Heigh-Ho Richard,
Welcome to planDisney! I am super excited to answer your question about
Genie+, rope dropping, and Individual Lightning Lanes. I was just on vacation at Walt Disney World Resort celebrating my babymoon, and we actually spent a lot of time weighing the exact options you are talking about, so let’s dive in.
In my opinion, whether or not you try to rope drop for
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train depends upon whether or not you are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Collection Hotel. Allow me to elaborate, Guests of a Walt Disney World Collection Hotels can enjoy
30 minutes of Early Theme Park Entry, which allows them a little more “rope-dropping time.” Guests staying off-property will have to wait until the official Theme Park opening to access Fantasyland (where Seven Dwarves Mine Train is located). With the Early Theme Park Entry, it definitely makes sense to try and rope-drop Seven Dwarves Mine Train and then use Genie+ for the other attractions. In March, we did just this. We woke up early, arrived at Magic Kingdom Park a little before rope drop, and then my significant other beelined to Fantasyland. I took a leisurely stroll around the Theme Park (Seven Dwarves Mine Train is not a bump-friendly attraction). He then told me that he was held outside of Fantasyland for a little bit while they waited for the official Early Theme Park Entry window to begin, and then he was on the ride about 20-30 minutes after our arrival. This allowed us to ride Jungle Cruise via standby when Magic Kingdom opened and get on Haunted Mansion for our Genie+ window. Pro tip: Many guests will be making their way in that direction, so you may find yourself waiting a little longer than you anticipated if speed walking is not your thing.
Now, if you are not staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Collection Hotel, I would definitely recommend going ahead and booking that Seven Dwarves Mine Train Individual Lightning Lane. You will likely see an extended wait time if you try to rope drop because all the resort guests are still in line, and non-resort guests are just arriving. Save yourself the wait, purchase the Individual Lightning lane, book a Genie+ attraction for one of your favorite rides, and rope drop something like Pirates of the Caribbean or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
I hope this was helpful, Richard. This was able to work well for us, but ultimately the choice is yours. We are seasoned speed walkers, and with no small Mouseketeers to account for, it made the most sense for us to brave the rope drop group. It can get a little more complicated when you add little legs to the mix. I’m happy to talk about any of our other experiences using Genie+ and rope dropping for the other Theme Parks if you are interested.
Happy Planning,
Ashley F.