Is missing Rope Drop a big deal?

[CaryHaven]

I don't think I've ever been to it. Just too hard with little ones to get anywhere early. I know there's a show and then a mad dash to be first in line at popular rides. Is that it? I don't want to mad dash anywhere, and I would think the crowds are more congested then.

 

[NJAmanda]

We did it for the first time a few weeks ago by accident. We finished Kona breakfast early and saw the show. It was crowded but not bad at all. We stood about 10 feet back from the arch that you walk under to enter Main St. The kids enjoyed it but we wouldn't rush to do it all the time. The train pulled up and the characters got off and waved. We were glad we did it and will do it again sometime. The crowds that time of day once we were inside we're low and that allowed us to do a lot right away. I would say if it fits your schedule and you want to try it go ahead but don't worry if you would rather skip it. Have a great trip!

 

[Princess Katherine]

To us I guess. We like being the first ones to see Adventureland or something like that. Also no lines for anything if you get there quickly. We try to it almost very time, only at MK though.

Katie

 

[leebee]

It's said that if you can make it to rope drop, you'll get a lot done in the first few hours that the park is open, leaving you free to return to your resort for lunch, swim, nap, and back to the parks for the evening. We have never done rope drop. First, it is against everything in me to set an alarm to get up at 6am, especially as we don't hit the hay until at least 1am when at Disney! Secondly, we have no desire to leave a theme park once we are there, so it'd make us unbearably tired, cranky, and miserable to rise so early and stay all day!! Having said that, there are folks who swear by going to rope drop and are convinced they'd have to wait in line for hours and never get to do much if they weren't in the parks that early. To each his own.

 

[CaryHaven]

Great, thank you....we're doing 4 days at MK and two of those days we'll actually be in before RD for ADR. Then for the other two, I just don't know if we'll make it. Didn't know if we'd be missing anything else. At this point, I'm just praying we make the ADR's. Last time we were late. Trying to make the "perfect" trip and seeing "everything" is stressful. lol

 

[MrsDuck]

To us, yes.

It all boils down to your traveling style!

 

[jdb in AZ]

I'd rather stay late, but that's us. I'm allergic to mornings as it is. Too hard to get up early when we're on vacation.

 

[princess_ariel_85]

I'd rather stay late, but that's us. I'm allergic to mornings as it is. Too hard to get up early when we're on vacation.

Know the feeling!

We did rope drop at the Magic Kingdom on our first full day last year and to be perfectly honest we got alot done in the first 2 hours. Also I got a lovely shot of the castle without anyone else in the shot.

As the holiday went on the later we got up, personally I'm not an early riser so to do it once was an achievement. You should do what ever fits you and your family best. We've never really missed out on anything by getting up later.

 

[RMulieri]

Depends on when you are going..During peak times and between christmas and new years it means the difference between getting to experience rides with minimal to no waits and waiting 90+ minutes later in the day

 

[lroger01]

Really the only way to know if rope drop is for you is to try it once.

If you don't go to a park on your arrival day, then hitting rope drop your first park day should be easy(ish). You're excited to get started and hopefully you didn't stay up real late the night before.

You may just find out that touring an uncrowded park is worth getting up early, Or you may find a slower start and later nights work better. Either way the decision comes from your own experiences.

I'm a believer in the 3/4 day touring plan. Go the first 4 mornings to each park at rope drop and stay until 5pm or so. On the 4th day, leave at noon and return at 5 and stay until closing. The next two days are sleep in and stay till closing days. With this plan you get the best of both worlds, and have time each day to recover, enjoy your resort, do other things, and still get to see a lot of the parks.

 

[StuckInKS]

We have never done RD. We usually visit during times when MK and the other parks are open later (midnight-3am closing times most nights) and prefer to wake up late, take our time getting around, roll into the park around 2-4 pm and still get in a good 10-11 hours at the park. I LOVE the parks at night and would not trade that in for mornings. That said, this trip we will be going when the parks close very early, especially AK (5pm ) so we will have to change our touring style up a bit. We will only do 1 AK day for this reason, unless we break down and get PH (not likely unless we give up one of the parties to offset the cost).

