I've Got some Rope Drop Questions

[BrianL]

Okay, so I am getting ready for a trip in a week. I will be going with a friend who has never been. He is not that into rides, i.e. thrill rides, but will love the "show" on rides, even if they have some thrilling elements. He's a bigger guy and gets around okay, but he's got a bad knee too, and won't want to exacerbat that. Anyway, we have one morning at DL with a hop to CA, then the opposite two days later. I want to hit his highlights, but also be smart about how we do it. He's a big Star Wars guy, so that's a must (we are doing Savi's on the second day - his birthday!). It's been a little while for me at DL. So, which way should I head first:

• Haunted Mansion Holiday - this is a big one for him, so maybe just knock it out. How fast does the line build with the overlay?
• Rise of the Resistance - do we hig SWGE first and work our way back out?
• Runaway Railway - Newest thing in the park. I definitely want to see it, though I have been on the WDW version.
• Indiana Jones - I have had bad luck with this not opening on time and having issues. Also, it is a bit rougher and might ruin his day. I am leaning against this, but I still think he needs to do it once.
• Fantasyland/Peter Pan - I know the line at Pete rPan gets long fast and is slow. It is also the quintessential Disney ride and for a first-timer, maybe worth considering.

Note that we are offsite so there is the 30 minutes early entry. They were not doing that last time I was out, so I don't know how that impacts. Is Peter Pan even worth bothering with if the early entry crowd is there or do they focus elsewhere?

I think Iv'e got our CA monring pretty much no problem. I think we will hit Guardians or WebSlingers first, and we can Single Rider Radiator Springs. I hope he can tolerate Guardians - he really needs to see that one too!

Anyway, thanks for any guidance.

 

[twodogs]

ROTR is not open in EE but it is a mad dash from 3 points in the parks (from EE guests in Fantasyland, and regular guests in Adventureland and Frontierland) at RD. If he is not able to power walk at a very high speed, I would not attempt ROTR at RD if you are trying to have a short wait. Even if you are a fast walker and at the rope when the rope drops, you will still have some wait because the EE folks will be ahead of you. It will build to an hour before you guys can get there, I am afraid, if you walk at even a moderate pace. I would ILL$ that one if you can afford to.

PP will already have a line at RD due to resort EE guests, but it might be around 30 minutes at regular RD. @WonkaKid can probably lend more specifics on the timing for non_EE guests on this one. Even though PP has a line from EE guests at RD, the other FL rides are usually easy to do very quickly at RD, so you could consider doing PP/FL at RD IMO and just waiting whatever it is for PP.

MMRR does not get a huge line immediately, so I would do that one in the first hour or so of the park, but not immediately at RD.

IJ does not always run at RD as you know. It is a gamble to RD it.

HMH will be very popular and the line stays long all day for the overlay version in my experience. I would consider RD HMH (if you don't RD PP and Fantasyland) and then hit BTMRR (if not too rough), POTC (no G+), and then either head to SWGE and ride MFSR (if not too rough; they have single rider) and do your ILL$ for ROTR (or standby, because it will be an hour all day basically and if you are willing to wait that amount of time, just get in line when you are over there), OR do Indy and Jungle Cruise next since you are over that way after you finish POTC.

 

[BrianL]

ROTR is not open in EE but it is a mad dash from 3 points in the parks (from EE guests in Fantasyland, and regular guests in Adventureland and Frontierland) at RD. If he is not able to power walk at a very high speed, I would not attempt ROTR at RD if you are trying to have a short wait. Even if you are a fast walker and at the rope when the rope drops, you will still have some wait because the EE folks will be ahead of you. It will build to an hour before you guys can get there, I am afraid, if you walk at even a moderate pace. I would ILL$ that one if you can afford to.

PP will already have a line at RD due to resort EE guests, but it might be around 30 minutes at regular RD. @WonkaKid can probably lend more specifics on the timing for non_EE guests on this one. Even though PP has a line from EE guests at RD, the other FL rides are usually easy to do very quickly at RD, so you could consider doing PP/FL at RD IMO and just waiting whatever it is for PP.

MMRR does not get a huge line immediately, so I would do that one in the first hour or so of the park, but not immediately at RD.

IJ does not always run at RD as you know. It is a gamble to RD it.

HMH will be very popular and the line stays long all day for the overlay version in my experience. I would consider RD HMH (if you don't RD PP and Fantasyland) and then hit BTMRR (if not too rough), POTC (no G+), and then either head to SWGE and ride MFSR (if not too rough; they have single rider) and do your ILL$ for ROTR (or standby, because it will be an hour all day basically and if you are willing to wait that amount of time, just get in line when you are over there), OR do Indy and Jungle Cruise next since you are over that way after you finish POTC.

That's just the kind of advice I was looking for! I like it. I think we will not try SWGE and just buy Rise or wait for it. I think we may jsu tnot bother with Pater Pan, but do other Fantasyland rides instead. I am leaning toward hitting HM and POTC first (another iconic classic!). We will try to get over to MMRR early-ish.

