Really, How Hard is it to Make Rope Drop?

[DisneyMomChristine]

I have always shuddered in horror at the thought of Rope Drop. After all, I'm at Disney on VACATION! No alarm clocks! Lazy mornings at the pool with the kids!

However, this is the 1st year that we are staying on the monorail - at the Grand Floridian. Magic Kingdom is the only place we care about getting to for Rope Drop. So, how difficult/challenging/stressful should that be? The kids wake up by 7-7:30 usually. And being 1 stop from MK, we shouldn't be too worried about it, right? Surely we can make it by 9....right?

And I know people say that you can get so much done in those 1st 2 hours - REALLY??? Talk to me about it. PLEASE!

 

[kmb584]

I have always shuddered in horror at the thought of Rope Drop. After all, I'm at Disney on VACATION! No alarm clocks! Lazy mornings at the pool with the kids!

However, this is the 1st year that we are staying on the monorail - at the Grand Floridian. Magic Kingdom is the only place we care about getting to for Rope Drop. So, how difficult/challenging/stressful should that be? The kids wake up by 7-7:30 usually. And being 1 stop from MK, we shouldn't be too worried about it, right? Surely we can make it by 9....right?

And I know people say that you can get so much done in those 1st 2 hours - REALLY??? Talk to me about it. PLEASE!

I don't find it difficult at all. At home I'm awake, showered, dressed and out the door with DD in tow by 6:30am, so making it to a park about 30 minutes prior to RD isn't hard for us. Staying in a monorail resort is a great advantage as you're not going to have to travel to the TTC then onto MK.

The 1-2 hours following RD are great and we're able to get a ton done. DD and I both love TSMM and in October we were able to get on it 3 times with a very minimal wait and every other DHS attraction was a walk-on. At MK we're able to accomplish all of Fantasyland, BTMRR, Winnie and Buzz in those first 2 hours. RD really is the way to go to minimize the amount of time spent in a queue.

 

[WillAustin]

I wouldn't want to be arriving at MK at 9, but would try to be there at least 30 minutes before that. It's definitely better to be at the front of the RD crowd than at the back of it.

Yes, you can get a lot done.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I am one of those people who thinks Rope Drop makes the difference. That being said, it is just DH and I, no kids, so for us getting to rope drop isn't as monumental of a task. If having breakfast before you go is important, maybe one parent can get the kids up and ready while the other goes to the food court for breakfast to go. Even with just DH and I this is a big time saver of EMH mornings that we are trying to get out of the room asap. I'll go get the breakfast while he is getting ready.

Also, have everything ready the night before - clothes laid out, park bag packed, et.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

I wouldn't want to be arriving at MK at 9, but would try to be there at least 30 minutes before that. It's definitely better to be at the front of the RD crowd than at the back of it.

Yes, you can get a lot done.

You definitely get a lot done. Don't necessarily agree that you need to be at the front of the RD line at MK. Guess it depends on what you want to do but if you are through bag check by RD you can get plenty done. Seems much more important to be at the front at HS. But that's just me.

 

[catherines_mama]

I am one of those people who thinks Rope Drop makes the difference. That being said, it is just DH and I, no kids, so for us getting to rope drop isn't as monumental of a task. If having breakfast before you go is important, maybe one parent can get the kids up and ready while the other goes to the food court for breakfast to go. Even with just DH and I this is a big time saver of EMH mornings that we are trying to get out of the room asap. I'll go get the breakfast while he is getting ready. Also, have everything ready the night before - clothes laid out, park bag packed, et.

Before DVC this is how we did it. DH would go get muffins and coffee and I'd get kids rolling. They'd eat while DH had some extra (cough potty) time and then we'd head out.

That or pack a granola bar and hit the road jack. You're at Disney. Toss the hair in a pony and have a great day!

 

[WillAustin]

You definitely get a lot done. Don't necessarily agree that you need to be at the front of the RD line at MK. Guess it depends on what you want to do but if you are through bag check by RD you can get plenty done. Seems much more important to be at the front at HS. But that's just me.

I was just saying it because depending where we go, we would usually get at least 3 immediate walk on rides by being at the front before a significant crowd gets in.

 

[kapoof]

If the mk opens at 9:00 I would be on the monorail (not leaving your room..sitting on the monrail) at 8:30 no later. If it means getting up at 6:45 that's o.k. We are up at 5:30 heck sleeping till 6:30 at wdw is late for us!

 

[madatmama]

We have a tough time making it and we always stay at the Poly. At home the kids are up early but after a long day in the parks the day before we always have at least 1 or 2 wanting to sleep in. So after convincing them to get up and moving everyone is grumpy. It always takes longer than you think because someone forgets something or the toddler throws a tantrum. Then when we finally DO get somewhere they are ready for breakfast so you have to navigate feeding everyone. I am a HUGE planner so it isn't like we are disorganized. It is just tough to stick to an ambitious schedule with three kids under six. If your kids are older and motivated to ride a lot of rides you may have an easier time.

 

[Disneylover99]

I wouldn't want to be arriving at MK at 9, but would try to be there at least 30 minutes before that. It's definitely better to be at the front of the RD crowd than at the back of it.

Yes, you can get a lot done.

Totally agree.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

Our family is up and at em' every day by 6 am when we are at home so it is not a problem to wake up on vacation. Sleeping in late and wasting half the day is not a valuable way to spend my vacation. We usually drop a huge chunk of change on our trips and I do not want to spend $1,000 a day laying by the pool. But different strokes and all.

I don't think I would even go to the parks if I weren't going to do rope drop. You CAN ride a ton of rides in the first 2 hours while all those "sleeping in" families are dragging in.

We always go when school is in session and usually have less than 20 minutes wait times for rides. I am not a big fan of pulling fast passes and now that you can't even get normal fast passes anymore I don't think I will be too interested in scheduling fast passes every morning either. So we like to go when the crowds are light.

