From reading other posts, it seems like there is no good way to get to Animal Kingdom earlier if coming from outside the park (e.g., like other parks where you can make a dining reservation and walk). AK opens at 8am tomorrow and we were wondering if people have had recent experience with what time the parking lots open when 8am start time. 7:15ish? Also, will Dinosaur and Expedition Everest be open at rope drop / before park opens? Thank you!
1 Like
Yes these will be open at rope drop just like Flight of Passage. I can’t currently confirm but targeted arrival time had been 1 hour before opening.
1 Like
Thank you Bebe80! Your prior answers have been SO helpful in making our trip a huge success! We have had three wonderful days at Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom and are finishing up tomorrow at AK (we wound up not going to Epcot on Monday). THANK YOU!
Sure, I’m not an expert but do try to pay attention to things since we are going in 2 months. Glad to hear! How did the boarding groups go and did you enjoy RotR?
RotR was amazing! We got it at 7am both days. 85th boarding group the first day (I was being cautious and waited until 7 to press join), but got the 2nd boarding group today (hit the button at 59 seconds on the world clock, but I guess it made it through the internet by 7). No problems with getting boarding groups or making it to the ride by the time we were called. Have you ridden it? I didn’t do any research on it beforehand (usually, we watch the videos so the kids can decide if they want to do it) and it was really cool! Thanks again!
4 Likes
Great! That is good information thank you. It’s amazing that 1 or 2 seconds makes a huge difference in your BG number. But this is so helpful to others planning trips! I did not experience it yet but hope to soon.
I practiced at home (trying to time it right), but probably a waste because the internet was different at the place we were staying at. Still, I generally found that using the world clock and pressing join sometime after 6:59 and 59 seconds, but before 7:00 worked when at home. I just didn’t want to take the risk of it being TOO early on our first HS day so I waited until world clock turned to 7. Our boarding group got us in around 3:40 that day. Please let me know if you have any questions!
3 Likes
Heading to AK tomorrow. What did you do for rope drop? What do you recommend?
I am at Contemporary. Options would be uber or Bus… When would you uber or look for the bus?
For reference, yesterday’s (2/14) average wait times:
Attraction: Wait time submitted by users at specific times:
FOP: 56 minute wait at 8:16am
Dino: 52 minute wait at 11:06
Everest: 14 minute wait at 11:01
Kilimanjaro: 25 minute wait at 12:05pm
Na’vi: 71 minute wait at 2:36
https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/crowd-calendar/date/2021-02-14
1 Like
Thanks!!!
Would you suggest uber or bus to make it closest to rope drop tomorrow? Leaving from contemporary
From prior reports, the bus was better than Uber.
Scared. Guess I’ll see if bus to AK is running at 7:15.
If not, guess I’d uber by 7:25.
Had been before 7:15. You might want to see if others are waiting for it around 7:00.
At the Poly yesterday I want to say the first bus was right around 7? I want to say I got to the stop about 6:45.
This morning I had issues with both Uber (the app flat out said there were no cars at that time) and Lyft (searched for a driver for over 5 minutes) to go to the Maingate Ln COVID testing site and finally ended up calling a Mears Taxi. Coming back one Lyft picked up the ride and then HE cancelled it and it was back to search, search. One Uber driver picked-up then dropped but it found another who was doing a pick-up at AKL and drop off at MK then came to get me. All in all I got my test results (negative) before he got there. I said “Is this a busy time every day?” And he said “Yeah, between parks opening and people going to breakfasts we are really booked at this time of day.”
So if you are wanting to be there by 8, I would NOT wait to search until 7:25. I would be at your bus stop by 6:45.
3 Likes
We’ve scheduled our Lyft the night before we needed it. And with limited rides I would recommend doing this
Sometimes that doesn’t always work though as they don’t start searching until 15 minutes prior and it’s in the same pool as anyone searching at that time.
1 Like
oh… well… anytime I’ve put in a scheduled ride the day before it’s been picked up the night before. A lot of WDW Lyft drivers come from a distance and plan out the day. I’m sure those still driving at this time might plan even more?
IDK. I just know they never picked up anything yesterday around 7 - and then around 8 two drivers picked up then dropped the ride. I normally prefer Lyft, but Uber has been far superior this trip.
2 Likes
So… We are staying at Contemporary.
We lined up for the bus around 6:45 AM. Bus left around 7:15.
Got to park and walked on to FOP. Then 15 minutes for Navi.
Then went to Everest, 10 minute wait.
25 minutes for Dinosaur
And 25 minutes for Safari.
Ate lunch and back at Contemporary at 12:20
Rest. Park hopping to MK at 2:00
5 Likes
I am staying at the Dolphin in July and plan to rope drop AK. What is the best way to be in front of the pack? Is “first bus” still better than ride share, and if so, should I take the bus at Boardwalk or Yatch club since Dolphin no longer has Disney shuttle to the parks?
TIA