Getting to Rope Drop at Disney World

Disney World smarties know that getting to the parks in time to be some of the first guests through the gates is good touring strategy. It’s called rope-dropping, and it can save you a lot of time waiting in lines. Let’s talk about how to get to rope drop at Disney World. We’ll cover what time to arrive, the best way to get there early enough, and how long it will take.

How Early Do You Need To Arrive For Rope Drop?

As a general rule – yep, covering my rear here – for Early Entry you should arrive at the park’s tapstiles 30 minutes before the Early Entry time. Consider leaving an extra 15 minutes for the Magic Kingdom, because its rope drop crowd is larger. If you’re not using Early Entry, aim for half an hour before the regular opening time.

Why so early? Going through the tapstiles in a crowd is slow. If the gates open right on the hour for an 8 am Early Entry, it could be 8:15 before you’ve tapped in unless you’re at the very front of the crowd. You’d have spent half of your precious Early Entry time waiting in line at … the gate. Disney knows this, and the tapstiles open before Early Entry begins. If you arrive at 8, you’ll be behind thousands of people who are already in the park. You’ll get less benefit from Early Entry.

At an exceptionally high crowd time of the year, try to add an extra 15 minutes.  But the half-hour rule of thumb will generally still work. That’s because when crowds are high at spring break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc., Disney opens the parks earlier. The resorts might be stuffed to the gills, but most of those extra people aren’t willing to wake up extra early.

By the way, “arriving for rope drop” does not mean pulling into a parking spot. It does not mean getting off the monorail. You have not “arrived” for rope drop until you have gone through security and you are in line at the tapstiles.

It might seem like I’m being dramatic, but here’s the thing. It takes 5-10 minutes to get to and through security after you get off Disney transportation. If you drive that goes up to 10-15 minutes for the tram ride (or walk) from the parking lot. If your goal is to be at the tapstiles half an hour before opening, a 10-minute difference is a lot! And if you drive to the Magic Kingdom, you’ll park at the Ticket & Transportation Center. From there it takes about 30-35 minutes to get to the gates after exiting your car.

When Does Disney World Transportation Open?

Disney has multiple forms of transportation: buses, monorails, boats, and the Skyliner. All of them officially start running 45 minutes before Early Entry begins. In practice, we find they often start a bit earlier, about an hour in advance. Minnie Van service begins at 6:30 am.

If you’re driving, the Ticket and Transportation Center opens at least an hour before Magic Kingdom Early Entry. Parking lots for the other three parks open at least 45 minutes and more usually an hour before Early Entry.

What’s the Best Mode of Transportation for Rope Drop?

From Disney World Resorts, there is usually only one type of Disney transportation from your resort to each park. If the Skyliner goes to EPCOT, you won’t be able to take the bus to EPCOT. Walking (if it’s an option) and driving have the most consistent travel times. The tables below show the fastest method (aside from walking) to get from each resort to the parks, and the time in minutes. For more information, see each resort’s linked transportation page.

The Best Way to Get to the Magic Kingdom for Rope Drop

It is always faster to take Disney transportation to the Magic Kingdom than it is to drive your car. The bus takes about 25 minutes to the Magic Kingdom from every Disney resort except Animal Kingdom Lodge. The three monorail resorts offer the option to walk; it may be the fastest depending on your speed.

Fastest Travel Time in minutes to Magic Kingdom from Each Disney World Resort
All-Star Movies (Music, Sports)	Bus	25
Art of Animation	Bus	24
Animal Kingdom Lodge	Bus	32
Beach Club	Bus	26
Boardwalk	Bus	25
Caribbean Beach	Bus	27
Contemporary	Monorail	17
Coronado Springs	Bus	27
Grand Floridian	Monorail	8
Old Key West	Bus	24
Polynesian	Monorail	11
Pop Century	Bus	24
Port Orleans French Quarter	Bus	26
Port Orleans Riverside	Bus	26
Riviera	Bus	27
Saratoga Springs	Bus	27
Wilderness Lodge	Boat	15
Yacht Club	Bus	25

The Best Way to Get to EPCOT for Rope Drop

The drive times to EPCOT from Disney World resorts range from 15-20 minutes. To take the monorail from one of the Magic Kingdom resorts, you’ll need to transfer at the TTC. Driving is faster, although it could be close if you can walk to the TTC.

From the EPCOT resorts, it may be fastest to walk depending on your speed. You’ll also want to consider what you’re trying to ride at Rope Drop. Driving and Disney transportation usually have similar times. But driving will put you at the main entrance and the Skyliner or a boat from these resorts will bring you to the International Gateway.

Fastest Travel Time in Minutes to EPCOT from Each Disney World Resort
All-Star Movies (Music, Sports)	Car	18
Art of Animation	Car / Skyliner	25
Animal Kingdom Lodge	Car	16
Beach Club	Boat	13
Boardwalk	Boat / Car	16
Caribbean Beach	Car / Skyliner	17
Contemporary	Car	20
Coronado Springs	Car	18
Grand Floridian	Car	18
Old Key West	Car	18
Polynesian	Car	17
Pop Century	Car / Skyliner	25
Port Orleans French Quarter	Car	19
Port Orleans Riverside	Car	20
Riviera	Skyliner	11
Saratoga Springs	Car	18
Wilderness Lodge	Car	20
Yacht Club	Boat	12

The Best Way to Get to Hollywood Studios for Rope Drop

From any Disney World resort, the average driving time to Hollywood Studios is between 15-20 minutes. From Boardwalk, Beach Club, and Yacht Club, you could take the Skyliner from the EPCOT station. But the boat will be faster.

