My mom has begged that we finally do this (we are not rope droppers) and I'm determined to make this happen for her. Park open is 9am. What time will the show happen? How early do I need to leave CSR to get there? Should we use a Minnie van? Any other tips or things I need to know? TIA!
8:55am when the park opens at 9:00am. Castle stage. Since they open Main Street/the Hub to everyone around 8am, arriving at the MK and getting a spot in the Hub is usually a pretty painless experience. Far more people will be congregating at the various Hub spokes, fewer actually position themselves to watch the show. It’s a very easy - and pleasant - experience, in my opinion. Since with the 8am Main Street/Hub opening you have a pretty wide window in which to arrive , I don’t see any reason not to use a Disney bus. Minnie Vans are a nice splurge too if so inclined, just not critical to success in this set of circumstances, in my opinion. Have fun.
Be standing at your resort bus stop by 8am and you're good to go. 15 more minutes of sleep on that morning won't do anything to make anyone feel better but an extra 15 minute buffer will make for a more pleasant morning getting into the park and positioned for the show. When you arrive at MK, grab a snack, grab some coffee, get positioned somewhere in the hub and enjoy.
Our rule of thumb is to leave our resort room 75 minutes prior to rope drop. No Minnie Van necessary IMO.
