Newbie Question: Opening vs Rope Drop

[deanimal]

We're going to be in Disneyland for the first time on New Years Day. It's predicted to be a very busy day, so we plan to get there as early as possible, but I'm a little confused about when opening time really is. If park hours are posted as 8 am to midnight, is that when they open the gates? Or do certain parts open earlier? When should we show up at the gates? (there's no Magic Morning that day) What exactly is Rope Drop, and where should we be when it occurs? Any tips for what to do while waiting?

 

[sonnyjane]

They typically open up the gates about 30 minutes prior to the posted opening time to let people walk around Main Street and line up at the rope. There have been times that I've been at the park when it opened at say, 10:00, and even though I expected them to open the gates at 9:30, they didn't open until closer to 9:45 or 9:50.

"Rope Drop" is literally when they drop the rope that is separating Main Street from the rest of the park. They drop the rope at posted park opening, and do a little countdown, but it's not a big show or anything. If it's important for you to be right in the front, and since it's not a MM day, you'll want to be inside the park when they open up the gates 30 min before, so lining up about 45 minutes before the park opens would be a good idea.

 

[Malcon10t]

We're going to be in Disneyland for the first time on New Years Day. It's predicted to be a very busy day, so we plan to get there as early as possible, but I'm a little confused about when opening time really is. If park hours are posted as 8 am to midnight, is that when they open the gates? Or do certain parts open earlier? When should we show up at the gates? (there's no Magic Morning that day) What exactly is Rope Drop, and where should we be when it occurs? Any tips for what to do while waiting?

If the park opens at 9am or 10am, the turnstiles will open usually about 30 mins prior to allow people on Main St. They will stop people from progressing past the end of Main St, before the Hub. There will be a rope across the road. Then "rope drop" happens at park opening, dropping the rope, and allowing entry into the rest of the park.

When the park opens at 8am, there is no rope drop, the turnstiles simply open at 8am.

 

[erocrobro]

Do they have an opening show like the ones at WDW?

 

[HydroGuy]

Do they have an opening show like the ones at WDW?

No they don't.

 

[lisachrystine]

When the park opens at 8am, there is no rope drop, the turnstiles simply open at 8am.

That's not entirely true - we were there last Sunday - 8 am opening and entered about 7:40 (we had Magic Morning) and turnstiles were open and people were lined up on Main Street at the rope with a separate line for MM people to bypass. Maybe it's only on MM? Or, if projected crowd levels are high...