So what time do the parks really open?

[vatmark]

The hours for when we will be going 2nd to last week of August, but in 2008, are posted as 9am-8pm. We like to get to the parks at opening so what time should we really be there? I have heard some people mention that they usually open earlier then the posted time.

Annie

 

[robvia]

07:45am is when you want to roll up to the parking garage.

The 2nd to last week of August will have moderate crowds as the kids go back to school. The parks will probably open at 9am, but I don't care. I'm at the front of the line whether I have FOTL or not.

It's neat to walk around Citywalk when it's empty and get to the gate first. The big advantage to this, is you go in first, and everyone else is waiting behind you.

It's funny how people plan a visit to the parks, fly down, check into the hotel, then arrive the parks at 9am because they want to sleep in. The wait isn't that bad, and by 08:30am the line goes past the ticket booths. So it's worth showing up extra early and waiting at the gate.

 

[vatmark]

We'll be staying on site. So are you saying to get there at 8am or so for the 9am opening? We like to be ahead of the pack as well.

Annie

 

[the Dark Marauder]

8a-815a.

 

[macraven]

i have not had to wait until 9 to get in.
if there is a long line at the turnstile, people are let in early.
earliest i have entered has been 8:30ish.

not everything will be open if they let the lines come in before 9.
some things will be open, some not.

it is a great picture taking time when the streets are empty

 

[robvia]

There's a few camps with the onsite crowd. I'll try to break them down.

Yes, you still want to show up early even if you have FOTL. Why? To get front seat rides on the coasters. Go in early and get a ride on Hulk, then high tail it to Pteranondon Flyers before the kid rule, then Dueling Dragons. If you don't care about front seat rides on the coasters fine, but between the hours of 11am - 4pm the park is packed and the FOTL line can have a 20 minute wait for major attractions. In your case, it won't be a problem. Show up to the gate at 08:15am and you'll be fine. If you want to be first into the park, or have your kid be the family that opens the park, show up at 08:00am and ask the person inside if you can do it.

Then there's the onsite crowd who like to sleep in and visit the pool first. That's fine, basically what they're doing is skipping the morning visit, and arriving in the afternoon.

There's another crowd who show up early to get breakfast at Cinnabon. There's one located in Citywalk. Me? I like to eat doughnuts and milk in the hotel room.

Be sure to stop on the way at Publix to stock a cooler before checking in. Most limo services will stop as a perk for using them.

The attack plan I tell everyone is to arrive early for a visit, go back to the hotel room and take a nap or swim in the pool, then visit a park around 4pm as the crowd is leaving. 3-4 hours is plenty of time to visit a park.

 

[SamR]

not everything will be open if they let the lines come in before 9.
some things will be open, some not.

Once the turnstiles open, is the whole park open (with the caveat that some individual rides may not be open yet)? That is, I take it that there is not a "rope drop" whereby you can get into one (or more) section(s), but others are roped off until official opening time. Correct?

 

[macraven]

Once the turnstiles open, is the whole park open (with the caveat that some individual rides may not be open yet)? That is, I take it that there is not a "rope drop" whereby you can get into one (or more) section(s), but others are roped off until official opening time. Correct?

no rope drop. all sections are open to walk in and thru
i get in about 8:30.
at IOA, usually the rides that are open early are hulk, dr doom, spidey, dueling dragons, pt flyers and a few more.
at the studios, mummy, jimmy neutron, shops, mib, shrek are the ones i have hit.
T2 and jaws opens around 10 i believe.

pick up the park map to see the times the shows are starting. none of them begin at 9

 

[goNDmay9]

high tail it to Pteranondon Flyers before the kid rule, .

hey! what is this "before the kid" time you speak of?? i thought it was child mandatory always? do tell do tell!

 

[macraven]

i have gone on p'flyer and without a kid.

if you go before 10:30-11:00, you don't have to adopt to get on the ride.

i last did it last october....

the ride is short but cute.
all of 90 seconds.....

 

[goNDmay9]

never even looked before! wow! we may have to try it this year.

