Park Entrance Processes?

[SummerPicnic]

Hello,

Can someone refer me to info where I can find out exactly the steps and processes to get into each park?

I have a 10 yo with anxiety and panic about crowds. The disAbilities board has lots of good info that has helped me with strategies for inside the parks, but I just want to ask a more generalized question about park entrances.

If I know what to expect on how to get into the parks, then it will help me a ton in managing his crowd anxiety.

Useful background info: Staying offsite, driving a rental car, wearing MagicBands, we will have bags, and getting to the parks for Rope Drop. Our trip is Nov 2017.
Caveat about Rope Drop - we are morning people and we are planning to get to the parks before they open, but have no desire to brave extra crowds to be the 1st ones thru the gates! We can hang back and let the rush through first.

MK: I park the rental car at the TTC and ride a tram from my car to the TTC. Do I go thru bag check here at the TTC?
Then I get on either the Monorail or a ferry to MK. Which is better and why?
Is there a map of the TTC so I know where to go?
Do I go thru bag check at the MK? Or if I did a bag check back at the TTC do I just walk thru the gates and scan my Magic Band?
Any particular gate at the MK? Left, right, etc?
If I am waiting outside the gates before the park opens, I stand outside the gates in a crowd? Then they open the gates to Main Street and everyone can mill about Main Street until actual RD that happens down by the castle?

Epcot/AK/HS: I can park at each of these parks, ride a tram from my car to the gates?
Go thru a bag check area first, and then wait outside the gates in a crowd for RD?
Scan my Magic Band at the gates and then I'm in?
Any particular gates? Left, right, etc?

Any info on what to expect or what to look for so I'm not standing in the wrong crowd or the wrong line


thanks so much

 

[Klayfish]

Hello,

Can someone refer me to info where I can find out exactly the steps and processes to get into each park?

I have a 10 yo with anxiety and panic about crowds. The disAbilities board has lots of good info that has helped me with strategies for inside the parks, but I just want to ask a more generalized question about park entrances.

If I know what to expect on how to get into the parks, then it will help me a ton in managing his crowd anxiety.

Useful background info: Staying offsite, driving a rental car, wearing MagicBands, we will have bags, and getting to the parks for Rope Drop. Our trip is Nov 2017.
Caveat about Rope Drop - we are morning people and we are planning to get to the parks before they open, but have no desire to brave extra crowds to be the 1st ones thru the gates! We can hang back and let the rush through first.

MK: I park the rental car at the TTC and ride a tram from my car to the TTC. Do I go thru bag check here at the TTC?
Then I get on either the Monorail or a ferry to MK. Which is better and why?
Is there a map of the TTC so I know where to go?
Do I go thru bag check at the MK? Or if I did a bag check back at the TTC do I just walk thru the gates and scan my Magic Band?
Any particular gate at the MK? Left, right, etc?
If I am waiting outside the gates before the park opens, I stand outside the gates in a crowd? Then they open the gates to Main Street and everyone can mill about Main Street until actual RD that happens down by the castle?

Epcot/AK/HS: I can park at each of these parks, ride a tram from my car to the gates?
Go thru a bag check area first, and then wait outside the gates in a crowd for RD?
Scan my Magic Band at the gates and then I'm in?
Any particular gates? Left, right, etc?

Any info on what to expect or what to look for so I'm not standing in the wrong crowd or the wrong line


thanks so much

We stay offsite too, so we do this routine all the time....

MK: I park the rental car at the TTC and ride a tram from my car to the TTC. Do I go thru bag check here at the TTC? Yes, you go through bag check as soon as you get off the tram
Then I get on either the Monorail or a ferry to MK. Which is better and why? 6 of one, half dozen of the other as far as time goes. Ferry runs less often, but holds a lot more people...well, technically it just takes the ferry longer to load/unload because it holds so many people. Monorail holds less people, but loads every few minutes in the morning.
Is there a map of the TTC so I know where to go? Probably part of the MK map on WDW website, I'd have to look. However, there are very clear signs and lots of CMs around that you can ask. It's pretty easy, nothing to get too worried about. Basically, the monorail line is straight ahead when you get through security and past the ticket booths, the ferry will be to your left. One tip...be sure to remember where in the parking lot you are. There is a "hero" side of the parking lot and a "villain" side. When you return to the TTC, you need to know which side you're on, as the tram stops for each are in different areas.
Do I go thru bag check at the MK? Or if I did a bag check back at the TTC do I just walk thru the gates and scan my Magic Band? No bag check at MK, you already did it at TTC. Just walk up and scan
Any particular gate at the MK? Left, right, etc? Whichever has the shortest line. Really. There's no magic to this one. Look for ones on the ends, as people tend to gather in the middle.
If I am waiting outside the gates before the park opens, I stand outside the gates in a crowd? Then they open the gates to Main Street and everyone can mill about Main Street until actual RD that happens down by the castle? We don't rope drop, sorry, can't help there. We show up either when the park opens or 15 minutes after. But I believe you can now go on Main St one hour before park open.

