What time of day to ride SDMT?

[dotcomgirl18]

We are planning to get a FP+ for SDMT for our August trip for around 11am. We've never ridden it before, so we figure we will also want to ride it a second time.

For our non-FP+ ride, do we ride it at rope drop as our first ride or do we ride it at park closing (I've heard it's cool at night)?

Originally we were planning to ride BTMRR (we love BTMRR at night) and Splash up until park closing (Wishes is at 10pm and park closes at 11pm... We would watch Wishes and then either hit Frontierland or Tomorrowland/Fantasyland (we'd ride Space Mountain and then SDMT) based on these options) Which is the better option?

Or is SDMT not even worth riding twice?

 

[dotcomgirl18]

Bump!

 

[PEC]

The lines go down "some" late in the evening. You could plan on doing it the last thing in the park. If you are in line you get to ride it.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

We did both. At rope drop we were on and off in about 15 to 20 minutes. The same day, we got in line at 8:40 to 8:45 and it said there was a 65 minute wait. We were getting off the ride around 11:15 because the parade wasn't over yet. It was pretty cool at night.

 

[KimmyAnne]

We were there this past week, and the night we were there, all through the evening the line was pretty long looking (even at 11 PM). SB time was always posted at least 65+ (and at least IMO, appeared that long as well). It was a 2 AM EMH evening if that matters. My advice would be RD and walk fast, or if you're a night owl, last thing during evening EMH. And the cottage at the end is much more fun at night because you can actually see in it! During our daytime ride, if you didn't know there was anything through the windows, you'd never know because you could barely see.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

The best place for late evening multiple re-rides is Big Thunder/Splash as both of those rides become virtual walk-ons the last hour+ that the park is open.

However, Spash can still eat up a lot of time even with no waiting. Late at night, they close one of the loading areas and only use two instead of three. With the same number of boats, the load/unload process can take quite a bit longer. The boats can back up as far as the riverboat scene waiting to unload. So if you get in line with less than 20 minutes to go you may not get on again.

On the other hand, you can ride Big Thunder several times repeatedly if that's your thing.

Space holds a pretty good line right up until closing. Maybe 15 minutes or less just before closing time.

Mine Train may be too new to tell, but we were there opening week and the actual wait time was 10-20 minutes just before closing time. We did ride twice in a half hour the only time we visited that attraction late at night.

Keep in mind that posted wait times are often greatly exaggerated late in the evening. The sign may say 60 when the real wait is 15. This seems to be used to discourage late night riding, but can be used to your advantage if you're a night owl.

 

[BrerNashville]

I'd probably plan to do the late night ride, that way, if you decide you don't really need to ride it again, then you won't have spent your morning in line at SDMT when you otherwise could have done practically all of the rest of fantasyland (other than the A&E) or any other land while everyone else had gone to Anna/Elsa or SDMT. Of course, if you are leading pack at RD, then you could be off in 15 minutes, but that would require getting to the park by 8:00 or so on a non-EMH day.