What time do I need to be at the parking toll booth at each park to be front of pack for rope drop? Typical 9am start. I’m thinking:
Sun May 19 - MK to RD 7DMT - 7am
Tue May 21 - HS to RD SlinkyDD - 7:45am
Wed May 22 - AK to RD FoP - 7:15am
Thu May 23 - MK to RD Peter Pan - 7am
Sat May 25 - EP to RD Test Track - 7:45am
I think those sound good! We don’t drive, but our rule of thumb for Disney buses is to be at the bus stop 1.5 hrs before park opening.
Your times are similar, and you have given yourself extra extra time for MK and the hullabaloo that is getting from the parking lot to the park gates.
Good luck, and enjoy your trip!
When is your trip?
Right now the entrances at both Epcot and MK are worse than usual. They are doing construction and so the trams stop much earlier than normal at both parks. At MK it probably adds a quarter mile walk (trams stop before going under the overpass) at Epcot it probably adds slightly less than that (trams stop before they would normally turn right to drop you off, you have to walk way to the left and then back to security.)
In both parks, security remains in the same spot. So if you really are time sensitive, might want to give yourself an extra few minutes or commit to walking faster than you normally would (that’s what I would do rather than lose more sleep!)
Just a heads up. Went to MK today, preferred parking, 4 adults & 2 kids. Double stroller, front to back and it took us from paying to entering 58 minutes. We took the ferry over, if we would have took the tram, I would add 30 minutes.
MK was a 4 today.
Only thing missing here was your arrival time. That would help give a little context. Love the detail!
I presume this is preferred parking at the TTC?
Your arrival times are probably earlier than they need to be for MK. Even with the extra monorail or ferry ride, it shouldn’t take you more than half an hour to park, walk to whichever form of transportation you choose, ride to MK, and get through the tapstiles. Later in the day, you might get backed up at bag check, waiting for a monorail, or parking in a remote part of the TTC, but that early in the morning things won’t be that bad.
If you really want to be first in line, then getting there at 7 is fine, but if you just want to be one of the first people in line for 7DMT or Peter Pan, then you can arrive a little later.
So what is the general rule of thumb for time between toll booth and being at RD inside the hub(parking, walk, monorail/ferry, security, tapstiles, walking to hub?
How much time should I allot for that? 1 hour?
Arrival time on thursday (yesterday) at the toll was 8:22am
@wallacefam @staceyrose55 @OBNurseNH Update: Friday morning time from parking toll to RD at Adventure Land was 32 minutes. Arrived at toll at 8:02am. DO NOT USE THE ADDRESS WITH SEVEN SEAS DRIVE IN IT. Took me the wrong way and had to loop around on Thursday. Wasted an additional 7 minutes of time.
MK on Friday was a 5 according to touring plans and I would agree with them.
Paid for preferred parking - had first row. I highly suggest paying the extra price.
Security is very tight - if arriving with bags walk past the first set of security tables and go to the second. Both days no line and was a breeze. We traveled with city mini front to back with two side saddle bags, a lunch bag, 2 fanny packs and a diaper bag. Went through in a matter of 3 minutes
Both Thursday and Friday we took the ferry over. The tram did not run until 8:30am, ferry ride was a 4 minutes. Not crowded at all. If you are traveling with strollers, the ferry is way easier.
Entering the park was easy, look for shortest line as you are walking up. took maybe a minute to get through.
I used the touring plan app on my phone and my wife had disney app on hers. Holy cow what a difference. Touring plans was spot on each time with the exception of maybe 3 rides Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Good luck all and have fun!
Thanks for the update!! Hope the rest of your trip is fabulous.
Just a heads up for people. I see @johnvito14 arrived at the tollbooth after 8am both days.
For a 9am opening, everyone is allowed to enter MK at 8am and walk down Main St to the Hub, where you are held until rope drop time. Shops and Starbucks will be open.
To be at the front of that walk down Main St. you need to be at the gates of MK by 7:45 at the latest. In other words, think of MK opening at 8am.
I assume you can weave your way through to some extent if you do arrive after 8am, but the crowds will already be at the ropes for each land