When You Rope Drop, Pick These Rides…

Most Disney analysts will tell you Rope Drop is key to the best possible park day.

The debate lies in how you should approach Rope Drop, especially at a place like Walt Disney World, where Disney hosts four different theme parks.

Photo: Walt Disney World

Each of these four gates comes with its own weird quirks. So, Rope Drop won’t work as a one-size-fits-all strategy.

What’s the best way to Rope Drop at Walt Disney World in 2023? Let’s talk through the options.

About Rope Drop

Throughout the years, Rope Drop has referenced a tactic for the opening moments at a theme park.

Historically, cast members would drop a literal rope and allow guests to hurry through the park to their initial destinations.

The ropes kept people in structured lines until the moment the park opened. Then, it was every person for themselves.

Disney has introduced a bit more order since those early days, especially since the pandemic.

Now, people line up outside the park long before it opens. Then, the clever ones who stay at official Disney resorts enter the park 30 minutes early.

Disney calls this amenity Early Theme Park Entry, and it’s like Rope Drop+. Cast members hold signs that separate qualifying guests from the rest.

Photo Credit: @bioreconstruct on Twitter

We’ll discuss Early Theme Park Entry in detail at a later date. For now, let’s focus on general Rope Drop tactics instead.

For starters, you should arrive at least 45 minutes before the park opens. I understand that this strategy asks a lot from you during your vacation.

However, when you get in line earlier, you’ll be closer to the front for Rope Drop. It can save you 10+ minutes, depending on the crowds that day.

You’ll never encounter smaller crowds at the parks than during that first hour they’re open. So, you want to maximize that time as much as possible.

Rope Drop at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

At Animal Kingdom, your Rope Drop choices fall into two categories. You can follow the herd to Pandora – The World of Avatar, or you can go somewhere else.

We should be honest about the fact that Pandora’s two attractions are among the best at the park. Plus, it merits plenty of exploration as well.

For these reasons, Pandora draws a crowd the moment the park opens.

In fact, the two rides will already have lines by the time you get there. The Early Theme Park Entry guests have already swarmed Pandora by then.

Photo Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a2NGaFPxU4

That’s why the Rope Drop choice is harder than Early Theme Park Entry.

Yes, you’ll save plenty of time by visiting Pandora at Rope Drop. However, you won’t save as much time as you might expect.

For this reason, some strategic park guests head to Africa, Asia, or DinoLand, U.S.A. instead.

Don’t choose DinoLand, U.S.A., though.  Only one attraction, DINOSAUR, requires a 20+ minute wait on average.

You gain nothing strategically by heading here, although the place is fun.

Similarly, I wouldn’t recommend Asia, either. The two primary attractions here are Kali River Rapids and Expedition Everest.

Photo: Disney

You probably don’t want to choose a clothes-drenching wet ride to start your day. And Expedition Everest lines rarely grow excessive.

That leaves one other choice if you’re not heading to Pandora. Your destination becomes Kilimanjaro Safaris, the attraction central to the spirit of Animal Kingdom.

Photo: Disney

This attraction’s wait times can grow larger throughout the day. Early in the morning, its sizable throughput assures you’ll ride quickly, though.

Is that better than heading to Pandora? I’d say no.

Still, this tactic should be your fallback option if you don’t want to rush into the park, just to stand in line for Avatar Flight of Passage for 45 minutes.

Rope Drop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Photo: Disney

This park will challenge you the most at Rope Drop. Up to seven attractions here could require a 60+ minute wait during your visit.

So, when you choose wrong at Rope Drop, the ramifications will impact the rest of your visit.

Photo: Christy Weinberg

While you enjoy a plethora of good options, I recommend one of three approaches.

The first one involves doing the obvious. You follow many other people to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Then, you get in line for either Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run or Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

I’d suggest the latter with the caveat that you should also use Single Rider at Smugglers Run.

This tactic could allow you to experience both attractions within your first 90 minutes at the park…if everything goes well.

The second strategy requires you to choose the more desirable attraction between Slinky Dog Dash and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

Image Credit: Disney

At Rope Drop, you’ll head in the same direction for either one. Runaway Railway generally requires a shorter wait. So, I’d suggest Slinky Dog Dash.

However, I’ll confess that I usually pick Runaway Railway because I’m head over heels in love with it.

The final plan isn’t for the faint of heart or stomach. The premise requires you to head to Twilight Zone Tower of Terror immediately.

Once you finish there, you enter the line queue for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. Again, Single Rider works best.

You can feasibly experience both attractions in 45 minutes or less. I’ve done it in 20 minutes within the past 12 months, but everything broke right that morning.

Any of these strategies should structure your Hollywood Studios visit so you’re likely to do more than the typical guest.

Rope Drop at EPCOT

This one’s easier than the first two. That’s because you cannot go wrong at EPCOT.

The unique dynamic at this park leads to short waits for most attractions. So, you really only pick one of three options.

You’ll head to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure or Frozen Ever After if you don’t mind the extensive walk to the back of the World Showcase.

Alternatively, you’ll hop on Test Track instead. Then, you can head to the World Showcase afterward.

Photo: Disney

This approach allows you to split your World Showcase walk into two sessions, which many people prefer.

Of course, I’ll add a caveat here. I expect Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind to switch to a standby queue soon.

Photo: Walt Disney Company

When that happens, the roller coaster becomes the obvious Rope Drop choice, although almost everyone else at the park will feel the same way.

Rope Drop at Magic Kingdom

Credit: Disney

I’ll level with you that I do the obvious here and head directly to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. I’m addicted to that ride.

However, that’s not the only Rope Drop option at Magic Kingdom. In fact, it’s not even close.

Image Credit: Disney

You attack this park from numerous angles. For example, you could go off the beaten path and take the Walt Disney World Railroad to Frontierland.

From there, you could ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, giving you two rides within 30 minutes of your visit.

Then, you could circle back to Adventureland, where you’ll likely discover short lines at Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise.

Another approach requires you to walk from the entrance toward Cinderella Castle. Then, you veer toward Tomorrowland.

Here, you can start your day with Space Mountain followed by Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin.

I’d recommend them in that order since Space Mountain’s line swells faster.

Photo: Disney

Once you’re done, you can head to Fantasyland and choose the attraction you believe offers the best bang for the buck at the time.

Finally, you could skip the Tomorrowland part and walk to Fantasyland first. In doing so, you’ll only wait a few minutes for Peter Pan’s Flight.

Afterward, you can try your luck at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or simply cross the path to It’s a Small World.

The solution depends on whether you prefer quality or quantity with your Rope Drop tactics.

7 Dwarfs Mine train

I prioritize quality, but I also track attraction wait times daily. So, that probably skews my perspective.

Realistically, you can take any of these approaches to maximize your enjoyment and lower your time spent standing in line at Disney attractions.

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