Hiya Gale!
Welcome to planDisney! I'm thrilled you've stopped by with a question for us!
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planDisney's Instagram page! It's full of tips and heartfelt advice for your Disney vacations. We love sharing our love for Disney vacations and discussing all things Disney with Guests!
Gale, I'm so glad you asked this question because my family and I love to "rope drop" the theme parks, especially during the summer months, and I'll explain why! You see, the term "rope drop" means to arrive at the theme park early enough to be there before the park opens to Guests so that you're among the first to enter. This allows you to head to the more popular attractions and avoid crowds. For instance, if you rope drop
Magic Kingdom Park, it's probably a good idea to rope drop
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train because it's a popular attraction and usually has a longer wait throughout the day. I like to keep my top two or three attractions in mind that I'd like to experience during this time because the queues tend to be shorter.
Of course, you can also rope drop to enjoy the peace and quiet before the hustle and bustle of the theme parks. Sometimes, I love to enter Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom Park, grab an iced Starbucks beverage from
Main Street Bakery, and take in the magic of an emptier park. I also love taking in other Guests' reactions as they come into the park and see Cinderella Castle for the first time. Their joy is palpable; I can't help but smile as I watch happy expressions and tears of joy!
As I mentioned, rope dropping is lovely, especially during the summer because it's cooler in the mornings. That way, when the heat gets to be too much for my family in the afternoons, we head to our Disney Resort hotel pool to relax and take a break. Then, we head back to the parks in the evening when the weather is again cooling off.
Rope dropping works best, currently, if you're staying at a
Disney Resort hotel. One of the
perks of staying at a Disney Resort hotel is that Guests can take advantage of
Early Theme Park Entry, as Guests of Disney Resort hotels can enter 30 minutes early into Walt Disney World theme parks every day. All you need is
valid theme park admission, a
park reservation, and your
My Disney Experience Mobile App or a Resort ID to show you're staying at a Disney Resort hotel and other select hotels. Of course, no worries if you're staying off-site; as long as you get to the theme parks a little before the official opening time, you will still be able to get plenty done, as you'll notice more Guests tend to arrive later in the mornings.
Wishing you an enchanting visit, Gale!
Aena