Strategies for How to Rope Drop at Disney

Disney World takes a lot of planning and you want to make the most out of your time there. One of the best ways to do so is to arrive at the parks early before they even open. To many this is called "arriving for rope drop." We explain why in the video, but this may buy you quite a bit of time in your day. Anthony and Amanda are sharing some of our tips on how to do this today!

The term “rope drop” technically comes from the times of park openings when cast members would hold up a rope, blocking entrances to the lands, until the opening time. At that point they would either drop the rope or continue to hold it up while guiding guests to the popular rides in the area. This helps keep guests calm and much less likely to run to their rides which can end up being pretty dangerous.

So, there’s a back story for rope drop. We coming to park opening not just to experience the lower wait times on the rides, but also the calmer atmosphere within the parks. It all feels quieter and peaceful, letting you experience a bit more of the magic during your time there.

Our main tip for this is to arrive at the park 1 to 1 1/2 hours earlier than park open. This helps you get through security and get to the front of the line with enough time to spare. If you don’t mind being a bit back in the crowd, 45 minutes will definitely be enough for you!

In this video, we list out some fo the most popular rides within each park and which one you might want to head to. Hopefully this helps you make the most of your day. And we wish you a wonderful trip!