Rope Drop Questions and Info please?

Michelle Carter

Disney Mama of 4
Joined
Mar 4, 2019
Messages
104
Hi!!!! I've been to Disney World 5 times and am going back in September for our 6th visit. This time it's just my teen and I. Since we don't have 5 people to get up, get ready, babies, etc., we want to be at rope drop every day and stay til the parks close.

Soooooo, I have questions since we've NEVER had the opportunity to do it.

Is "rope drop" the actual time the park opens? Like if it says it's open from 9AM to 9PM on the app, then "rope drop" is 9AM? What all is involved? I thought I saw on Adam the Woo that there was a whole show.

Can you walk around Main Street before the lands officially open or are you still behind the actual entrance to Magic Kingdom?

How early should I get to all the parks to be one of the first people?

Thanks in advance guys!
 
Hi!!!! I've been to Disney World 5 times and am going back in September for our 6th visit. This time it's just my teen and I. Since we don't have 5 people to get up, get ready, babies, etc., we want to be at rope drop every day and stay til the parks close.

Soooooo, I have questions since we've NEVER had the opportunity to do it.

Is "rope drop" the actual time the park opens? Like if it says it's open from 9AM to 9PM on the app, then "rope drop" is 9AM? What all is involved? I thought I saw on Adam the Woo that there was a whole show.

Can you walk around Main Street before the lands officially open or are you still behind the actual entrance to Magic Kingdom?

How early should I get to all the parks to be one of the first people?

Thanks in advance guys!


A poster below gave MUCH better information than me, so I edited. :tongue:
 
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If you are doing other parks “rope drop” might actually be before the park open time - this seems to be common at AK. Not sure about the others besides MK
 
Is "rope drop" the actual time the park opens? Like if it says it's open from 9AM to 9PM on the app, then "rope drop" is 9AM? What all is involved?

No, rope drop usually happens a bit earlier than the posted opening times.

There can also be "multiple rope drops" depending. So, for example, at Animal Kingdom if you are there for "rope drop" they will let you in the tapstiles, and then "hold" you at a different spot, like the bridge to Pandora. Say there is a 9am posted opening for Animal Kingdom, they will let you in the tapstiles before 9.

Can you walk around Main Street before the lands officially open or are you still behind the actual entrance to Magic Kingdom?

They open Main Street an hour before every where else, so you go through the tapstiles and have access to the street, shops, and hub (and sbux lol). But there are mutiple paths back into the lands that are roped off until time to open.

How early should I get to all the parks to be one of the first people?

It varies by park, so for example at AK to be one of the first people you'd need to be there an hour and fifteen min. before posted opening. EPCOT you don't need to be that early... I go maybe 25 min early. MK, it depends on if you mean the first onto MS, or first in line at the ropes in the hub. I don't know about RD at DHS anymore, as I haven't done it in a long time.
 

No, rope drop usually happens a bit earlier than the posted opening times.

There can also be "multiple rope drops" depending. So, for example, at Animal Kingdom if you are there for "rope drop" they will let you in the tapstiles, and then "hold" you at a different spot, like the bridge to Pandora. Say there is a 9am posted opening for Animal Kingdom, they will let you in the tapstiles before 9.



They open Main Street an hour before every where else, so you go through the tapstiles and have access to the street, shops, and hub (and sbux lol). But there are mutiple paths back into the lands that are roped off until time to open.



It varies by park, so for example at AK to be one of the first people you'd need to be there an hour and fifteen min. before posted opening. EPCOT you don't need to be that early... I go maybe 25 min early. MK, it depends on if you mean the first onto MS, or first in line at the ropes in the hub. I don't know about RD at DHS anymore, as I haven't done it in a long time.

You seem to have a MUCH better grip on the rope drop than I do. :rolleyes1 So I edited my post! :rotfl2:
 
You seem to have a MUCH better grip on the rope drop than I do. :rolleyes1 So I edited my post! :rotfl2:

I am a notorious early bird, so I rope drop pretty much every day that we don't have an ADR for a TS breakfast. lol I'm mostly familiar with EMH rope drop at AK, for the sake of FoP. The parks are tricky in that you get into the park usually at least 15 min early, unless something is off that day.
 
I am a notorious early bird, so I rope drop pretty much every day that we don't have an ADR for a TS breakfast. lol I'm mostly familiar with EMH rope drop at AK, for the sake of FoP. The parks are tricky in that you get into the park usually at least 15 min early, unless something is off that day.

It's been 4 years since I've been there, so unfortunately my memory obviously was a bit rusty. I do believe my DH, DS, and I always arrived at the parks about 45 minutes before open. Even on an EMH day and were always very successful when we did. Back then, though, MK didn't do entry into the park till official open. At least I don't think they did. Would you remember? Main Street was not open then and the show was right there out front if I'm remembering correctly.
 
