Disney World is changing big time!
Cinderella Castle
A new Cars land is coming, DinoLand U.S.A. is going extinct, and Mike and Sully are moving into Hollywood Studios! Magic Kingdom has recently had a major procedure change that could seriously impact your Disney day.
Magic Kingdom has changed big time! Rope Drop is a major way to help your Disney trip when it comes to maximizing. Rope dropping is when you go to the parks before they open to get in line so you can hop right on the rides as soon as the parks open. This can help save you tons of time for popular rides around Disney World and we have put it to the test many times over the years.
Rope Drop crowds!
In Magic Kingdom, rope drop has experienced a major procedure change. Previously, guests with Early Entry were only able to go into Fantasyland and Tomorrowland for rope drop. Early Theme Park Entry is a perk that Disney resort guests get and it grants them an extra 3o minutes in the mornings inside the park. In Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland open early so resort guests can enjoy the rides before anyone else.
Early entry sign!
Previously, early entry guests couldn’t go into Frontierland, Liberty Square, or Adventureland during this time, but that has all changed! Now Early Entry guests can get in line in those three lands to wait until the rides open with the park. So say early entry begins at 8:30 AM, the rides in those three lands will still open at 9 AM — but resort guests can get in line for them before anyone else. A great example of this is Tron Lightcycle/Run (which is in Tomorrowland but not included in Early Entry.)
TRON Lightcycle / Run line at rope drop
This also will impact how non-resort guests will rope drop attractions as well! For example, Tron’s rope drop line will have 30 minutes of guests waiting before non-resort guests can get in line, making the wait time pretty high early in the mornings and not really worth your rope drop time.
Tron!
So how can you adjust to this change before your next trip to the park? First is to have your priorities in order. Know what your goals are (resort guest or not) and be willing to adjust if one wait time is already a bit too high.
Lots of folks ready to go at rope drop!
Second, is to have all of your information ready. When it comes to Tron during rope drop, for resort guests it can be a great bet! You might not be able to ride the ride until 9 AM but you can get in line at 8:30 AM and, according to Cast Members, you can start putting your things in the lockers at 8:45 AM. This means you might be ready to hop on those lightcycles as soon as the clocks strike 9 AM.
Lockers at TRON: Lightcycle / Run
Next for non-resort guests, remember that only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are open for resort guests, so even though they can get in lines now, Frontierland, Adventureland, and Liberty Square will still be your best bet when it comes to rope dropping. We prefer starting in Adventureland with Jungle Cruise before heading to Pirates of the Caribbean.
The Jungle Cruise!
Another recommendation for non-resort guests is to consider choosing Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for your rope drop choice. If you aren’t going the Adventureland route and you want to go on a coaster first thing, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train operates during early entry so when it’s time for you to head in the parks, this ride won’t have as long of a line started by resort guests. It might still be long, but not as long as Tron.
Seven Dwarfs!
If this all feels like too much to remember, you can also consider using a travel agent! If you don’t want to go through all of the stress of booking your Disney World trip alone you can reach out to our friends at Small World Vacations!
Their experienced agents monitor your reservation for possible future savings, compare discounts, and figure out which one works best for your travel party, dates, resort, and touring plans. And, they share expert tips and first-hand advice with you about your magical vacation!
Magic Kingdom
Finally, when it comes to handling these procedure changes, just make sure you know what you want! Just because you see a large crowd going somewhere, doesn’t mean it’s something worth your time. If you truly don’t care about Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, don’t waste your time in lines. Disney is your vacation so only do what you care about.
The Dapper Dans
Overall, this new change can be a huge help on your Magic Kingdom day, if you’re prepared! Make your goals and priorities list so you can enjoy the magic while you’re in the parks. As always, be sure to keep following DFB for more Disney tips and tricks.
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This is good. We’re resort guests so we do early rope drop. Our first stop is usually Buzz. Previously, Tron people go there, too. With this change, the Tron people will go there instead of Buzz. Thanks.
That is a nice perk for Disney Hotel guest. I would never get up that early on a vacation or weekend trip. But I know there are a lot that do. As I hear the little ones running down the halls at that early hour. Just one more reason to stay on property. Great hotel, Great cast member,and now a jump to the best ride at MK.