On 5 out of 8 days on my trip I’ll be doing early EMH. We have a van and prefer to use it over Disney transportation. What time does TP consider me to be walking into the park? Should I have my van parked by 7:30? 7:45? Animal Kingdom Lodge doesn’t seem to have any pre-7 AM breakfast other than room service, and I’m wondering whether I have time to eat quickly at the Kidani grab-and-go thing at 7, and then drive over to one of the parks… and still be in line with my touring plan of course.
Edit: And I just realized the bakery is open at 6 in The Mara… don’t know why I didn’t notice that before. Still interested in the answer to my TP question though.
Different parks have different RD protocols. I’m sure others will chime in but for me, For AK, if you want to RD FOP, be at gates an hour before. If you want to RD anything else, 15 min is fine to be at taps. We entered 10 min before official park open in May (CL 5 or 6) and RD’d NRJ, then DIno, and then EEX2 with no waits. For MK and EP, I aim to arrive at security by 30 min before RD for EMH and regular park open but I am usually not running to beat the line at anything in particular. YMMV. I don’t know the protocol for HS as I haven’t been since TSL opened.
If you want TP to reflect the fact you are RDing and will be in the park before RD time and therefore closer to the ride you are RDing, add a meal at the closest restaurant or cart for 0 min at park open time and it will help with your walk time to the ride.
I have FPs for FOP at about 9 AM on 3 different days, including the day I leave! All 3 of those days are early EMH, Sat/Mon/Sat, so I’ll get to RD some good rides for the first hour or 2 and FP FOP between 9 and 10. Yeah… I’m pretty thrilled with myself for that!
I’ll be at MK 3 days… one early EMH and on the other 2 I have 8 AM reservations at BOG. I’m doing Epcot and HS one day each with early EMH. Why do you aim to be at security 30 minutes early for MK and EP but not AK?
I think the crowds at AK most all go straight to FOP. We did this in May and were aiming to be there 20-30 min early at AK but arrived just 10 min before park open. We walked right thru security and taps. They had let the masses through to Pandora (not sure where they held them–the bridge maybe?) so we just wandered right through and arrived at Pandora just at park opening.
Not sure if things have changed (we went in May last) but at MK EMH and at EP for all openings, they hold you in the hub or outside the ball until park open so it gets more congested. MK regular park open they let you in on main street an hour early but don’t let you past the ropes until park open. Obviously on your PPO BOG, you are all set–15 min early is all you need.
Very jealous of all your FPP for FOP–I’m going back in October for a 4 day trip and wasn’t able to get one until too late on my departure day.
All 3 of those days are early EMH, Sat/Mon/Sat, so I’ll get to RD some good rides for the first hour or 2 and FP FOP between 9 and 10. Yeah… I’m pretty thrilled with myself for that!