Thoughts on avoiding rope drop?

[shosh1530]

We arrive Sunday and are staying at the Grand Californian. Things are changing so rapidly and it hard to keep up with it all!

We want to get in the parks early, but don't think my special needs kiddo will be able to handle lining up super early or the crush of people at rope drop. He gets especially anxious when he has to line up but the lines aren't moving.

Thoughts on a good time to try to enter DL in the morning with minimal waiting? If we time things to be like 8:45 would we avoid the crush of people (entering from GCH via DTD)?

Or if we do try for rope drop, are there shops open or any places of interest that we can distract him while waiting?

 

[Matrixleos]

Watching several recent rope drop videos, the hub gets pretty empty soon after rope drop as people rush to all the different lands. So maybe target to enter the park just at 9am and by the time you walk down main street and get to the hub, it should have emptied out a bit.

 

[Piglet99645]

Watching several recent rope drop videos, the hub gets pretty empty soon after rope drop as people rush to all the different lands. So maybe target to enter the park just at 9am and by the time you walk down main street and get to the hub, it should have emptied out a bit.

This was my takeaway from the videos as well. Also my plan!

 

[evilmommie]

All of our recent trips since reopening day, we have waited until after 9am and have basically walked in with zero wait time.

 

[redleader74]

Looking at the Esplanade at opening it looks like a huge crowd, does the Esplanade crowd thin out soon after the turnstiles open?

Also, to date I have no idea what this "rope dropping" thing is and how it is different from the actual opening of the park. I also couldn't seem to find much in the way of a clear concise defition here or anywhere. Would someone mind to explain? Thanks!!

 

[avalon451]

Looking at the Esplanade at opening it looks like a huge crowd, does the Esplanade crowd thin out soon after the turnstiles open?

Also, to date I have no idea what this "rope dropping" thing is and how it is different from the actual opening of the park. I also couldn't seem to find much in the way of a clear concise defition here or anywhere. Would someone mind to explain? Thanks!!

From what I've been hearing lately, yes, the security lines and the Esplanade thin out soon after turnstiles open.

Re: rope drop: For many years DLR has done the thing where they let you through the turnstiles early, and you can shop on Main Street, greet characters, etc for awhile before they actually let you onto any rides. They keep you from getting on the rides by holding the crowd at the entrance to one of the lands, often in several entrances, with a couple of CMs holding a literal rope across the walkway. Then at official park opening, there is the usual announcement about having a magical day, and they "drop" the rope, and people surge for the different lands. In recent years, ropes are held across the entrances to Adventure Land, Frontier Land, in front of the castle, the side entrance to the castle (that goes by Pixie Hollow and Snow White's wishing well) and Tomorrowland.
Once through the turnstiles, many people will head straight for these ropes rather than shop or visit characters, so as to be near the front of their favorite rides ASAP. I've stood at the top of the hub in front of the castle while the CMs, a minute or two before official opening, cautiously start winding up the rope, admonishing, "Don't go yet, we'll say when," and then tell us to go when the announcement comes. Incidentally, some of my favorite interactions with CMs have been while waiting on rope drop, standing there chatting and joking with them as they hold the rope.

Keep in mind that rope dropping is in no way consistent. Sometimes they let you in at official opening time, and you can fast walk all the way to your favorite land. Other days they will open anywhere from 45-15 minutes early and hold you at rope drop. When (if) Magic Mornings/Early Entry comes back, that often means no rope drop. For example, if you had a Magic Morning to DL on a summer Tuesday with full operating hours of 8 am to midnight, that would mean MM would start at 7 a.m. They would let you through the turnstiles at 7 a.m., no rope drop. On the other hand, if it was a Wednesday opening of 9 a.m. with no magic morning, they're fairly likely to open up at 8:30 and hold you at rope drop till 9.

 

[GeneralTso]

My thoughts? I avoid rope drop at all costs. It's just not that important to me. I let the initial wave flow through, then I waltz in.

 

[redleader74]

Re: rope drop: For many years DLR has done the thing where they let you through the turnstiles early.....

Aaaahhhhh!!....thank you, thank you, and THANK YOU, from here to beyond the realms of the imagined! Finally an actual description of what rope drop is. Every so-call blog of every so-called Disney fan I came across doing a google search had tons of tips/tricks for "how to" rope drop but no one explained what it actually IS. It doesn't look like something I'll be doing though. I've gota 2.7 year old kid who now knows the words "castle" and "princess" so can you imagine letting her see that castle and telling her no, you gotta wait another half hour before you can walk up to it.

