Everything Early Theme Park Entry (ETPE) - Please Read Post 1

[amystevekai&bump]

Two questions

1. If we want to to ride Peter Pan, splash and big thunder, can we ride Peter Pan first, swing by small world or haunted and then get to splash before the park opens for everyone?

As far as I understand from everything I’ve read - Haunted mansion doesn’t open until the regular park hours (it’s in liberty square so not included in the early hours), so it’s cordoned off at the edge of fantasyland and doesn’t open until the rest of the park - whether you can beat the offsite guests coming in from the Frontierland entrance I guess it depends on how quickly the CMs walk each group through upon opening?

Ive also read that Peter Pan is one of the three main targets for early onsite guests, so I’d aim to be there extra early, be near the front of those headed to PP and hopefully you can be on the ride quickly, do IASW and then be ready for rope drop from fantasyland to get over to BTMR ASAP (I would go there before SM as I’ve also read that SM often doesn’t open dead on opening).

As I say though, this is all based on research rather than experience, as I’ve spent the weekend planning my strategy for our first visit since Genie+ etc has arrived!

 

[wisblue]

Two questions

1. If we want to to ride Peter Pan, splash and big thunder, can we ride Peter Pan first, swing by small world or haunted and then get to splash before the park opens for everyone?

2. We are staying at Coronado springs, for our Epcot day can we Uber to yacht club and get in line for remy rather than taking a bus to the front of the park.

As a PP said, HM is not open during EE. So, you should go directly to PP and ride that before the crowd builds up. I would skip IASW at that time because, while there will be no line, it’s a long ride and you might miss the opening of the rest of the park.

At the regular park opening you can enter near HM and could either do HM first (since it’s right there) and then go to BTMRR and Splash, or go to BTMRR and Splash first and then come back for HM.

I think you can take an Uber to the Yacht Club and then enter Epcot at the International Gateway. if it were me I would pay for an ILL$ for Remy instead of paying for an Uber and take a bus to the front of the park for EE from there unless you have no interest in any other of the popular Epcot attractions.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I think you can take an Uber to the Yacht Club and then enter Epcot at the International Gateway. if it were me I would pay for an ILL$ for Remy instead of paying for an Uber and take a bus to the front of the park for EE from there unless you have no interest in any other of the popular Epcot attractions.

An Uber will not be allowed to access a Disney resort that their passengers are not staying at or have an ADR for.

 

[sweetmama17]

Are rider swaps issued for EE? What about DAS?

 

[bambialways4ever]

Are rider swaps issued for EE? What about DAS?

I've read only two reports of DAS for early hours, and both said it was hit or miss from the app but the blue umbrella cms helped them. But for the evening hours it works as normal (in case you were needing to know)

 

[Rivergirl2005]

An Uber will not be allowed to access a Disney resort that their passengers are not staying at or have an ADR for.

Awww bummer. I feel like I was able to do this in the past. Is this new?

 

[CarolynFH]

Awww bummer. I feel like I was able to do this in the past. Is this new?

Yes, it’s a post-reopening development. Experiences are variable - people are more likely to be turned away from near-park resorts (BW, Yacht & Beach), monorail resorts (especially CR), and Skyliner resorts, especially near park opening time - but it’s not consistently enforced especially with rideshare. It’s to keep people from parking there to avoid paying for parking and also to reduce traffic congestion (it became a serious safety issue at CR). There’s no problem at all being dropped off at Swan/Dolphin, though, so you could take an Uber there.

 

[musicguy856]

An Uber will not be allowed to access a Disney resort that their passengers are not staying at or have an ADR for.

You could Uber to Swan or Dolphin since those aren’t Disney owned and don’t have the same rules about entry as Disney resorts.

 

[soniam]

The question for me would be, if you want to start at MFSR, you could clearly just follow the directions to Toy Story Land instead. If you do that, where are you held? Is it backed up from the entrance to SDD, or do they hold people way back by the entrance to TSL.

Then the next step is whether the walkway from TSL to GE is blocked completely, or if they just hold you there and let you merge with others heading to MFSR from the GE entrance when that opens up?

I don't know if they would let you access Smugglers from anywhere but Galaxy's Edge. We followed the path/line to Galaxy's Edge. When we did SDD during EE, we were again toward the very front and lined up in front of SDD. I don't recall seeing anyone else in TSL that wasn't in line for SDD or using the bathroom. No other attractions were opened yet.

Ok, so this is partially conjecture because we stopped at ROTR, but when we were there on Jan 14, they did not hold us anywhere. We scanned into the park around 7:30 (9 am opening, 8:30 Early Entry) and went straight to ROTR. We stopped there because that's where we wanted to be, but there was nothing stopping us and we could have continued toward MFSR and Toy Story Land if we'd wanted to. Whether or not they'd have stopped us somewhere on that path I don't know.

