When people tell you to go early....

[ebharris]

...listen to them.

We were there for rope drop today. Rode Star Tours, Nemo, Buzz, Space Mountain, Matterhorn, Astro Orbiter and Autotopia before 9:30 am.

It makes a massive difference. Get there as early as you can.

We rode every ride in the park today (Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is back up!) except for Splash Mountain (it was down) and left the park at 3:00 pm. We had an hour long lunch at Cafe Orleans too.

 

[mon8key]

Yeah, but . . . we like to close the parks down at night, meaning we don’t get back to the hotel until after midnight or later. Very difficult getting my two teenagers up just a few hours later for rope drop!

 

[ashley0139]

Locals do not go first thing in the morning (generally).

 

[chickapin parterre]

.....and even loco people ride the astro orbiter when you......tell them not too......especially first thing the morning....thank you for the smile EBHarris.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I don't need to be told to go early because I already am a RDer.
The golden hour is first thing.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Sounds like a magical day in the kingdom!!

 

[mon8key]

Nobody else thinks the last hour is better than the first hour? Even if it’s a ‘magical’ hour? Of course some folks manage to do both. Any strategies for that?

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Nobody else thinks the last hour is better than the first hour? Even if it’s a ‘magical’ hour? Of course some folks manage to do both. Any strategies for that?

What do you mean any strategies for doing both?
The strategy would be go from open to close lol.
That's what I do. But no the last hour really isn't less crowded in my experience because many people get to the parks late and stay til close.

 

[azdisneylover]

Nobody else thinks the last hour is better than the first hour? Even if it’s a ‘magical’ hour? Of course some folks manage to do both. Any strategies for that?

A good, old fashioned nap in the heat of the day is the trick to opening/closing the park. Don't have anything with caffeine in the evening.

 

[ebharris]

We have closed the parks 3 out of 4 nights, and will be going back tonight. My kids have managed fine - they’re almost 13 and 15. Afternoon rests, a swim, a good dinner and heading back around 8pm (7pm to DCA) has worked really well for us.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

But no the last hour really isn't less crowded in my experience because many people get to the parks late and stay til close.

Yeah, every now and then I'm there for a midnight close that's comparable to the first hour (especially if the parks have become chilly and caught people by surprise), but it's much less consistent IMO.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I do the first and the last hour whenever possible. The trick is to go for 5-6 hours in the morning, go back to the hotel for a nap, and go back at the end of the night (usually I return for dinner, but sometimes I go back around 9 or 10 if I have my family with me. My husband and I take turns going at night while the kids are at the hotel asleep. It only takes one of us to watch them.

 

[smartlabelprint]

Yeah, but . . . we like to close the parks down at night, meaning we don’t get back to the hotel until after midnight or later. Very difficult getting my two teenagers up just a few hours later for rope drop!

You can alternatively get a lot done late. It’s people like me that lose out. The time change is generally bad on my kids and I’m not waking two rambunctious toddlers to go to the park. But we still need to keep them on their home schedule for sleep and we can’t really close the parks either.

 

[DLRExpert]

A good strategy is to get there early leave by 1pm back to the hotel and then come back around 7 or 8 to finish up the day and see the night shows.

ME

 

[BriannaRuth]

We're always right at the rope for rope drop for EMH and we always close down the park at night. As others have said, we do this by taking about a 4 hour break in the afternoons. It just makes so much more sense to be there for the least busy times (early and late) while skipping hottest, most crowded times. I have two teen girls, 14 and 18, and we've done this since they were each 4 or 5 years old. They're used to it and they actually like doing it that way. Both of them are going with friends this year for the first time, and both have told me they are going to tour this way (they sometimes even skip the break, but not every day).

We do sometimes leave when DCA closes down if it's a DCA day for us and we have a 7 AM DL EMH the next day. But not always, sometimes we park hop over to DL.

I do think the first hour is less crowded than the last hour.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Nobody else thinks the last hour is better than the first hour? Even if it’s a ‘magical’ hour? Of course some folks manage to do both. Any strategies for that?

I always find lines are shorter in the EMH than in the last hour. Unless some rain comes through or something in the evening then people clear out and the last hour can be great.

 

[gottalovepluto]

We're always right at the rope for rope drop for EMH and we always close down the park at night. As others have said, we do this by taking about a 4 hour break in the afternoons. It just makes so much more sense to be there for the least busy times (early and late) while skipping hottest, most crowded times. I have two teen girls, 14 and 18, and we've done this since they were each 4 or 5 years old. They're used to it and they actually like doing it that way. Both of them are going with friends this year for the first time, and both have told me they are going to tour this way (they sometimes even skip the break, but not every day).

We do sometimes leave when DCA closes down if it's a DCA day for us and we have a 7 AM DL EMH the next day. But not always, sometimes we park hop over to DL.

I do think the first hour is less crowded than the last hour.

Hahaha, my family too! We’re exhausted by the end of a DL trip but throughly enjoy the lower crowds on first and last hour.

 

[MillauFr]

Yeah, every now and then I'm there for a midnight close that's comparable to the first hour (especially if the parks have become chilly and caught people by surprise), but it's much less consistent IMO.

Agreed. I've seen long lines at many rides towards closing. Although the standby lines start to move pretty quick once the fastpass lines are closed.

 

[cmpeter]

Love love love that first early morning hour in the parks.

 

[asunutgirl]

Locals do not go first thing in the morning (generally).

Not true. I'm a local AP and it's really the only way we do the parks. Many local AP's do the same.