Epcot/AK/HS: I can park at each of these parks, ride a tram from my car to the gates? Yes, or walk, depending how far away from the gates you are.
Go thru a bag check area first, and then wait outside the gates in a crowd for RD? Yes, bag check first. Again, don't know much about rope drop, but I think you wait outside
Scan my Magic Band at the gates and then I'm in? Yes
Any particular gates? Left, right, etc? Same as above, just find the shortest line.

If your son has crowd anxiety, I'm not really sure if WDW has anything special they can do about that or not, haven't tried to deal with it. However, just to be prepared, even at 9:15am, there is still quite a crowd. Getting on the tram from the parking lot is very crowded. Quite a large group of people constantly trying to get on it, and it can be a little chaotic at times (people rush for the cars as soon as the tram stops...most people are respectful and wait their turn, but some don't). You may just want to walk instead. The MK ferry and monorail are pretty packed too first thing in the morning. CMs pack the monorail cars pretty full, ferry may be a bit better. It'll have a lot of people on it, but a bit more breathing room...try going upstairs to the top deck...a bit less crowded and spectacular views. Crowds are also large at security and the tap points. They move through amazingly fast, considering how big the crowd is. However, it's still a large crowd.

 

[yulilin3]

Hello,

Can someone refer me to info where I can find out exactly the steps and processes to get into each park?

I have a 10 yo with anxiety and panic about crowds. The disAbilities board has lots of good info that has helped me with strategies for inside the parks, but I just want to ask a more generalized question about park entrances.

If I know what to expect on how to get into the parks, then it will help me a ton in managing his crowd anxiety.

Useful background info: Staying offsite, driving a rental car, wearing MagicBands, we will have bags, and getting to the parks for Rope Drop. Our trip is Nov 2017.
Caveat about Rope Drop - we are morning people and we are planning to get to the parks before they open, but have no desire to brave extra crowds to be the 1st ones thru the gates! We can hang back and let the rush through first. -I wouldn't "hang back" the rush of people will not stop until about noon time so if you are there just get in line and enter. Don't wait

MK: I park the rental car at the TTC and ride a tram from my car to the TTC. Do I go thru bag check here at the TTC?- Yes and depending on how close and how early you walk to the TTC
Then I get on either the Monorail or a ferry to MK. Which is better and why?- When there is new people in my group I like to take the ferry over and the monorail back but either one is fine
Is there a map of the TTC so I know where to go?-No map but you will see where to go, just follow the crowd
Do I go thru bag check at the MK? Or if I did a bag check back at the TTC do I just walk thru the gates and scan my Magic Band? -No bag check at MK anymore you just walk to the gates
Any particular gate at the MK? Left, right, etc?
If I am waiting outside the gates before the park opens, I stand outside the gates in a crowd? Then they open the gates to Main Street and everyone can mill about Main Street until actual RD that happens down by the castle?-Yes they open the MK and you can walk up and down Main Street, after each land will have a rope and that will open at 9am

Epcot/AK/HS: I can park at each of these parks, ride a tram from my car to the gates?-Yes or walk
Go thru a bag check area first, and then wait outside the gates in a crowd for RD? -Yes
Scan my Magic Band at the gates and then I'm in?-Yes
Any particular gates? Left, right, etc?

Any info on what to expect or what to look for so I'm not standing in the wrong crowd or the wrong line - Just look for the crowd of people in line and in any case there will be Cast Members around so you can ask tthem if you feel lost


thanks so much

 

[SummerPicnic]

Thank you, Klayfish!

If there's any early morning folks out there, when does the TTC open? I wonder if the TTC and the monorail/ferry are less crowded if I go thru those areas super-early?

Then we can park ourselves outside the MK gates and play games until the MK gates open?

Assuming the Main Street railroad doesn't start running until actual Rope Drop time and not at MK park opening prior to RD?
Should I get in line for the railroad when the park opens before RD?

 

[Klayfish]

Thank you, Klayfish!

If there's any early morning folks out there, when does the TTC open? I wonder if the TTC and the monorail/ferry are less crowded if I go thru those areas super-early?

Then we can park ourselves outside the MK gates and play games until the MK gates open?

Assuming the Main Street railroad doesn't start running until actual Rope Drop time and not at MK park opening prior to RD?
Should I get in line for the railroad when the park opens before RD?

I think the TTC opens pretty early. We have rope dropped in the past, but don't do it anymore. Even when we did, we were never first to show up. I'd think you'd have to be pretty darn early to be one of the really early ones. Even then I'm not sure how much it'll help you. It would definitely help with the crowd on the tram, ferry/monorail, but once at the gate, you'll be sitting there as the crowd starts to build. It'll get bigger and bigger and bigger, so at some point you'll be in quite a large crowd. You'll be at the front of it, but you'll still be in it.

The only real way to avoid that massive rush is to show up at least 90 minutes or so after the park opens, maybe 2 hours. It's still crowded getting in, but not as bad. By lunch, it's a much more slow and steady stream. If you want to get in the early part of the day, unfortunately, there's just no way around the big crowd...not that I know of.

Not sure when the railroad starts running. But out of curiosity, why are you planning on going right to it at park open? I love the train, but it just takes you on a slow tour around MK. It's much faster to walk, especially at park open.