Will my trip be useless if I don't rope drop?

[Sharpdisney]

Hi, my first post here... planning our first trip to WDW. I have planned to go end of Feb, begining of March 2015. I've used TouringPlans and EasyWDW to view the historical crowd levels at that time. We are squeezing in between the week of President's Day breaks, and the March spring breaks. Historically, this has been a relatively quiet time (although not the slowest). Some crowd levels are as low as 2, or higher like 5. I am working on a touring plan so I will have some ideas of where to go. Also, on vacation, we do not mind being nightowls, even the 5 y.o. (as long as we do not wake up at 6 a.m.!)

My question is, will my trip not be fun if we do NOT go at rope drop? I plan to get my FP+ for my group, and get them wisely based upon top rides for our group, etc. We plan for quick dining except maybe sit down one or two evenings (which I'll reserve!!!).

I am having a hard time getting ready to tell my DH and MIL that we need to wake up at 6:30 a.m. on vacation, and then wait 45 minutes outside a gate, and then walk 10 minute directly to a particular attraction, no passing go, etc.

It is our first visit, I want to see and do alot, but I know we won't do everything and I am OK with that. I want to let the "magic" happen and I want my 5 y.o. son to feel like we have some freedom to go where we want when we want.

So tell me - is rope drop my only way to go? Am I going to ruin our trip if we show up at 10 am? Or tell me some success stories of how you manage without RD.
Thanks all!

 

[Robo]

Hi, my first post here... planning our first trip to WDW. I have planned to go end of Feb, begining of March 2015. I've used TouringPlans and EasyWDW to view the historical crowd levels at that time. We are squeezing in between the week of President's Day breaks, and the March spring breaks. Historically, this has been a relatively quiet time (although not the slowest). Some crowd levels are as low as 2, or higher like 5. I am working on a touring plan so I will have some ideas of where to go. Also, on vacation, we do not mind being nightowls, even the 5 y.o. (as long as we do not wake up at 6 a.m.!)

My question is, will my trip not be fun if we do NOT go at rope drop? I plan to get my FP+ for my group, and get them wisely based upon top rides for our group, etc. We plan for quick dining except maybe sit down one or two evenings (which I'll reserve!!!).

I am having a hard time getting ready to tell my DH and MIL that we need to wake up at 6:30 a.m. on vacation, and then wait 45 minutes outside a gate, and then walk 10 minute directly to a particular attraction, no passing go, etc.

It is our first visit, I want to see and do alot, but I know we won't do everything and I am OK with that. I want to let the "magic" happen and I want my 5 y.o. son to feel like we have some freedom to go where we want when we want.

So tell me - is rope drop my only way to go? Am I going to ruin our trip if we show up at 10 am? Or tell me some success stories of how you manage without RD.
Thanks all!

"Useless?" No.

But, you will find attraction riding ENHANCED by arriving for the earliest times at the parks.
and therefore utilizing the time that "sleepy-head guests" just won't use.


There is one WDW tip that is virtually never wrong...
EARLIER beats LATER at WDW.

 

[LSUfan4444]

is rope drop my only way to go?

No, certainly not. And I am someone who never misses a rope drop.

There are many many many ways to tour and arrange your schedule. Rope Drop just offers ALOT of flexibility for a little cost.

I wakr up at 4:15 am during the week at home....6 am is sleeping in for me. If you give me the option of a 6 am wake up and an hour is the shortest waits possible, I'll take it every single time over sleeping in an extra hour and waiting in longer standby lines.

In my opinion, rope drop allows for the most flexibility (much against the popular opinion that it creates some sort of rigid schedule or plan) and flexibility allows to me to maximize the value of my day and vacation.

 

[JennyDrake]

"Useless?" No.

But, you will find attraction riding ENHANCED by arriving for the earliest times at the parks.
and therefore utilizing the time that "sleepy-head guests" just won't use.


There is one WDW tip that is virtually never wrong...
EARLIER beats LATER at WDW.

DITTO!

I was there during this exact time frame this year and was taken aback by the crowd levels. We did not do rope drop and found MK and AK all but impassable by lunch time.

 

[lugnut33]

You maximize your time at WDW by getting there early, but it's not a requirement. We are pretty hardcore, but always take a a few mornings off from rope drop to sleep in. Normally we do two rope drop mornings, and then sleep in the next morning. We may not arrive at the park until noon or even until the early evening and we don't feel like it's "useless". Matter of fact it helps recharge our batteries by doing that.

Besides, you know your family best, if they like to sleep in, then sleep in and stay at the parks until close. There's no one best way to do Disney World. And if you have some in your party that like to get up early while others like to sleep, don't be afraid to meet up in the parks. If staying onsite it's easy to get to every park.

