Rope drop via International Gateway for FEA

I looked through old threads and haven’t seen anything on this for the past year or two, so I’m hoping someone has more recent experience. I’m thinking about doing rope drop on our Epcot day via the Int’l Gateway, to head right to FEA. We have FPP for Test Track that day, which is a priority for DS11, so if we don’t do it at RD we likely won’t do it at all. We aren’t staying at BC/YC, so I’d have to take an Uber/Lyft from AKL to BC, then walk to the International Gateway. Does this make sense, or should I just suck it up and take the bus to the main entrance and enter with the rest of the hordes? I’m thinking the gateway entrance will be less crowded, and looks perhaps slightly easier to get to FEA from there.

By the way, this will be on Easter Sunday, so I’m expecting the crowds to be heavy, heavy, heavy! Any help or advice is appreciated.

Here is a video that TouringPlans.com did that I think will help you big time.

It was very interesting and they offer insight into what they feel is the best option for FP of the 3 Tier 1 rides.

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Really helpful, thanks! So it sounds like a wash either way, but if we can save some hassle and avoid a few crowds by going through the security checkpoint at the IG, it might be worth the ten bucks for a Lyft. And I can scope out Beach Club on the way through. Food for thought!

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We RD’d from the International Gateway on Sunday. It was a very pleasant experience! Much calmer than entering through the front. We did it because of the half marathon on Sunday. They let us in pretty early - around 8:30 - which I’d read isn’t the norm. There were maybe only 20-30 other people at the entrance at the most. We were headed to Soarin’ first, and we were off of it by around 9:00.

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I just had to comment because I had this very question AND THEN as I kept reading your post, I got more and more convinced you and I are long-lost twin sisters. We are also staying at AKL, we are rope dropping FEA and getting Test Track FP. I just felt like I was reading my own post. That’s all! :joy:

Piggyback questions:

When you Uber and walk to International Gateway, where is the best place to tell the Uber to drop you off?

Once you’re dropped off, do you walk through a resort to get to the boardwalk? Or where do you go?

How long is that walk?

THANKS!

Have them drop you off at the Beach Club and follow the signs to Epcot. The walk is less than ten minutes. You’ll be on the Boardwalk briefly.

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We were dropped off at Boardwalk just because of the half marathon (would have run into more traffic if we’d gone to Beach Club). Going to Beach Club would have been a slightly briefer walk, but even as it was, when we got to the Epcot entrance I couldn’t believe how quick of a walk it had been. If you do happen to get dropped off at Boardwalk, there is a sign in a breezeway-type area, that says Boardwalk pointing down some steps. Walk down those steps and you’ll be on the boardwalk…turn right and you’ll be headed to Epcot. I took a picture of the boardwalk at 8:16, and there is a picture my mom took of me at the International Gateway at 8:29 after we’d been there for probably 5 minutes.

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Ha! We should compare TP. I think mine are a hot mess right now.

We totally should. I pretty much hate my Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios but can’t get them right.

We just did this a month ago and I have it in my trip report!

It was fantastic. We got there WAY too early- maybe 7:30? for 9am park open and were the first ones there by far. Kids ran around with a few other kids and then we lined up at 8:30ish? They let us in at 8:50 and we waited on the bridge, and then at 8:55 they let us go. We went right to Frozen and there was no one in sight from the front of the park. But I woudl also say that it depends on if they let you in a little early or not. But it was so fun to walk over there almost all alone! There were maybe 200? people with us at IG and then the group split into thirds?

We also were not staying at Beach Club and ubered over.

@erinholey Fantastic trip report! I’m definitely going to try the IG entrance. Your kids were such troopers during that whole trip. And brave mama for tackling it all alone!

Thank you! I woudn’t do Epcot rope drop any other way now! It was so nice and chill back there compared to the craziness up front!

And they were SO good. I’d go back with them any time-- can it be next week???

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Quick follow up question. When you Lyft to Beach Club - can you let CM at gate know you’re there for Epcot? Will they ask? Has anyone been turned away and told to go to the main gate? Thanks. We RD Epcot this Saturday!

It won’t be a problem. If they ask where you’re going or give you a hard time (which they probably won’t), tell them you’re going to Boardwalk bakery to get breakfast.

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We ended up doing this on Easter (which was completely packed in the park itself, but the IG was soooo easy and shady and bag check took about 2 minutes to get through). We arrived at BC about 8:15 and walked to the IG, through security and in line with maybe 50 people ahead of us by 8:25. We hung out in the shade and took pictures of the lake until they opened the gates right at 9. We walked briskly to FEA, some folks were running but it really wasn’t necessary. There was a line but it moved steadily and we were off the ride by about 9:15 or 9:20. It really couldn’t have gone smoother.

We actually opted for Lyft a lot on our trip, because we did a couple meals at other resorts and didn’t like wasting time on transportation. Usually the driver would either just tell the gate they were doing a guest dropoff, or we would tell them we were there for a dining reservation. Once they scanned DH’s band, but we weren’t ever turned away or questioned further. It is a fantastic option, and much easier than the main entrance.

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We stayed at the Beach Club in March, and did rope drop at the International Gateway twice. It was amazing. Both times we rolled up at like 8:30, there were maybe 30 people ahead of us, around 8:45 they dropped the ropes and it was a nice walk through the World Showcase. On our first day we went straight to Norway to visit Anna and Elsa and were second in line (and that’s with a leisurely walk, stopping to take photos). I can’t speak to the lineup at Frozen at that time but I can say that there was nobody from the main gate rope drop there yet.

Thanks. Listening to backside of magic made me realize that getting in to resorts isn’t like a regular hotel drop off - you kind of need a reason to be there.

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