Space Mountain standby line?

[sweetnjmom]

We'll be at WDW the first week of May and my husband and I are considering waiting on the standby line for Space Mountain during our May trip -- and doing parent swap, since our son won't ride. We'll either do it first thing after rope drop on the Sunday of our trip, which is listed as moderate crowds, or in the evening on the other days we'll be there (which are "lower" crowds). What would be better? We're hoping to get the following FP+ picks at our 30 days, most chosen for my son, age 5.5.

SUN 5/3
7 Dwarfs Mine Train
Meet Ariel (my son's one request)
Splash Mountain

WED 5/6 (arriving MK in the afternoon - will be at HS in the AM)
Buzz Lightyear
Tomorrowland Speedway
MSEP (we're OK with the spot and will leave immediately after)

FRI 5/8
Meet Tinkerbell
Meet Cinderella
Peter Pan's Flight

If we can't get 7 Dwarfs Mine Train on 5/3, we'll revise this a bit and try for one of the other days.

 

[houseful of boys]

If you are looking for the shortest wait times, rope drop would be your best bet.

 

[sweetnjmom]

If you are looking for the shortest wait times, rope drop would be your best bet.

Yeah, that's what we're hoping for. Thanks!

I'm not even bothering with Anna & Elsa (even though my son would enjoy meeting them) and we'll head right to Space Mountain.

 

[Cando86]

I agree about rope drop. That's definitely your best bet for the shortest wait times. In January we rode it twice in a row at rope drop with no wait at all - we walked right onto the ride. We were done by 9:15 and we could have rode again (there was still no wait).

 

[xlsm]

Echoing the rope drop suggestion. You could probably ride it 4 or 5 times before the line got very long...that's how it was for us on a crowd level 8 week in early August, so I imagine it'd be even better in early May. HAVE FUN!!! Your trip is so close!!

 

[sweetnjmom]

The only way the Space Mountain at rope drop plan will change is if I DON'T get a FP+ for the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train.

Or if something unexpected happens.

 

[Trinity88]

We did space mountain at rope drop and were able to do it twice with little to no wait. It was a low crowd day, so it may be different with moderate crowds, but I'd expect you'll be fine at rope drop. Most of the crowds are racing to the mine train or anna and elsa.

 

[sweetnjmom]

We did space mountain at rope drop and were able to do it twice with little to no wait. It was a low crowd day, so it may be different with moderate crowds, but I'd expect you'll be fine at rope drop. Most of the crowds are racing to the mine train or anna and elsa.

Yeah, we'd like to avoid that... though the mine train will be our park opening target if we don't manage to get a FP+ for it.

 

[scrapquitler]

We usually have good luck with Space Mountain very close to park closing. The line gets shorter at the end of the day, especially when the park closes late, at least that was our perception every time we've tried it.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

Are you sure the 5 year old won't ride it? He might just like it if he's tall enough to ride.

My fondest Disney memory is chasing my then 3 year-old daughter back to the entrance of Space Mountain moments before midnight with her screaming "one more time Daddy" all the way.

 

[canadiandisneynut]

We have never waited longer than 5 minutes for Space Mountain