Magic Kingdom Weekend Report: Beating Heavier Crowds & Higher Waits
Weekend crowds and wait times have been increasing throughout Walt Disney World this fall, so we return to rope drop Magic Kingdom to see how ‘bad’ the park really is on what should be the one of the busiest days of the week. In this photo report, we’ll share our step-by-step morning and afternoon in Magic Kingdom.
For the last few weeks, we’ve been emphasizing the reality that crowds and wait times are increasing at Walt Disney World. That’s been a salient point of countless posts, so we’re not going to belabor that here. We do feel it’s worth mentioning (again) because we’re currently in the heart of what should be the fall off-season, at a time when Walt Disney World’s attendance is historically low. Our own crowd level predictions for this month were way off, and it’s also worth owning that.
However, our concern is that the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction, with shock-value photos of long lines becoming ubiquitous on social media and higher posted wait times in My Disney Experience scaring away a lot of people who are fearful of encountering chaos and madness in Magic Kingdom. Here we’ll try to present a firsthand walk-through of our day, which does include some crowd woes, but also plenty of silver linings and practical tips for beating those heavier crowds and higher waits…
Going into this morning, our goal was putting our 1-Day Magic Kingdom Itinerary to the test. We totally overhauled that last week based upon dramatic changes to the park that undermined a lot of conventional touring wisdom. We had already iterated and refined that plan a few times–but not in light of elevated crowds of Friday through Sunday. In any case, reading that is a great place to start if you’re looking for a plan for an “ideal” day in Magic Kingdom.
The probably many of you will have–and that we had–is that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. We entered Magic Kingdom at roughly 8:45 am, which was about 15 minutes after our target. From there, I was “forced” to grab a few photos on Main Street because the light was looking good. Then, it was off to Fantasyland.
In a perfect world, we would’ve beaten the crowd to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Unfortunately, we were a tad late and the posted wait was already 60 minutes. Often, morning waits are ridiculously inflated, but the line was already rounding the mountain, so this was probably an actual wait of over 20 minutes. That would’ve hampered subsequent steps of the plan, so we punted on it.
Instead, we did Peter Pan’s Flight, which was both a 5 minute posted and actual wait.
From there, we would’ve normally bounced to Frontierland to beat the wave of guests to those mountains.
Unfortunately, Splash Mountain was down. That meant every guest heading that direction would be instead opting for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, causing its wait time to be elevated.
We again called an audible, opting for the nearby Haunted Mansion. This isn’t normally a super high priority attraction, but it’ll see a longer wait midday and we were in the vicinity. It thus made sense to do this or ‘it’s a small world.’
Haunted Mansion was a walk-on.
Splash Mountain was still down per My Disney Experience, so we weaved over to Adventureland.
Jungle Cruise already had a line but it could’ve made to do this if we were interested in it. We were not. This is an attraction where the energy of the skipper and guests matters, and we feel that’s significantly hampered by the current protocol. Your mileage may vary.
Instead, we opted for Pirates of the Caribbean. This is another attraction that has been seeing long posted wait times, with its extended queue spilling out into Adventureland.
Our wait was about 5 minutes.
Right as we had gotten into line for Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain began running.
We knew we’d be too late to jump into line and “beat” the crowd for Splash Mountain by the time we were done, but we hoped that it’d start pulling guests away from Big Thunder.
We were correct. In watching guests heading to this corner of the park (albeit for a very limited window of time), about 80% were heading to Splash Mountain and the rest were going to Big Thunder.
Posted wait time was 30 minutes, and our actual wait was about 10 minutes. As a quick aside, this is one of the most pleasant queues at Magic Kingdom–constantly moving, great viewed, largely covered, nice breeze, etc.
By the time we were done with Big Thunder, the line for Splash Mountain stretched nearly to the bridge overlook (see right side of the photo above) so we opted to skip it.
Having not done either of the two longest lines in Magic Kingdom during the first hour of the day was not ideal, but we had already accomplished a lot–and it wasn’t even 10 am.
The moral of the story or key takeaway here is that step-by-step itineraries for Walt Disney World are absolutely great and will save you a ton of time…when everything goes as planned. Even more important is understanding the why behind those itineraries, how to think on the fly, and adapt as circumstances change.
