You will hear people fairly often say that it is important to arrive at a Walt Disney World theme park at or before “rope drop” to get the most out of your day. I use that term myself a lot. But what exactly is rope drop? And why does it make a difference?
“Rope drop” is the term that is used to describe when the park opens for the day. Cast Members will have a rope that blocks the entrance to a park or part of the park, and then they remove the rope when the park is supposed to open. Then guests can make their way to a favorite ride before a line forms.
Before rope drop you will be allowed to go through security and also scan your ticket. That will save you time once the park has officially opened.
If you’re visiting the Magic Kingdom, you’ll be allowed on Main Street., U.S.A. an hour before the park opens. You can look through the shops, get coffee and a treat at Main Street Bakery, and take a few pictures of Cinderella Castle.
The main benefit to arriving at a park before rope drop is that you will be able to then see the park with the lowest crowd level of the day. There are two different strategies that you might want to follow. The most common is to get in line immediately for a popular ride that you do not have Lightning Lane for. The line will only get longer as the day goes on. The second strategy is to ride as many things as possible during the first couple of hours of the day. This is a great idea if you aren’t into thrill rides, because those are some of the most popular rides.