Recent FOP rope drop experience?

czmom

DIS Veteran
Joined
Oct 26, 2011
We will be trying to RD Flight of Passage next Wednesday. Park opens at 9:00. Did anyone RD it this week with similar hours/crowds? I read on easy wdw that they are not letting you on the ride as early as they had been. Just looking for recent experiences!
 
I also want to hear if FoP has been opening early (like in the past) or just at opening (as described in easy wdw). Anyone rope dropped recently?
 
We rope dropped it on Thanksgiving Day. Normal rope drop experience for a 9AM open. Arrived at 7:30ish for bag check. Tapstile lines opened 8ish. Waited on bridge for official rope drop at 8:30. Walked onto ride with minimal wait.
 
We rope dropped it on Thanksgiving Day. Normal rope drop experience for a 9AM open. Arrived at 7:30ish for bag check. Tapstile lines opened 8ish. Waited on bridge for official rope drop at 8:30. Walked onto ride with minimal wait.
Were you off the ride before the park opened or a little bit afterwards?
 


Were you off the ride before the park opened or a little bit afterwards?
Yes, off before park open. Not sure of the time. Maybe closer to 9AM. Going off of time stamps on photos that I took during Rope Drop experience. Walked onto Kilimanjaro with no wait.
 
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We were there about two weeks prior to the Easy WDW report and our experience was in between. We rope dropped Na'vi (we had a FP for FOP later in the day) but were held at the bridge until about 8:50 which was definitely 10-20 minutes later than we'd been used to it being in past trips. From the many reports, sounds like it's definitely variable (maybe based on operational issues) but you should probably plan your day as if they'll walk you over at 8:30 and just be prepared to be held back if you're there on one of the delayed days.
 
My family is more of a night owl family than early birds. We usually do the method of getting in line right when the park is about to close and they get rid of the fast pass line. Still over an hour. Now i'm wondering... is the rope drop method a significantly less wait time? I'm willing to consider doing this if so...
 
My family is more of a night owl family than early birds. We usually do the method of getting in line right when the park is about to close and they get rid of the fast pass line. Still over an hour. Now i'm wondering... is the rope drop method a significantly less wait time? I'm willing to consider doing this if so...
wait time in line for ride - yes. wait time at turnstyles/rope drop - no.
 
Rope dropped FoP Sat. We actually arrived later than we anticipated given about a half hr wait for bus... somewhere around 7:10ish for an 8am EMH. Surprised that they only let you in around 7:40 instead of earlier for onsite guests having to first scan at the left side of Oasis after taps and offsite guests let in but held to the right side of Oasis until 9am. We got lucky and was able to go from a long taps line to a newly opened tap to the right about 7:30.

CMs admitted being confused as to what to do with the 2 separate openings. I was the 1st to the rope at Tiffins: instead of holding me there, the group of CMs waited until I approached and started walking with just me in tow. very strange. They were asking each other what to do the whole time, such as doing the wrap around near the entrance. I have a photo entering the queue 1st at 7:43, walking the queue by myself with no CM to lead, until right at the cave opening at top of queue hill. He held me for a few min for the rest of the line to catch up before leading us into the standby line. I was standing on #1 for first video at 7:50, off ride at 8:07 for a walk on for NRJ (posted 5 min). FoP was posted 90 when I was off, and 120 min when off NRJ.

We also rope dropped for a 9am opening on Thanksgiving. We were there just before 8am, before let in... saw the build up and didn't bother trying FoP. Would have if by myself, but had several family members with me that I needed to stay with. We went towards Safari instead and immediately regretted it since they held you until 9am (could have at least went in to NRJ earlier and then walked to Safari).
 
A CM stopped you first the rest to catch up? Were you in front of the entire line?
Yes. When going by myself or with my wife I am almost always the very first into the queue or else I let in 1 group that is particularly aggressive in shoving me. But it doesn't really matter since the first few hundred are on pretty quick. I usually take photos to capture what time I was let in on different days.

The RD on Sat was strange because the CMs had no clue what to do with the 2 separate openings for EMH and non EMH, according 1 of them. Instead of being held at the Tiffins bridge, the lineup of CMs immediately started marching when it was just me speed walking there. And again, no CMs lead the way up the line into the queue. I'm used to being held at a rope at the bridge until 30 to 15 min. before park opening and then walking slowly to the ride together.
 
This has been helpful. If I can't get a FP we will need to RD FOP on Jan 29 with 9am opening. Going to check out the article mentioned now.
 
Last month I did it and they did not let us into Pandora until 9 (held on the bridge) on the dot and then didn't start loading the ride immediately. I don't know if there was an issue or anything. I wasn't off until about 9:40 and I was in the first 100 or so. It was not early like I was used to. This is the same day as the report on EasyWDW and Josh's experience is the same as mine.
 
I also want to hear if FoP has been opening early (like in the past) or just at opening (as described in easy wdw). Anyone rope dropped recently?

OP here! We just rope dropped this morning. They let us in early, barely any wait near Pizzafari. We were walking on FOP at 8:30, and done with both FOP and Navi River by 9:15. Super easy!
 
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I rope dropped on Sunday 12/1, arrived around 7:45 for a 9am opening. They opened the tapstiles around 8:15-8:20ish, and we weren't held on the bridge at all—we walked straight over to Pandora and into the FoP line. The only part of the queue that had any line was on the ramps up to the loading area, and it was maybe 10 mins or so. We were off FoP by 8:50. Great start to the day day!
 
OP here! We just rope dropped this morning. They let us in early, barely any wait near Pizzafari. We were walking on FOP at 8:30, and done with both FOP and Navi River by 9:15. Super easy!

What time did you arrive?
 
Right around 8:00

Wow, that's great! I always thought you needed to be there at least 90 minutes before rope drop to be close enough to the front of the pack to easily ride FoP and Navi. Maybe we will try it next trip. I never have because I've thought it would be too stressful.
 

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