Our morning could’ve been “ruined” if we just thoughtlessly jumped in the long line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train as called for in our plan. We would’ve saved no time there, wasted the best hour of the day, and had long waits thereafter for everything else.
The good news is that the wait time for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train had already dropped–it was now “only” 55 minutes. Still too long, as the wait time would hover in this neighborhood for the rest of the day, whereas other attractions would continue to increase.
Accordingly, we started targeting mid-tier attractions at this point. We knocked out the Little Mermaid dark ride with under a 10 minute actual wait. Everything in Fantasyland except Peter Pan’s Flights and Mine Train was still fairly modest at this point.
Bouncing to Tomorrowland, we did the same with Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Even though the outdoor overflow queue was already in use, the wait was still under 10 minutes (and there’s a character selfie spot inside!).
Omnimover attractions haven’t had their capacity reduced as much as some other attractions, which is good for this ride’s wait time.
A couple of other things are worth pointing out with regard to the long lines.
First, they’re physically distanced. That means there’s about double (or more) the spacing as would be the normal case. So there’s really no comparing the length of a current queue to one from before March.
Second, there is no FastPass+, meaning these queues are constantly moving. I know many of you are clamoring for the return of FastPass+ ASAP, and I can understand that…to a degree. However, that would come with the significant downsides of more guests congregating elsewhere and the movement of the standby line to come to a screeching halt.
The point here is that context is everything. Don’t judge photos of lines by your past experiences or pre-closure standards. This is truly easier said than done–I still balk when seeing long lines, and this is even after breezing through numerous “long” lines already. It takes time to unlearn things!
Here’s an example of a long line that actually is long–and this isn’t even the entire thing.
Because of physical distancing in the theater, Carousel of Progress cracked a 30 minute wait during the middle of the day. The reasonable explanation might seem to be that Carousel of Progress is awesome and all of these guests have sophisticated taste and high standards. The more likely scenario is that Space Mountain was down through early afternoon and the TTA PeopleMover is also down, leaving this as a Tomorrowland ‘consolation prize.’
Another example of a deceptively long line.
It might not look terrible, but would take a while because capacity of Gaston’s Tavern is abysmal and each transaction feels like it takes an eternity. Plus it’s in the scorching sun. The Grey Stuff is not that delicious.
The above photo should illustrate how context is everything. This empty bridge between Tomorrowland/Fantasyland and the Central Plaza is a rare sight during busy days, and underscores how it’s still a relatively quiet time at Magic Kingdom, all things considered.
However, what this photo does not show is the huge line to enter Cosmic Ray’s immediately behind me, which literally stretched out onto this bridge. Two very different “stories” in the exact same scene, which together reiterate just how different things are right now. It’s really tough to reconcile everything happening in the parks when viewed through the prism of traditional touring paradigms.
The reason for that long line stretching outside Cosmic Ray’s was that Mobile Order was down.
We had planned on taking a midday break anyway, so we instead opted to do that. Aside from headliners (one of which was still down), we had finished almost everything we wanted to do before lunch, so we figured we’d be fine to leave for the busiest and hottest portion of the day.
Upon returning a few hours later, we were literally the only people entering Magic Kingdom while a steady stream of guests left.
Our thinking is that we could basically enjoy the ambiance, Halloween entertainment, snacks, and a few low profile attractions before the end of the day when wait times would start dropping at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Splash Mountain, and Space Mountain.
In our recent experience, wait times for Space Mountain have been fairly modest even when Magic Kingdom is busier–likely a byproduct of its capacity not being cut too considerably.
Unfortunately, it had been down most of the day, so when we checked things out in mid-afternoon, the posted wait time and physical line were both still incredibly long.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was only sporting a 35 minute wait around this time, so we could’ve done that–and probably should’ve for the sake of “research.”
However, the Central Plaza was uncrowded and the sky looked nice, so we instead opted to hang out and catch some of the Halloween cavalcades.
Speaking of important research, we stopped for the Pumpkin Spiced Waffle Sundae to confirm it’s still the best fall treat at Magic Kingdom. Don’t worry, it is. (See our Best Halloween Snacks at Walt Disney World for other recommendations.)
