rope drop locations at park openings

[Jenny]

i went twice in 05 & here's where i was at each park's opening time....MGM-on the road in front of the movie ride but way back by the front entrance/first aid/bathroom area; AK-right in front of the Tree of Life; Epcot-in front of Spaceship Earth; MK-in front of the train station. and in all of the spots, we saw the characters arrive to greet the guests. and in all of the spots, the crowd seemed backed up & still so that we couldn't move past those points. the crowds were thick enough that i couldn't see the ropes so my question is -where are the ropes in each park? how far can one get in if you arrive early and do you have to wait for the characters to arrive or can you go past that point?

I'm particularly interested in MK....I was reflecting on past years at Disney w/out kids & i now remember going past the train station at MK to the ropes at the end of main st near adventureland, tomorrowland & the castle. i used to go past the plaza restaurant & enter tomorrowland first. can you still do that or do you have to wait as we did in front of the train station?

thanks.

 

[lucincia]

i went twice in 05 & here's where i was at each park's opening time....MGM-on the road in front of the movie ride but way back by the front entrance/first aid/bathroom area; AK-right in front of the Tree of Life; Epcot-in front of Spaceship Earth; MK-in front of the train station. and in all of the spots, we saw the characters arrive to greet the guests. and in all of the spots, the crowd seemed backed up & still so that we couldn't move past those points. the crowds were thick enough that i couldn't see the ropes so my question is -where are the ropes in each park? how far can one get in if you arrive early and do you have to wait for the characters to arrive or can you go past that point?

I'm particularly interested in MK....I was reflecting on past years at Disney w/out kids & i now remember going past the train station at MK to the ropes at the end of main st near adventureland, tomorrowland & the castle. i used to go past the plaza restaurant & enter tomorrowland first. can you still do that or do you have to wait as we did in front of the train station?

thanks.

A lot of times, rope is just imaginary boundary designated by the CMs on the spot on crowd control duty. When park opens, you can get into MK's Main Street, but some of the lands will open a while later. So you basically have two rope drops.

1st rope drop to let you in to buy stuff.

2nd rope drop to let you ride the rides

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

A lot of times, rope is just imaginary boundary designated by the CMs on the spot on crowd control duty. When park opens, you can get into MK's Main Street, but some of the lands will open a while later. So you basically have two rope drops.

1st rope drop to let you in to buy stuff.

2nd rope drop to let you ride the rides

That "use to be the case" but with the addition of the character morning show they no longer let you in MK early. They will only allow you into the area between the turnstiles and the train station tunnels (not all the way through to Main Street). Once the morning show is completed and Mickey has officially opened the park they will let you onto Main Street (the show starts at 8:50). As you enter Main Street you will then get to the second "rope drop" which is at each individual land. The CM's will escort you into the lands at 9am (after a short park wide welcome speil) this way no one runs to the rides, trampleling and potentially injuring themselves or anyone else... This of course only applies to NON EMH mornings... on those days there is no morning show (just a taped welcome speil) and then they open for the resort guests...when the park opens for day guests they will do a "rope drop" at the lands that are not open for EMH with the CM escort at 9am.

So to answer your question, no, you can not get past the crowd and onto Main Street. They will be holding you in the area in front of the train station until the morning show is over.

 

[Jenny]

thank you....i just wanted to check to see whether or not i was stuck behind a crowd or not at MK...it didn't look like you could go onto main st anymore but i wasn't sure...i used to go right up main st., now it's different....waiting in between the turnstiles & the train station on a non-emh day.

the other parks seem similar on non-emh days in that you have to wait for the character greetings in the front of the park.

i'm not sure exactly how mgm is now but yrs back....i took my fil & mil along a rope held by the CMs on the side street where RnRC & ToT are....they were horrified how everyone behind them was pushing us against the ropes & how everyone ran when it was dropped.