 

[mill4023]

One of the benefits of FP+ (and I'm not a big fan) is that even without getting to the park at rope drop, you can still do at least 3 attractions without long waits.
So useless? No, of course not.
You just have to realize that by arriving later, you are missing out on the least crowded time of the day and the shortest lines.
But that doesn't mean it's a bad decision. Everyone has to decide what is important to them and for some people, getting up early isn't worth it.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

I have been to WDW a dozen times and never did rope drop. I survived and still love The World! Everyone has their own way of touring, so find what you're comfortable with and have fun!

 

[ZoZo]

After several October trips, we decided to try a trip the last week of February this year. It was wonderful! You have the advantage of low crowds, with the added bonus of having cooler weather than we were used to during our hot, humid October trips. With the exception of one afternoon of rain, it was sunny every day, and even warm enough to go to the water park a couple of days!

According to easyWDW, our crowd levels were at a "4" the whole week we were there. There were not super-long lines except for the most popular rides (the "usual suspects" like TSM, Soarin').

Regarding your question about rope drop, here's my advice. Rope drop definitely benefits you, if you can manage it. Lots of people simply don't like to get up early when they're on vacation, and you can get so much done during the low crowds the first couple of hours of the morning.

But I think a compromise might work for you. Rope-drop at least a couple of days and see how your family does. Maybe you can rope-drop for part of your trip, and sleep in some days too. If you plan your FPs wisely, you can definitely hit the major attractions throughout the day, even if you don't arrive at park opening.

One thing to remember is that the parks are not open very late in February (most close by around 9:00 pm or earlier, unless they have an evening EMH). So your strategy of being a "night owl" might not work too well, given the limited park hours.

Good luck, and have fun!

 

[mrsbicewdw]

Useless? No.

But honestly hitting rope drop at a park or two is just fun. MK especially - characters are there with the train and all that. I just always enjoyed it as a kid. Made the day feel super special!

 

[asmit4]

I hate Magic Kingdom after 1pm....THERE...I said it.

The lines, the crowds, the heat. While you can certainly do what you want to do- people who do rope drop (IMO) will have a better experience.

I strongly suggest that you do ONE rope drop day at MK. You won't regret it.

 

[Love Tink]

I am having a hard time getting ready to tell my DH and MIL that we need to wake up at 6:30 a.m. on vacation, and then wait 45 minutes outside a gate, and then walk 10 minute directly to a particular attraction, no passing go, etc.

It sounds like you already have a negative attitude about rope drop, so my advice would be to skip it. If you resent the idea, you will start your day already unhappy.

Some people think of rope drop and think, "Crack of dawn. No time to smell the roses. It's supposed to be a vacation." Other people think rope drop and think, "Anticipation. Low crowds. Smiling CMs. Starting the new day at one of my favorite places." If you are in Camp A (as you clearly seem to be), it isn't for you.

One note - you don't have to get up 150 minutes before park opening to make rope drop. Neither do you have to be there 45 minutes ahead of time - that would be to be at the front of the crowds at rope drop (which is only important for a few attractions).

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

Useless no, more frustrating yes. That first hour being able to bounce through 5 rides in a zip are really my favorite hour in the MK aside from the evening shows. Also the posted waiting times on some of the busier attractions being 0 Minutes always makes me chuckle.

 

[KB'sMom]

You probably don't need to wake up at 6:30 to be at the parks for rope drop. Parks don't open until 9:00am when we go. Usually the kids are awake by 7:00 - 7:30. We try and shower at night, lay out clothes and pack our bags the night before to save time. When we wake up all we really have to do is get dressed, brush hair and teeth and we can be out the door. Stop for b'fast and then head straight to the buses. We usually make it to the parks before rope drop with time to spare and never really feel like we are rushing around.

 

[redsbe]

Hi, my first post here... planning our first trip to WDW. I have planned to go end of Feb, begining of March 2015. I've used TouringPlans and EasyWDW to view the historical crowd levels at that time. We are squeezing in between the week of President's Day breaks, and the March spring breaks. Historically, this has been a relatively quiet time (although not the slowest). Some crowd levels are as low as 2, or higher like 5. I am working on a touring plan so I will have some ideas of where to go. Also, on vacation, we do not mind being nightowls, even the 5 y.o. (as long as we do not wake up at 6 a.m.!)

My question is, will my trip not be fun if we do NOT go at rope drop? I plan to get my FP+ for my group, and get them wisely based upon top rides for our group, etc. We plan for quick dining except maybe sit down one or two evenings (which I'll reserve!!!).

I am having a hard time getting ready to tell my DH and MIL that we need to wake up at 6:30 a.m. on vacation, and then wait 45 minutes outside a gate, and then walk 10 minute directly to a particular attraction, no passing go, etc.

It is our first visit, I want to see and do alot, but I know we won't do everything and I am OK with that. I want to let the "magic" happen and I want my 5 y.o. son to feel like we have some freedom to go where we want when we want.

So tell me - is rope drop my only way to go? Am I going to ruin our trip if we show up at 10 am? Or tell me some success stories of how you manage without RD.
Thanks all!

