Slinky Dog Dash early entry (ETPE) strategy?

[Boardwalk III]

Hi all,

Tried to book Slinky Dog Dash @ 7am sharp this morning for next Friday 3/21. Unfortunately, the earliest time available was after 3 PM when we’ll be park hopping over to Epcot mid to ride GOTG with a LLSP.

We’re staying at Boardwalk so will be walking to DHS early that morning. We’re planning to arrive around 8:15 for the 8:30 early entry. For that arrival time how long do you think we’d be waiting to ride SDD? And/or in order to have less than maybe a 15 minute wait, how early would we need to be at the gate?

Finally, I’ve only done rope drop
for Slinky once and unfortunately the day we went Slinky wasn’t even running at ETPE. I don’t know if there was a technical issue or something else. But we waited in a non-moving line for at least 45 minutes before the ride started running. Is this common? Is there a way to find this out before walking all the way down there if the ride is going to be open? I’ll have two college students with me who aren’t normally early risers so just want to increase the odds that we’re successful in getting on it as it’s one of their top choices.

Many thanks!

 

[SL6827]

For an 8:30 EE time, i would arrive at 7:30, no joke.

 

[pens4821]

Is there a way to find this out before walking all the way down there if the ride is going to be open?

I feel like most the times they will be announcing it as your entering the park. At least the couple of times we’ve entered we’ve heard them making announcements that a certain ride is down. I should say the bigger rides. I wouldn’t think they’d be announcing that for rides that the majority of people aren’t going to.

As far as when to get there, I’d say at the latest half hour before ETPE. We usually get there about 30-45 minutes early and have always had good luck with a couple rides with no/little waits. Even during very busy times.

 

[tofubeast]

If you still booked that afternoon Slinky LL, keep trying to move it up. People re-arrange their plans and there is a chance you can modify it to an earlier time.

 

[Boardwalk III]

If you still booked that afternoon Slinky LL, keep trying to move it up. People re-arrange their plans and there is a chance you can modify it to an earlier time.

Thanks. Decided not to do that and picked another Tier I instead, given that we only have 4–5 hours to do as many attractions as we can. It’s a short trip this time - 4 parks in 3 days/4nights. Luckily we have EEH on our arrival day night at MK. I’ve told the girls if they want to do SDD they’ll need to get up early (not my own kids so not like I’m going to force them )

 

[M&E]

Hi all,

Tried to book Slinky Dog Dash @ 7am sharp this morning for next Friday 3/21. Unfortunately, the earliest time available was after 3 PM when we’ll be park hopping over to Epcot mid to ride GOTG with a LLSP.

We’re staying at Boardwalk so will be walking to DHS early that morning. We’re planning to arrive around 8:15 for the 8:30 early entry. For that arrival time how long do you think we’d be waiting to ride SDD? And/or in order to have less than maybe a 15 minute wait, how early would we need to be at the gate?

Finally, I’ve only done rope drop
for Slinky once and unfortunately the day we went Slinky wasn’t even running at ETPE. I don’t know if there was a technical issue or something else. But we waited in a non-moving line for at least 45 minutes before the ride started running. Is this common? Is there a way to find this out before walking all the way down there if the ride is going to be open? I’ll have two college students with me who aren’t normally early risers so just want to increase the odds that we’re successful in getting on it as it’s one of their top choices.

Many thanks!

I would try to be at the gate as early as you can. At least be there by 7:45. I will be doing that in May. I think you're dealing with spring break crowds so if you can get there even earlier, I would! I know it's a long wait for a ride, but it's not eating into the short amount of hours that you have. If it's a must do, the earlier you get there the better.

 

[We’reAllMadHere]

For spring break, I’d be there an hour before EE if you want to be near the front of the pack to SDD. (Which essentially is the same as waiting an hour in line for SDD but doesn’t eat up open park time.)

SDD at 7+1 will almost never have a morning return time. I believe it’s the LL that books up the quickest in any of the parks. That’s why a lot of people plan HS as one of the later parks in a trip.

 

[Boardwalk III]

I would try to be at the gate as early as you can. At least be there by 7:45. I will be doing that in May. I think you're dealing with spring break crowds so if you can get there even earlier, I would! I know it's a long wait for a ride, but it's not eating into the short amount of hours that you have. If it's a must do, the earlier you get there the better.

So how does this work these days. You wait outside the turnstile for the early entry line and do they wait until 8:30 to open gates or do they sometimes open them early? And then do they “walk” you with a rope to SDD or can you run?

I just want to give the two of them a choice as to whether they want to attempt it or not, but want to make sure they have all the info. Tks!

 

[Boardwalk III]

For spring break, I’d be there an hour before EE if you want to be near the front of the pack to SDD. (Which essentially is the same as waiting an hour in line for SDD but doesn’t eat up open park time.)

SDD at 7+1 will almost never have a morning return time. I believe it’s the LL that books up the quickest in any of the parks. That’s why a lot of people plan HS as one of the later parks in a trip.

Thanks, unfortunately, this is a very quick 4 day trip and we’re working around plans of a much larger group. Certainly not how I would have planned it, but it is what it is.

