Question - What time to arrive for opening?

[Cheshire_cat]

Okay, this always confuses me. The scheduled opening time for MK is 9am in June....but at what time should I actually BE there? (On a non-EMH day) When do they start letting people through the turnstiles to go on Main Street? When does the parking lot open and the shuttles start running(we're staying off-site)?
Does anyone know the answers for the the other parks?

Leaving in less than 3 weeks!!!

 

[madalex]

They start letting you through the turnstiles by at least 8:30 (and maybe earlier; never been there earlier than that on a non-EMH day). However, once through the turnstiles, they keep you from going under the railroad and up Main Street until almost 9:00. They do a little pre-show starting about 8:45 or 8:50 and it is not until that is done that you are let into the park.

 

[Tinkerbell10403]

HaHa...let me tell you all a story. On Jan. 1st of this year, my Daddy and I got up early for MK EMH for the morning, as it stated on the Times Guide. Well, apparently it is was incorrect and we ended up showing up at 8 am...and the park really opened at 9am. We decided just to stay and wait it out for the hour...visited with some CMs who gave me some stickers..(hey I'm a big kid, too!) and then they let us in at around 8:30 am...and we were allowed to walk to just before the tunnels that pass underneath the railroad. They did a little performance,and then we were allowed in at 8:45 or 9am. Its pretty fun, and it does feel cool to run in and be the first ones in the park!!

 

[LISAMWDW]

At a minimum 30 minutes early.