Rope drop...how much 'time' are you really saving the family?

[megster1123]

The problem with missing rope drop at MK is that you also miss their welcome show at the entrance. Everyone should see that at least once.

The first hour after rope drop, in particular, is the easiest of the day (sans EMH) in terms of getting on rides quickly. We love being there for rope drop or getting a good pre-park opening ADR, then walking on to some of our favorite rides.

Do you need to be at the front of the crowd for the welcome show to really see what's going on? Or is it something the whole crowd enjoys no matter where you are in the pack?

 

[buzznina]

We are the opposite We tried RD a few times but our family likes the parks so much better at night then during the day, and during the last hours we have found that we can get in almost just as many rides as we could doing RD. But like a PP noted, I would also suggerst doing it at least once to see the show etc.

 

[rideswithchrist]

I thought I posted but I guess not:

We RD one day to see opening but my kids were not as excited about it and we learned that we like being there at night much better anyway.
Epcot at night is AMAZING- you get many rides and the character interactions are priceless. (Go to the Meet & Greet in Epcot just before they close, it is awesome)

 

[Shanti]

Do you need to be at the front of the crowd for the welcome show to really see what's going on? Or is it something the whole crowd enjoys no matter where you are in the pack?

You can see it from anywhere in the crowd, as it takes place overhead (on the train platform, which is one story up from the ground where you'll be standing).

 

[megster1123]

You can see it from anywhere in the crowd, as it takes place overhead (on the train platform, which is one story up from the ground where you'll be standing).

Good to know, thank you!
Probably do RD day 1 then to enjoy the show and keep our 8am CRT as well for day 2.

 

[kreckl]

We love it, but in your case I don't know if I would. Your kids are young, and they don't really need to do anything specific at that age do they? Get fast passes for the ones you think they will like the best. I think less is more with little ones- just being there is overwhelming and there is so much to do!

 

[brooke789]

No idea on the saving time, but my kids are up at 5:30 at home. I'm thinking they'll sleep a little later at WDW, but basically we're up anyway. Might as well head on into the parks!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I usually leave our room at 8:15 and by the time we arrive and go through security it's 8:45. I don't mind that for 9 am opening.

It's worth it to watch the MK welcome show at least once. We love it.

We were in line at HS about 15 minutes before opening. We rode TSM, RnR and ToT about 3 times each by 10:30 am. It was awesome!

 

[tami82]

I've read the reasonings behind rope drop...but haven't really seen anyone mention the 'total time savings' rope drop gave you? Can anyone give me an idea how much arriving at rope drop actually saved you in time? Thanks!!

We never did rope drop don't need the added stress. We take the bus at 9:00 and bus was pretty empty

 

[chigirl]

The atmosphere at MK in the early morning is so awesome! I love the opening ceremony and seeing the residents of Main Street. You can do alot of rides, too, early.

 

[quagmire0]

I think it goes without saying that if you're family isn't comprised of early risers, Rope Drop is probably not going to work out for you. So, to each their own. We have four kids under 10 whose idea of 'sleeping in' on any given day is *maybe* 7am. When we're on vacation, they are even less likely to sleep in. On a school day, they are up between 6 and 6:30 and out the door at 7. So, getting everyone out the door in time to hit rope drop is not a problem for us. When the kids get older, I can definitely see it being a struggle.

 

[PrinceOfPeace]

The atmosphere at MK in the early morning is so awesome! I love the opening ceremony and seeing the residents of Main Street. You can do alot of rides, too, early.

Do they have an opening ceremony if it's magic morning? And I am not a resort guest?

 

[Nancyg56]

I think it goes without saying that if you're family isn't comprised of early risers, Rope Drop is probably not going to work out for you. So, to each their own. We have four kids under 10 whose idea of 'sleeping in' on any given day is *maybe* 7am. When we're on vacation, they are even less likely to sleep in. On a school day, they are up between 6 and 6:30 and out the door at 7. So, getting everyone out the door in time to hit rope drop is not a problem for us. When the kids get older, I can definitely see it being a struggle.

Exactly. When my DGD was 4 and 5, she was not an early bird, so we just stayed on her schedule. We got to the parks when we were ready, and did what we did. She was that kid who would stay up all night given the opportunity so we were more active later in the day, scheduling dinners around 8 PM. If your kids are not going to be okay with the early mornings I woudl skip them.

I agree that if your family is a family of early risers you can get a lot accomplished in the early morning though. Time saved? I don't know about that, but I think you can do more with less waiting.

 

[quagmire0]

You definitely save time if you look at your park day as 'I want to do this, this and this' vs. 'I want to spend all day at the park'. If I can get everything I want done in the morning, that gives me the rest of the day to rest, swim, shop, or even hit another park. But if I kind of just mosey into the park and wait in lines, I might not hit all I wanted to hit until the afternoon or evening. So, bulk of the day is used up checking everything off my list.

 

[Tony]

The opening show is really good - only saw it for the first time on our last visit in 2014.

You do however have a choice to make in where you stand. Front & centre is the best for a view & taking photos, but obviously the entrances into the park (underneath the train line) are at either side of that plaza, so we then spent a good few minutes shuffling over behind the rest of the crowd. I would suggest standing to the right (end nearest the Contemporary) as that's where the train comes in from.

 

[Duckiedee]

My family are early risers... I am NOT an early riser - however I can JUMP out of bed everyday there - no matter how tired I am! IT'S DISNEY! WE'RE AT DISNEY! YAY!!!!!!

I love being there early - to me it is worth every perk. We do it daily.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

Here's a question off topic.

How does your family get picked to be in the MK show? If you are the lucky family, do you get easier access to MK after the show, or do you have to go back down into the throngs of guests entering after the rope drops?

 

[sk!mom]

We will do rope drop! Especially for MK. The downside is we are staying off property and the days we go are magic morning days. Don't know how that works?

If I were you, I would rethink my plan. The value of rope drop is getting ahead of the crowd. If you go on Magic Morning days, the crowd is already ahead of you.

We stay on property but since Magic Mornings are too early for us, we plan our schedule around avoiding each day's Magic Morning park.