 

[We’reAllMadHere]

I would look up a couple of YouTube videos to get an idea of what rope drop looks like. It always helps me to see it rather than read about it. It might also help prepare your kids for what to expect.

 

[Boardwalk III]

I would look up a couple of YouTube videos to get an idea of what rope drop looks like. It always helps me to see it rather than read about it. It might also help prepare your kids for what to expect.

That’s a great idea. I’ve done many rope drops over the years, but not the DHS one for SDD. They’re actually two college-aged daughters of friends of ours. Long story, but not my own kids which makes me a bit more sensitive to them having a good experience

 

[kylenne]

So how does this work these days. You wait outside the turnstile for the early entry line and do they wait until 8:30 to open gates or do they sometimes open them early? And then do they “walk” you with a rope to SDD or can you run?

I just want to give the two of them a choice as to whether they want to attempt it or not, but want to make sure they have all the info. Tks!

7:45 will not cut it for 8:30 EE at HS if you’re trying to hit SDD or Rise first. You will need to be there at 7:30 at minimum. Being at or near the front of the pack is critical to maximizing your EE time.

15 minutes may sound like a trivial difference but rope drop crowds build faster at HS than at any other park, ime. They practically double every few minutes. The difference between what it looks like at the HS tapstiles at 7:30 vs 7:45 is actually huge.

The procedure has pretty much been the same for a while now, as you get closer to time you tap in, they check your EE entitlement, then CMs will start walking people over to their attractions of choice to be held at them. I always start down Sunset but it’s the same process for all the big rides tbh, for SDD you will follow the CM left towards Toy Story Land and then they will hold you by Slinky. A line will form there. Hopefully you will be near the front of it. The reason being they sometimes start running rides before official EE time if they are ready. I have been on and off of Tower before EE actually started at times.

A common misconception is it’s not worth it to get there so early bc you’re still waiting an hour in line. But the reason you are waiting for EE is not necessarily for that first ride of the day but for rides 2 and 3. Yes you are waiting before the park is open so you’re not eating into park time but you are also not sacrificing low waits at other attractions during that time. Waits aren’t building anywhere bc the park’s not open. This is especially crucial at HS where waits everywhere build very quickly. By getting there that early and being at the front, you’re staying 1 step ahead of the crowds during rope drop and it lets you get way more done. And like I keep saying, 15 min is a huge difference at HS. I have photographic evidence of this lmao. It’s very easy to notice as a Crescent Lake resort guest bc you can easily get there before Disney transportation starts running if you walk (and I always do). I am regularly 1st to 3rd in line at the tapstiles and after the Skyliner starts running crowds really do double every 5 min, it’s wild.

Personally I would have kept trying to move that LL up, but if you have to rope drop SDD, get there as early as humanly possible. 95% of the rope drop crowd is headed either there or to Rise.

 

[Boardwalk III]

7:45 will not cut it for 8:30 EE at HS if you’re trying to hit SDD or Rise first. You will need to be there at 7:30 at minimum. Being at or near the front of the pack is critical to maximizing your EE time.

15 minutes may sound like a trivial difference but rope drop crowds build faster at HS than at any other park, ime. They practically double every few minutes. The difference between what it looks like at the HS tapstiles at 7:30 vs 7:45 is actually huge.

The procedure has pretty much been the same for a while now, as you get closer to time you tap in, they check your EE entitlement, then CMs will start walking people over to their attractions of choice to be held at them. I always start down Sunset but it’s the same process for all the big rides tbh, for SDD you will follow the CM left towards Toy Story Land and then they will hold you by Slinky. A line will form there. Hopefully you will be near the front of it. The reason being they sometimes start running rides before official EE time if they are ready. I have been on and off of Tower before EE actually started at times.

A common misconception is it’s not worth it to get there so early bc you’re still waiting an hour in line. But the reason you are waiting for EE is not necessarily for that first ride of the day but for rides 2 and 3. Yes you are waiting before the park is open so you’re not eating into park time but you are also not sacrificing low waits at other attractions during that time. Waits aren’t building anywhere bc the park’s not open. This is especially crucial at HS where waits everywhere build very quickly. By getting there that early and being at the front, you’re staying 1 step ahead of the crowds during rope drop and it lets you get way more done. And like I keep saying, 15 min is a huge difference at HS. I have photographic evidence of this lmao. It’s very easy to notice as a Crescent Lake resort guest bc you can easily get there before Disney transportation starts running if you walk (and I always do). I am regularly 1st to 3rd in line at the tapstiles and after the Skyliner starts running crowds really do double every 5 min, it’s wild.

Personally I would have kept trying to move that LL up, but if you have to rope drop SDD, get there as early as humanly possible. 95% of the rope drop crowd is headed either there or to Rise.

Thanks for this, super helpful! Honestly, I just didn’t want to have to think about it again over the next 5 to 7 days, which is why I didn’t book it later and keep working to move it up. Since we have 3 other DHS attractions booked using LLMP and they aren’t interested in Rise or MF, I’ll just let them know if they want to do SDD without an hour wait we need to be there that early. Their call!

By the way, when do the buses/Skyliner start running & arriving at DHS? We’ll definitely be walking, but that would be good to know.