Right now the posted opening hour of DL is 9:00 AM, so I'm assuming then they let people through the turnstiles at 8:00, 8:30? Which means the Esplanade must be packed from like 7:00 onwards? If I plan to enter the park at 9 or 9:30 we should be fine I'm assuming.

 

[avalon451]

Aaaahhhhh!!....thank you, thank you, and THANK YOU, from here to beyond the realms of the imagined! Finally an actual description of what rope drop is. Every so-call blog of every so-called Disney fan I came across doing a google search had tons of tips/tricks for "how to" rope drop but no one explained what it actually IS. It doesn't look like something I'll be doing though. I've gota 2.7 year old kid who now knows the words "castle" and "princess" so can you imagine letting her see that castle and telling her no, you gotta wait another half hour before you can walk up to it.

Right now the posted opening hour of DL is 9:00 AM, so I'm assuming then they let people through the turnstiles at 8:00, 8:30? Which means the Esplanade must be packed from like 7:00 onwards? If I plan to enter the park at 9 or 9:30 we should be fine I'm assuming.

You're welcome! For a visual, here's DH and I at rope drop in 2016. At this time, they were holding it before the hub, in front of the partners statue. Now I believe it's on the other side, right in front of the castle.

 

[Matrixleos]

Personally, I just love rope drop. I love spending a full day in the parks from open to close.

Way I look at it, it's part of the charm and experience with visiting. Never gets old or tired with me.

 

[redleader74]

...And nobody trips over the rope? There's no stampeding like there is in front of a Best Buy on Black Friday?

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

You're welcome! For a visual, here's DH and I at rope drop in 2016. At this time, they were holding it before the hub, in front of the partners statue. Now I believe it's on the other side, right in front of the castle.
View attachment 583079

It was here as well on Wednesday.

 

[Piglet99645]

I lost my 10 year old at rope drop the year the new Star Tours opened. I was frantic, but we had agreed to meet at Star Tours if we got separated. Got there. No kid. Got in the line while I frantically looked up further in the line to see if he was there. When we got to where they give you the 3D glasses, he was just chilling there talking to the CM..

When I said "meet at Star Tours" he took that very, very literally.

 

[DontSpamMe]

We played it pretty good yesterday. Parked on the katella side at 8:25am. Walked through security by the DLH with no wait, went through the gates with no wait and were in line at big thunder at 8:55am. Not sure if it was reported but rope drop was definitely before 9am yesterday. My goal was to be in the back end of the rope drop crowd.

 

[shosh1530]

We played it pretty good yesterday. Parked on the katella side at 8:25am. Walked through security by the DLH with no wait, went through the gates with no wait and were in line at big thunder at 8:55am. Not sure if it was reported but rope drop was definitely before 9am yesterday. My goal was to be in the back end of the rope drop crowd.

That sounds like exactly what I'm hoping for... To sail right in after rope drop.

 

[Piglet99645]

That sounds like exactly what I'm hoping for... To sail right in after rope drop.

Same!!!!

 

[BayGirl22]

.... I've gota 2.7 year old kid who now knows the words "castle" and "princess" so can you imagine letting her see that castle and telling her no, you gotta wait another half hour before you can walk up to it.
...

We always did rope drop when our kids were that age. They were in a stroller so it was even easier. You're not really waiting for 30 minutes watching the castle, you're slowly moving in and then at the front of the lines to ride the most popular Fantasyland rides. Traditionally at DLR Peter Pan was the ride to get on at rope drop. We'd rope drop that and beat the line then move on to Dumbo, Alice, etc. before the crowds.
There's so much to see while waiting on main street our kids never got impatient. They would sometimes be eating breakfast in the stroller while we drank a coffee, so they were just excited to be in the Disney environment.

 

[Wesley815]

...And nobody trips over the rope? There's no stampeding like there is in front of a Best Buy on Black Friday?

Haha, maybe a long time ago they did trip a few times (was actual "rope dropping") Now the CM's just calmly wrap up the rope like any other event/guest control. Surprisingly guests seem to stay under control- just fast walking. Security is around and announcement says to walk.... I've seen other chain parks where guests literally run, thankfully not Disney.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Last 3 days official park opening has been 9a and we hit the Esplanade about 9:15a and have walked right in both through Harbor security and at the gates.

 

[Piglet99645]

Last 3 days official park opening has been 9a and we hit the Esplanade about 9:15a and have walked right in both through Harbor security and at the gates.

How were ride waits? Do you feel like you missed anything by not being earlier? This sounds ideal.