Rope drop for FoP and Slinky Dog Dash question

[jwblane]

Tried getting FP 60 days out at 7am eastern, but alas, they were all gone! Imagine that...anyway, we plan on doing EMH each day at those parks. My question is, how early do we need to be there for EMH to not wait an hour in line at the ride? Is there a certain route to take to get to FoP, or just follow the crowd? Staying at CS, so also looking for recommendations on how early to be on the bus to the parks those days.

Thanks in advance

 

[CAS239]

I would get to the park gate 60-75 min prior to EMH starting. Earlier the better.

For FoP you'll just stay to the left and head towards Pandora. It's easy to find it. Go over a map of each so you know as well

 

[jwblane]

I would get to the park gate 60-75 min prior to EMH starting. Earlier the better.

For FoP you'll just stay to the left and head towards Pandora. It's easy to find it. Go over a map of each so you know as well

Thanks! I know that at some point they start routing people around another way and wanted to make sure that we shouldn’t just go that way first.

 

[FromKansas]

Is it always better to rope drop on an EMH day?

 

[Nick6300]

https://www.easywdw.com/easy/animal...s-rope-drop-wait-times-and-fastpass-priority/

this is Josh's guide to AK RD, which shows the route/map... as CAS said, stay left. I know this is super specific, but I go right side up Oasis from the AP taps and stay to the left, veering from the walkway through the various shop's entrance ways, last left by Tiffins, towards the main bridge into Pandora.

Easywdw is typically somewhat conservative and recommends arriving 90 min's prior to open to be among the 1st on FoP. We usually get there between 75-90min to be the first at the rope. But since ea. showing holds 48 guests (think I've counted 3 rows of 16), you can be even 96 back and have just the time to walk through the queue/couple sets of queue videos, guessing about 20 min based on us entering the queue at 845am and exiting the gift shop around 9:05 most days. If among the early RD guests, I'd suggest staying nearly all the way to the far right (even though the CM holding the Line Starts Here sign will be near the middle of the path). Like most RD attractions, the guests on the right have the shortest distance/direct path to the entrance of the queue, and the line wraps around at the end to give the right side the priority.

Like Cas said the earlier the better but I'd aim for earlier than 60 min, if even 75 min if you want a low wait. The RD queue isn't the full queue you'd see if you came back later. Some people are reporting 20-45 min waits for the last ride, entering a min or 2 before park close as an alternative to RD. Only done it once for a 45min wait.

 

[Nick6300]

As for early buses, haven't stayed at CS in a long time but from nearby value AK region resorts, I think we aim to be at the bus stop at 6 (8am park open), try to arrive around 630, let in 715/720 held until 745. Hr later for 9 am open. The buses are much earlier than you'd think. CMs if you ask, will all say the 1st bus will arrive about an hr before park open... and if you go with that, by the time you're there the mass of people will already be going through the taps.

We haven't been to TSL yet (until tomorrow) but hearing that people are utilizing the buses and still getting there before guests are let in... latest has been 630am let into park w/ earliest bus pickups of about 545/550. The early am wait times for TSL don't seem that bad so I doubt we'll resort to uber/lyft to try to be there any earlier.

 

[tbholc81]

We went this morning. Got on a bus at wilderness lodge at 6:30. Got to HS about 6:45 and walked directly to Slinky Dog. We waited in line for 25 minutes, very doable. Then we went on saucers and Midway Mania and were done on there by 8:15.

 

[monorailsilver]

We were at both parks for am EMH the first 11 days of August (yes I am in post Disney depression now)

DHS-one day we got there at about 6:20-6:30 and were walked to apAndys backyard at about 6:45. We got on the 3rd ride that am. Another day we got there at about 6:35 and were not as far up in the pack but easily walked on the ride. They walked us over at 6:50. We didn’t go back on either again because the 1st day, my 12 yo didn’t like is (scared of all rides right now) and the second day we had to get back to go to Epcot for 8:30.

The day we went to AK it was also open for 8. We got there around 7:30-40 (I’d have to look at my phone picture for the time stamp). We walked right into the park but only Pandora was open. We didn’t go that way as no one had interest but I believe it was already a 60 min wait.

