Welcome to planDisney, Kelsey! I bet you're getting so excited about your upcoming trip to Walt Disney World. Planning for early mornings in the Theme Parks, or rope dropping as we like to call it, is an important part of your itinerary and I'm happy to walk you through some of the best strategies for you if you're not staying at a
Disney Resorts Collection Hotel.
Kelsey, the four Theme Parks have different ways of letting guests in early in the morning. In my experience, the only park that consistently lets all guests in early regardless of where they're staying is
Magic Kingdom Park. Cast Members will allow all guests onto Main Street, U.S.A., 30 to 45 minutes before the official opening time, but only guests staying on-property will be admitted into the different lands to ride attractions. If you're staying offsite, you'll be able to do some shopping at the
Emporium, grab a coffee at the
Main Street Bakery, and get in position to visit your land of choice when the park officially opens.
At EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom, offsite guests are typically held outside the gates of the theme park while guests of Disney Resorts Collection Hotels can enter 30 minutes early. This can vary, sometimes I've been allowed into the front of EPCOT in a similar way to how Magic Kingdom operates, but typically they keep guests without
Early Theme Park Entry outside the gates while allowing other guests to scan their admission and enter the park. Cast Members will be posted at the entrance letting you know exactly what to do, so just follow their instructions and prepare for a magical day!
See Ya Real Soon, Kelsey!
Jessica