RD SDD - how early

[FigmentSpark]

How early do we have to get to the tapstiles to RD SDD in a reasonable time?

Also, my plan says I will wait 35 mins if I RD SDD. Does that sound right? CL 8 day.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I've RD'd SDD twice.
Both times I arrived about 45 minutes prior to pening.
Both times we were walked back prior to actual park opening.
First time I never stopped walking until I reached the ride vehicle.
Second time I waited maybe 8 minutes.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Do you think you could have ridden twice in a row or only the once?

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Do you think you could have ridden twice in a row or only the once?

Once unless you want to wait another 90 minutes to ride a second time.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Thanks. That's what I thought. My plan is telling me there will only be a 30 min wait after the second ride. I can't see us being that lucky.

 

[rteetz]

Thanks. That's what I thought. My plan is telling me there will only be a 30 min wait after the second ride. I can't see us being that lucky.

Yeah I don't see that happening.

 

[gharter]

When we did RD for SDD, we arrived about 60 minutes before park opening. That means we were at the turnstiles 60 minutes early (8 am). We were 3rd in line for one of them. We were let into the park at 8:30 and walked to TSL by multiple CMs at 8:40. We were off SDD by 8:50. Rode AS2 and off by 8:55. Walked over to TSMM and off by 9:10. The line for SDD was back to the TSL sign with Woodie.
So if you RD and do SDD, riding a second time without a 60+ minute wait is not likely.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Thanks. It makes me wonder how much I can trust my other times when I see something like that out of whack.

 

[FigmentSpark]

45-60 mins - plus, what, 15 mins for security? We will have 2 bags (purse + backpack) at most.

Also, it sounds like they are opening early, like FOP? So don't think about a 9am opening, but more like an 8:45 opening? Does that sound right?

 

[wisblue]

45-60 mins - plus, what, 15 mins for security? We will have 2 bags (purse + backpack) at most.

Also, it sounds like they are opening early, like FOP? So don't think about a 9am opening, but more like an 8:45 opening? Does that sound right?

I would recommend getting to security at least an hour before official opening. The security line shouldn’t take too long then.

On our trip two weeks ago they let us through the tapstiles a little before 8:30 and held us near the entrance end of Hollywood Boulevard for about 5 minutes, then moved the rope farther up the street. The walk to SDD began about 8:45.

One word of caution. No matter how early you arrive, how quickly you get on the ride will depend on how aggressive you are once the “walk” to TSL begins. Our approach is usually to walk purposefully and quickly as straight as possible, and that approach means that we will be passed by hundreds of people who arrived at the park later than we did, but worked their way ahead of us by sweeping around the outside of the organized group and cutting in or by wedging their way forward. On that trip we arrived at DHS at about 7:50 (the bus arrived just as we got to the stop) and got on SDD about 9:05. If you take a more aggressive approach to the ride you can probably cut about 15 minutes off that wait if you arrive before 8.

Getting on SDD at 9:05 allowed us to get off the ride and over to the Alien Suacers with a 5 minute wait. Then we went to Star Tours with no wait before using our FPs for RNRC, TOT, and TSMM.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I was planning TSM right after SDD. If I slipped AS2 in there before TSM, will that affect my wait for TSM?

 

[gharter]

We were there in October. We were at the turnstiles 60 minutes before official opening.
We did SDD, AS2 and TSMM before 9:10.
If you aren't near the front of the pack walking to TSL, you may need to skip A2@ depending on the crowds.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Well, we were there at 8am and lined up back to the ticket sales, but only 4 rows. At 8:05ish, they opened 2 more tapstiles. At 8:15 they had us going into the park, but we had to stop right at the first stop light. At 8:30ish they moved us up to the Sunset Blvd cut off and told those people to head on over to RR if they wanted. Almost no one moved. By 8:50, we were moving and through the arch, where they let us fend for ourselves and start a line. We were done by 9:15, but it was a nerve-wracking wait until you got to the proper queue.

We did TS right after that and it was a 45 min wait... pretty accurate. What surprised me was after that, at 10ish, we headed to ST and that had a 45 min wait. The entire queue right around the trees was in use. We did that and it was lunch time, by then.

Anyway, definitely needed to be there early if you wanted to ride SDD without a 105-135 min wait.