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

[mickeyluv'r]

Eh, the die hard rope droppers love the doom and gloom posts. I suppose that's why I keep posting here. The hyperbole is bothers me.

The mistake many folks make, is not thinking things through. If you are doing this much research in advance, you're not likely in that camp.

Simply zig whenever the crowd zags. It doesn't require much effort, just a little thought. Zaggers like to follow the herd, ziggers look around for better options. Zaggers eat lunch from 12-1pm. Zaggers flock to the nearest bathroom as soon as the parade/fireworks/show ends, and wait in line. Given a choice between 10 entrance gates, zaggers follow the herd, and stand in the longest line. Ziggers simply focus on short line attractions during peak hours; it's that easy.

There are always plenty of opportunites to zig at WDW. I've survived, and enjoyed, many an Easter week visit; an Easter week visit with 13 extended family members in tow, no less.

It can be amazingly informative to spend a little time watching crowd patterns.

 

[Dean1953]

I've been 3 times in the last 30 years to WDW and never made it to RPGS. Twice were with my dad and we had a great time. I can't remember waiting more than 30-40 minutes for a ride. Seven years, I came with 2 of my sisters and a couple of their children. Again, blissfully ignorant of RP, we had a great time but it was mainly taking in the Parks and riding a couple of rides. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on perspective), I've had almost 2 years to plan on a 14 day holiday trip this December 20-January 3. Being that 7 of the 14 days will see gridlock, I decided to add a third week (January 3-10). We will use RP some, as well as FP plus, during the first 2 weeks but will also plan to take in the Christmas ambience. The third week will be used to do as many rides as the kids want to do (or can squeeze in). We will exchange the 10 day passes for AP's, so if there is anything missed, it will be re-visited sometime in 2015. Could someone tell me if trying to get into either MK or Epcot later on NYE is possible? I don't think we can come in the morning and stay all the way to the 11:45PM fireworks.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

We did the following in the last 4 hours MK was open 2 weeks ago (8 pm - midnight) without FP+.

Big Thunder 3x
Splash Mtn 2x
Space Mtn 2x
Mine Train (10 min wait right a closing time)
Pirates
Jungle Cruise
Haunted Mansion
Pooh
Peter Pan
Speedway
Barnstormer 2x

I'm not sure you could do all of this in the morning, even if you arrive at park opening. I don't think your trip will be useless.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

We did the following in the last 4 hours MK was open 2 weeks ago (8 pm - midnight) without FP+.

Big Thunder 3x
Splash Mtn 2x
Space Mtn 2x
Mine Train (10 min wait right a closing time)
Pirates
Jungle Cruise
Haunted Mansion
Pooh
Peter Pan
Speedway
Barnstormer 2x

I'm not sure you could do all of this in the morning, even if you arrive at park opening. I don't think your trip will be useless.

Wow! That's a lot. Hmmm...

Oh, lets hope the rope drop crowd keeps favoring rope drop!

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

Oh, lets hope the rope drop crowd keeps favoring rope drop!

You got it. The rope droppers get hot & tired and leave early. That behavior makes my touring strategy that much more effective.

 

[tchk]

We've been over 40 times and am usually still asleep at rope drop!

This is us- although we've "only" been 20+ times. (Lost count, but if think it's either 22 or 23.) I might not be sleeping at RD, but if not, I am relaxing on the lanai at our timeshare with my cup of tea.

To the OP: plan a trip with a schedule your family will enjoy. If being at RD then running across parks to get on rides will make you all happy, then go for it. We love the rides, but a big part of the Disney magic for us is the ambiance. Too many of the posts in this thread talk about "getting things done" as if making it on X number of rides is some kind of job, or not succeeding in getting on X number of rides means a failure. I can spend a 1/2 hour just examining the mosaics inside the tunnel through Cinderella Castle, or just sitting at AKL watching the giraffes outside, or relaxing in the lobby at Wilderness Lodge listening to the Aaron Copland music while looking at the gorgeous decor.

We still, after 20+ years and 20+ trips, find new things to love about WDW each time we go. And very few of them are rides.

 

[itchin2go]

If being at RD then running across parks to get on rides will make you all happy, then go for it. We love the rides, but a big part of the Disney magic for us is the ambiance. Too many of the posts in this thread talk about "getting things done" as if making it on X number of rides is some kind of job, or not succeeding in getting on X number of rides means a failure.

This is interesting for a couple of reasons.

(1) We go at rope drop and we have not ever run across a park. We don't criss cross. We don't run. It's quite the opposite. Rope drop allows us to go from attraction to attraction in a rather non-frantic manner.

(2) The second thing you said about the ambience ... For us, going at rope drop means we get some of our must-dos done easily and quickly. This allows for a more relaxed day. Our must-dos are done, so we can peruse and linger and just not stress or worry. I'm the kind of person who WILL stress out if at all possible, so it works for me.

