7 Best Rope Drop Attractions at WDW & the Worst One
MickeyBlog has talked about Rope Drop several times. Even those of us who aren’t necessarily morning people will awaken at the crack of dawn. We want to be among the first guests to visit our favorite Walt Disney World parks each day. There’s more to Rope Drop than getting there early, though. You must pick the best attractions as your first stop(s) of the day. Here are the best seven rope drop attractions…and a few you should absolutely skip.
The One(s) to Skip
Let’s start with the rides to skip since some of these selections may surprise you. I want to lead with a few caveats. Disney park behavior is quirky. Three of the most popular attractions, ones with the longest lines, aren’t always the best for Rope Drop. I’m speaking of Frozen Ever After, Slinky Dog Dash, and Avatar Flight of Passage.
Yes, these are surprising exclusions so please let me explain. The World Showcase doesn’t technically open at Epcot’s rope drop. To get to the Norway Pavilion, you must take the long way, even when you enter from the International Gateway. It’s a lot of extra effort.
Slinky Dog Dash isn’t ideal for a different reason. Since so many people head to Toy Story Land at Rope Drop, it can sometimes be more crowded at the start of the day than late in the afternoon. Avatar Flight of Passage is like a one-way path at the start of the day, but it never slows down afterward. You’ll face roughly the same lines from opening to closing, and so you waste the advantage of Rope Drop by doing what everyone else does.
While these three aren’t the greatest Rope Drop choices, there’s one Disney attraction that you’ll totally regret. Splash Mountain is a non-starter in the mornings, at least to those who want to look their best for Disney photos. You’ll run into a decent crowd when you head straight here since it shares a crowd with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
More importantly, you’ll get bombed with water during the ride. Anyone who spends time doing hair, makeup, or even putting on clean clothes will regret their choice. Starting the day at Splash Mountain is never a good idea, and I say that as someone who thinks it’s one of the top five attractions at Walt Disney World.
Expedition Everest
Now that we’ve learned the rides to skip at the start of the day, let’s talk about the best attractions at Rope Drop. Expedition Everest is what I call a tone-setter. When you ride it early in the morning, you’ll discover lines so short that you could feasibly take two or three turns up and down the mountain. Is that a good idea?
The answer depends on whether you’re prone to motion sickness or headaches. As long as you answer no to those questions, Expedition Everest is an ideal first attraction of the day. You’ll feel the joy of the wind in your face as your ride cart climbs the Forbidden Mountain, and you’ll immediately receive a reminder of the power of Disney theming when you see the broken tracks for the first time.
Since everyone else has gone to Pandora, you can even ask to sit in the front or back or wherever you prefer. Generally, the line queue is empty enough during the first half-hour that cast members are willing to honor such requests.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Then again, you may find that a different attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom works better at Rope Drop. The animals operate on their own schedules at this park. You’ll encounter different species throughout the day, depending on when they’re most likely to eat, nap, or frolic.
Since many people use FastPasses at Kilimanjaro Safaris, the regular line won’t move quickly for most of the day. At Rope Drop, however, you’re likely to get on one of the first trams out of the station. And you’ll see animals during this first hour that may not appear at other times. At a minimum, they’ll be engaged in activities that you wouldn’t otherwise see. It’s literally Rope Drop or nothing for such interactions.
Peter Pan’s Flight
With regards to planning Rope Drop, Magic Kingdom is the most challenging theme park at Walt Disney World. Since this gate doesn’t have tiered FastPasses, several rides are viable options at the start of the day. Contrast that to Hollywood Studios or Epcot, which really have only one great choice.
The two rides that I’m most likely to visit at Rope Drop are both in Fantasyland. Peter Pan’s Flight is a sensible choice due to its long lines throughout the day. This attraction has average throughput, a technical term for servicing fewer guests per hour/day. For this reason, it’s always crowded.
You’ll rarely see a wait-time of less than 40 minutes here. In fact, the wait times are usually long even during ticketed events after standard operating hours. Since it’s such a short ride, you’re not getting great bang for the buck by waiting that long. I generally get a FastPass for this one. When I don’t, it’s an automatic choice at Rope Drop.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
This attraction is my other Rope Drop choice at Fantasyland. The situations are quite similar, albeit with one key difference. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is one of the five most-crowded attractions at Walt Disney World. You’ll rarely see a wait-time of less than an hour on this roller coaster.
Out of all available attractions at Walt Disney World, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is also the one that receives the most attention at Rope Drop. You must decide how to use this information. You can follow the crowd and jump in line before it swells to its standard 60+ minutes or you can try to do a couple of attractions instead.
My family is addicted to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. So, this one is our favorite at Rope Drop or Disney After Hours or Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party or whatever. Your opinion of it plays a huge factor in whether it’s your Rope Drop choice at Magic Kingdom.
Soarin’
I mentioned earlier that Expedition Everest sets the mood for a Disney park day. The same is true of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train as well. To me, the attraction that does this the best, however, is Soarin’. The 4-D elements during this attraction such as the smells and misting elements are magical. You’ll get swept up in these sensations and believe for a moment that you’re flying in the clouds, looking down on some of the most majestic sights on the planet.
Soarin’ works exceptionally well for Rope Drop purposes, too. I’ve already discussed why Frozen Ever After isn’t ideal. You’ll walk far too much early in the morning and risk getting tired. Test Track is the only other attraction in the top tier of Epcot FastPasses. And that attraction offers a Single Rider line.
By picking Soarin’ at Rope Drop, you’ll open up your options at Epcot. You can book a FastPass for Frozen Ever After and then use Single Rider at Test Track. You’ll knock out all three attractions in the top tier while expending minimal effort or wasting time standing in line.
Space Mountain
I sometimes debate which attractions are most closely associated with a Disney theme park vacation. In my experience, most people choose either Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, or Space Mountain. The first two of those attractions rarely have significant lines, leaving Space Mountain as the logical choice at Rope Drop, at least for lovers of the classics.
I’m conflicted about the situation. Space Mountain lines are somewhat difficult to anticipate. Sometimes, the ride will be 30-40 minutes. At other times, it’ll be double that. Since it’s so hard to project, the Rope Drop decision is difficult. On certain days, you’ll feel like a genius by avoiding the lines. At other times, you’ll know that you could have maximized your park time by picking something else.
You’re rolling the dice here. The choice ultimately comes down to whether your Magic Kingdom day feels incomplete without Space Mountain. People who answer yes to that should head toward Tomorrowland at Rope Drop. Everyone else should choose one of the other park options.
Toy Story Mania!
Yes, I said earlier that most of the crowd heads to Toy Story Land at the start of the day. Here’s the thing, though. Until Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens, you have to pick something for Rope Drop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The lines at Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Star Tours are rarely long this early in the day. And Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith offers a Single Rider experience that’s nearly identical to the regular line.
Your best choices are still the ones at Toy Story Land. The two new attractions tend to receive most of the Rope Drop attention, though. Meanwhile, Toy Story Mania! is so beloved that it remains crowded throughout the day. It, too, is a tone setter, a joyous ride experience that will put a smile on your face, one that could last all day.
At Rope Drop, follow the crowds to this themed land, but turn off at Toy Story Mania! while they keep going. You’ll feel like the smartest person at the park.
I still don’t know what “RopeDrop”. Means…