 

[robvia]

Pteranondon Flyers has a kid rule, but if you show up early and there is no line, they let adults on. If you go into the park early, there's time to ride Hulk (Front, Back), Spiderman, Dr. Doom, then walk fast to PF. The decision is up to the cast member standing at the entrance. If the line is short, they'll let you go.

If you ride Hulk then go straight to PF, you'll definitely make it in time.

During non peak times, they close off the back sections of the park for a couple hours in the morning. But in the summer time, just about everything opens when the park does, especially the major rides everyone wants to go on.

The cool thing about showing up early, is they don't have a rope drop. Instead, the order you arrive the front gate is the order you go into the park. So getting to the gate early and waiting is huge. This is much fairer to those who show up early and wait at the gate. You go into the park, have it all to yourself, while everyone else is filing thru the gate. If you go in first, you literally have the whole park to yourself for a few minutes.

 

[vatmark]

Thanks so much for all this great info. We are the eat a quick bite in the room, get to the parks early and leaving right after an early lunch kinda family. Then returning around 4pm.

Can somebody give me a good ride order to follow by what gets the longest lines fastest. It will be me, DH, DD(12), DS(10). Not sure if DS will be tall enough for Dueling Dragons when we go-that requires 54 inches right? What is the other that requires 54 inches?

A list of which rides we should hit in the first hour of park opening at each park would be great. I like to have a loose touring plan. It actually works best for my family this way. Without it we stand there looking at each other trying to figure out what to do next.

Annie

 

[macraven]

this is just a suggestion.

IOA: hulk, dr doom, spidey, pt flyers, dueling dragons can be done in the first hour. even less if you start at 8:30 am when you get in.

hulk, dd are coasters. you probably want repeats for those.

not everyone likes dr doom but i love it and always list it on the must do list.
get the waiting area room that faces the park. room 3 or 4.
when you go up in the ride, you can view the park.

studios: mummy, MIB, are hot.
many include shrek and jimmy neutron as those are the first rides you see when you go straight then left.

T2 usually opens around 10 as does jaws on most days.

 

[vatmark]

Thanks macraven. Any other tidbits of info on other rides like you gave me for Dr. Doom?

Any rides that would be better saved for the evening?

Annie

 

[disneyag]

We were there this week. On Tuesday morning IOA opened at 8:30. Yesterday (Thursday) it opened at 8:45.

 

[macraven]

Thanks macraven. Any other tidbits of info on other rides like you gave me for Dr. Doom?

Any rides that would be better saved for the evening?

Annie

dr doom shoots you up quickly. then you sort of "bounce" your way down to the area where you boarded into the seats.
it drops slowly very slowly but what a great view you have.

for spidey, i do this multiple times.
i like the first row as nothing blocks my view such as big / tall pepple.
during the scene with the fire on the hood, it appears like it is really in front of you.

then i like the back row. you see the effects differently and both of these views you learn something new about the ride.

when you are being loaded into a car, tell the TM which row you want to sit. you might have to wait a turn for another car, but worth it.

for dueling dragons, i prefer the ice side, it seems smoother to me and has differentt angles. then i repeat this ride but on the fire side. you do not have to leave the castle for a repeat ride.
follow the signs that state, return to ride area. when you enter the main room again, go to the other loading car area. ice is blue, fire is red side.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

Heads up - through the summer AP holders and on-site hotel guests get one hour early opening. I have no idea what will be up and running but at least you gain access to the parks earlier than most. Thats my favorite time to snap some pictures! I will have a look at the literature to see if this is everyday or only certain days.

 

[scaryleo]

Heads up - through the summer AP holders and on-site hotel guests get one hour early opening. I have no idea what will be up and running but at least you gain access to the parks earlier than most. Thats my favorite time to snap some pictures! I will have a look at the literature to see if this is everyday or only certain days.

This was the case last Tuesday and Wednesday. We'd done Hulk twice and Superman before 8.30am. Couldn't get back to Duelling Dragons early though. The wouldn't let us through until 9am. I'm sure they just make it up as they go along.
I'd love to know what happens around end of October time as regards early entry, if anyone knows.

 

[nyfinfan]

How long have they been doing Early Entry? Is it just whenever they feel like it?