Morning MK rope drop strategy with preschoolers

[Surgie2]

We will be visiting early May 2018, staying onsite at Poly and will have kids 5,5,4 and 13 months with us (6 adults).

We will have 8-day park passes (maybe Hopper) giving us lots of chances to repeat MK which will likely be the favorite. A friend with an AP who goes frequently with younger children suggested keeping it simple - no rope drop mornings, schedule 3 AM FP+ @ 9:00, 10:00 and 11:00. Then see what the kids want to do next, have lunch and return to resort...maybe visiting MK again after dinner.

In theory I like the relaxed approach and I don't want to keep kids in the park longer than it is fun just to get my "money's worth". But I think our group can handle rope drop on some mornings when we haven't been in the park the night before (maybe not an EMH morning).

What strategy would you suggest for a rope drop morning? 13 month old along for the ride...4 year old will have some height restrictions...But in general, is it feasible to try for 3 rides right after rope drop and then use FP starting at 9, 10, 11? Which direction to walk with the new opening procedure? Help! Planning was so much easier on our last all-adult, paper FP Trip!

 

[Surgie2]

And to add to the above ^^ we will arrive on a Friday and will stay at the resort, so Saturday is our first park day. I can't quite imagine NOT going to MK that day but certain sites say to avoid MK on weekends in May. I assume with a FP plan we can make it work?

 

[pitpat]

if you head for Adventureland first thing, you can knock out Jungle Cruise, Magic Carpets and Pirates by 10am. Not sure if you plan on doing BTMRR and Splash, but those waits usually aren't bad yet (or you can FP)

Peter Pan can be another FP, you can watch the Muppets when it fits, and get a 4th FP for Haunted Mansion or Small World. Fit lunch in somewhere, then you can do whatever you want out of Country Bears, Tiki Room, Treehouse , Tom Sawyer Island at your leisure.

It works out nicely and stress free.

 

[pitpat]

Similarly for Tomorrowland, you can get Buzz, Astro Orbiters, Speedway, Dumbo, Barnstormer done first and have FP for Winnie, 7DMT and another choice (not sure if there are girls who want Princesses or Belle)

Then hit things like Carousel, Tea Cups, Laugh Floor...

Having many MK days definitely helps.

 

[Surgie2]

Similarly for Tomorrowland, you can get Buzz, Astro Orbiters, Speedway, Dumbo, Barnstormer done first and have FP for Winnie, 7DMT and another choice (not sure if there are girls who want Princesses or Belle)

Then hit things like Carousel, Tea Cups, Laugh Floor...

Having many MK days definitely helps.

Thanks for advice, pitpat. So if I'm understanding correctly, one day at rope drop, go to Adventureland and do what you suggested and on another day, focus on Tomorrowland. We do have girls in the group who will want to meet Princesses but whether we do that at character meals or FP or both is TBD.

I have used Touring Plans with good success in the past but their plans often have a lot of zig zagging and we are trying to go without strollers except for the baby so we are trying to conserve everyone's energy - especially with May heat.

 

[pitpat]

Those have both worked well for us in the past. The order makes sense and limits zigzagging back and forth across the park. It makes your FP priorities much more manageable for each day as well.

Have fun.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Hi @Surgie2!

Promise I didn't follow you over here! Saw the thread name and it caught my eye since most of my trips have been with DS 3-6 and for some DD2 has been along for the ride. So I've been in that age "zone" in my travels.

For a 9AM opening, I'm a fan of rope dropping the park, do some quick standby rides, then FPs 10, 11, & 12, or sometimes 9:30, 10:30, 11:30AM. Lunch in the park or back at Poly. Rest and/or pool. Then back out later if spirits are good. That would be a typical day for us.

I am constantly amazed how much you can do in the first hour or even two after opening if you really put your mind to it. I don't care the time of year or crowd levels, rope drop is the great equalizer. I treat that hour as gold!

With 8 park days you have plenty of time to come/go with the parks and spread things over multiple days. I suspect you'll end up in the MK several of those days, especially if you get the hoppers.

In my opinion I don't think you need to start your FPs right at 9AM (for a 9AM opening) except for something like 7DMT or PP. I would save the FPs for a bit later - like after 10AM - for when they are more 'valuable' as crowds build.

I agree with the idea above about picking a land or area of the park to focus for the first rope drop hour.

Take the back half of Fantasyland for example, if you head there after rope drop you could easily do Teacups, Dumbo, Barnstormer, and probably all four charachters at Pete's Silly Sidewhow in the first hour. Then start utilizing FP - like 7DMT from 10-11, PP from 11-12. Do WTP and Small World standby to kill time in between or stop to have a Mickey Bar. That would be a full day for us!

While on the topic of Rope Drop, have you followed the new rope drop procedures? For a 9AM opening, they now open the gates at 8AM and you can walk around Main Street. You're held at the hub until the opening show/9AM.

In my opinion the new procedure makes "doing rope drop" so much easier. Before you'd be stuck at the gates in a mob of people waiting. Now it's a much more orderly inflow of people.

Sorry, long post! My advice could be off above if you end up with 8AM openings during your trip, but the same ideas would still apply generally speaking.

Lots of ways to do Disney, but this is what seems to work pretty well for us. Good luck!

 

[pitpat]

Take the back half of Fantasyland for example, if you head there after rope drop you could easily do Teacups, Dumbo, Barnstormer, and probably all four charachters at Pete's Silly Sidewhow in the first hour.