It’s probably a good thing that Sleepy Hollow normally has a ridiculous line, otherwise this might be my go-to lunch at Magic Kingdom. Something tells me my doctor would disapprove of that brilliant idea.
Most of the rest of the afternoon was spent in similar fashion, wandering around aimlessly and stopping for the Halloween cavalcades when we saw them.
Magic Kingdom felt much more comfortable for the last several hours of the day, even with waits at headliners still above 20-30 minutes.
One of the cooler character touches (well, not in the literal sense–it must be scorching on that stage) is this selfie platform in Tomorrowland. The best use of that misplaced stage outside of our beloved ‘Totally Tomorrowland Christmas.’
Oh, and we don’t want to alarm anyone, but we never saw the Country Bears out in Frontierland. Now, before you all go canceling your trips, it could just be that they were hibernating for the day–or we might’ve simply missed them. Let’s not all overwhelm the change.org servers just yet–we’ll see whether they’re out this week.
To get our bear fix, we instead opted for the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (inadequate substitute, but what are ya gonna do?!). We also did ‘it’s a small world’ before revisiting Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Actual waits for all were minimal.
Unfortunately, we did not do either Space Mountain or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. This wasn’t for lack of time–we could’ve knocked both out in the last hour of the day, but decided against it.
Around 15 minutes before park closing, we jumped into line for Splash Mountain. If we were slightly more aggressive, we would’ve done Mine Train first and made it here in the final minutes of the day, but we didn’t want to miss sunset.
The line for Splash Mountain was not spilling out the front, but the entire inner courtyard was full. Despite that and the 75 minute posted time, our actual wait was exactly 23 minutes. That should give you an idea of the wait time inflation going on right now, which is likely happening to discourage guests from lining up for certain attractions. There’s only so much physical queue for Splash Mountain before it goes over the bridge, at which point there’s really nowhere for it to go since the parade route starts on the other side.
Ultimately, a surprisingly good day for us in Magic Kingdom, and even better in retrospect as we contrast it with the following day in EPCOT. There were some hiccups and heavier crowds than we would’ve liked, but not nearly as bad as the “story” told by posted wait times and photos of lines alone. With that said, there’s also the potentially huge asterisk that we simply skipped the middle of the day–but that’s exactly what you should try to do, so that’s not really a cop out.
Don’t try to swim upstream and avoid committing unforced errors and you should still be fine. Crowds peak around noon in Magic Kingdom because most guests arrive late; they then get frustrated by crowds or worn out by the heat and rules, and leave early. If you arrive early and stay late, it’s still fairly easy to beat the crowds. Figure out something else to do during the middle of the day–if you don’t want to leave the park, a long table service meal is a good idea. Oh, and this doesn’t even cover the absolute best portion of our day: sunset and evening in Magic Kingdom during Halloween season. This is already over 2,000 words and I have about two dozen more photos to share, so we’ll do a separate post on that very soon!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you visited Magic Kingdom on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday fall started? What was your experience? If you’ve also been on a weekday, how did they compare? Do you think wait times and lines are ‘too long’ given the current capacity limitations and other compromises, or does this all still sound attractive? Will you be attempting to visit Walt Disney World this summer or fall, or are you waiting until 2021 or beyond? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Tom, how would you say Friday crowds are in general? More on par with the weekend crowds? I would assume not as bad, but probably not as light as Mon-Thurs. I currently have a park pass for Magic Kingdom on Thursday, October 8th and for Animal Kingdom on Friday, October 9th but trying to decide if I should swap the days to take advantage of the longer hours in MK on Friday. But if crowds are going to be way heavier in MK on Friday, maybe not worth it? We do currently have a post-park closing dining reservation for Thursday at liberty Tree Tavern at 6:05 that night if that makes a difference. Thanks for any input!
Thanks for the report. Super helpful as we are going in a couple of weeks. Would love something like this for the other parks (or maybe you’ve already done it and I’ve missed it)!
Tom, thank you so much for all your posts. The information you provided helped tremendously in our planning for MK last week and HS today.
We did not expect the crowds to be as high as we experienced in both parks and ended up leaving early both days. This is what our wait times today (9/29) in HS were:
10:20am Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster: posted wait time 50 mins, actual wait 35 mins.
