Why you need to “rope drop” at Disney

If you’ve been planning a trip to Disney at all, you’ve probably absorbed a ton of advice – both good AND bad. But one tidbit I love to share — the benefits of “rope drop” — or an early start to beat the crowds. It might not sound super fun to wake up early on vacation, but if you are willing to give it a try, you may find that it is the best way to start your day!

Why “rope drop”?

The term “rope drop” comes from crowd control measures at Walt Disney World, which you can still see in practice with an early arrival. Guests are often let into the park turnstiles prior to the official park opening time, but since attractions aren’t yet open they are held at the entrance to various lands. Often cast members will have a “rope” or other type of barrier that they use to define the waiting area, which they “drop” at the time of park opening. Though the rope is also often walked back slowly to keep eager guests from running and creating a stampede to attraction entrances. Or in some cases, there may be no rope at all and guests are allowed on attractions early. For whatever reason, “rope drop” became the preferred term for opening the park.

So how do I do it?

Basically, get an early start! General consensus is to be at the park entrance at least 30-45 minutes before official opening time. That may seem ridiculously early, but remember: you will need to walk to the gate, get through security, and pass the admission checkpoint before you can start enjoying your day. If you get these all out of the way early, you can hit the attractions as soon as the park opens! And the parks will remain less crowded for the first hour or two after opening. Have your strategy ready for which attractions you want to head to first.

Don’t forget, if you’re a Disney resort guest, you also get access to EARLY ENTRY at every theme park, every day! This means, if Magic Kingdom opens at 9am, you can enter the park at 8:30am! This pushes “rope drop” even earlier, so I’d be at the park entrance by 8am!

What if I don’t like getting up early?

I get it. You’re on vacation, and sometimes you just want to sleep in! You can totally still have a GREAT theme park day, but you should have a strategy. If you choose to sleep in, just remember you will likely be entering the park at the hottest AND most crowded times of day. I would recommend purchasing genie+ or Individual lightning lanes for the early afternoon to make the most of this time. The perk of getting to the parks late? You’ll have enough energy to STAY until closing! These late night hours are almost as productive as early morning hours, and the parks are all absolutely MAGICAL at night.

YOU know your family and your routine best, so stick to what you know. For my family, with 3 little ones, we prefer to get to the parks early, enjoy some of our favorite attractions, then have time to enjoy a much needed afternoon break. Many times we are up for going back to the parks later in the day or enjoying a special meal, but there’s nothing wrong with just relaxing. I know a Walt Disney World vacation is expensive and many families save up for years to experience the magic…but there’s nothing magical about running around so much you don’t actually enjoy what you’re experiencing.

Whatever time you want to wake up on vacation, I can help you make the most of your time!