I agree with your post, but that has you following the 7DMT crowd. Literally anywhere else you start has a fraction of the people heading in that direction.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I agree with your post, but that has you following the 7DMT crowd. Literally anywhere else you start has a fraction of the people heading in that direction.

Good point, agreed. If I were doing this I'd probably take the "long way" and go through Tomorrowland. A little longer walk but you're right, a lot less people there or in any of the other lands.

 

[Surgie2]

My advice could be off above if you end up with 8AM openings during your trip, but the same ideas would still apply generally speaking.

Thanks for the advice for the preschool set! I think on EMH morning hours, we may have the adults in the group go ride the Mountains at rope drop and meet us at MK or another park that has regular hours. It may be too ambitious for us to get to EMH rope drop as a whole group.

But for regular morning hours...and assuming the monorail is running, would you say being at the monorail by 8:15 would put us in MK by rope drop? Kids slow our walking down a bit

 

[Ambehnke]

My preschoolers are always awake for RD anyway so we figure we may as well beat the crowd! We leave and nap/relax mid day and then go back for night entertainment/more rides when the crowds go down.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Thanks for the advice for the preschool set! I think on EMH morning hours, we may have the adults in the group go ride the Mountains at rope drop and meet us at MK or another park that has regular hours. It may be too ambitious for us to get to EMH rope drop as a whole group.

But for regular morning hours...and assuming the monorail is running, would you say being at the monorail by 8:15 would put us in MK by rope drop? Kids slow our walking down a bit

To be honest I've never done MK EMH! I follow the "avoid the parks with EMH" theory so that's how I tend to pick where we go, but I don't think it's a hard/fast rule one way or the other. One of these days I need to do it to see what I'm missing!

For a regular 9AM park opening morning, I think leaving Poly at 8:15 is probably reasonable. Morning transportation options (monorail/boat) are usually pretty reliable but things can happen. You may want to give yourself a little extra time the first time you do it just in case. You have a pretty big crew, always seems to take longer to mobilize people than you think!

The good thing about the new rope drop is that you can leisurely stroll down Main Street, go to Starbucks, do some shopping, etc, if you're very early.

The new opening show is at 8:55 if I'm not mistaken.

Random thought, I tend to do the "visual boat test" with Poly....if I see a boat coming towards Poly, I'll go take it. If I don't see a boat, I go monorail (assuming it's running). Both are about the same in terms of timing. You may find the monorail easier with a stroller since you don't have to fold it up.

 

[Surgie2]

Random thought, I tend to do the "visual boat test" with Poly....if I see a boat coming towards Poly, I'll go take it. If I don't see a boat, I go monorail (assuming it's running). Both are about the same in terms of timing. You may find the monorail easier with a stroller since you don't have to fold it up.

Good tip!

 

[Thing 1]

If you get hoppers, I would encourage you to consider doing AM EMH at MK . Fantasyland is open then and the lines will be the lowest of any other times. I would consider FP SDMT and PP and you could likely get the most of the other things done in the early hour or so. I would strongly encourage Hoppers anyway. It gives you the option to return to a park after your rest or dinner that you did not start the day with. I would encourage you to also not to under estimate what 5 year olds can do. With preschool age boys we mostly took afternoon breaks but we still filled most of the day with park time. Most kids do just fine! While you certainly don't want to stress you kids out, no way were we paying that kind of money to spend 3 hours in the park. Remember also all families do not have to do the same thing the entire time. Your family can do EE and them meet up later in the day or even for lunch.

 

[buyerbrad]

Here is my day from last March Break...https://www.disboards.com/threads/mk-with-infant-toddler.3493043/

 

[Surgie2]

Here is my day from last March Break..

WOW! That's pretty amazing! Do you remember what time you had your first FP?

 

[buyerbrad]

Meet Daisy, Minnie, Goofy, Donald would have opened at 10am that day, so we normally make our 1st FP+ 1 hour after that.

 

[Klayfish]

A friend with an AP who goes frequently with younger children suggested keeping it simple - no rope drop mornings, schedule 3 AM FP+ @ 9:00, 10:00 and 11:00. Then see what the kids want to do next, have lunch and return to resort...maybe visiting MK again after dinner.

I think this is very sound advice. You can do plenty without having to get up extra early for rope drop. Nothing wrong with doing it if you want, but don't feel like you "must" to get your moneys' worth. There is great advice in the previous posts about how to be efficient.

Other advice I would give is use strollers. I know you said you wanted to do without it, but I'd highly recommend using them.

 

[Surgie2]

Other advice I would give is use strollers. I know you said you wanted to do without it, but I'd highly recommend using them.

I know, I know It's up to the parents to decide. I'm just Nana haha. They won't be bringing them on the flight (except for the baby) but we can rent onsite or offsite as needed. I thought for our MK mornings, if we keep the days shorter, the kids will be able to get from one spot to another on foot. I foresee them needing strollers at Epcot, though, especially if we all go together and want to see the F&G show. I'm hoping for an am EMH at Epcot so I can go on my own to see F&G.

 

[Surgie2]

Meet Daisy, Minnie, Goofy, Donald would have opened at 10am that day, so we normally make our 1st FP+ 1 hour after that.

Does this Meet and Greet always open an hour after the park opens, even on EMH mornings?