We may or may not spring for Genie+, but we will see. He may not want to ride a lot of the rides that are on it. He is "going to see how it goes." I won't put him on the really rough stuff - no Matterhorn or Incredicoaster. Space probably would have been a no, but it's closed anyway. Big Thunder is borderline - maybe I can convince him. he just needs to not bang that knee up - no Goofy's Sky School, ha ha - that's a knee destroyer!

 

[Pluto468]

Given the RD issues with various rides you mentioned, RD Haunted Mansion or Fantasyland is your best bet. I always like to start with Fantasyland. Peter Pan is my must-do every visit and I usually start there. There are other fun rides in Fantasyland if you don't want to try the PP line.

The fact that your friend isn't super into rides will be helpful, because there isn't so much pressure to race around the park doing them.

I think LL for Rise is the best way to do it. It's totally worth it and will free up your time for other things. Have fun making Light Sabers! My son loved Savi's.

 

[BrianL]

Given the RD issues with various rides you mentioned, RD Haunted Mansion or Fantasyland is your best bet. I always like to start with Fantasyland. Peter Pan is my must-do every visit and I usually start there. There are other fun rides in Fantasyland if you don't want to try the PP line.

The fact that your friend isn't super into rides will be helpful, because there isn't so much pressure to race around the park doing them.

I think LL for Rise is the best way to do it. It's totally worth it and will free up your time for other things. Have fun making Light Sabers! My son loved Savi's.

Ha ha, yeah, he's not a race around the park kind of guy - but I am! I will definitely want to ride a few that he won't. I'll use Single Rider as I can. he is not opposed to just sitting on a banch and people watching. We'll figure it out.

I love Fantasyland too - I don't knwo how into classic Disney he will be. He loves artistry though, so he may appreciate it. Those rodes don't really rock you around either, so they are perfect for him. Doe the non-PP rides build up fast - could we do them after HM and POTC?

I have held off on getting a lightsaber, but he wanted to go for his birthday. It's weird because it's really a family thing where his mother-in-law invited him out. I said I could tag along and be tour guide - this was like over a year ago. As it happens, I am indeed tagging along! His wife is not though, so I will try to be a good buffer with his in-laws.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I enjoy starting my day with Fantasyland. Even with the early entry, you will find that you can still get several of those done first thing in the morning. Your friend may indeed appreciate the artistry, nostalgia, and even Disney-ness of those rides. Aside from Pan, the Fantasyland dark ride that always seems to build its line fastest is Alice in Wonderland, so that's a good one to hit first. Then either Snow White or Toad, then the other one, then Pinocchio as time permits. You could probably get all of those done and then still make it to Mansion between 9 and 9:30 before the line has gotten bad. If on the other hand you have purchased Genie+, then use your Genie+ selection for Haunted Mansion sometime early in the day but head to ToonTown after Fantasyland to ride Mickey's Runaway Railway which shouldn't have too bad a wait yet, maybe 15-30 minutes at that time of day. Skip Peter Pan on your first pass through Fantasyland and just fit it in if time permits. Peter Pan seems to hover around the 30 minute mark often these days. I generally don't bother getting in the line if it says more than 35 minutes because it will likely be less again at some point, and I don't want to burn all that time waiting in line early in the day.

If there is no interest in the Fantasyland/Toontown rides, then an alternative starting plan would be to walk toward Indy. If it's open, ride it first, then Mansion. If Indy's not open, then head straight to Mansion. If you want to give Thunder a go, then try that next because that line without Genie+ just seems to get stupid. All three of those rides are on Genie+ of course if you end up wanting to try that route instead. None of those three rides offer single rider.

I would not generally count on rope dropping Rise because it's one of the rides high on the list of most often not open at park opening. In this case, I would probably do as others have suggested and splurge on the ILL for a time when you plan to be hanging out in Galaxy's Edge anyway.

 

[BrianL]

That's some good advice. Alice is my favorite of the Fantasyland rides anyway, so I would definitely want to do that one. G+ is up in the air, but it may be worth it. At WDW I have been tending to NOT buy G+ but just buy a couple of ILL selections. That seems to work well for me.

 

[WonkaKid]

PP will already have a line at RD due to resort EE guests, but it might be around 30 minutes at regular RD. @WonkaKid can probably lend more specifics on the timing for non_EE guests on this one. Even though PP has a line from EE guests at RD, the other FL rides are usually easy...

Generally, the wait time for PP at RD is about 15-20 mins if you're among the initial crowd. We do it regularly and are usually the first ones there. Then several hundred people fill in behind us over the next few minutes. Definitely worth trying. I always like to say "Do Peter Pan first or not at all."

MMRR does not get a huge line immediately, so I would do that one in the first hour or so of the park, but not immediately at RD.

I've done M&MRR about five times in total. Anytime that I've rope-dropped, it's been a walk-on, essentially. Even if I do a few rides in FL (PP and Mr. Toad, for example) and then walk over, it's still a pretty short line.

