We're just back from Universal - third trip - and FOTL makes it an experience unlike any other theme park. I'm sure it will be more crowded in July, but President's Week isn't exactly off-peak and we pretty much walked onto everything - except Pterandon Flyers, of course.
My kids actually really like that ride and we rode it a total of three times on two different days because (drum roll) we got there at or near opening and went over there first thing. A tip: if you get there at opening, ignore what's on the tip board at the front of the park re the wait time for this. On Friday (2/22) we were there at 8:55 AM (official park opening was at 9, IME they usually start letting guests in around 8:45 or so - and unlike Disney, the park is really OPEN when they let you through the turnstiles!), and the tip board said there was already a 20 minute wait for PF. Huh? We were all by our lonesomes as we walked through Jurassic Park (a pretty neat experience all by itself), and the wait at the front of the queue said 0 minutes. While not quite a walk-on, we waited less than five minutes. By the time we got off the ride, at around 9:15 (it takes a long time to walk to the back of the park!) , the queue had really grown and the sign at the ride entrance said 30 minutes - and I believe it.
Hulk and Dueling Dragons (both the Fire and Ice sides) have separate queues for the front row, and FOTL does not give you access to these. So if you want to ride there, you will have to get there early. If you're early, you can go through the Express queue, and then duck into the front row queue without cutting anyone, at least on Dueling Dragons. Hulk does get crowded early because of its popularity as well as location in the park as the first ride you come to on the left.
There isn't a line for the front row of Mummy, or for Spiderman (another attraction that you might want to experience from the first row, especially if you're with a short person, aka child). My experience with this is the same as Bubba's Mom - if you ask the TM nicely, they will let you wait for the first row.
And about RD (well, they don't actually drop a rope at Universal) - my teenager, who would sleep until noon every day if I let her, insisted on being there at opening every day partially because she enjoyed strolling a near-empty park. And it really is quite a nice experience, particularly in IOA if you go through Seuss Landing, Lost Continent, and Jurassic Park. (Most people head left for Hulk and Spiderman.)
....sometimes you can just ask and hope the TM is in a good mood! 
