6 Reasons to Rope Drop Disney Parks

Summer vacation planning tips for moms

We have been having a magical Walt Disney World Vacation so far! I have been planning for months to ensure everyone has a memorable and magical summer travel experience. I read a number of blogs and watched countless YouTube travel videos of Disney tips and vacations. In today’s post, I am sharing my rope-dropping experience with our family of five.

Which Parks Will We Visit?

At the time of this post, we have one Disney Park complete and one dinner reservation. Our first park was Epcot. Our trip coincided with Food and Wine Festival. Check out our Disney Parks pictures here, Disney Summer Vacation: Epcot – Career Mom Community.

What is Rope Drop?

Rope dropping is a term that I recently discovered. It means arriving at the park when it opens. Essentially, when the rope drops for entry you are there!

Character lines were short first thing in the morning!!

5 reasons why you should rope drop

I was glad that we got to the parks early. We were not the first ones to enter and but we were early enough. Epcot opened at 8:30 a.m. and we pulled into our parking spot around 8:40 a.m. We did not have too far to walk to the entry gate. About 5-7 minutes. By the time we got our passes (cards), it was around 8:50 or so. We took a few pictures and noticed characters at the front of the park, Pluto and Goofy. The line was short and we took advantage of the moment.

My reasons and my experience

This brings me to my tips and reasons to rope drop Disney Parks.

Shorter lines early in the day lead to lower wait times
Ride popular attractions
Get your bearings straight before the chaos sets in
Get more done before your party gets tired
Better photos
Beat the mid-day heat

These are just five of the many reasons to get to the parks early. From our experience, we witnessed shorter lines and less of a crowd. We were able to take fun pictures and ride one of the most popular Epcot rides, Remy’s Ratatouille, prior to the wait time spiraling out of control.

On the way to ride Remy’s Ratatouille in Disney World Epcot

It may be tempting, mom, to try and cram everything into the day, but I caution against that. Exploring the parks consists of a lot of walking and the summer heat is no joke in central Florida. I was prepared to stay at the park from open to close. As a kid, I remember our family used to stay from open and close at Bush Gardens and Kings Dominion year after year. I planned to do the same with our family but around 5 p.m. one member of the group was ready to call it a day.

I had to realize that we still had two parks to go and burnout is real. If we would have pushed ourselves too much it could have been disastrous for the remaining days. As you are planning your vacation, remember “it’s a marathon and not a sprint”.

Last but not least, you can expect to snap some uninterrupted pictures. It’s easy to steal away into a nice corner or in front of an Intagramable area for some fun and creative photos.

To Wrap it Up

Getting to the parks in time for rope drop helps make a more enjoyable park day, in my opinion. If you are traveling during the summer or warmer months you will appreciate enjoying some of the activities before the mid-day heat sets in and the crowds gather. We enjoyed this approach and it worked for our family. As you are planning your trips this summer consider your family dynamics and plan accordingly.

Happy Planning Y’all!