Rope drop

DaisyFoote

Mouseketeer
Joined
Feb 13, 2011
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164
We are going to be at Disney for 2 weeks - the week before and after Christmas. I noticed that MK has early magic hours every day that we are there. Since all the resort guests have a 1 hour jump on us does that mean we will have over an hour wait for 7 dwarfs and A@E? I'm scheduling my fast passes this week and am thinking I won't be able to book any fp for these 2 either. Also, will they let me in before 8 at all? I know at rope drop you technically get in at about 10 til opening time so... And a third question - do you have a better chance of being family of the day when they have a 7am emh? I was thinking that crowds might be a lot less that early in the morning. Would my family even be eligible since we are staying off site though? And if we went for it I guess we would need to be there by about 5:30, right?
 
We are going to be at Disney for 2 weeks - the week before and after Christmas. I noticed that MK has early magic hours every day that we are there.
1. Since all the resort guests have a 1 hour jump on us
2. does that mean we will have over an hour wait for 7 dwarfs and A@E?
3. I'm scheduling my fast passes this week and am thinking I won't be able to book any fp for these 2 either.
4. Also, will they let me in before 8 at all? I know at rope drop you technically get in at about 10 til opening time so...

1. Well, the ones who happen to choose MK that day and decided to get up early and go there, anyway.
2. Hard to say how long the line will be an hour after EMH begins, but, yes, it will likely be substantial.
3. They will go pretty fast, since the parks will be very busy, but you will be able to get
them, if you book FP+ the second week of your trip, first.
4. Maybe a bit. All bets are off at that time of year.

Family of the day is an unknown quantity, and nobody can plot the whim of a CM who's doing the choosing.
 
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Would my family even be eligible since we are staying off site though? And if we went for it I guess we would need to be there by about 5:30, right?

Offsite guests are usually held at the TTC during the EMH hour, so you would not be able to be at the park until 8, unless they do things differently during the holidays.
 

I am there the week after Christmas and am stayin offsite and have the same concern. One time we went during a morning emh and they wouldn't let us on the monorail until close to opening, and we got there later then we wanted. When do they let off site visitors go to the front gate durin that week?
 
Given you're going at THE busiest time of year, yes, I would say there's a very real chance you'll be waiting an hour for A&E and Mine Train, though it's hard to say for sure. If you're there for RD, you might still be okay. Not everyone is as keen on getting up at 6:00 am to be at the park for 6:30 for a 7:00 am rope drop on vacation. But, that said - it's still an extremely busy time.

On EMH mornings, no, they do not let you in early. They will not allow you in until 8:00.

Hard to say on the FP+. If you're just booking now, my guess is you won't get much.
 
Just wanted to add, keep checking for those fast passes. I was able to change my time on my 7DMT FP+ the day before last year (on Dec. 29th) for a party of 5. So, you just never know.
 
Let me make a suggestion. Instead of the monorail or ferry, head to the bus. Very few people seem to know about the buses from the TTC to MK. Each time we have a bus to ourselves and it's faster.
 
There are better options than early morning for A&E and 7D.

This summer, we found a 10 minute actual wait for A&E just before 11:30 pm. The posted wait was 90 minutes.

We still had time to ride 7D twice before the park closed at midnight. The posted wait there was 65.

We felt that it was a pretty efficient use of a half hour and much better than what could be accomplished on any early morning.
 
Let me make a suggestion. Instead of the monorail or ferry, head to the bus. Very few people seem to know about the buses from the TTC to MK. Each time we have a bus to ourselves and it's faster.
I believe there are only buses if the monorail is not running. With the new bus depot at MK, guests no longer need to transfer at the TTC for park to park bus service.
 
I believe there are only buses if the monorail is not running. With the new bus depot at MK, guests no longer need to transfer at the TTC for park to park bus service.

I'm a local, so offsite guest. Every morning there has been buses running when I've been there. Just ask someone in transportation if they are running that morning. I was told they are running each morning as one way transportation. And there hasn't been a morning where I've gone to the park where they haven't been running along with the monorail and ferry. Of course, that can always change.
 
I made FP+ reservations yesterday for the 22nd of DEC. Took 17 tries but I got a 7DMT for 920 AM. There were Anna and Elsa times available as well. Keep trying, someone will eventually change their times or cancel.
 

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