When we got there, ROTR was down and they were encouraging people to go rope drop something else. We watched people walk away toward MFSR and Toy Story Land, and we also saw people come from that direction. I do not know how far anyone got, nor do I know if the people who came from that direction came from Toy Story Land or if they were ROTR people who wandered that way and then came back to ROTR.

We were toward the very front of the line. We were held at the bridge before Galaxy's Edge on the day we went during Thanksgiving. I am sure procedures change daily. There was a line of CMs that sort of looked like they were "blocking" the path beyond Rise. We told them that we wanted to go to Smugglers, and they didn't stop us. I didn't see anyone else trying to do anything but Rise at that location. I am sure with Rise down, they wouldn't stop people from going elsewhere. Also, once we finished Smugglers and it was still during EE, they didn't stop us from going anywhere.

 

[vinmar4]

An Uber will not be allowed to access a Disney resort that their passengers are not staying at or have an ADR for.

Yes, we totally forgot about this little detail in November . Our driver was able to drop us off with no problem at the Dolphin.

 

[Rivergirl2005]

You could Uber to Swan or Dolphin since those aren’t Disney owned and don’t have the same rules about entry as Disney resorts.

Thanks everyone! What a wonderful suggestion!

 

[TheMick424]

What time do they allow resort guests into AK for a 7:30 ETPE? Anyone have recent experience trying to be at the front of the pack for FOP?

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

What time do they allow resort guests into AK for a 7:30 ETPE? Anyone have recent experience trying to be at the front of the pack for FOP?

I am going to answer your question with a different approach.
I was at resorts in mid Jan and did RD for AK and FoP.
Be at the resort bus stop no later than 6am.
Your bus will probably arrive between 6:10 and 6:30.
You will be the first wave through security (about 6:40)---but it does vary.
You will be part of the first people (first 1-50?) to be waiting at the tapstile.
They will let you in early and hold you at the Pandora bridge.
Because of the long walk and the preshow.....you will complete FoP between 7:50 and 7:59 a.m.

 

[BigDaddy5]

If you like to take rideshares, something else that has changed at DHS (I believe it happened after your last visit) is that rideshares now enter via the bus entrance so no longer need to wait for the parking lot to open. This might be another option for you to consider also.

This is fantastic infromation. Is this marked with signage for ride share drivers at DHS? Some drivers may not be as experienced with DHS as others.

 

[scrappinginontario]

For those who may find ETPE too early due to AK early park opening time, we had great success getting in line at park close last week and riding within 30 mins. Also allowed for great pictures when we left!!

 

[TheMick424]

For those who may find ETPE too early due to AK early park opening time, we had great success getting in line at park close last week and riding within 30 mins. Also allowed for great pictures when we left!! View attachment 646880

Beautiful shot! Debating this approach as well. With two teenagers I'm fearing a revolt if I ask them to be at the bus stop at 6am.

 

[TheMick424]

I am going to answer your question with a different approach.
I was at resorts in mid Jan and did RD for AK and FoP.
Be at the resort bus stop no later than 6am.
Your bus will probably arrive between 6:10 and 6:30.
You will be the first wave through security (about 6:40)---but it does vary.
You will be part of the first people (first 1-50?) to be waiting at the tapstile.
They will let you in early and hold you at the Pandora bridge.
Because of the long walk and the preshow.....you will complete FoP between 7:50 and 7:59 a.m.

Thank you for this! In the past for an 8am EMH we'd arrive around 6:45, but my kids are now teens and more resistant to waking up super early. Have to decide how far to push them.

 

[Liserson]

Is TOT usually running at rope drop? We were there on 2/12 and it wasn't open most of the morning, so the line was huge all day. It's my daughter's favorite and we're heading back to HS on Wednesday and I'm wondering if we even attempt rope drop or will it be closed in the morning again?

 

[scrappinginontario]

Is TOT usually running at rope drop? We were there on 2/12 and it wasn't open most of the morning, so the line was huge all day. It's my daughter's favorite and we're heading back to HS on Wednesday and I'm wondering if we even attempt rope drop or will it be closed in the morning again?

ToT is an attraction that is scheduled to be open during ETPE. (Post 1 lists all attractions at each park that should be running.) There’s never a guarantee but normally it is running. Hopefully next time works better for you.

 

[sponica]

Yes she has already purchased her tickets and Disney helped me link her to our park reservations and dining reservations. They also added her as my friends and family so I can make plans for her with us even though she's not on the reservation and in MDE it does show her with our park passes for the first 6 days then day 7 it's just me and my husband and our daughters so it worked that way and no issues to add her to our park reservations or dining for those 6 days. She just won't have access to the room without us unless we send a magic band with her. I'm not sure if she's willing to pay the 80$ so we might have to wait until check in or just do without those early mornings with her. thank you for your help!

I'm in a similar boat as your situation, what ended up happening?