Rope Drop or Late at Night? Or Both?

[allgiggles]

Here's our usual full-day plan for each park (we do short or half days at MK, EP, & DHS in addition to the full day)

MK: Rope drop. Ride Splash, BTMRR, HM, and a few others before using first FP+ @ approx. 10:30. Have lunch. Do 2 other FP+ rides. Schedule 4th FP+ for early evening. Head back to hotel for swim/nap/relaxing. Head back to MK area around 6:00 to have dinner either in the park or at one of the monorail resorts. Spend the evening in the park using additional FP's and non-existent stand-by lines. Stay until closing (midnight).

EP: Rope drop to do TT standby (we do Soarin' on the short day). Use 3 FP+. Have lunch. Head back to resort around 1:00 for the afternoon. Return around 5:00 for dinner and park time until closing.

DHS: Rope drop to do TSMM. Do a few standby rides and use 3 FP+. Lunch. Head back to resort. Return to DHS around 6:00 for more rides and shows. Stay until closing.

AK: Schedule first FP for 9:30-10:30 so we don't need to arrive at rope drop. No break this day -- we just stay at the park until we're finished with everything we want to do.

We alternate the full days with short days so that we don't need to get up for rope drop after having been out late the night before.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

My family is up relatively early in the morning, so it only takes a little nudge to get them there for rope drop. Also, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't gotten the kids to sleep at the room and headed back for late nights at MK... The small crowds don't always materialize, but if you hit it on the right night, it feels like you have the park to yourself.

 

[Bugz]

Most years we were at MK for rope drop but this year (July ) I think after listening to you guys we might try the later maybe noon on , heard tomorrow land is awesome at night!!!

 

[DistractedGenius]

Oh man, I discovered the wonderful benefits of being able to do both on my last trip. Getting up early for rope drop, going back to the hotel and taking a nap from around 1 to four, and then going back until closing. But I could definitely get why some people would have to choose. If you're not staying at an easily accessible resort or off property, it's a potential pain in the neck to get back to your room.

But there's nothing like Mainstreet at Night, or World Showcase all lit up, or even the neon signage in Hollywood Studios. If I had to choose, night time all the way.

 

[graphite1326]

I get up really early for my job, so I also like sleeping in. BUT, 7:00 is sleeping in for me. So I can sleep in and usually still make the rope drop or close to it depending on the way the buses run.

 

[HappilyEverAfter71]

I'm usually up by 7 every day of the year. But on vacation I'm actually up maybe an hour earlier just because I'm excited to start the day. So I'd say both. I love the slow, calm nature of the morning but Disney at night is just an experience in itself so I tend to just do open to close.

 

[Retroman40]

The Magic Kingdom is even more magical later at night. Once "Wishes" is over a ton of people bail leaving the park very easy to move around and the queues shorten up a bit. Of course everything looks better at night (including me!).

Rope drop does have the advantage of being able to get in a lot of rides in that first hour if that's what you're after.