Walt Disney World: To Rope-Drop or Not to Rope-Drop
If you've ever planned to go to Walt Disney World, or if you are planning to go right now, the key question you need to ask yourself is whether to rope drop or not to rope drop. Firstly, you need to know what rope dropping actually is.
Rope drop means arriving at a Walt Disney World park before it officially opens to the rest of the public. It means that you'll have full access as soon as the park drops its ropes, hence the term 'rope drop'.
The name comes from the traditional practice of holding guests behind ropes until the park is ready to welcome them. You need to be aware, however, that the process can be more complicated at Walt Disney World.
It will involve getting through security, getting transport to the parks and going through the typical entry procedures. So, while it might sound like a good idea, it might be that rope dropping could be more of a hinderance to your day than anything else.
This begs the question of whether to rope drop or not to rope drop at Walt Disney World. But rope dropping can mean different things for resort guests and non-resort guests. So, let's talk it through in more detail.
The case for rope-dropping at Walt Disney World
Experience more attractions
One of the biggest advantages of rope dropping at Walt Disney World is the opportunity to enjoy popular attractions before the queues begin to build up. The big ticket rides, like TRON Lightcycle/Run, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Avatar Flight of Passage and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind all generate significant wait times, and rope-dropping can allow you to join the queues before the crowds arrive.
Make sure you prioritise. Choose an attraction that you most want to experience when you arrive and head there first, rather than wasting the early morning doing something else that could be done at any other time of the day, like shopping or grabbing a coffee.
You make better use of your park day
Walt Disney World park tickets are extremely expensive, so you want to make sure that you're getting the very most out of your day when you arrive. Rope-dropping allows you to get into the parks as soon as they open, rather than wasting time parking and getting through security while the park is already bustling.
You can enjoy a more relaxed afternoon
If you get most of what you want to get done in the morning, while the crowds a re lighter, then it means you'll have a full afternoon to take at a slower pace. This gives you more of an opportunity to take everything in and muse around the shops and restaurants rather than scrambling to get onto rides and visit attractions.
The case for not rope dropping
You're on holiday, so enjoy it
This might sound obvious, but it's easy to forget when planning a holiday to Walt Disney World that you're supposed to enjoy yourself and not pack out every single day with activities that always involve crowds and long wait times.
If your ideal morning is a lie-in or a slow wake up, then do that if you find it relaxing. You need to feel refreshed when you come back from your holidays, not more tired than when you went in the first place. Rope dropping only adds to this, as it does require early morning starts almost every day.
You'll be exhausted by the end of the day
A day rammed with actives involving crowds and hours being on your feet, along with very early starts is enough to make anyone's experience at Walt Disney World tiring. But it's not always necessary. You can rope drop one day, but don't feel the pressure to do it as again as you'll likely feel exhausted by the end of the day. It can make the fireworks less enjoyable or you may be forced to cut your day short in favour for hitting the hay.
Early starts don't guarantee short queues
While it might sound like a good idea to get there at the crack of dawn, if a lot of other people have the same idea, then you're likely to run into equally long wait times after a rope drop as you are in the middle of the day, therefore meaning you've wasted your time and a good lie-in. Rope dropping might be a good concept at first, but it's not always what it's cracked up to be.
What about resort guests?
Resort guests experience a different type of rope drop in the morning. If you're staying at a Walt Disney World resort or another eligible on-site property, then you'll get something called Early Theme park Entry (ETPE). It gives you the opportunity to take extra advantage over a simple rope-drop.
You'll be able to enter the park a full 30 minutes before the park opens to the general public. But there will still be some attractions and areas of the park that will not be open despite early entry. However, this can make an extra early morning start worthwhile.
This is especially the case if you have your eye on an attraction that's available as part of the ETPE. You must check current eligibility rules, participating attractions, park hours and transportation arrangements before visiting or booking your stay.
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post and that you found it useful? Let me know in the comments below what your views are on rope dropping at Walt Disney World and I'll see you all again soon with some brand new content!
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