Please describe rope drop

[ljca79]

I have been reading the boards for a while now and obviously have plenty of plans for what to do at rope drop. What I do not know, however, is what to expect at rope drop. Are there queues in which people stand to get in when the RD happens? Is it more of a free for all? When we get to the parks, is there somewhere specific we should stand to be waiting for RD? I mean - I am assuming this is not actually one big long rope that just drops to the ground at opening time... TIA!

 

[reisdawg]

This totally depends upon which park. For many of the parks, they let you into a holding area and try to calmly lead you to the most popular rides. For Epcot, they have a rope but they take it down while talking to the crowd or doing a show. Everyone is instructed to stay in place and they try to calmly lead you to Test Track or Soaring.

 

[JimmyV]

There are queues. There are free for alls. It all depends on where you are. At the MK, the first people to arrive get past the tapstiles and enter the area on the lake side of the train station. You cannot go under the archways to actually enter the MK. Those people are in "free for all" mode, jockeying for position to sprint through the archways once allowed to do so. (And "sprint" really means, really fast walking.) If the free for all area fills up, then the next wave of people will be waiting on the other side of the tapstiles, not yet through them. Those people tend to line up in an orderly fashion behind the tapstiles.....until.....the line backs up far enough such that all semblance of lines disappears and it seems as if it is a free for all again. But in reality, each person in that mass will actually have to eventually pick a tapstile line and get in it.

At DHS, (at least the last 4 or 5 times that I have been), the RD crowd all lines up at tapstiles. So you get the same effect as above. The first 30 or so people at each tapstile are in a "line", but as you move further back, those lines blur and become a mass. It looks like a free for all, but again, eventually, each person will have to choose a tapstile line and get in it.

At Epcot, I have only done RD at the IG. There are only a few tapstiles there, so the first 50 people or so appear to be in orderly lines. As you move back further toward the boat dock, it becomes more of a mass. But people generally respect other people's positions. It's not as if someone can get off a Friendship Boat and wiggle all the way up to the Security table. There have been times, (and I don't know if they are still doing it), that they will let you through the tapstiles at the IG and make your way past the UK, toward Future World where you are held in check. When that happens, you revert back to free for all mode after you get through the tapstile. But again, I haven't found too many instances of people pushing their way to the front. People tend to accept their place in the order.

 

[DisneyFive]

Think, running of the bulls.

j/k JimmyV describes it well. Ordered chaos, with the occasional weirdos that just HAVE to get somewhere right as they start letting people in. People mostly courteous.

We've never had any big issues. I do remember our first trip (2010), I was unaware of the whole rope drop thing, but we happened to get to Epcot pretty early. They let you in, but held you part way in the park. I was right at the front of the pack. All I knew is that I wanted fp's for Soarin, so when they dropped the rope I started walking over there. About half way there, to my shock, looking back I realized that pretty much EVERYONE was doing the same thing. Kind of a surreal event.

Dan

 

[cakebaker]

Wherever the mass of people are going, we go in the opposite direction. Doing rope drop and being at the park when it opens are 2 completely different things. One is a nightmare to us, the other is actually pleasant and not hurried at all.

 

[Robo]

This totally depends upon which park. For many of the parks, they let you into a holding area and try to calmly lead you to the most popular rides. For Epcot, they have a rope but they take it down while talking to the crowd or doing a show. Everyone is instructed to stay in place and they try to calmly lead you to Test Track or Soaring.

Sorry, but this is incorrect about Epcot and has not been the case for quite awhile.

Here's what's been happening with Theme Park Openings ("Rope Drops")-



MK still offers an actual Rope Drop SHOW along with an inside-the-gates holding area.

MK Gates open approx. 20-30 minutes "early."

But, the Rope Drop show starts about 8:45AM.



MK's Rope Drop Ceremony is called "Magic Kingdom Welcome" (see location HERE.)

Again, guests are usually admitted through the entrance gates starting about 20-30 minutes before

the posted opening time, but must then WAIT just inside the gates, in front of the train station (near the "floral Mickey face.")



The ceremony lasts 6-7 minutes, or so, and starts about 15 minutes before the scheduled MK opening time.

There is also a "mini" version (far less "hoopla") that lasts about 2-3 minutes.

There is also an "AUDIO ONLY" version (no characters at all) that lasts under minute.

That one starts about 2-3 minutes before the top of the hour.

Which one you will see can be tough to guess.



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DAK no longer offers a Rope Drop SHOW,

AND recently, no longer has an inside-the-park guest holding area.

DAK Gates open approx. 15 min. "early," and guests can enter the park and head

for their attractions of choice at that time.

Expedition Everest may likely not start admitting guests until the top of the hour.



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Epcot does not offer an internal Rope Drop SHOW,

AND no longer offers an inside-the-gates holding area.

There might be a "Welcome to Epcot" audio recording played as a chosen family waves "hello"

to other guests, maybe some confetti involved. (But, it is far below what could be called a "Show.")

Epcot gates (sometimes including the International Gateway) will likely open approx. 15 min. "early."

(Sometimes, on rare occasions when the park is very busy...

the front gates, at least, may open as much as 30 minutes early and guests may head to Soarin' or Test Track.)



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DHS No Rope Drop Show.
Gates likely open approx. 15 min. "early."

(DHS has opened as much as 30 min. early, but that's not been the case every day.)

The exception to this was last Summer (and MIGHT happen again this coming Summer)-
They held guests on Hollywood Blvd. for the duration of a FROZEN-based Rope Drop show,
then released them all at once... not a good idea at DHS, IMO.

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AM EMH entrance times seem to not be affected (figure entering 2-10 minutes before the AM EMH time, as usual.)

On AM EMH days, MK will offer some form of their Rope Drop Show

(may or may not be the "full show")

only for AM EMH guests,

and no show at all for the regular hours open time that morning.



As always, for better positioning in the crowds, arrive well before the posted opening time at all parks.



If staying at a WDW resort, plan to be at the bus stop about 45-60 min. before you want to ARRIVE at a given park.

(Arriving far too early beats arriving just a minute or two late.)



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[hedberg1661]

Honestly, if you don't have a FP for one of the big ticket attractions I would head there first. While others like to go the other direction I always enjoy getting in that first E Ticket ride to start off my day. Plan those FPs well and you will have a very full day.

 

[cgattis]

Just a note regarding MK rope drop...if you get through the tapstyles before opening, if you want to SEE the show, don't go all the way up to/under the arch. Also, if the sun is really bright, you'd better stand on the right side or you'll be looking right into it (d'oh!).

 

[SillyInventor]

I have seen video's on youtube of the park-opening crowd escorted through mainstreet by a front row of CMs to the 7DMT to avoid people sprinting (and falling) at 8am. Is this no longer done?

 

[Robo]

I have seen video's on youtube of the park-opening crowd escorted through mainstreet by a front row of CMs to the 7DMT to avoid people sprinting (and falling) at 8am.

Is this no longer done?

It still is (to a greater or lesser extent,) from multiple reports.

Both to the 7DMT and to the Anna & Elsa Meet.

 

[cakebaker]

I'm terrible at posting pics, but the best visual of rope drop I've seen in a long time...just scroll down for pics of the view from the front and a pic from behind during rope drop

https://twitter.com/easywdw

 

[ljca79]

Holy cow. Now I'm nervous. That behind photo is ... WOW. Thanks all.