We have been doing WDW all wrong!!

[poeticdiabetic]

Meh. I prefer late at night. The parks are so beautiful all lit up. When they close at 12am or 1am they almost clear out towards the end anyway.

That's me!!! I mean, you know one of the most other-worldly experiences you can ever do? Walk just outside the gates at MK during closing time. People are walking either back to their cars, to the buses or the ferry. That 1900s-era music is still pumping and the lighting is really smooth and misty.

I honestly do not have any other reference to that experience. You kinda feel like you're not on Earth, but in some dream-world that was created by the imagination of Walt Disney himself. I mean, it's modern, but also really turn-of-the-century. You still smell the smell of the popcorn and candy, but the monorail is right there! It's truly a blending of ages.

 

[LisaTC]

I keep telling friends who ask advice on their trips that RD really is a huge game changer, but they usually don't listen!

OK...lets try not to let this cat out of the bag!

All kidding aside, it is a good strategy if you can manage it. On or about day 3, we are getting a little weary and rope drop becomes, if we're there by 10, we're lucky!

 

[bjscheel]

Do they pick a family of the day at Morning EMH? I've always wondered how that would work

I know they did the last time we went, in 2011. I remember because we got there really early for EMH, thinking there wouldn't be as many people there so early and we could get picked. They seemed to already have someone when we got there.

 

[Winnowill]

We kind of accidentally did RD every single day at DLR last year, not even knowing it was a strategy. I just messed up which days were EMH days - we wound up never getting in for EMH, but our RDs were terrific, anyway. And now it's definitely the plan for our WDW trip next month!

 

[Weluvdisny]

I have done RD at MK and it is so worth it! I have a picture of DH in the walkway to HM and there is not a soul around.

Do different parks matter how early you get there? and

What's the average time before RD do you arrive?

 

[alicemouse]

I'm a night person out and out. On a normal day at home, I have to drag myself out of bed at 9:00, but at Disney, I never miss a rope drop!! We usually take an afternoon swim/nap break (mostly for DH), but I don't like the afternoon heat and crowds anyway.

My belief in this system was reaffirmed when I took four of my coworkers to MK while we were in town for a conference. We arrived at 2:30 on our convention ticket and it was a madhouse! We still had fun, but holy cow it was crowded. If I walked into that zoo every time I went to MK, I would have a really hard time finding the magic.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

The best combo for us is to arrive NEAR rope drop most days, but to ALWAYS make sure we close MK and Epcot.

Trying to be at the parks before they open just drives all of us nuts. Some of the A-type me-first folks who arrive before RD are a bit obnoxious, IMO. We are much happier if we arrive just after they disperse.

Second, morning hours are not relaxing for us. Maybe it's the coffee talking, but I always get the feeling that our time is fleeting. It's part deer-in-headlights, part fight/flight. Did we make the best choices?

In contrast, evening hours are relaxing because crowds thin. We often get to re-ride attractions!

Plus, I just love the mood lighting: Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Splash during Wishes, Aladdin with a view of the castle. They are all just way better at night. A trip is not complete unless I get to see the twinkling tree lights in Fantasyland!

Ultimately, there is no wrong way to tour. that's kind of the beauty of WDW. Part of the reason we don't knock ourselves out to make RD is that we are often in the parks past midnight. You gotta get at least a few hours of sleep!

 

[EastonCat]

We don't use it as a daily strategy, but we do it once or twice a trip. It always pays off.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Did DHS loose it show and RD completely and now just opens using the turnstiles?

 

[diskids2]

We LOVE RD! Glad to see you joined!

 

[KimK2006]

My MIL is like..."I am not getting up that early on vacation" but...

I at least want to Rope Drop at AK for the safari...I have her talked into that one (thank you animals! LOL!)

And I think I really want to rope drop at MK....I think DS will LOVE the opening show. And we can get a lot in and then fastpass and go slower in the afternoon.

That is when you hit RD and have MIL meet you when she gets up. She shouldn't be forced to go early if she wants to sleep in and you shouldn't have to wait for her to get up if you want to hit RD.

For our family, RD is the only way to go. And we are NOT morning people. We figure we can sleep when we get home! Nothing line crossing headliners off of the list while everyone else is still asleep. (It used to be a great time to stock up on FP's, but those days are gone....)

 

[tndisneyfan]

I despise getting up early on vacation. We always slept in a little and came in with the masses. A few years back DS wanted to do Rope Drop so he could see all the opening shows. Then we saw how much you can get done by getting there early, so now we do it all the time. There's nothing quite like riding RnRC four times before 10 am.

