Is Rope Drop Worth it with Little Ones?

[Chris3581]

So, just booked a 8:10 am ADR for this Monday at BoG from the advice on this thread. I've never done an early breakfast at a park before it opens. Can someone explain the process? Do we just arrive at the normal entrance early and they let you in before the park opens? Are there any other better breakfast options at MK?

 

[mfulk]

For us rope drop is definitely worth it. We do it at every park most days but always at MK and DHS. Our kids get bored waiting but I'd rather they be bored in one 30 min line than in lines all day. We get done in 2-3 hours what it would take all day to do when arriving later. On our last trip our kids were 10, 9, 6 and 4 but we've been doing it since we started going to Disney 5 years ago and will be doing it again on our trip in September with our now 5 kids who will be 12, 10, 7, 5 and 10 months old. Everyone's different but for us it just works best.

We discovered after a number of 8am character breakfasts that we are not fans. We felt so rushed to get done and out before the park opens that we didn't enjoy our meal. We now like to do character breakfasts around 10:30 after we've gotten our rides done for the morning.

Our daily touring schedule- We usually go for 10 days. We do two park days and then a water park day and repeat. On park days we get up early and get to the gates about 30 min before scheduled opening. We are done touring by 11:30 or 12 and have lunch in the park (or at water park) and then go to water parks until 4-5ish. Go back to room and get ready for dinner. After dinner we usually head to MK until closing and a couple nights we'll go to resort pool instead. Our babies have taken naps when tired in a baby wrap/carrier on me or stroller when they were toddlers. We tried going back to the room to nap on our first trip and it didn't work at all. At home bedtime is 7-8 but at Disney our kids want to stay til whatever time the parks close and they do fine with it so we do.

 

[brooke789]

Where did you take the kids to the bathroom before going in?

The only one I remember specifically is at Magic Kingdom. Just by the ticket counter is restrooms. They're likely at that spot at each park, but it's the only one I can picture.

 

[seashell724]

The only one I remember specifically is at Magic Kingdom. Just by the ticket counter is restrooms. They're likely at that spot at each park, but it's the only one I can picture.

Good to know, thanks!

 

[rideswithchrist]

We RD the very first day when the kids were so excited to get into the park and see "The Castle" and hubs wanted them to see the opening show.
They were happy- but not super impressed so that was the only RD day and we got there within 10 minutes of opening the other days.
We actually prefer Epcot at night so we are going to plan to stay the EMH evening and sleep in that morning.
BUT- we go on off seasons so have never been during a 6+ crowd, only 4 and less.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Rope drop for me means leaving my room around 8:15, arriving by 8:30ish and getting through security and turnstiles with 10 minutes to spare. I'm fine with that. Before I was really into the DIS we would arrive at 9 am and never had a problem then either.

 

[quagmire0]

So, just booked a 8:10 am ADR for this Monday at BoG from the advice on this thread. I've never done an early breakfast at a park before it opens. Can someone explain the process? Do we just arrive at the normal entrance early and they let you in before the park opens? Are there any other better breakfast options at MK?

With pre-open ADRs, you can show up ahead of time and head over to the left end of the turnstyles. They will check your reservation and then let you into the park to make your way to the restaurant.

BoG is probably the best breakfast for getting into the park, eating fairly quickly, and getting on the rides earlier. The other option is Crystal Palace, but you're more likely to stay there longer to see the characters.

Once you leave BoG (most likely to get to 7DMT), you'll be held at a rope until rope drop happens at the front, then you can make your way into the line. If you're lucky, they may let you in earlier. Either way, you'll beat those initial crowds.

 

[Lupeix]

This may seem funny, but I always thought rope drop meant arriving when the park opens, meaning at 9 am. I never waited in line to enter, but I have seen the hoard of people entering the park as I approached MK on the walk from the contemporary. Once you are inside there isn't actually that many people. Last time we went through security at 9:05 and straight to 7DMT and waited 25 minutes there, then we did most other rides in fantasyland with no line until 11 or so. DS rode the barnstormer and dumbo 3 times in a row with no wait. For the record 25 minutes was as much wait as my then 4yo could handle, and the longest wait of our whole trip.
Granted it was late April and we did not try to do any of the mountains because DS was too short. If you are going with LOs it is likely you won't do the mountains either. I personally wouldn't spend 30 minutes waiting for the park to open if that is only going to save me 5-10 minutes in line for the first ride.

 

[monorailsilver]

For us it always was. My kids would wake at the crack of dawn so if they are up, why not go to a park!

Then we could easily leave at lunch time for a nap for all of us. As well as avoid the mid day summer sun/heat.

We also plan for at least one non park day so they can sleep on if they choose. The last time we went they were 12, 9 and 7 so they slept in a bit but I was up at 6 and they got up between 8-9. So I went to the pool while my dh Hung in the room with them and sent them out 1 by 1.

I'd say it depends on their sleep schedule.

 

[BrightOwl1]

As far as I'm concerned, arriving at ten minutes to nine counts as, "making rope drop" but I don't go in the summer when the crowds are worst.