If I want to be in the MK security bag check by 8am (park opens 9am on the day in question), what time should I arrive the parking lot in my car? (In other words, how long will it take me to get from my car, ride the monorail (or boat if monorail isn’t running before 8am) and to security? 7:45am good?
Full details… I’m signed up for KTK Tour which starts at 8:30am and the CM on the reservation line told me to be at Mickey’s Town Square Theater no later than 8:15am. So that is my ultimate goal - be at the theater no later than 8:15am.
I’m not an expert, but I would leave at least 30 minutes after locking your car to make it to bag check, maybe more. You will be relying on the monorail/boat schedule and rope drop crowds so it is somewhat unpredictable. We also want to be at the gate at 8 am this coming Sunday, so we’re planning on driving into the lot by 7:15 at the latest. I’m hoping that they will rope drop 20 minutes early if there are enough crowds in queue- since starting Monday they are extending morning hours.
I would agree that 30 minutes from locking the car door is a good goal. There won’t be significant lines at bag check that far ahead. You may need to go to the pre-rd adr line to get in. But chances are that you will need to take the boat that early, and you might just want to since the monorails breakdown so frequently.
On one of the slowest days of the year, we parked our car in the second row at 715, took the boat over, and were in line waiting with the pre rd adr crew by 745. Definitely give yourself at least a half hour if the boat is your only option (it was for us), we got lucky and it left the minute we boarded.