When do rides begin operating?

[TinkerTerry]

Why do people want a breakfast reservation before park opening? If I have an 8:00 ressie and the park opens at 9:00 when do the rides start operating? Are they just trying to be first in line for 9:00 or can they ride before that time?

 

[xlsm]

There are several reasons for a pre park opening breakfast reservation. One is to get a head start on lining up for rides...most of the time you are not allowed to ride early, however, when BOG began doing breakfast, many times people were allowed early rides on 7 Dwarfs Mine Train.

We like doing them, particularly at Animal Kingdom, because seeing the park that empty is a special experience. MK is nice too, but there are more early dining options, tours, etc, that there are more people around. In my experience at Animal Kingdom, it's almost like you have the entire place to yourselves.

Most breakfasts take about an hour to complete, and you're sometimes out of there in advance of the crowds coming in from the tapstiles at the front gates. If you're finished earlier than that, you have the opportunity to get some nice photos and enjoy the quiet beauty of the parks.

Each family will have their own reasons, but we enjoy the low crowds of early morning

 

[cigar95]

Most often I hear the desire to take photos in an empty park. (For me, a WDW park without people wouldn't look right, but then I don't take a lot of photos anyway.) Since my pre-opening reservations are always at CRT, where I'm one of the last to leave from the first seating, I'm never first in line for attractions.

 

[TristiK]

We mainly booked our PPO breakfast at CP to get pics in a somewhat empty park. But, we were riding PP at 8:50 on a 9 o'clock opening day.

 

[Oswin]

I like PPO breakfasts when I'm going to be at the park for rope drop in order to avoid the rope drop rush. It was nice to be able to walk through the parks to breakfast without feeling like we might be trampled and having to stand in the insane lines at the turnstiles. At MK, I like PPO breakfast at BOG because we've always gotten to ride 7DMT a handful of times before park opening.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I mainly just like getting a head start on the day and the crowds. We're up anyway and need to eat breakfast, might as well get going! The first few hours after park opening are precious for us, you can get so much done. So I'd rather not spend it sitting in a restaurant for an hour if I can help it - a PPO meal is ideal.

BTW I totally agree with @xlsm above. Did a PPO breakfast at Animal Kingdom earlier this year and if I saw more than 5 other people from the walk from the entrance to the restaurant I'd be surprised. It was spooky empty (but in a good way). Just a unique few moments that's enjoyable for us.

 

[DisneyMom2000000]

We wake up hungry in our family, so early breakfast is better. Plus, we don't have to waste actual park time eating!