Hi DeAnn,
Thanks for stopping by planDisney! You have come to the right place when it comes to the perfect park strategy! We here at plan Disney have done it all and entering the park at “Rope Drop” is an art. There are a couple factors and strategies you need to take into consideration if you are trying to get into the park as early as possible.
1)
Parking: If you are driving to the park, the parking lot opens one hour before the parks do. Many times the parks opens at 8am, so that means parking would open at 7am. You can get in line for the parking lot earlier than that. On my most ambitious days, I would arrive at the parking lot at 6:30 so I would be one of the first cars to enter the lot.
2)
Security: Security often opens about an hour before the parks as well, so if you are walking to the parks because you are staying at a Resort hotel of one of the surrounding hotels, then you will want to arrive here early as well. There are security points at various places around the resort, so take into consideration your walk time to the parks and the closest security checkpoint that you can enter through.
Once you scan into your respective park, you will need to wait in a roped off area until the park officially opens at 8:00 am. There is a nice welcoming announcement before the rope is dropped so take a moment to savor the magic. Once those ropes drop, everything the light touches is your kingdom!
There are a couple of ways to get a jump start on the magic of the parks.
1)
Early Entry: As you mentioned, early entry is available in the parks for guests staying at a Resort hotel, like the Disneyland Hotel, the Grand Californian, or Pixar Place. On specific days, either Disneyland or California Adventure will open 30 minutes early. While this is a great way to get a head start, not all rides are open at the time. So also take a look at what rides will be open before you get there so you can have a game plan.
2)
Dining: If you have an early breakfast reservation before the park opens, that is a way to get into the park beforehand. However, this might be at the discretion of the Cast Members. Table Service restaurants that serve breakfast don't have reservations before 8am, so you may be asked to wait until rope drop to head to your dining reservation.
Early Entry Tip: This may be an uncommon take, but I like to take my photos in front of the Sleeping Beauty’s castle during Early Entry. I like having minimal people in the background of my photo and I love the morning sunlight in the picture.
DeAnn, I hope this was helpful information. You have so much fun waiting just around the river bend. Be sure to check out all the amazing
events coming to the Disneyland Resort this year. If you have any other questions or need help planning, please feel free to write back to me or my fellow panelist, and we would be happy to share our thoughts.
Wishing you a magical trip!
-Melinda