/
It's been 4 years since I've been there, so unfortunately my memory obviously was a bit rusty. I do believe my DH, DS, and I always arrived at the parks about 45 minutes before open. Even on an EMH day and were always very successful when we did. Back then, though, MK didn't do entry into the park till official open. At least I don't think they did. Would you remember? Main Street was not open then and the show was right there out front if I'm remembering correctly.

Yes, you are right, the show was done right up above, where the train would pull in. So, you get there early, be let into the turnstiles/tapstiles, and then fill the area in "front" of the train station, and each entrance was roped off. The train would come and do the show, then they'd drop the ropes and off you'd go into the whole park. The show is now in front of the castle with people in the hub area lining up at the various entrances to the lands.
 
Yes, you are right, the show was done right up above, where the train would pull in. So, you get there early, be let into the turnstiles/tapstiles, and then fill the area in "front" of the train station, and each entrance was roped off. The train would come and do the show, then they'd drop the ropes and off you'd go into the whole park. The show is now in front of the castle with people in the hub area lining up at the various entrances to the lands.


And I've heard the entrance to the right....into Tomorrowland gets silly busy! That's the one most travel to get to 7DMT. I've read where they say it's actually better to go around to PP and get to it that way or go straight through the castle entrance to Fantasyland....if that one is open.
 
Hi!!!! I've been to Disney World 5 times and am going back in September for our 6th visit. This time it's just my teen and I. Since we don't have 5 people to get up, get ready, babies, etc., we want to be at rope drop every day and stay til the parks close.

Soooooo, I have questions since we've NEVER had the opportunity to do it.

Is "rope drop" the actual time the park opens? Like if it says it's open from 9AM to 9PM on the app, then "rope drop" is 9AM? What all is involved? I thought I saw on Adam the Woo that there was a whole show.

Can you walk around Main Street before the lands officially open or are you still behind the actual entrance to Magic Kingdom?

How early should I get to all the parks to be one of the first people?

Thanks in advance guys!
Hollywood studio will be packed with the new land opening

I would get to any well before you think it will open
 
And I've heard the entrance to the right....into Tomorrowland gets silly busy! That's the one most travel to get to 7DMT. I've read where they say it's actually better to go around to PP and get to it that way or go straight through the castle entrance to Fantasyland....if that one is open.

I've heard both suggestions, but if you are at the front of the pack, you can still head "right" of the castle and be ok (here is a great recent thread on rope dropping MK and heading to SDMT), one tip is that if you go that route, don't expect to see much of the show, as you are over too far and up too far to see it. I tend to ride PP first, and get a FP for SDMT if I can for later in the day, as it is still a bit too "mad rush" for me. lol So, I head either up and through the castle (you have to wait til they clear it from the show) or head left and around.
 
And I've heard the entrance to the right....into Tomorrowland gets silly busy! That's the one most travel to get to 7DMT. I've read where they say it's actually better to go around to PP and get to it that way or go straight through the castle entrance to Fantasyland....if that one is open.
The entrance “to the right” that gets super-busy does not go to Tomorriwland.
It goes to Fantasyland.
 
The entrance “to the right” that gets super-busy does not go to Tomorriwland.
It goes to Fantasyland.

Well I knew that @Robo ! I just wanted to see if you knew that! :crazy: Seriously though...isn't there a pathway to the far right as you're walking in from Main Street that leads to Tomorrowland. If it is...I didn't type my post correctly. The one next to that as you walk towards the castle is the Fantasyland pathway which gets super busy? Yes? Next pathway is through the castle? I'm just trying to go by memory, from when we were there last.
 
Well I knew that @Robo ! I just wanted to see if you knew that! :crazy: Seriously though...isn't there a pathway to the far right as you're walking in from Main Street that leads to Tomorrowland. If it is...I didn't type my post correctly. The one next to that as you walk towards the castle is the Fantasyland pathway which gets super busy? Yes? Next pathway is through the castle? I'm just trying to go by memory, from when we were there last.

Yes, you're right, there is a Tomorrowland path. The path that gets busy is to the "right" of the Castle, it leads back into Fantasyland, it's a different path than the Tomorrowland path.
 
Robo:
As I’m directionally challenged are there signs up to which path goes where ? We would like to rope drop space mountain on an emh am
Thank you
The Tomorrowland Bridge has huge “futuristic spires” midway on both sides of the walkway.
You will see the rocketships of Astro Orbiter in the distance in front of you.
 
Thank you my biggest fear is getting caught up in another crowd headed elsewhere


The Tomorrowland Bridge has huge “futuristic spires” midway on both sides of the walkway.
You will see the rocketships of Astro Orbiter in the distance in front of you.
 
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