Fastest Travel Time in Minutes to Hollywood Studios from Each Disney World Resort
All-Star Movies (Music, Sports)	Car	16
Art of Animation	Skyliner	18
Animal Kingdom Lodge	Car	16
Beach Club	Boat / Car	15
Boardwalk	Boat / Car	16
Caribbean Beach	Skyliner	10
Contemporary	Car	23
Coronado Springs	Car	16
Grand Floridian	Car	20
Old Key West	Car	18
Polynesian	Car	19
Pop Century	Skyliner	18
Port Orleans French Quarter	Car	19
Port Orleans Riverside	Car	20
Riviera	Car / Skyliner	16
Saratoga Springs	Car	20
Wilderness Lodge	Car	22
Yacht Club	Boat / Car	14

The Best Way to Get to Animal Kingdom for Rope Drop

If you have one, a car is the fastest way to get to Animal Kingdom from any Disney World Resort. From most of them, the average driving time is between 15-20 minutes. Coronado Springs, the All-Stars, and Animal Kingdom Lodge are closer to 10 minutes of travel time.

Fastest Travel Time in Minutes to Animal Kingdom from Each Disney World Resort
All-Star Movies (Music, Sports)	Car	11
Art of Animation	Car	14
Animal Kingdom Lodge	Car	9
Beach Club	Car	17
Boardwalk	Car	17
Caribbean Beach	Car	20
Contemporary	Car	23
Coronado Springs	Car	11
Grand Floridian	Car	18
Old Key West	Car	19
Polynesian	Car	17
Pop Century	Car	14
Port Orleans French Quarter	Car	19
Port Orleans Riverside	Car	20
Riviera	Car	17
Saratoga Springs	Car	20
Wilderness Lodge	Car	20
Yacht Club	Car	17

Rope Drop Transportation from non-Disney Resorts

If you’re staying offsite, your options will be similar for each park. Your resort may offer a shuttle, but the frequency and reliability varies a lot by hotel. You’ll need to do some investigating to decide whether it will get the job done for you. Otherwise, you’ll be arriving by car; one that you’re driving yourself, taxi, or rideshare.

There are a couple of exceptions to this. Guests of the Disney World Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve can use the Disney Friendship boats to access EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, and are also within walking distance of those parks. And guests at the Swan, Dolphin, Swan Reserve, Four Seasons Orlando, and Shades of Green can use Minnie Vans in addition to Uber/Lyft.

When To Leave for Rope Drop

Soooooo … once you’ve decided on how you’re going to get there, when should you leave your room? This is where crowds might come into play. You might notice that some recommendations below don’t match up with “official” transportation start times. These recommended times are based on our experience, and include a few considerations.

Depending on the season and your resort, being at the bus stop when it begins running might not put you on the first bus. And during peak seasons, Disney makes changes to operations. Buses may begin running earlier than usual to ensure that bus stops don’t get too backed up. If you’re visiting at a high crowd time, it never hurts to ask what time transportation will begin running.

If you’re walking, do the walk in advance to figure out how long it will take. You can use a Google Maps estimate if you aren’t able to do it beforehand. Be aware: many guests find that they walk more slowly than usual in Florida’s heat and humidity. Add about 5 minutes to go through security after you’ve “Google-maps arrived” at the park.

If you’re taking the Skyliner, plan to arrive at the station an hour before Early Entry. Add 15 minutes if you’ll need to transfer. If you’re visiting at a very busy time, add an extra 15 minutes to account for lines that may form around its opening.

If you’re taking a Friendship boat, arrive at the dock about 50 minutes before Early Entry. That should put you on the first boat of the day unless it’s a high-crowd time of the year. In that case, add an extra 10 minutes.

Monorail riders for the Magic Kingdom should arrive at the resort monorail stop about 65-70 minutes before Early Entry. That gives you time to go through security on the platform (there may be a wait) and still make it onto an early train.

For bus transportation, lines can be a huge factor, depending on your resort. Plan to be at the bus stop at least 75 minutes before Early Entry. At busy times of the year leave an extra 15 minutes from Value and Moderate resorts. At these hotels, bus lines can start forming very early. If your resort has multiple pickups, like Coronado Springs, you may want to walk to the first pickup spot.

If you’re driving, you can use a Google Maps estimate to figure out how long your drive will take. Plan to pull up at the toll plaza 20-25 minutes before you intend to arrive at the tapstiles. At the Magic Kingdom, plan on 45 minutes because you’re parking at the TTC. From the TTC to the Magic Kingdom, the Ferryboat and the monorail take about the same amount of time.

How Much Do Minutes Matter at Rope Drop?

Our recommendations above should get you to the parks about half an hour before Early Entry begins. But they won’t guarantee you a spot at the very front of the pack. So how much does having your knees on the rope actually matter? For a super-headliner like Slinky Dog Dash, being in the very front of the pack will give you about a 4-minute wait. Arriving 5-10 minutes later than those at the very front could increase your wait by 25 minutes or more.

A 25-minute line is still a great time savings compared to the wait you’ll see later in the day! But if that tiny wait is your goal, you’ll want to check with Cast Members, figure out exactly when transportation is running, and make sure that you’re one of the first ones on.

If you’re arriving for regular opening, Early Entry guests have already been in the parks for half an hour. A few minutes one way or the other aren’t critical. The only exception to this is at the Magic Kingdom, where Frontierland, Adventureland, and Liberty Sq. aren’t open during Early Entry.

What’s your strategy for rope drop at Disney World? How early do you leave to get there on time? Let us know in the comments!