Some of you may be asking yourself, “Rope drop? What’s that?” Well, Rope Drop is term used to refer to the official opening of a Disney park; and many Disney regulars strongly encourage Disney guests to be at the gate at this time of day for this event.
But why? Is it really worth getting up that early and battling the packed turnstiles? With Disney’s free FastPass system, is it really necessary?
I believe that the answer is yes! Here are my Top 5 reasons why!
5. Peak Season Crowds – Most guests can only visit WDW during the summertime or the holidays; and naturally, these periods are infamous for heavy crowds and long waits. However, from rope drop to about an hour or two after opening during peak season, the crowds are considerably light and it maybe one of the few times of day that you can enjoy some of the park’s most popular attractions for little to no wait! So if you are visiting during Peak Season, arriving at rope drop will really make your day at the parks much more enjoyable!
4. Characters – In my experience, there seems be more characters roaming about the parks right after rope drop; and since there aren’t as many guests in the park during this time of day, this means shorter lines for that picture and autograph from your favorite Disney character!
3. Extra Activity – I have also noticed that there is extra fun and activity going on after Rope Drop. For example, at the Magic Kingdom, Main Street Vehicles, the Dapper Dans, and even the Main Street Mayor are out and about during these early hours. Also, each Disney park, with the exception of Epcot, have small opening celebrations a few minutes before the gates open! Magic Kingdom definitely has the best so be sure to check it out.
2. Empty Park – This reason is simple, but it is really one of the biggest rewards for guests who get up early on their vacation. Despite the long lines at the gate when you arrive before park opening, and the flood of people who rush into the park, the numbers aren’t nearly what they will be later in the day and you will feel as if you have the park almost to yourself! It’s a great chance to get those castle pics without anyone’s head in your shot or to walk down the middle of Main Street without getting lost in the sea of people!
1. Maximizes Time – Disney World consists of four theme parks, two water parks, a shopping district, lots of resorts, and more. That’s a lot to see and do in one vacation so time is of the essence! A great way to maximize that time is by arriving at the parks at rope drop. Since the parks are much less crowded in the morning, you can get experience more popular attractions before lunch than you will be able to do in a whole afternoon. This leaves you with more time to enjoy more Disney magic; and we highly recommend this for first time guests.
So what do you think? Is arriving a rope drop worth it? What is your experience? Share with us!
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I like to get to the parks RIGHT AWAY in the morn. We dont always take a mid day break back at the hotel but we do relax, go slow, eat a big meal, take lotsa photos mid day and then we do it all over again the second half of the day partying till late!
I’m more of a night owl at the parks which will also allow you a less crowded experience and shorter lines. Being at Rope Drop at least once is on my Disney bucket list.
I am excited to try to make it to the Magic Kingdom during our stay at rope drop.
My husband had a strong desire to get to the parks for rope drop the first time we went together, and since I had never been there that early, I agreed. Since then, we always make it a point to get there nice and early. My daughter loves to catch the streamers at MK, and my husband likes to run ahead for Midway Mania Fastpasses at HS. We will always make sure we’re there for rope drop.
On another note, when we were there this past March during Spring Break, the only park with an actual rope drop ceremony was MK. They had dropped the ceremonies in the other parks.
We too were chosen in 2011 to open EPCOT as family of the day!!!!
Hi Lacey! Most guests do recommend an hour; but unless getting a front row seat for the opening ceremony is a priority, I would even say twenty to thirty minutes before opening is just fine too, especially at the Magic Kingdom. Since there are so many attractions at MK, most of the rides have short lines until about an hour or two after opening.
It really depends. I would say an hour before opening, depending on the time of year.
Actually, Epcot does have an “opening ceremony” — or at least they did in June 2011, when my two daughters and I were picked as their “Family of the Day” (My wife and other family members had split to head to Soarin’ for Fast Passes while I planned to take the girls to Test Track.
What they do is rope off both sides of Future World entrances, in front of the fountain. Then, the Fab 5 (or Sensational 6, forget if Daisy is there or not) come out, shake hands, etc. They pick a party of 3 as the Family of the Day. You go on the other side of the ropes, hang out with the characters, then, a Test Track car comes and picks you up (the reason for a group of 3 only). Off you speed to Test Track, where you get the first ride of the day, just the three of you, and they even give you a souvenir photo that is taken on the ride! Pretty magical!
Sorry – Duplicate – a bit to trigger happy on the ole iPad…
How early should you arrive before the posted opening time?