July 1 - first 8:00 a.m. opening - any guesses on opening procedures?

[SFMommy]

Our first park day will be July 1st...the first day with 8:00 a.m. openings.

Anyone willing to take a guess as to what time the security line will start moving, what time they'll open the gates or if any rides will be operating before the official park opening?

We have no problem getting up and out early. (One Thanksgiving morning at WDW, we left The Swan hotel at 5:45 a.m. to walk to Hollywood Studios.) But usually when we have a very early start, it's because I've done my homework and I know what time the gates will open, possible early ride starts, etc.

We are staying at the Residence Inn on Harbor/Katella and were planning on walking up to the Harbor entrance...maybe leaving the hotel around 6:15-6:30?

Just wondering what other July 1st-ers are planning?

Thanks!

 

[Tracieee]

Following as well be there mid-July! If I was going to be there on July 1, I’d probably plan on leaving the hotel around 6:05am to allow the ~10 minute walk up to the harbor entrance and be there by 6:15. That’s just my initial thought but I’m sure others have more thorough advice!

 

[abbeyroad6282]

We will be there July 1, for our first park day of the trip. Unless things drastically change shortly before, I plan to have us been in line by 630-7. We will be walking from Castle Inn and Suites.

 

[Matrixleos]

Key is when will DLR open the gates in the morning during July?

Currently, the parks officially open at 9am but they've consistently have been letting people in early at 8:15am. So It'd be worth getting to the Harbor gate at 7:00-7:30am.

So when the parks officially open an hour earlier at 8am, I'm assuming they will still let people in early at 7:15am. So I think it would be worth getting to the Harbor gate at 6:00-6:30am.

Our family plan is to wake up at 5am (we're coming from the east coast, so that's an easy 8am wake up for us). We're going to eat breakfast in the room, as we're planning to buy breakfast items from Porto's Bakery (Amazing Cuban Bakery just 10 minutes from DL) the day before. Leave our rooms at 5:55am so that we can hit The Cove on Harbor for morning coffee by 6am when they open.

 

[Tracieee]

I wonder whether with the switch to an 8 AM opening, people will, on average, start lining up a little less in advance (i.e. instead of 90 minutes before park opening, about 60 minutes). Given that to get there 90 minutes in advance of 8 AM, for example, they'd have to be parked and in line at 6:30 AM. As a non-morning person, there's a big difference between 7:30 AM and 6:30 AM for me

 

[DLRExpert]

At the beginning of July I expect the park entrance to open by 730am. I don’t expect the rope drop to happen until they figure out expected crowd level. Some attractions should also be open.

I expect crowd levels to be slightly lower but remember guests are still getting their BGs from home so they may need to be at the parks early enough to use it.