 

[wendow]

To us, yes.

It all boils down to your traveling style!

This! We are not morning people in general but we prefer to get there for rope drop, fit as much as we can in by lunch, head back to the room for naps and/or pool, and then head back to the park for the evening. It works well for us. But I have family members who prefer to tour completely the opposite than us and that is fine. Just different styles

I would say for the opening show at MK, see it once just to see it. It's cute. My kids love it. But certainly not something you need to feel you have to see everyday.

 

[TeresaG]

To us, yes.

It all boils down to your traveling style!

Us too!

This year was the first year we made it to rope drop almost every MK morning. Every other year we slept in because I could not bring myself to set an alarm while on vacation. But for us (and my kids) getting on more rides with less lines was incentive enough to get up early.

But it really is up to your family's style! We've had great vacations whether we're there early or not.

We do love the opening show though. Not sure if we're just big saps, but it makes me tear up with happiness every time.

 

[wendow]

Not sure if we're just big saps, but it makes me tear up with happiness every time.

I must be a big sap too It totally makes me cry! And I've seen plenty of others around wiping their eyes

 

[ZehnJahren]

It's a necessity for me, and I always talk my traveling companions into it too - when I have some. Yes, there's a crowd, but once the park opens it disperses immediately.

I have also gotten to the parks around 11 or so, and the difference is amazing.

Crowds are greatest around 10 - 11 as the park fills up with those who slept in; by that time, I've usually ridden all the headliners and are going back for seconds. I rode everything I wanted to ride for the day at MK once by 11 a.m., then hopped on the ferry to the TTC and was at my second park by noon.

I am one of those people who go back to the resort for a break - and because I do that, I can also do late nights at the park. While the crowds are greater than in the morning, the parks are so lovely at night. And I don't need as much sleep at night when I rested during the day, so I am able to get up early the next morning too.

Can't wait for my next trip!

 

[circus4u]

For my wife and I, MK is more magical after dark, so we never go to rope drop and usually don't show up until 11 or noon at the earliest. Usually hit one of the parks before heading to the Magic Kingdom. In all honesty though, we are not big riders, so that would make a difference.

 

[tnd]

I don't know about rope drop per se, but I really like to get there within 30 minutes of opening (both for early entry and regular days). I have an 8 year old and 2 year old and while we were this past week they did not sleep in past 7:30 on any day, so getting to the parks by 8:30 or so was not that hard (we had a car). We are midday break people, especially in August with a toddler, so we like to do everything we can, eat lunch, and then get out of the parks by 1 or 2. This strategy usually allows us to hit all of the headliners early. Then in the evenings we either go back to the same park or a different one if we feel like we've done enough. For us with small kids, AK and DHS are half day parks. We skip the shows because the little one does not have the attention span yet.

I think when my kids are older, we will go later and stay later in the evening without a break, but for now, we like being there first thing.

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

I don't think I've ever been to it. Just too hard with little ones to get anywhere early. I know there's a show and then a mad dash to be first in line at popular rides. Is that it? I don't want to mad dash anywhere, and I would think the crowds are more congested then.

I normally travel solo so for me getting up and getting there for RD is not an issue. I have travelled a lot with a family with young children so I fully understand the obstacles with getting out early. Why I like it is the fact that from 9 to 11 am it is the opposite of congested. I can get half the park's rides done by the time the park gets congested. I also choose to get there early as I like to get out of the parks by 3 or so and go back and lounge by the pool for a few hours before dinner. But if not leaving the parks early isn't an issue, then no it isn't imperative to get there at RD.

 

[CaryHaven]

I'm going to go for it at least one day. If we don't get lost from Pop (again Lol) and can estimate the time for parking/monorail, we'll be set.

 

[starsweeper]

We've never seen the rope drop show, etc. but we prefer to make pre-park open ADRs. We have 4 kids 7yo and under, and at least 2 of them will be awake by 6:00am regardless of when they go to bed, so early mornings are easy for us. You do get a lot done in the first 2-3 hours and can relax the rest of the day.