11:00am Lightning McQueen Racing Academy: posted wait time 15 mins, actual wait 20 mins.
11:57am Slinky Dog Dash: posted wait time 70 minutes, actual wait 56 mins.
We scored boarding group 45 for Rise of the Resistance and our group was called at 1:10. We entered the physical queue at 1:23 but the ride broke down and did not resume operations until 2:37. Had some technical issues while riding but still loved the attraction.
Our original reason for going was because of low crowds/short wait times but that wasn’t reality. We typically visit once a year but will wait to return until masks are no longer required and fast passes return. Since we ended up only doing a handful of rides each day anyway, we’d rather wait and do the parks when things are back to normal.
My wife and I were in MK on Saturday 9/26/20. Park opened at 9 and we were in at 8:30. We bused from Saratoga Springs. We rode Space Mountain, Buzz, Big Thunder, and Splash all before 10:30. We also stopped at Sleepy Hollow for a Nutella Waffle before going to Big Thunder and Splash. By the end of the day we had been on Pirates, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Tea Cups, Peter Pan, and 7DMT. We also ate at Liberty Tree for lunch in the middle of all that. We did the river boat and Hall of Presidents too. In all of those queue lines the posted wait was not accurate. We waited 20 to 30 minutes less than the posted wait time at each ride. One example is 7DMT. The queue was wrapped around almost to Under the Sea. Posted wait was 60 minutes and we were off the ride in 40 minutes. We saw this happen in all rides we went on.
We went to Epcot on Friday the 25th and Hollywood Studios on Sunday the 27th. We saw inaccurate wait times at both of those parks. The exception was Soarin’ at Epcot. It was posted 15 and we waited 22. At HS on Sunday we rode Runaway Railway twice after 5pm. at 5:43 the posted wait was 60 minutes and we only waited 39.
Adam
This is wonderful to hear. We fly down in two days
So happy to hear your experiences on a Saturday and Sunday with REAL wait times.
Thanks for reporting back to us
Has anyone had any experience with driving to Epcot or Hollywood Studios instead of transportation? Early on I heard it was a good way to get into the parks early and avoid crowded buses.
We drove to HS today (9/29). Pulled up to the parking gate at 9:28 and were about 35 cars back in line. Made it to a parking spot and power-walked, arriving in the park at 9:55. Not sure what time the parking gate opens but it seemed like 9:30 since cars weren’t moving when we first pulled up.
I don’t have an answer but I sure would like an answer. We will do a lot of driving due to 2 scooters so really would like to know how it goes.
Great post! Much appreciated. We are booked for Thanksgiving and have considered cancelling due to the photos we saw. We are frequent visitors and are going to be flexible but also I was a little nervous about getting stuck in crowds. Did you do Epcot or Hollywood Studios? Would love to hear tips on those.
I just did the following in September at HS and it worked great. We arrived at 8:45 am (for 10 am opening). Disney Security held people (socially distanced) near the Skyliner station until 9 am. Then at 9 am, cast members came out and with Security led everyone up to the health screening tents and helped setup queues for the health screening. The health screenings opened at 9:15 am and you were immediately allowed to go through security & enter the park afterwards. We were in the Park at 9:20 am and we allowed to go queue for a ride right away. We queued for Mickey & Minnie and it started operating at 9:30 am. We were off at the ride at 9:35 am and queued for Slinky, while waiting for Slinky we did the virtual queue for RofTR, and were off Slinky by 10:10.
We were booked for October but just canceled. With Disney increasing capacity, thus more crowds it’s not worth it.
And the FL governor lifting FL state restrictions we will just wait. I would have come if he hadn’t lifted restrictions but not now.
BA and Jordan could you park at a hotel and leave car there all day if you have a breakfast ADR.
I’m not 100% sure…I was under the impression that you had a limited time window to leave your car parked at a resort that you were not a guest of, even if you had an ADR.
Talked to a CM & they said if you have a ADR you could park at the hotel, eat breakfast & then walk to the park as long as you didn’t leave your car overnight. They said they would have no way to know how long your car has been in the parking lot.
How can you social distance on the Ferry going to MK and Jungle Cruise? What precautions is Disney taking? I have a scooter and want to go there but I am nervous that there would be to much of a crowd on the Ferry and on Jungle Cruise. Love your column and thank you for keeping us posted.
