Tell me about Rope Drop

[Jacova]

DH and I will be going in Jan/Feb for a quick (4 days in the parks) trip. We've never done rope drop before but since it's such a quick trip & the parks close early I wanted to try and take advantage of every minute.
I'm concerned however, because DH does not like standing in crowds. He gets very claustrophobic and it spoils his mood and that is the last thing I need to start a day in WDW! Can you please tell me exactly what happens at park opening? Do you go through security and the turnstiles and then just stand in a crowd until they let you in? If so, can you recommend a place to stand where you are not in the middle of the crowd? We don't really care about the show. I am considering this for MK and Epcot.

Also - Is there any difference if it is a EMH morning?

Last - what time would suggest arriving to minimize the wait in crowds but maximize the early morning low crowds?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Robo]

Can you please tell me exactly what happens at park opening?
1. Do you go through security and the turnstiles and then just stand in a crowd until they let you in? If so,
2. can you recommend a place to stand where you are not in the middle of the crowd? We don't really care about the show. I am considering this for MK and Epcot.
3. Also - Is there any difference if it is a EMH morning?
4. what time would suggest arriving to minimize the wait in crowds but maximize the early morning low crowds?

Thanks in advance!

1. Yes.
2. It will be quite easy to simply move over a bit... away from the crowd.
Most guests will tend to bunch up together. Again, you can simply NOT do that
and stand a bit off to the side. Very easy to do.
3. Yes. Fewer guests.
4. Rule of thumb. Arrive 30 minutes before the posted opening time.
Then, just don't "bunch up."

You will ALWAYS be in some "groups" at WDW.
Waiting in lines (at the gates, in the attraction lines, at the shows, just passing through
certain congested areas.) But, that's just the nature of going somewhere overwhelmingly popular.

 

[robinb]

4. Rule of thumb. Arrive 30 minutes before the posted opening time.
Then, just don't "bunch up."

I would suggest to get there closer to opening time itself. If she gets there 30 minutes before they let people into the park her DH might feel some anxiety being in a line that is not moving surrounded by other lines that are not moving. Plus, if they don't "bunch up" once they get in they lose all the advantages of being there at rope drop. They might as well skip "rope drop" and go for "park opening" and allow the rope drop crowd to disperse before they even get through the turnstile. Then it's an easy crowd-free walk to their first ride and they are still ahead of 95% of the park guests.