 

[asafko]

We just got back yesterday from our Disney trip. AK day was the only day we did rope drop (it was a 9:00am opening day). We got there at 7:45 and were off of FOP by 9:05. They let people start to get on the ride before 9. At one point the wait was 2.5 hours so we were all glad we did went early. To get there, we just followed the crowd as everyone was going there as well. As for Slinky Dog...unfortunately, my son decided he wanted to do it and I didn't have a FP (couldn't get one at our 60 day). We waited in stand by and while the sign said a 60 min. wait, it was far longer.

 

[Magical2017]

If you have to arrive 60-75 minutes early and stand around waiting, why not arrive when you want and stand in line before park closing (and stand in line 45-60 minutes)?

I understand the benefits of rope drop, but I am a night owl and felt cranky last year at AK rope drop. The people I was with all wanted to get there an hour early and stand around. Granted, it was nice to get right on EE and the Safari, but still...you end up standing an hour either way.

 

[Magical2017]

We just got back yesterday from our Disney trip. AK day was the only day we did rope drop (it was a 9:00am opening day). We got there at 7:45 and were off of FOP by 9:05. They let people start to get on the ride before 9. At one point the wait was 2.5 hours so we were all glad we did went early. To get there, we just followed the crowd as everyone was going there as well. As for Slinky Dog...unfortunately, my son decided he wanted to do it and I didn't have a FP (couldn't get one at our 60 day). We waited in stand by and while the sign said a 60 min. wait, it was far longer.

Well okay, for a two and a half hour wait, I stand corrected. Rope drop is far superior to that! We are going on Monday and the family wants to RD every day. We have FOP FP but not SDD.

 

[cakebaker]

If you have to arrive 60-75 minutes early and stand around waiting, why not arrive when you want and stand in line before park closing (and stand in line 45-60 minutes)?

I understand the benefits of rope drop, but I am a night owl and felt cranky last year at AK rope drop. The people I was with all wanted to get there an hour early and stand around. Granted, it was nice to get right on EE and the Safari, but still...you end up standing an hour either way.

Because I'm not wasting valuable park time when I'm in line waiting for the park to open. Plus, I get the ride out of the way and can move on to other rides before the park gets crowded. If I stand in line for an hour before park opening, I probably save 2 hours or more of standing in the heat during the day for rides.

 

[b52hbuff]

Our family visited WDW during Christmas break 2017 and July. During both visits, we tried to be at the bus stop 1.5hrs before the posted EMH opening times. During Christmas, the timing worked out well. AK Buses were dispatched early and TSL had yet to open at DHS.

The 1.5hr timing didn't work well for AK buses during our July trip. TSL just opened days before and buses were shifted toward DHS, at the expense of AK.

It was interesting to see WDW deploy "forward air controllers" at the bus stops. They would stand out at the resort bus stop with a tablet and a radio. Their job was to monitor which buses the guests were waiting for. If you had been waiting "long enough", they'd use the tablet to try and call a bus for you. We ended up waiting for AK until 6:30AM. If we couldn't get on a bus, we'd call a Minnie Van.

During July, TSL was the best organized RD. And this is from someone who always RD the EMH park. The CMs always tell you not to run, but then they set a "fast walking" pace. The TSL CMs set a very reasonable pace that seemed to calm the crowd. Anyway, the for a 7AM EMH, they were starting their walk at 6:20AM. Not sure if they're opening that early now after the initial excitement for the area dies down.


The advice for AK is mostly correct. After you come through the turnstiles, you head towards the left. There is one "pre-bridge" holding area. At the second holding area, you want to find yourself on the right for FoP or left for NRJ. The gold standard for riding FoP @ RD is here:

 

[jkattk]

Keep checking for fast passes too. I couldn't get one either at 6:00 am (central time) 60 days out for either FoP or SDD. BUT... I kept checking and a couple weeks later suddenly one time opened up for each of them on the days we will be in those parks. I don't know if someone cancelled a trip that just happened to line up with mine exactly or how they both magically appeared at the same time, but the point is you still might be able to get fast passes too if you're persistent about checking every day.

 

[coolingjupiter]

So if I have a fast pass for slinky dog, what should I rope drop: alien swirling saucers or toy story mania? I’d like to go on both...haven’t ever been on saucers, but been on toy story mania a few times and it’s always a must. There are not extra magic hours when I go on 9/11.