Joan-I only take the ferry, haven’t felt comfortable enough to take the monorail, over to MK and have no problems. They have large round green dots on the walkway and then again on the ferry. They unload one level at a time. There are some congestion points when you exit but most people are mindful and they do remind you to stay socially distant as you exit. The Jungle cruise has the social distancing markers for the line and the boats have plexiglass in seating area. No one sits in middle. You should have no problems!
No worries. I was on the jungle cruise & a scooter boarded very nicely. Wdw takes care of scooter users very well. Enjoy your visit!
Thanks for the “real experience” update on wait times and itinerary. Are you planning on updating itineraries for the other WDW parks? We’re visiting in 2 weeks and would love to follow expert advice.
A few observations from a trip to MK last Thursday (9/24). This is coming from an annual out of state visitor, for my family’s visit (including kids age 2 and 4 and their grandparents):
1. I do not recommend driving to MK if staying on Disney property and trying to arrive for rope drop. We were in a pack of cars waiting to get in when the parking lots opened (between 45 min and an hour early), and we finally got into the park right around 9am when it opened. With the two kids and all their gear and stroller, it took a long time to get through security, and there was a wait for the monorail due to physical distancing. This in spite of upgrading to preferred parking.
2. We followed basically the same route as Tom and Sarah for our first three attractions (though for different reasons). It worked reasonably well.
3. For some rides the line will temporarily stall for 5-10 minutes to allow for cleaning. We experienced this a few times. Each ride is cleaned every two hours either at the top of the hour or at 15, 30, or 45 after the hour. Cast members for a given attraction should know the cleaning schedule.
4. We dined at Cinderella’s Royal Table with an 11:30am lunch reservation. Very happy we did this as Cinderella came out and waved, similar to what Beast does for dinner now at Be Our Guest.
5. We were able to joined the walk up list for Be Our Guest around 6:20pm (following a 6pm closing time) and were able to get in around 7pm (one of the final seatings of the evening). I highly recommend this as it was great to not only get some good pictures before this as the park emptied, but also get some after dark pictures on Main Street with only a handful of other guests meandering out.
In all the MK day was far and away the best day of our trip. Though I still wouldn’t recommend Disney with little kids right now. The lack of character meets, most character dining, parades, fireworks, and stage shows made this trip as a whole far less enjoyable than our last one. Not to mention the fact that there is no FP+ (a killer for little kids since they won’t wait in 20+ minute lines in the afternoon) and physical distancing making some attractions take ridiculously long (e.g. the carousel).
Tracy, unfortunately, there was not a Cast Member to direct bus traffic at Boardwalk. However, people were queued pretty well and waited for the bus driver to say where to sit on the bus that we got on. I’m guessing it will be a bit hit or miss on the bus system at the hotels.
Thanks for the insight. Headed there Thursday and started to feel a little panicked by the wait times I’m seeing. As always, having a plan and being willing to shift gears as needed pays off!
Have fun! We’re headed there Saturday. So thankful for Tom’s tips and itineraries!
Your Disney game strategy is strong, thanks for sharing all you did. It helps me feel not as frustrated with the current wait times and our upcoming WDW trip.
Tom ––where can I get the pumpkin spiced waffle sundae? Also thanks for your report. We will arrive on Friday and this information helps a lot
Missy, they are at Sleepy Hollow Refreshments. 🙂
I will say this. I am crossing fingers to go November of 21. And I, for one, will be more than willing to deal with crowds as long as all the restrictions are gone and the virus is down to nothing or gone. Crowds no longer seem like the worst thing that could happen. Any idea when Nov. Bookings may open up?
Call me crazy but this post feels like a heck of a lot of backpedaling. It almost feels like you’re being paid by Disney to pump the breaks on the, “it’s getting so crowded here” discourse. Now sure how to process all of this.
Someone isn’t all doom and gloom, so they must be paid by Disney. Lol
Yesterday’s new post was over one thousand words complaining about an entertainment cut, and criticizing Disney for the shortsightedness of the decision. But sure, call my integrity into question.
