Best Way to Get to MK Rope Drop for a 9am opening

TheBigErn

DIS Veteran
Joined
Aug 2, 2016
We are staying in a cabin and have a car and golf cart. We are going to the MK on Thanksgiving Day. MK opens at 9am and we want to rope drop 7DMT. Our options are drive our car to MK; boat to MK, or boat to CR then walk to MK. Which will get us there most efficiently for rope drop?
 
I would try to catch the first boat to MK. Should get you there in time for RD.
But my understanding is that boat doesn't arrive until one half hour before park opening. So if it arrives at the dock at 8:30am, seems we won't dock at MK until 8:45am at the earliest. Right???
 
The launch from Ft. Wilderness to MK is the most direct route. The launches usually start operating 30 minutes before rope drop.

For my family, we would usually ride our bicycles to the Outpost and stash them at the bicycle parking area and then catch the first launch.
 


For the 9am opening, Magic Kingdom opens its gates a few minutes before 8am and you can get into Main Street up to the circle. All the sidewalks to the various lands are roped off. You need to be up near the front of the turnstiles probably no later than 730am in order to get up near the front of the roped walkway to the Teacups (to the right of the castle) which is where the Cast Members do a controlled walk to 7DMT. Maybe earlier than 730am since you'll be there on a holiday.

The big boat that leaves 30 minutes (left side of Fort Dock) before open will get you to MK a few minutes before 9. So take the small boat (right side of Fort dock) to the Contemporary boat dock and walk to the right under the bridge to BLT and take the sidewalk past the CR guard gate and walk to MK. There is a security checkpoint after crossing World Drive. I would take the first boat from the Fort if I could which starts around 630a-645a.

Take the golf cart to the Fort dock and arrive there before 630am.

We did this EXACT plan on a recent visit and it worked just fine. Got into 7dmt at 903am and was off by 915am. But we weren't there on a major holiday.

Bama Ed

PS - lots of people will be queuing up for the walk to 7dmt from the hub so THAT is the line you are trying to get to the front of.
 
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For the 9am opening, Magic Kingdom opens its gates a few minutes before 8am and you can get into Main Street up to the circle. All the sidewalks to the various lands are roped off. You need to be up near the front of the turnstiles probably no later than 730am in order to get up near the front of the roped walkway to the Teacups (to the right of the castle) which is where the Cast Members do a controlled walk to 7DMT. Maybe earlier than 730am since you'll be there on a holiday.

The big boat that leaves 30 minutes (left side of Fort Dock) before open will get you to MK a few minutes before 9. So take the small boat (right side of Fort dock) to the Contemporary boat dock and walk to the right under the bridge to BLT and take the sidewalk past the CR guard gate and walk to MK. There is a security checkpoint after crossing World Drive. I would take the first boat from the Fort if I could which starts around 630a-645a.

Take the golf cart to the Fort dock and arrive there before 630am.

We did this EXACT plan on a recent visit and it worked just fine. Got into 7dmt at 903am and was off by 915am. But we weren't there on a major holiday.

Bama Ed

PS - lots of people will be queuing up for the walk to 7dmt from the hub so THAT is the line you are trying to get to the front of.
Seems like a good plan. What's the path from the CR dock to the MK path? Do we walk inside and through the lobby and out the front?
 
Seems like a good plan. What's the path from the CR dock to the MK path? Do we walk inside and through the lobby and out the front?

No need to go thru the lobby of CR. I highlighted your walk from the CR dock in yellow.

Capture.PNG

The #1 is where you walk under the bridge between CR and BLT.
The #2 is where the Security check-point will be (usually few people, low stress) somewhere along this stretch.
The #3 is where the MK turnstiles will hold you until they begin releasing people onto Main Street a few minutes before 8am.
The #4 is the point to queue up once you are at the Hub for the controlled walk to 7DMT. The Welcome Show in front of the castle starts a minute or two before 9am and is very brief. Cast Members (several of them) stretch a rope and walk carrying it up toward the Tea Cups and people follow politely behind. Up around the Tea Cups they coil the rope and let you make the last 50 ft on your own.

This is the opening procedure for when there is no morning Extra Magic Hours (in other words, for a true 9am open). When the morning EMH is in place for an 8am open, once through the turnstiles you have full access to all the Lands (no Welcome Show). Only for the regular 9am open do they hold you at the hub and do the Welcome Show.

Bama Ed
 
No need to go thru the lobby of CR. I highlighted your walk from the CR dock in yellow.

View attachment 454704

The #1 is where you walk under the bridge between CR and BLT.
The #2 is where the Security check-point will be (usually few people, low stress) somewhere along this stretch.
The #3 is where the MK turnstiles will hold you until they begin releasing people onto Main Street a few minutes before 8am.
The #4 is the point to queue up once you are at the Hub for the controlled walk to 7DMT. The Welcome Show in front of the castle starts a minute or two before 9am and is very brief. Cast Members (several of them) stretch a rope and walk carrying it up toward the Tea Cups and people follow politely behind. Up around the Tea Cups they coil the rope and let you make the last 50 ft on your own.

This is the opening procedure for when there is no morning Extra Magic Hours (in other words, for a true 9am open). When the morning EMH is in place for an 8am open, once through the turnstiles you have full access to all the Lands (no Welcome Show). Only for the regular 9am open do they hold you at the hub and do the Welcome Show.

Bama Ed
excellent thanks
 
Butting in. You're not going to be able to park at Contemporary.

If you drive to MK, you'll have to park at the TTC and then take the big ferry boat.

Yes and the way Uber and such work at the Fort, they can only pick up customers at the Fort Check-in building so the OP would have to use the golf cart or bus or car probably to get from their cabin to the Check-in building. Cabin and campsite pick-up is a feature reserved only for Disney's own Minnie Van service.

The boat ride is a nice relaxing way to start the morning. We usually camp in loop 100 right down near the Fort dock because we boat over to MK and drive to the other parks and the boat is a nice way to start and end your day.

Which, by the way, reminds me that at the end of the day, you can take the big boat back to the Fort directly from the MK. Just walk straight out the turnstiles and in the middle of the entrance area walk straight down toward 7 Seas Lagoon. The Fort boat queue area is directly ahead of you on the right side.

Bama Ed
 

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