By You’ve probably heard the term Rope Drop at some point and wondered what it meant.
This is one of those insider terms that made more sense in the past than it does today.
In the past, Disney would use ropes to prevent guests from entering the park. It wasn’t ominous or anything.
Cast Members would rope off the various entrances until such a time as the park officially opened.
At that point, guests would rush to their favorite attractions, hoping to beat the rush and reach the front of the line queue quickly.
Disney no longer uses ropes, as we’ve advanced a bit as a society, but the term stuck anyway.
So, when we say “Rope Drop,” what we’re really discussing is the start of the park day.
However, there’s a second term you should know. It’s “Early Theme Park Entry,” which may be Disney’s best hotel amenity.
When you stay at an official Walt Disney World resort, you receive the Early Theme Park Entry benefit.
This amenity allows you to enter the theme park of your choice 30 minutes before it officially opens to guests.
So, in mathematical terms, Early Theme Park Entry > Rope Drop. And that’s a vital distinction here.
You don’t want to arrive at the crack of dawn, only to realize that hundreds of guests are standing ahead of you in line.
That’s the challenge of early arrival in a nutshell. You optimistically presume that everything will go right, but due to the chaos theory we’ve discussed, that’s far from assured.
We’ve had Rope Drops where we rode three attractions before the park officially opened.
Then, we’ve experienced frustrating waits wherein the attraction didn’t open on time, leaving us to lament our choice of the first ride.
Still, on the whole, we feel strongly that Early Theme Park Entry will put you in a good position to enjoy a perfect park visit.
Rope Drop isn’t quite as good, but the reality is that most park guests don’t show up until 11 a.m. or later. So, you’re still giving yourself a couple of hours of empty park fun.
Let’s quickly discuss the best Rope Drop strategies for all four Disney World theme parks.
Rope Drop at Animal Kingdom
Currently, Animal Kingdom remains under heavy construction as it prepares for the Tropical Americas and Pueblo Esperanza, the Encanto expansion.
So, with DinoLand USA not currently an option, guests primarily head just one way during Early Theme Park Entry at Rope Drop.
Pandora – The World of Avatar has steadily claimed the attention of early risers since it debuted in 2017.
Nothing will change until the Tropical Americas opens…and maybe not even then.
People rush to Avatar Flight of Passage as their first attraction, and while we’ll mention a contrarian agenda, you will, too.
We’ll add that Na’vi River Journey makes for an excellent ancillary plan if you want to go against the grain slightly.
We’re huge proponents of this darkest of dark rides, and its average wait time throughout the day nearly matches Avatar’s.
What we tend to do is prioritize Na’vi River Journey. Once we’re done, we can still enter the line queue for Avatar Flight of Passage.
Since fewer people do this, we can typically finish Na’vi River and be in the Avatar line queue before Early Theme Park Entry ends.
That brings us to an important point. The value of Rope Drop at this particular park isn’t as significant as at some others. That’s because everyone does the same thing.
So, with the Early Theme Park Entry crowd jumping the gun, Rope Drop guests will arrive to discover the average wait at Avatar Flight of Passage already lists as being 45+ minutes.
For this reason, a different strategy you can employ centers on Africa’s prized attraction, Kilimanjaro Safaris.
You can visit this attraction as part of Early Theme Park Entry or Rope Drop, and you’ll discover very small lines. Sometimes, it borders on walk-on during its first hour.
Even better, the animals here work on the same schedule as you. Many of them will have just awakened and started their days, which makes an early morning experience unique.
You may even get lucky and catch sight of a few straggling night owls, various animals you rarely see during the light of day.
Once you’ve finished here, you can experience the rest of Africa, head east to Asia, and then work your way around the park in a clockwise circle.
You’ll finish with Pandora, possibly at a time when the park has cleared out a bit. So, this opposite approach can prove quite effective, depending on your luck on a given date.