RD does not necessarily mean waking up at 630am. What are your plans for breakfast and when does the park open on any given day are important factors to consider. If the park opens at 9am, we often get up at around 730am have a shower, quick breakfast in the room or in car if driving from off site (bring dry muffins, breakfast bars, cereal, someone makes earlier run for juice/milk or have it in room frig), we can then be dressed and on our way to a park by 830a, we may not make RD right at 9am sharp but pretty close and still get plenty done before crowds arrive. Getting our kids up and going by 730a on any vacation including WDW has never been a problem as they would rather enjoy time on vacation rather then sleeping the day away.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

"Useless?" No.

There is one WDW tip that is virtually never wrong...
EARLIER beats LATER at WDW.

Sorry, but once again I wildly disagree.

I've done Rope drop a number of times, and I have to say - LATER beats EARLEIR every time!

No, you don't have to do RD. The early hours are useful, though probably less useful with new FP+. I have some experience to back that up, but don't have quite enough data points to say how much FP+ has devalued RD.

That said, the peak crowd is from about 11am to about 3PM - depending on time of year- then there are more drop offs as the afternoon parade, evening parade, and evening show/parade finish. AK seems to thin out in the afternoon almost as a given, except those days when AK is open unusually late. (say 9pm)

What we find, is that the first hour is a little bit frantic. Whatever you pick (assuming no FP), you know that the crowds are building. This time of year, heat and humidity are also building, and tempers get shorter as the heat/crowds peak.

Evenings are far better. As the evening progresses, one can comfortably assume that the crowds are going to thin. Also, the temps are dropping. Usually, this time of year- rain storms happen in the late afternoon- though not always. After a rain storm passes, the air is much more comfortable, especially after the sun sets.

Lots of days we managed either RD or near RD - then maybe a break - then returned to hit the evening/late night hours.

Shh!! Almost Universally, the LAST two hours of the day we cover three times what we can cover in the first hour. Also, by evening- you can play the game differently. You already know what you've covered. So -at least the way we tour (try to hit almost everything at least once) if we see that a headliner attraction has no wait- we ride it multiple times. We don't have to worry that in so doing we're missing anything. We've already done them. If we try double rides in the am- then you might miss a headliner later.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I hate Magic Kingdom after 1pm....THERE...I said it.

The lines, the crowds, the heat. While you can certainly do what you want to do- people who do rope drop (IMO) will have a better experience.

I strongly suggest that you do ONE rope drop day at MK. You won't regret it.

See, the RD crowd is often completely spent by evening.

Oh, and the lighting is just amazing!

 

[Sharpdisney]

Wow you have all given me alot more to think about!

For one, I did sort of have a negative attitude about it already, but I guess I did not factor in the "anticipation" to see it all the first time!

Also, I guess I did not think about doing a couple RD days and then maybe the next day a late day. Per a historical calendar (who knows what it will truly be), the first few days of March when we will be there *might* see some later evening hours, maybe even midnight, so I could shoot for one of those days to be our late start day.

Also, alot of people here said to do MK at rope drop and that is was too busy in the middle of the day... I just assumed it is the same for every other park. Is that not true? What I mean is, could I plan to RD the two days (maybe 3) that we go to MK, but go at a "reasonable" time ~ 10 am or whatever, for the other parks? (Ok maybe I need to get there early for AK as I've read that the animals may be more active on the safari and treks earlier in the morning, plus that park does not stay open too late).
What do you think about RD at the other parks? Is it necessary?

Thanks all of you for such helpful responses!

 

[GillianP1301]

Useless? Absolutely not.

I don't do RD, but do tend to arrive within the first half hour of park opening (and occasionally have a pre-opening ADR inside the park and start touring about 1/2 hour after RD). That's good enough for me and never feel like I'm missing out on much. I just don't see the point of standing around outside a turnstile for 45 minutes to an hour to get a 1/2 hour jump on a ride line. I may wait a little bit longer at 9:30 (assuming a 9am opening) than I would at 9am, but not an hour longer to compensate for the extra early arrival.

I think the bottom line is there are many different touring styles and there is no right or wrong way to do it, just the one that works best for you personally. FP+ should help with the success of most touring styles if they are well timed and planned.

 

[Mel*Pie]

I always go at that exact same time of year. We never do rope drop. We get there at around 10 or 11 am. This time of year is perfect. The weather is great, and I have never waited more than 20 minutes in a line. I do mostly go to the suggested parks that day (not always) and make 1 or two ADRs per day, so that helps. FP+ should help even more. Have fun!!!

 

[Foltzyboy]

Is it useless? No

Will it help with shorter lines? Yes


Being at rope drop gives you a very good chance that you will have a short wait for a ride or two. Rope drop is almost a must if traveling during the heavy season, but in lighter season, rope drop isn't necessary because many waits will be short, but some will still be long. Only do it in light season if you want a very short wait.