So is it heresy NOT to plan for rope-drop?

[coastgirl]

We will be in Orlando in two weeks, for two weeks, with 14 day passes, staying off-site. I have been watching a couple of line apps, and the mornings look pretty brutal if you're not getting on-site perks.

After a bunch of "commando" trips to WDW and our first visit to US, dragging my family out of bed for rope drop...maybe I just shouldn't? With two weeks to play, I am starting to think that we should just take it easy and pop over to the parks around 3 or 4 pm and stay til close?

Crowd calendars are still suggesting Sunday Monday are the best days?

I think we'd probably do a couple of mornings, hopefully check out DM and Transformers, but for our serious time at the WWoHP and generally enjoying the parks, maybe we don't have to be there for rope drop?

 

[damo]

We've gone the last week in August a few times but have stayed onsite. I've always found the crowds to be larger than I've expected. One of the biggest things I have noticed is the heat. If you go in the morning, it will be cooler for a few hours but then you have a lot of time in the middle of the day where it is very hot. When you stay onsite, you can just go back to the hotel, but if you are offsite you most likely won't. For that reason, I think you might be smarter to do later days at the park, staying until close.

I generally find Sunday to be a great day to go for lower crowds. That might be a good first day to go to get in your popular rides.

 

[coastgirl]

Thanks Damo, that sounds reasonable. I'm glad Sundays look decent, we will probably sleep in Sunday morning after our travel day, and I know the kids will by dying for their first butterbeer. By the second week we should be able to manage a couple of mornings. Yes, heat will definitely be a consideration for us, we are definitely not acclimatized to that.

 

[Metro West]

I was at the Studios last Sunday and except for Rockit, Transformers and Despicable Me, the lines were 20 minutes at most attractions. I can't speak to IOA but I will tell you when I returned to the Studios on Tuesday night, wait times for all attractions were upwards of 60 minutes.

If you aren't used to the heat down here, make sure you drink plenty of water and try to rest frequently. It can be pretty brutal.

 

[coastgirl]

More good info, thanks Metro. Sunday it is.

Our second week should be less busy overall, as school has started locally by then.

 

[vleeth]

Is the last Sunday in Aug still a good idea (with it being labor day weekend)?

 

[macraven]

when there is a 3 day weekend, sundays tend to have more crowds than normal.