Magic Kingdom "Rope Drop Math"

[kaetra]

Rope Drop Math
TLDR - When Rope Dropping MK, you're still waiting 2 hours for 7DMT, just not in the ride's queue. Is it even worth it? Also, the Fantasyland bridge crowd crush at rope-drop is completely obnoxious.

I'm taking my boyfriend soon who's never been to WDW. I'm a commando-rope-dropper A-type seasoned Disney World veteran. I'm making our day plans now and I don't want my BF to be miserable. He doesn't like getting up early.

So, what's the real math on a typical wait time for 7DMT in a slower time of year, rope-dropping vs. 10am? If you're rope dropping - you get to the park an hour before it opens for Early Entry, then you hustle to the rope for Fantasyland and wait another 30 minutes until it opens, then you wait another 20 minutes to get on 7DMT in a quickly moving queue. You're still technically waiting almost 2 hours to get on the ride - you're just waiting in different places than the ride's queue. You're waiting outside of the Magic Kingdom gates, you're waiting in that miserable CRUSH of a mess on the Fantasyland bridge, then you're waiting in the actual queue.

I dunno if the math is working unless you are at the very front of the line at park entry (better get there even earlier than an hour before EE), then walk as fast as you can (don't run, you'll get in trouble!) to the Fantasyland rope on the bridge.

The Fantasyland bridge is always PACKED with people at rope drop, and they CUT left and right because they'll send a "runner" then have the slower moving members of their party cut the line to get to their group. It's Bull*hit. Unless your physical body is 1 inch from the Fantasyland rope at the far end of the bridge, you're gonna get shoved aside by A-types who do not think the normal rules of society apply to them. I've seen it so many times now and it's very disappointing. You're also smashed in so close with a bunch of obnoxious people across the bridge and everyone is trying to jostle for better position.

It's almost not worth rope-dropping, especially since there's literally no queue for TRON except the Virtual Queue.
Maybe I really can skip rope dropping MK this time?

What are your thoughts?

 

[gmi3804]

It depends on what else you want to get done. It's not about having a shorter wait overall for just one attraction. By rope-dropping, you can knock out a whole bunch of things after that. If you leisurely arrive even a half hour after opening time, you're going to have long lines at just about all the headliners, and those won't let up all day.

TourGuideMike had a sand-through-the-hourglass metaphor, wherein once you're through at the beginning, you're ahead of all the people who enter behind you, and only competing with those who are already in.

 

[musicguy856]

As someone who rope dropped it once and was actually the first person to enter the queue I’ll say it wasn’t worth it for me. It’s easier to wait until near park close and only be in line 20-30 minutes.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Yea, I’m in the club of “im on vacation”

I don’t need to rush
i want to enjoy myself and relax….

disney has been there my whole life, im sure I’ll be back or dead, if I’m dead I won’t care if I didn’t go on pirates on morn time…

on the other hand,

During extended hours and moonlight magic, I can usually everything I want in any of the parks in less than 2 hours

 

[disneyfan150]

I made the mistake of RDing 7DMT once. After all that headache, the ride didn't even open. Riding just before close is a good plan. DD loves Space Mountain (not sure why), so we often RD Tomorrowland. It is not quite as bad. Our other RD attraction is PP. Since most people are headed toward 7DMT, going to any other popular ride is a good choice. My sister and I are headed to WDW in a few weeks. I am trying to decide how early to get to RD since we will be heading to PP.

The RD method is not as great as it used to be. The secret got out. But it is still worth it to me.

BTW a newbie to WDW may not understand our love for the place. A number of years ago, DD's band played at WDW and some of my family came to see her. Some of us got up early to RD PP. When we got off the ride, my BIL did not understand our joy. He comment about going through all the rush for THAT ride. We still laugh and joke about that experience today.

 

[musicguy856]

I made the mistake of RDing 7DMT once. After all that headache, the ride didn't even open. Riding just before close is a good plan. DD loves Space Mountain (not sure why), so we often RD Tomorrowland. It is not quite as bad. Our other RD attraction is PP. Since most people are headed toward 7DMT, going to any other popular ride is a good choice. My sister and I are headed to WDW in a few weeks. I am trying to decide how early to get to RD since we will be heading to PP.

The RD method is not as great as it used to be. The secret got out. But it is still worth it to me.

BTW a newbie to WDW may not understand our love for the place. A number of years ago, DD's band played at WDW and some of my family came to see her. Some of us got up early to RD PP. When we got off the ride, my BIL did not understand our joy. He comment about going through all the rush for THAT ride. We still laugh and joke about that experience today.

Space is a good rope drop option. Back in April I was about 15 rows of people back at the Tomorrowland bridge and when the rope dropped I was able to skirt around the left side of the crowd and be the first in line for Space Mountain.

 

[DL1WDW2]

I have thought often about that “ Math “ … now I am trying to factor in cost of not sleeping all night worrying I will not hear alarm at 7:00 a.m.to Virtual Q Cosmic Rewind . Plus cost of Genie+ and Lightnin Lanes …
Maybe Universal Studios Orlando is answer .

 

[Minnie1222]

I only rope drop because I can't sleep past 6 A.M. The combination of rope dropping, Genie+ and iLL can get you on many rides.

 

[kaetra]

I made the mistake of RDing 7DMT once. After all that headache, the ride didn't even open. Riding just before close is a good plan. DD loves Space Mountain (not sure why), so we often RD Tomorrowland. It is not quite as bad. Our other RD attraction is PP. Since most people are headed toward 7DMT, going to any other popular ride is a good choice. My sister and I are headed to WDW in a few weeks. I am trying to decide how early to get to RD since we will be heading to PP.

The RD method is not as great as it used to be. The secret got out. But it is still worth it to me.

BTW a newbie to WDW may not understand our love for the place. A number of years ago, DD's band played at WDW and some of my family came to see her. Some of us got up early to RD PP. When we got off the ride, my BIL did not understand our joy. He comment about going through all the rush for THAT ride. We still laugh and joke about that experience today.

Yes, newbie's not getting it is definitely a pitfall to watch out for. I'm going to accept that I need to have a VERY casual approach to this trip.

It will be so hard! You'd think after 10 trips in 13 years I'd be over the Commando strategy by now!

 

[Tk0021]

My family just became rope droppers last year during christmas week. We have been to Disney three times prior, but the kids where to little to rope drop. Now that they are 10 and 12 it’s perfect because they are now faster than me and can get a head of a lot of people. Hence first in line at tower of terror two times in a row, but RD for 7DMT is dangerous. I cannot believe it happens the way it does. The two times we did it all four of us got separated and were in different spots in line. We had to meet up while walking through the queue. Which people are not happy about letting people in front of them even if they are kids.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

We’ve ridden 7D several times over the years, always waiting toward the end of the evening when the lines get shorter.

The longest we’ve ever waited was 20 minutes, and that was during opening week in 2014.

I can’t imagine waiting through the morning crowd for this one.

 

[gmi3804]

My family just became rope droppers last year during christmas week. We have been to Disney three times prior, but the kids where to little to rope drop. Now that they are 10 and 12 it’s perfect because they are now faster than me and can get a head of a lot of people. Hence first in line at tower of terror two times in a row, but RD for 7DMT is dangerous. I cannot believe it happens the way it does. The two times we did it all four of us got separated and were in different spots in line. We had to meet up while walking through the queue. Which people are not happy about letting people in front of them even if they are kids.

You probably should have all met the last person to join the line!

 

[Tk0021]

You probably should have all met the last person to join the line!

We did, but other people didn’t.