PO:FQ to TTC in plenty of time for Rope Drop?

[geekza]

We're staying at PO:FQ the week of Thanksgiving. Since my wife has never been to WDW, I want to give her the full old-school Disney experience and take the monorail from the TTC to the MK. To me, that's the best way to first travel to the park. We're driving down to Orlando, so we'll have our own car. Since I'm "that guy" and want to be in the park in plenty of time to do Rope Drop, around how long should I allow for driving from PO:FQ, parking, monorail, security, blood and urine test, etc. and still get there early?

Before anyone asks, yes, I am apparently a person who enjoys pain (sometimes the filter makes things look worse than they are. lol). In my defense, I haven't been to WDW in over 12 years and I may be a bit overexcited. Maybe. A bit.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

We're staying at PO:FQ the week of Thanksgiving. Since my wife has never been to WDW, I want to give her the full old-school Disney experience and take the monorail from the TTC to the MK. To me, that's the best way to first travel to the park. We're driving down to Orlando, so we'll have our own car. Since I'm "that guy" and want to be in the park in plenty of time to do Rope Drop, around how long should I allow for driving from PO:FQ, parking, monorail, security, blood and urine test, etc. and still get there early?

Before anyone asks, yes, I am apparently a *********. In my defense, I haven't been to WDW in over 12 years and I may be a bit overexcited. Maybe. A bit.

If the park opens at 9:00, leave your room at 7:00.

 

[Minnie Mum]

Yeah, about what Capt. America said. If it's been 12 years, things have changed. You go thru security before boarding the MK monorail. And there's no Welcome show in front of the train station. It's now in the hub. The park gates open an hour before the official opening. Main Street is own, but you can't go past the hub until RD. Bear in mind that opening hours may be moved forward around Thanksgiving, and the crowds will be, um, a force to be reckoned with. Hope your wife enjoys getting up at the butt crack of dawn.

 

[geekza]

Yeah, about what Capt. America said. If it's been 12 years, things have changed. You go thru security before boarding the MK monorail. And there's no Welcome show in front of the train station. It's now in the hub. The park gates open an hour before the official opening. Main Street is own, but you can't go past the hub until RD. Bear in mind that opening hours may be moved forward around Thanksgiving, and the crowds will be, um, a force to be reckoned with. Hope your wife enjoys getting up at the butt crack of dawn.

Oh, she lives for getting up at the butt crack of dawn, unlike me. I'm counting on adrenaline to get me through the mornings.

I've seen videos of the modern welcome show. I like the old one better, but you gotta show off the Princesses, I guess.

Security definitely seems to be heading towards the realm of cavity searches, but I expected it. One more way the modern world has changed things for the worse, sadly.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I've seen videos of the modern welcome show. I like the old one better, but you gotta show off the Princesses, I guess.

It was a security and operational decision, not a creative one. The bottleneck under the train station under the old way was dangerous.

 

[geekza]

It was a security and operational decision, not a creative one. The bottleneck under the train station under the old way was dangerous.

Makes sense, I guess, with the massive increase in crowds. The new opening show could still be better.