Hi William,
Arriving early to
Magic Kingdom Park and being there when it first opens is
definitely a magical way to begin your day. You won't miss a minute of the fun!
"Rope drop" is just a fancy way of describing the official park opening for the morning. While the name came about because of an actual rope that kept all the excited Mouseketeers waiting before the park opened, there may or may not be a physical rope now. To be among the first Guests into the theme park for the day, I'd suggest arriving plenty early, up to an hour before the theme park opens. This will give you plenty of time to go through security and ticketing and be ready for your day. While Cast Members will allow Guests to enter Main Street U.S.A. prior to opening, that time may vary. Whenever they do allow you to enter, though, you'll want to make your way to the Cinderella Castle forecourt stage where the
Let the Magic Begin welcome show will kick off the day with some favorite Disney friends and an exciting surprise. Shortly after the show ends, Magic Kingdom Park will officially open and you'll be allowed to enter the other five lands and begin enjoying all of the attractions. My family loves being there for rope drop because we've found that we can usually enjoy a few attractions with very little waiting first thing in the morning without needing to use any
FastPass+ selections until mid-morning.
Thanks so much for visiting us at the Disney Parks Moms Panel, William, and please let us know if you have any other questions as you're planning your trip. I hope that you have a truly magical vacation!
Missy