Let’s be real, though. You’re going to Pandora, and nothing we say will change that.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Three popular approaches to Rope Drop/Early Theme Park Entry tower above the rest at Hollywood Studios.
Most people will enter the park and head left to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. There’s a slight bit of risk with this strategy in that the prized attraction here is prone to struggle.
Specifically, at the start of the park day, there’s no guarantee that Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will be operational.
Technically, that’s true at all theme park attractions, but it’s especially problematic with Rise of the Resistance, Disney’s most complex attraction.
So, when you head here first thing in the morning, you may find yourself stuck in line waiting for the ride to open. It’s happened to us multiple times.
You may be thinking, “Well, I’ll just go to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run instead.” The problem with this strategy is that the two attractions aren’t that close.
Also, since you weren’t one of the folks targeting Smugglers Run first, you won’t be at the front of the line, defeating the purpose of Rope Drop.
Speaking of which, by the time the Rope Drop crowd reaches the Rise of the Resistance line queue, the wait is often already 50+ minutes.
That’s the difference between Early Theme Park Entry and Rope Drop right there, reinforcing the value of staying at an official Disney resort.
And the risk underscores why many tourists adopt different strategies early in the morning.
Another popular tactic involves the rush to Toy Story Land and, specifically, Slinky Dog Dash.
The roller coaster’s throughput isn’t the greatest, which ensures that its wait times are almost always 75 minutes or longer.
As such, you’re maximizing value during your park visit by riding Slinky Dog Dash before the crowds swarm Hollywood Studios.
Once this ride ends – and it’s only a couple of minutes! – guests can walk across the street to Toy Story Mania!, which shouldn’t have much of a line.
Similarly, you check Alien Swirling Saucers off your list while you’re there. Then, you’re right by Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
You’ve accomplished a lot before most guests have even entered the park! So, this strategy works well as long as it’s not raining.
As an outdoor roller coaster, Slinky Dog Dash is susceptible to the elements. You should keep an eye on your weather app just to be certain, but this is a safe strategy.
Another option involves being a bit counterintuitive, although we like to think of it as old school.
When the park day begins, you can turn right at the entrance and stroll down Sunset Boulevard.
That path leads to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and possibly Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, depending on when you visit.
Disney is re-theming the roller coaster from Aerosmith to The Muppets, and that damages this particular Rope Drop strategy.
Historically, you could kill two birds with one stone – presuming you’re a bird-killing monster – by doing Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster AND Tower of Terror.
Currently, that doubleheader isn’t an option, which means that you’re just starting your day with Tower of Terror.
Now, we love that tactic, but it’s definitely not for everyone. As a drop-tower thrill ride, Tower of Terror may cause you to leave your breakfast at the Hollywood Tower Hotel.
That’s never happened to us, and Kim’s prone to motion sickness. Still, we’re warning you that it’s possible.
We actually take a fourth, relatively unpopular approach at times. Since we got burned by Rise of the Resistance too often, we started at a midway point.
We go to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, centrally located due north of the park entrance. This is a fun ride and the most Disney thing imaginable.
So, we consider it the ideal way to begin a park day. Since this attraction’s wait times aren’t as dramatic as most of the other attractions we’ve mentioned, it’s not the best tactic for maximizing Rope Drop, though.
EPCOT
We’re always amused by EPCOT discussions due to the way that the park has evolved.
You’re missing the point a bit by focusing exclusively on the rides, just like at Animal Kingdom.
Also, most EPCOT attractions don’t require long waits, and tourists typically know this fact.
This knowledge causes the lines for the in-demand attractions to fill quickly, especially at the current top choices.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Test Track are the current hotness at EPCOT.
The Guardians roller coaster only recently added a standby line queue, assuring it’ll remain crowded for a while.
Similarly, the latest version of Test Track, which Disney calls Test Track 3.0, only debuted in July 2025. Since it’s the best version of the ride to date, it’ll stay popular for ages.
