time they let you in

[ddiez1234]

Hey I was wondering if the parks let you in before they open like if the park opens at 9 will they let you run to wait for a ride at 830

 

[LadyZolt]

Nope. Park opens at the time listed, unless it's Extra Magic Hours in the morning, when resort guests can get in earlier than scheduled opening time.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[ddiez1234]

really thats interesting because universal parks let people in at 830 when the park listing is at 9

 

[HopperFan]

Years ago we used to arrive early for the parks and often got in early. Then we stopped rushing over because it seemed to not happen anymore. Last week we were at AK fifteen minutes before opening with a gazzillion others. It opened promptly at 9 am, but with these darn finger scanners it took us about 20+ minutes to get through a turnstyle. No more for me. I could have arrived at 9:30 and walked in right behind my earlier arrving self.

 

[ddiez1234]

what are the dark finger scanners

 

[Schmeck]

WDW uses biometric finger scanners for all tickets, at all parks now. basically it collects data from two fingers inserted in the scanner.

 

[ddiez1234]

wow that sounds time consuming

 

[Robo]

Last week we were at AK fifteen minutes before opening with a gazzillion others. It opened promptly at 9 am, but with these darn finger scanners it took us about 20+ minutes to get through a turnstyle.

This doesn't compute.

Was this an EMH morning and you were not staying on-property?

Otherwise, they open the gates at AK about 15-20 minutes early and allow guests to walk back for the Rope-Drop Ceremony ("The Adventure Begins").
That thins the crowds at the gates considerably.

The Rope-Drop then starts before the open-time and ends "straight-up" at the posted opening time. (And CMs then escort guests to both Safari in one direction, and EE in the other.)

The only time this should NOT happen is if it was a "morning EMH" and the Rope-Drop had been performed an hour earlier for resort guests on that day.

 

[momrek06]

We did the KTTK Tour at MK in Feb and they let us in early before the Park was open. We were waiting for the entire Tour group to arrive!

They told us we could walk around the MK BUT I will tell you all the LANDS were roped off. You could walk down Main Street to the Castle but like I said nothing was open and there were these ropes closing off each opening to each LAND.

But I will say it was sooooo neat being like the ONLY ONES in the MK. The sun was shining, the Photopass people were just getting ready to come out.

I stood near WALT's statue and took pictures as the people came running into the MK. It was just so funny. And so many people who have looked at my Feb WDW pictures ALWAYS laugh at that picture of all the people running to either Frontier Land or Tomorrow Land....