The Benefits of Rope Drop vs. Park Close
Rope dropping the parks and staying until they close are two different ways to approach a Disney day. However, both offer their own special benefits and experiences.
Of course, you could do both: come early and stay late for a long, magical day. But, for those who want to maximize their time and energy, knowing when to arrive and when to leave is crucial.
Is it better to visit the four parks in the morning, or stay until their gates close?
What Does it Mean to Rope Drop the Parks?
All across theme park discourse, the term “rope drop” is used quite often. To “rope drop” means to simply arrive at the theme parks in time for their opening.
For the best opportunity to be first in line at your favorite rides, it’s recommended to arrive at least a half hour before the opening time. This way, you won’t have to stress when going through security or scanning your park tickets.
If you are staying at a Disney World resort hotel and using Disney transportation, plan for at least an hour of travel time. Plus, if you are taking a bus to one of the parks, you can use your My Disney Experience app to check what time your coach will arrive!
Disney buses
What’s Open at the Start of the Day?
When the parks are ready to say “good morning” to all guests, there many different ways you could approach your rope drop. As soon as the gates open, you are free to go to any of the lands at any of the parks.
Cosmic Rewind
However, especially when looking at Magic Kingdom, you should factor in Early Theme Park Admission before making a game plan of which rides to hit first.
Early Theme Park Admission
Early Theme Park Admission is different than a regular rope drop, as it is only available to those staying at Walt Disney World resort hotels. Here, you are allowed into the parks thirty minutes before they open!
However, not everything will be operational during Early Theme Park Admission. At Magic Kingdom, you will only be able to access one half of the park: Main Street, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland (note that Tron does not open until regular hours).
This can be helpful, though! If you decide to spend your half hour at Peter Pan or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, you can hop over to Big Thunder Mountain in Frontierland while those just entering get in line for their Fantasyland favorites.
Is Everything Open at the End of the Night?
If you choose to sleep in or spend a day at the hotel pool before going into a park, there are some experiences that may not be open by the time you get scan in. Particularly, the entertainment aspects of the parks may not be running.
Over at Hollywood Studios, the shows may stop playing a couple hours before closing time. The Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure and Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After are the two shows open the latest, but experiences like the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage may close around 4:30 or 5:00.
However, you get special shows and firework displays come nightfall. At Magic Kingdom, you can watch Happily Ever After, Epcot shows Luminous: The Symphony of Us, and Hollywood Studios has both Fantasmic! and the Wonderful World of Animation projection show.
Photo: Disney
Nighttime at the Magic Kingdom also presents the opportunity to watch a sparkling parade. Starlight: Dream the Night Away is an experience like no other, as all the lights in the kingdom are dimmed to showcase glowing floats honoring Peter Pan (who along with Wendy, flies during the show), Mirabel Madrigal, and Elsa.
Characters may not be meeting late into the park day, but it’s important to consult an performance time guide to try and catch your favorite friends.
Disney Starlight
Extended Evening Hours
Much like Early Theme Park Admission, Disney World also has after hour experiences for guests.
Extended Evening Hours are different than separate-ticketed After Hours events, as Extended Evening Hours are included with a stay at a Deluxe Resort.
Spaceship Earth
Guests can typically expect to enjoy an extra two hours in the parks. Unlike Early Theme Park Admission, all sections of the park and their rides should be open for you to experience.
At Epcot, you’ll still be able to ride the attractions in the World Showcase, like Frozen Ever After, but the shops and snacks in the countries may be closed.
Extended Evening Hours over at Animal Kingdom will also allow you to see the beautiful bioluminescent atmosphere of Pandora. Given the time of sunset and Animal Kingdom’s shorter hours, you may not always be able to take in these sights, so take advantage of it here!
Are You an Early Bird or Night Owl?
Personally, I’ll opt for a late night at the parks over a rope drop morning. The nighttime shows, from Starlight to Fantasmic! are amazing watches that I never want to miss.
The perks of an early morning are that you can get your must-do rides in before your first cup of coffee. Not having to worry about waiting in long lines makes it easier to relax and take in Disney’s storytelling and ambience.
No matter what time of day you visit any of the parks, the best advice is to enjoy the sights around you. What makes Disney unique is their ability to immerse you into a fantasy worlds of your dreams, so even though it’s tempting to jump from line to line, coming to the parks at unique hours make for some unforgettable magic.
Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below. One of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond-level Authorized Disney Travel Agency, will be in touch soon! Also, Thanks for reading!