I agree that Disney is not all about the rides. However, if people are interested in riding rides, rope drop is a great way to experience them. If all you want to do is take in the architecture, it certainly doesn't make sense to kill yourself to be there at rope drop.

We're early risers so it just makes sense for us to take advantage of the early hours. For night owls, it seems like it makes every bit as much sense to forego the morning hours, and cash in on the low late-night crowds.

 

[Disfan1968]

We did the following in the last 4 hours MK was open 2 weeks ago (8 pm - midnight) without FP+.

Big Thunder 3x
Splash Mtn 2x
Space Mtn 2x
Mine Train (10 min wait right a closing time)
Pirates
Jungle Cruise
Haunted Mansion
Pooh
Peter Pan
Speedway
Barnstormer 2x

I'm not sure you could do all of this in the morning, even if you arrive at park opening. I don't think your trip will be useless.

That's a killer list! Just for truth in disclosure, schools up north are still in session in early June, so we non rope droppers might not have quite this success in July and early August, when EVERYONE is out of school. But yes, you certainly can get a decent amount done during "late night."

 

[Planogirl]

I don't see the point of scoffing at other people's touring styles. We're all different.

This is what works for US. We try to hit rope drop most mornings and get as much done as we can until we eat an early lunch. Then we linger in shops or at less popular attractions if we feel like it and then leave the park for a rest. We either go back to the room to nap or to a resort just to relax for a bit. When we feel refreshed we return to the park to enjoy the evenings.

 

[Drusilla]

But we also don't have a list of "we must do this ride or our vacation is ruined" rides. For sure I've done my research and there are rides/attractions we would like to do, and we'll try for fast passes. But none of us will want to ride something bad enough to stand in line for an hour.

Each member of our family always picks a "must do" and I do my very best to get that item done for each person during the trip, hopefully by FP. The kids understand that not everything is possible but we do our poor very best to get it done.

With one exception, my DD 6 at the time wanted her must do to be sleeping in Cinderella's castle. We told her that it wasn't possible to sleep overnight but we did walk thru the castle walkway while she was sleeping in her stroller so on a technicality we did make that must do happen

 

[Disfan1968]

I don't see the point of scoffing at other people's touring styles. We're all different.

Certainly no one should be mocking anyone else here, but alas it happens quite a bit.

There is little doubt that there is this idea that you "have to rope drop" that gets perpetuated by many, many people on these boards though. As we know, the boards are full of hardcore fans who think they alone know how to Disney, and that everyone else is doing it wrong.

But you are right, rope drop certainly does work. So does a late night touring plan. They both work, which is a good thing. If there was only "one" strategy that worked at Disney, it wouldn't work long because too may people would have to do it. The fact that several strategies work allows people to spread themselves out across the day. And thank goodness for that.

 

[KimBean]

Anyone else tour like us? We get there for rope drop and don't leave until close. Never leave park at all. Have 2 kids and have done this with them 2 years and up. It's just easiest on us. This year will be our 10th trip.

Just curious, seems like most people are early or late or leave in afternoon.

 

[Disfan1968]

Anyone else tour like us? We get there for rope drop and don't leave until close. Never leave park at all. Have 2 kids and have done this with them 2 years and up. It's just easiest on us. This year will be our 10th trip.

Just curious, seems like most people are early or late or leave in afternoon.

When your kids were young, would they sleep/nap in the stroller?

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

I definitely woudln't say useless, I think though you can get on a lot more if you did, because those first few hours are usually the least crowded. But If my alarm didn't go off and I woke up to see 11 am on the clock, I wouldn't skip going.

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

Eh, the die hard rope droppers love the doom and gloom posts. I suppose that's why I keep posting here. The hyperbole is bothers me.

The mistake many folks make, is not thinking things through. If you are doing this much research in advance, you're not likely in that camp.

Simply zig whenever the crowd zags. It doesn't require much effort, just a little thought. Zaggers like to follow the herd, ziggers look around for better options. Zaggers eat lunch from 12-1pm. Zaggers flock to the nearest bathroom as soon as the parade/fireworks/show ends, and wait in line. Given a choice between 10 entrance gates, zaggers follow the herd, and stand in the longest line. Ziggers simply focus on short line attractions during peak hours; it's that easy.

There are always plenty of opportunites to zig at WDW. I've survived, and enjoyed, many an Easter week visit; an Easter week visit with 13 extended family members in tow, no less.

It can be amazingly informative to spend a little time watching crowd patterns.

I like to get at gate open but as I said if for whatever reason I can't get there then, I will still have fun. I arrive on Saturday, July 19 around 10:30 am at Orlando Airport (11:30 probably on the road) and I plan on going to AK that day. Ok so it may be a little crowded, but from what I do in that park, I will still be able to get it all in by 5.