Hi Jaren,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I see that in the words of Pocahontas, your trip is, "Just around the riverbend." How exciting! I bet you're practically BURSTING with excitement and anticipation!
"Rope drop" is simply Disney-speak for official park opening. While the name came about because Cast Members held a rope across the walkway to keep Guests from entering the theme park, there may or may not be an actual rope involved. My family loves arriving in time for rope drop, though, not only because it's really exciting to know that we're not missing a minute of the magic, but also because the shortest wait times of the entire day happen first thing in the morning. If you can arrive at the theme park at least 30 - 45 minutes before it opens (and even earlier for
Magic Kingdom Park), you'll have plenty of time to go through security and ticketing, pick up a map and Times Guide, and be ready for the fun to begin. My family likes to pack an easy, portable breakfast with us and eat that while we're waiting. My very
favorite rope drop experience is the
Let the Magic Begin welcome show at Magic Kingdom Park, which is the PERFECT way to get in the Disney spirit and start a magical and memorable day.
Thanks so much for bringing us your great question, Jaren, and please let us know if we can help with anything else as you're preparing for your
visit. I hope that you have a truly magical vacation!
Missy