rope drop family" becuase I don't even know what that is.

I use the term "rope drop" loosely, as the global term for whatever they do before letting you enter the parks. When we were at DL I don't remember if there was a literal rope, but a nice guy stood in front of us at the end of Main Street every day, and then "Mickey" came on the loudspeaker and welcomed us and then they let us walk to the rides.

I can't believe that people object to my use of the word "reward." If you've ever drug yourself out of bed early at WDW instead of sleeping in, weren't you doing that with the hopes of being rewarded with shorter lines?

 

[DVC Jen]

We always take advantage of early morning extra magic hours (or whatever they have called it in the past). I just never stressed out about it. Are you staying on site? Will you be able to utilize this perk?

When we were at the MK last year for rope drop we were only able to ride the rides in Fantasyland for about the first hour or so. After that we stood just outside Adventureland while they played the opening speil over the loud speaker. When it was over the CM dropped the rope to that area of the park. We were one of the first to ride quite a few rides.

Just plan wisely, play it smart, relax and have a great time.

 

[MinnieM21]

When we were there in December, they let people through the turnstiles but didn't let them go through the tunnels until after the Opening Ceremony (where Mickey and the characters, and the Mayor sang and welcomed everyone). Then they let us on Main Street but had all of the lands blocked off(someone was standing there). Then at 9am, we were allowed to walk behind the CM slowly to the attraction we wanted to go on.

I found this much better than Disneyland's rope drop because no one got pushed by someone else and no one got hurt. I had seen so many little kids at Disneyland get hurt and pushed down because people get so overly excited about getting to the attraction they want.

 

[Stacey2grls]

We are going to Disney in less than 3 weeks. I too plan on taking advantage of EMH, getting myself up by 5:00, getting my two girls ready, getting my husband up, I joked if he didn't get up I would tazer him! To arrive hopefully at MK by 7:00. Do I hope to take advantage of getting on as many rides as possible, yes! But, it's all luck of the draw, anything extra is just that extra. You can't stress over every last detail, there are some things beyond your control. The best things in life aren't always planned or expected.

 

[janette]

The worst rope drops are at MGM, especially going to TOT & RnRC. My girls have been first in that line a couple of times. Once they were allowed to go on RnRC twice because they stayed with the CM and some guests ran ahead.

I've found the entire day goes better if you are one of the first in the park. We try to get there at least an hour before opening, often we've had a bus to ourselves from the resort in the morning. (They start way before posted times)

At MK it may depend on the crowds as to whether they let people in past the turnstiles. I've seen it done both ways. If it's really crowded they let some people in but crowd them between the two tunnels. We were waiting right at the turnstiles and had a better view of the opening show and got into the park faster than many of the people in the crowd.

If they open part of the park early they'll have rope drops into the areas that open later. We've done the one at ToonLand and Mickey & friends came to help drop the rope there.