We usually go in the mornings from rope drop until lunch, eat something then leave for a few hours/afternoon nap for the grown ups. Then we will go back for evening shows around 4.

 

[gtpoohbear]

Unless we were out REALLY late the night before, it's not hard at all. Most of the time we are there 25-30 before RD. The kids are almost always awake by 7am anyway, and if I couldn't get them dressed and fed in under an hour we'd never get to school on time at home, lol!

I definitely think it makes a difference. If the park opens at 9am, usually by 10am the waits for major rides have hit unbearable limits. But we always can get in 1 if not 2 before that happens if we are some of the first into the park.

 

[kathy884]

I only do one day at a Disney park per year, so I want to make the most out of my $90-100 pp expenditure. The park we do most often, did last year, and will be doing this year is the MK. I LOVE LOVE LOVE those first two hours (We go high season). It makes a big difference IMHO to be in front, not at the back of rope drop at high season times. I get there a good hour before rope drop (leave my condo and hour and a 1/2 before) and we are always some of the very first people on the rides. It's easy because I get up at 5:15 a.m. every day at home and my teen who loves to sleep in totally thinks rope drop is worth it, so wants to get up early for it and is enthusiastic and cheerful because hey -- We're going to Disney!

Trip number #34 to Orlando coming up in December of 2014 (the week before Christmas week) // First trip was when I was 10 and the MK park opened.

When are you traveling, though. That makes a huge difference. If it's Christmas week, get to the parks early for sure!

 

[DisneyMomChristine]

We have a tough time making it and we always stay at the Poly. At home the kids are up early but after a long day in the parks the day before we always have at least 1 or 2 wanting to sleep in. So after convincing them to get up and moving everyone is grumpy. It always takes longer than you think because someone forgets something or the toddler throws a tantrum. Then when we finally DO get somewhere they are ready for breakfast so you have to navigate feeding everyone. I am a HUGE planner so it isn't like we are disorganized. It is just tough to stick to an ambitious schedule with three kids under six. If your kids are older and motivated to ride a lot of rides you may have an easier time.

I feel like this would be my family! My girls will be 4 & almost 6 when we go in May, so tantrums/morning grumpies are a real possibility. Let's say we can make it happen - coffee in the room, granola bars & fruit packed, sunscreen lathered on - are there restrooms at MK at bag check/rope drop? Someone ALWAYS seems to have to go to the bathroom. Just want to know what I'm getting into here!

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

To the OP

It seems that if you don't want o have to make Rope Drop then the park for you is Animal Kingdom. Not a whole lot of people there any time of day and no *real* need for FP+.

DHS and EPCOT are also parks that are not very busy so you will be okay there...maybe FP+ for Toy Story Mania at DHS.

Other than that...YES...make it to rope drop for the Magic Kingdom! The MK is the park that everyone is cramming in to.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

DS and I like fireworks... so by the time we get back to the resort after Wishes, Illuminations, or Fantasmic... it's late. I can get up with only 6 hours of sleep but he cannot. I want to do rope drop at MK in May especially with the new 7 dwarfs mine train ride. But I don't want to have to give up the prior evening's fun. I might have to do that. Another thing is DW is good with me and DS8 taking off early in the morning and she will meet us later.

I've always done EMH at Hollywood Studios and arrived before park opening. Awesome experience!!! Minimal lines for Toy Story and other rides (Star Tours, etc.). Signed up for Jedi Training. Green Army man out.... then around 11:30am when everyone is rolling in... we have lunch and then do less popular attractions or leave. Also, in the good old days.... the time to get another fast pass was based on the current wait time... so by lunch, we had 3 sets of fast passes for toy story and already rode it at least once. That was when they accepted fast passes after the end time. Too bad for fast pass +

I'm trying to decide now about rope drop.... we arrive May 20 and would like to stay at MK for Wishes but I know how great it will be to wake up the next morning early and have (I hope) near walk-on with no wait for many rides at rope drop.

 

[gtpoohbear]

To the OP It seems that if you don't want o have to make Rope Drop then the park for you is Animal Kingdom. Not a whole lot of people there any time of day and no *real* need for FP+. DHS and EPCOT are also parks that are not very busy so you will be okay there...maybe FP+ for Toy Story Mania at DHS. Other than that...YES...make it to rope drop for the Magic Kingdom! The MK is the park that everyone is cramming in to.

Depends on the time of year- we were there last week and AK, Epcot, and DHS were crammed full all day. Within an hour of RD, RRC at DHS was at 200 minutes. Soarin and TT at Epcot were at 90 minutes, and EE at AK was 60 minutes around the same times. IMO, that's un-doable without a FP or getting there at RD.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

We always make rope drop, and it definitely makes a difference. We haven't noticed any significant difference arriving at 8:30 vs 8:45 or 9:00, though we do go at off-peak times (mostly May, Sept, Oct, Feb). I agree with a PP who said that if you're on the monorail at 8:30 -- barring monorail delays !!! -- you'll be there in plenty of time to get a jump on crowds, based on our experience.

 

[BuzzPoster]

I have always shuddered in horror at the thought of Rope Drop.

I, for one, commend you for not 'shuttering' in horror.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

In the past, for us, the parks to get there early are MK and HS and sometimes AK. Epcot is our park on days when we expect to sleep late. Even for AK, it always seemed fine to arrive late... meaning near the end of the park time.. the crowd dies down after the 3:45pm parade which I hear is ending.

By the way, what's going on in AK? Is the Avatar thing coming? Lion King is closed, right? Now, I hear the parade is ending? We often ended our day at AK by riding Kali River Rapids or Expedition Everest repeatedly (no wait) the hour before park closing.