As such, you’ll head to one of these attractions at Rope Drop, presuming that you enter from the front of the park.
EPCOT also offers park entry via the International Gateway by the Disney Skyliner.
So, if you walk into the park this way, you’ll be close to the France pavilion. That changes your morning Rope Drop options.
In that scenario, we’d suggest Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure if you don’t feel like walking more or Frozen Ever After if you want to maximize your park visit.
At the front of the park, we recommend Test Track for a more relaxed ride experience.
During the earliest days of Cosmic Rewind, guests famously struggled with its intensity. While that issue has grown less prevalent over the years, you may find it a bit overwhelming as you start your park day.
Since most EPCOT attractions don’t require long waits, you should have no problem finding time for either thrill ride later in the day.
So, you really can’t go wrong when you Rope Drop at EPCOT. We should mention that the lines at Cosmic Rewind and Test Track fill quickly during Early Theme Park Entry.
So, if you plan to Rope Drop, make sure to arrive at the park early. Otherwise, you may not find much value in doing it. If so, just head to Soarin’. That’s a terrific way to start the day.
Magic Kingdom
Right now, there are three primary Rope Drop strategies at Magic Kingdom, one of which is unique.
TRON Lightcycle / Run doesn’t currently participate in Early Theme Park Entry. We presume that will change at some point, possibly even by the time you read this.
So, please fact-check the statement before you head to the park, as it changes everything.
At this moment, Rope Drop at TRON is a terrible, terrible idea, which we realize sounds weird. But here’s why.
The guests who do use Early Theme Park Entry often ride something else in Tomorrowland.
Once that’s done, they get in queue for TRON. The catch is that since the line doesn’t move yet, its length increases indefinitely.
By the time you can Rope Drop, you may find a 75-minute wait at TRON…or longer! So, we cannot in good conscience recommend this strategy.
If TRON switches to Early Theme Park Entry, our opinion changes, and it becomes viable again.
Until then, we encourage you to adopt one of the other two approaches, one of which you can guess.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train maintained its reign as the most popular Magic Kingdom attraction for a decade.
Even with TRON and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure debuting, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train continues to be a beloved Rope Drop option.
We couldn’t even count how many times we’ve done this over the years, and it always delights us as the perfect way to start the day.
Even better, once you’re done at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, you can walk across the street to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which will require virtually no wait.
After that, we suggest you swing around the corner to Peter Pan’s Flight, which you might be able to do before Rope Drop begins.
Again, luck plays a huge factor here, but we’ve managed this multiple times. As for Rope Drop, you should still be able to cut the average wait for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in half.
So, we feel that makes it a worthy choice for Rope Drop even now, but you can try something else instead.
Many Magic Kingdom fans eschew that whole “time-value of money” concept and don’t worry about maximizing their park time. They just do what they love.
At Early Theme Park Entry and Rope Drop, they simply enjoy having Magic Kingdom mostly to themselves and head to the various iconic attractions instead.
Wouldn’t you love starting a Magic Kingdom visit with Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion? Yeah, we do, too. You cannot go wrong with this strategy.
Plus, focusing on the classics will somehow reduce the stress of Rope Drop, which is something we should discuss.
There’s a human tendency to obsess a little during these precious few minutes when you’re one of the first people in the park. That can ruin your fun!
You’re at Disney, and the last thing you should do is feel any pressure. Everything you do should be working toward the purpose of having a blast!
So, don’t overthink any of these Rope Drop/Early Theme Park Entry strategies. All we want you to do is savor every second of your dream Disney vacation!
Above all, don’t stress if you arrive for Early Arrival/Rope Drop and find a good number of people in line ahead of you. Don’t worry about getting on a ride first. Don’t worry about sprint-walking to your ride. Enjoy the camaraderie of the crowd. Exchange a wave or “good morning” to the Cast Members. Think of all of this as bonus time, a great way to start your day at Disney World.