IJ does not always run at RD as you know. It is a gamble to RD it.

About three months ago I rope-dropped IJ three Sundays in a row. I was first nearly every time. However, for the first two Sundays it was closed once I got there. As @twodogs suggests, it's a roll of the dice. Conversely, fortune favors the bold ;-). Good luck with everything!

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

I think the big decision has to be: Is PP or HM your priority?

Both of these will develop (and maintain) big lines throughout the day. Since fast walking all the way to FL is going to be an issue, the line at PP will probably be longer than 10-20 min by the time you get there. The problem with PP is they don’t have the same ride capacity as HM, so the wait time builds quickly and is consistent through a greater part of the day. HM can churn through a lot of people, so at RD, even if you’re not at the front of the pack, you’re still more likely to have a fairly short wait.

So you could RD Pp and have a bit shorter of a wait than later in the day, or RD HM and almost certainly have a shorter wait. But either way, you may not make it to the other ride (without a long wait).

Genie+ is a big variable here though, since you can get a LL for HM but not for PP.

Personally I would:

• RD HM
• Buy an ILL for RotR
• Go to MMRR during a normal meal time or during one of the parade times
• Only plan on PP during a parade or fireworks slot, or bypass it

As much as I love PP, the wait never seems to be worth it to me.

 

[BrianL]

I think the big decision has to be: Is PP or HM your priority?

Both of these will develop (and maintain) big lines throughout the day. Since fast walking all the way to FL is going to be an issue, the line at PP will probably be longer than 10-20 min by the time you get there. The problem with PP is they don’t have the same ride capacity as HM, so the wait time builds quickly and is consistent through a greater part of the day. HM can churn through a lot of people, so at RD, even if you’re not at the front of the pack, you’re still more likely to have a fairly short wait.

So you could RD Pp and have a bit shorter of a wait than later in the day, or RD HM and almost certainly have a shorter wait. But either way, you may not make it to the other ride (without a long wait).

Genie+ is a big variable here though, since you can get a LL for HM but not for PP.

Personally I would:

• RD HM
• Buy an ILL for RotR
• Go to MMRR during a normal meal time or during one of the parade times
• Only plan on PP during a parade or fireworks slot, or bypass it

As much as I love PP, the wait never seems to be worth it to me.

That's a good plan. I do want to watch the parade once though. I think PP is very skippable personally. I think I will recommend HM and just go from there.

 

[Geemo]

Okay, so I am getting ready for a trip in a week. I will be going with a friend who has never been. He is not that into rides, i.e. thrill rides, but will love the "show" on rides, even if they have some thrilling elements. He's a bigger guy and gets around okay, but he's got a bad knee too, and won't want to exacerbat that. Anyway, we have one morning at DL with a hop to CA, then the opposite two days later. I want to hit his highlights, but also be smart about how we do it. He's a big Star Wars guy, so that's a must (we are doing Savi's on the second day - his birthday!). It's been a little while for me at DL. So, which way should I head first:

• Haunted Mansion Holiday - this is a big one for him, so maybe just knock it out. How fast does the line build with the overlay?
• Rise of the Resistance - do we hig SWGE first and work our way back out?
• Runaway Railway - Newest thing in the park. I definitely want to see it, though I have been on the WDW version.
• Indiana Jones - I have had bad luck with this not opening on time and having issues. Also, it is a bit rougher and might ruin his day. I am leaning against this, but I still think he needs to do it once.
• Fantasyland/Peter Pan - I know the line at Pete rPan gets long fast and is slow. It is also the quintessential Disney ride and for a first-timer, maybe worth considering.

Note that we are offsite so there is the 30 minutes early entry. They were not doing that last time I was out, so I don't know how that impacts. Is Peter Pan even worth bothering with if the early entry crowd is there or do they focus elsewhere?

I think Iv'e got our CA monring pretty much no problem. I think we will hit Guardians or WebSlingers first, and we can Single Rider Radiator Springs. I hope he can tolerate Guardians - he really needs to see that one too!

Anyway, thanks for any guidance.

You mention "he's got bad knees", If he plans to walk the entire trip, you may find he gets to a point where a scooter would be helpful. Especially at the end of the night for the brutal walk back to the hotel.

I recommend having the contact number for a local scooter rental company in case you find he needs one. I like using Select Scooter Rental they're in the BestWestern Park Place Inn lobby.

Enjoy your time in the parks!!

 

[BrianL]

You mention "he's got bad knees", If he plans to walk the entire trip, you may find he gets to a point where a scooter would be helpful. Especially at the end of the night for the brutal walk back to the hotel.

I recommend having the contact number for a local scooter rental company in case you find he needs one. I like using Select Scooter Rental they're in the BestWestern Park Place Inn lobby.

Enjoy your time in the parks!!

It's just the one from an old injury. It shouldn't be bad unless something exacerbates it. He gets around decently most of the time. If I put him on The Matterhorn he'd probably be done though!