 

[monorailsilver]

So if I have a fast pass for slinky dog, what should I rope drop: alien swirling saucers or toy story mania? I’d like to go on both...haven’t ever been on saucers, but been on toy story mania a few times and it’s always a must. There are not extra magic hours when I go on 9/11.

I would go on slinky rope drop, go on aliens and TSMM and then do your slinky FP.

 

[coolingjupiter]

I would go on slinky rope drop, go on aliens and TSMM and then do your slinky FP.

I was thinking of doing this, but I’m not sure if we could get all of that done by 10:15, which is when our first FP window ends (for ToT).

 

[Nick6300]

We experienced some changes from what we’re used to for AK RD. We got a bus 728, 737 at AK. We were held 50 yards before the taps until 749. Then allowed to wait at the left half of taps until let in at 813. I arrived at the rope at the bridge first, held until only 820. Let on fop at 830. We were at first video at 837. Videos are like 7min total between the 2. Off ride at 851. We had to wait to be the first let in for the 5 min grace for the 9am FP. But were in the queue the 2nd time at 854 for a 9am open!

We went to HS for emh late and it was very busy. Most of all the FPs were gone by late am. At around 11 (at AK) we were choosing between 10pm Tower and Star Tours early pm. Wait times were high with SDD and TSM being down for parts of the day. We did all 3 TSL attractions for the first time after 1030, and it took until after midnight. Saucers broke down and took about 50 min (25 posted), tsm only about 25 (posted 50), and SSD 33 (45 posted). I think we would have been better off avoiding HS on Fri, not having the late hours, but easily making up the benefit from shorter lines and FP availability on another day.

 

[CarrieR]

For SDD - can’t stress strongly enough to stay right. CMs will request that you funnel to the right of the umbrellas - so there’s a pinch point there. Then, all of those following the CM instructions get penalized by people running around the left side of the umbrellas and CMs doing nothing to stop them. We went from being AT the heels of the CMs on the walk over there to boarding the 4th train. (And not that we minded being on the 4th train - but just to illustrate how much of a mess it was.)

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Flight of Passage
Take it for what it's worth, but here was the detail on the day I rope-dropped FoP at a 9am park open. What else was I to do except keep copious notes while I waited by myself?!? The whole family slept in, but I was up at 6am and made the last minute decision to try this on my own.

8/15/18 — AK MORNING (9am open) — Rope Drop FoP

8:47 Arrived (Uber)
8:50 Through security
8:55 In park
9:01 In line for FoP (posted 90min); line back across the bridge to Africa
9:10 Posted 105min
9:17 Posted 120min
9:29 Entering Pandora; posted 120min
9:31 Posted 150min (79 degrees feels like 92 -- FUN!! -- but many shady spots)
9:42 Entered non-rope queue (walking fast!); big sections of queue here unopened
9:44 Entered indoor queue (caves)!
9:47 Entered man-made tunnel queue
9:49 Bioluminescent cave portion
10:07 Entered room with floating avatar (can’t quite see it yet though)
10:12 Next room with large monitor; still some unused queue
10:15 Standby joins FP queue; diverted to interior line because “flying solo”; I’m the only one; at the doors!
10:19 Loaded through the doors and into first room; still posted 150min —> 78min wait
10:25 Next screen room (Dr. Ogden)
10:28 Into link chair room
10:36 Done ride

I should add that the line looks REALLY UGLY when you join it at 9am for a 9am open... I started partway along that bridge to Africa, FACING AFRICA... line went all the way to Lion King and then wrapped around back across the bridge toward Pandora. Then once inside Pandora there was a lot as fast walking as they opened up more of the queue.

FWIW, I don't see the benefit in arriving 60-75+ min BEFORE an EMH morning... that means you're waiting more than 60-75min total, right... AFTER having gotten up at the crack of dawn. And I hate the cattle-crowd aspect of getting there so early, personally. I got into the park at 8:55am, in line at 9:01am, loaded into first room at 10:19, done ride by 10:36. So a 78min wait from the point I got in line to loading (posted was 90min when I got in line). That said, we had Fps for other rides after and had the luxury of a 12-day trip where we accomplished everything we wanted to. If these things were not the case, I could see the crack-of-dawn-on-EMH-day approach, so that you're done in time to do other rides well before those lines build.


Slinky Dog
We didn't rope-drop this one. We waited until 10:20pm. Posted 45min, actual wait 22min.