(Just to be clear so it doesn’t seem like I’m deflecting: no, I was not paid by Disney to write this–or any post. There’s a reason this blog is not invited to Walt Disney World’s “influencer” and other PR events.)
I’ve never once read this blog and thought it is anything but a straightforward opinion on what’s happening at Disney. I appreciate that it is not a “rose colored glasses” viewpoint. Criticism is often given when it seems warranted and is one of the reasons I keep reading. It is one of the best.
Janeen, you obviously don’t follow this blog regularly. Otherwise you wouldn’t have thought something so stupid (or “crazy” as you put it).
In the future, you would be wiser to just keep your uninformed thoughts to yourself.
My boyfriend and I were in the park on Saturday as well and pretty much followed the same schedule as you! We noticed lines were EXTREMELY exaggerated and figured they also accounted for the minute or two im between ridings where they paused for cleanings! Most rides were pretty much a walk on as i dont think we really stood in like for more than a half hour in any line, IF THAT! We did however happen to see the country bears walking around on the balcony of their attraction while the Cadaver Dans preformed next to them! We then did go to EPCOT on Sunday as well and felt it was definitely a bit busier. It is food and wine so not too surprising but lines still weren’t as exaggerated as they mat have seemed!
Thanks for a great report Tom! That was exactly what we needed to hear heading into our November trip! We live in AZ and usually go to DL but decided to make a quick switch to WDW where we haven’t been for 16 years. The increasing crowd reports had started giving me pause but it’s nice to hear that actual wait times are much less. After your report, however, I’m starting to rethink our eating plans and switching our big meal from dinner to lunch. Would you recommend that for all the parks? Thanks!
If you can score a park-closing ADR, I’d recommend dinner (more on that in tonight’s new post).
If not, definitely lunch. Kill that time during the middle of the day when crowds and weather are both at their worst.
Thank you! We are headed down in 12 days and have been looking at the wait times get longer and longer. Your post makes me feel a little bit better. Thanks for being our boots on ground!
You’re welcome–hope you have a fun trip!
Craig,
Buses were running at least an hour before park opening. We were staying at the Boarwalk, so we had the benefit of being able to walk to HS & Epcot. Due to the reduced capacity on buses on the day that we did MK, we got down to the Boardwalk bus stop at 8 am to try to ensure we were at MK by 9 am. There was already a bus at the bus stop and we were able to get right on (there was a queue for the next AK bus), so I’m assuming that our bus was not the first MK bus of the morning. The bus had us to MK by 8:15 and we were through temperature screening, security, and into the park by 8:20 am. It worked pretty well for us.
Thank you very much! We will be sure to be waiting for a bus early on MK and AK days. We’ll be using the skyliner for Epcot and DHS.
Ryan, just curious if there was a cast member at the bus stop early morning separating MK and AK visitors. I was there late July and was complete chaos when a bus with a broken marquee pulled up. Couldn’t hear the driver announce his destination, and those who were previously distanced on the markers swarmed both bus doors.
Any rumors, thoughts, guesses or wild speculation on when they might start selling Annual Passes again? We have a couple of trips coming up and want to roll those tickets into a new AP, but they aren’t selling them currently.
Only wild speculation, and that would be whenever they’re comfortable increasing park capacity. That could be a few days from now, or several months. I really haven’t the slightest idea. I do know they’re offering more and more dates to Cast Members–I’m somewhat surprised they wouldn’t try to monetize that by selling more APs if that space exists.
I’d be very surprised if APs are not back on sale by Spring 2021, but I truly do not know.
I think “rope drop” strategy is a good plan even with the new park reservation system. My daughter and I did the “rope drop” for MK, HS, and Epcot on our recent mid-September trip. We found that we were able to get into the parks at least 30 minutes (45 minutes for MK) before the “official” opening time. We were able to ride Seven Dwarves, Peter Pan, and Big Thunder prior to 9 am at MK. At HS, we were the second group on the Runaway Railway at 9:30 am and were done with Slinky at 10:10 am.
If you are able to get up and get to the parks early, it still seems definitely worth it 🙂
How early do the busses run? I’d love to get to the parks early, but not sure it’s possible with WDW transportation.
That’s great to know! My family is going in a couple weeks.
Thanks for sharing your rope drop experience at DHS and MK!