 

[Stefne]

Did DHS loose it show and RD completely and now just opens using the turnstiles?

Unless something has changed since last summer, they just opened the tapstyles and allowed us to head to our chosen destination.

 

[Andtototoo]

That is when you hit RD and have MIL meet you when she gets up. She shouldn't be forced to go early if she wants to sleep in and you shouldn't have to wait for her to get up if you want to hit RD.

Agreed. When we travel with people of different speeds/interests or rise/bed times, we separate. I'm not going to try to force them to do what I want and they're not going to force me to waste my vacation sleeping and lounging around by the pool. I'm not going to spend a whole day drinking around the world, but I will meet you for a drink or two. (Or when we were in France last summer, I'm not going to spend my day in the Loire Valley sitting by the pool, for cripes' sakes. I could have done that at home for free. I'll meet you for dinner, but I'm off to see the chateaux.) Set up meeting times and be done with the hassle.

 

[Sparkly]

That's me!!! I mean, you know one of the most other-worldly experiences you can ever do? Walk just outside the gates at MK during closing time. People are walking either back to their cars, to the buses or the ferry. That 1900s-era music is still pumping and the lighting is really smooth and misty.

I honestly do not have any other reference to that experience. You kinda feel like you're not on Earth, but in some dream-world that was created by the imagination of Walt Disney himself. I mean, it's modern, but also really turn-of-the-century. You still smell the smell of the popcorn and candy, but the monorail is right there! It's truly a blending of ages.

MK at night is my favourite! Main Street is magical all lit up. The only bad bit is leaving to go back to the room

 

[Mousemommy1]

We have actually decided that we are going to attempt rope drop on our upcoming trip.

We are NOT rope droppers....weren't FP users....but....on our upcoming trip we are going to do both!!!

We have always had amazing vacations even with our touring "style" but we are interested in seeing how the other half lives....

 

[LumosQ102]

We're rope droppers and park closers - but it helps that we are child free. We hit the parks first thing, head out when it reaches the mid afternoon madness and go relax a while, maybe nap, have a swim. We're then back in the parks until they make us leave works perfectly for us, and even better with FP+.

Both times of day are wonderful, I love the early morning thrill of rope drop & dashing of to ride our favourites, but we also love nighttime in the parks. There is something so magical about the twinkling lights, dwindling crowds plus the outdoor rides are generally better at night. Big Thunder Mountain is 100% better once the lights go down... not to mention those gorgeous hot
Florida nights, grab an icecream and wait for the MSEP. Thats my idea of heaven

 

[LBIJim]

The best combo for us is to arrive NEAR rope drop most days, but to ALWAYS make sure we close MK and Epcot.

Trying to be at the parks before they open just drives all of us nuts. Some of the A-type me-first folks who arrive before RD are a bit obnoxious, IMO. We are much happier if we arrive just after they disperse.

!

Arriving near rope drop works better for us too. I don't want to wait 30-45 minutes or more outside the gates. So we arrive 10 to 15 minutes after they start letting people in. By that time most of the very early crowd has been admitted and we can stroll right in. Sure, we'll get one or two fewer rides that way, but at least we avoid the first big line of the day.

Jim

 

[It'sWDW4me]

I am a bona fide night owl BUT always tried to get my family out of the room in time for RD. IIRC, we only made it one or two times.

Last summer I went by myself and I made RD. every. single. day and it was AWESOME!!! I went July 17-23, 2013 and crowd levels were predicted to be at 7-8 every day. Plus it was flippin hotter than Hades (record breaker temps that week in PA). I was up and out of the room at least 30 minutes before park opening so I'd be getting through bag check either right at or a few minutes after RD. I'd get soooooo much done in the AM, eat lunch around 1:00 or so and then head back to the room to nap off the intense heat of the day. Get back up around 5:00, have dinner either at the hotel or after getting back to the park (man but that heat really took my appetite away ), love up all the evening ambiance and the lighter crowds, and then head back to the hotel when they kicked me out of the park.

If not for the crazy heat, it was my best trip ever. I don't know what I'm gonna do when I go with someone who wants to sleep in now.

 

[mickey1968]

Meh. I prefer late at night. The parks are so beautiful all lit up. When they close at 12am or 1am they almost clear out towards the end anyway.

^this is me too! But I think I may have to throw a couple of RD in there this trip to help combat the heat and also because I will be at DHS on opening day of SWW. But just for RD, none of that crazy 4 or 5 am stuff!