7 am EMH at AK - still get there an hour before?

[LaurenT]

anyone done this? I’m always there an hour early ...but I think with it being this early, even a lot of the early RD crowd may not be there so early.
Thoughts? Leave Kidani at 6 am, or is 6:30 safe ...

 

[Robo]

Leave Kidani at 6 am

Or earlier.

We had a recent trip and took an Uber to DAK from All Star Sports at about 6:15AM.
(Got to DAK about 6:20.)

By the time we got through the DAk gates and over to Pandora, the line for FoP was well over an hour.
It was staggering.
We chose not to wait for FoP but rode Navi with zero wait, then went elsewhere in DAK.

 

[LaurenT]

Or earlier.

We had a recent trip and took an Uber to DAK from All Star Sports at about 6:15AM.
(Got to DAK about 6:20.)

By the time we got through the DAk gates and over to Pandora, the line for FoP was well over an hour.
It was staggering.
We chose not to wait for FoP but rode Navi with zero wait, then went elsewhere in DAK.

Wow!! I’m amazed that so many people made it out that early!! I’ve been able to basically walk on after getting to the park at 8 am for a 9 am open a few times. Ok - 5:45 am it is!!

 

[Robo]

Wow!!
1. I’m amazed that so many people made it out that early!! I’ve been able to basically walk on after getting to the park at 8 am for a 9 am open a few times. Ok - 5:45 am it is!!

1. Me, TOO!

2. Better to arrive far too early, than to get there one minute too late.

 

[waltslostnephew]

So if I get there at 7:30 am and the EMH is 8am i will be waiting to ride FOP for over an hour? we are going 3-18

 

[Robo]

So if I get there at 7:30 am and the EMH is 8am i will be waiting to ride FOP for over an hour? we are going 3-18

Nobody can say, for sure, during your visit.
(But, that has been the case on some days in the recent past.)

What we can more safely say is that it is generally better to arrive early...

 

[bebec22]

I did 7am EMH at AK on January 5th. I got the first bus from YC, arrived at AK around 6:20, was let into the park at 6:40 and was walking off of FoP at 7:40. I could not believe how many people were already there and pretty much everyone went straight to FoP.

 

[kokomos]

We’re planning to do early morning magic at AK that opens at 800 what time should we plan to be there and do they hold the rest of the crowd back until 900 on that day? Thanks

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

We’ll be there on the 18th too! We’ve got FOP Fastpasses so we’ll probably be heading to Navi or TSMM. Good Luck to you! May the odds be ever in your favor!

 

[gharter]

So if I get there at 7:30 am and the EMH is 8am i will be waiting to ride FOP for over an hour? we are going 3-18

Almost guaranteed. We arrived to the gate 60 minutes before the park opening time and had quite a few in front of us. Ended up with a 10 minute wait at FoP, but when we got off the ride, the line looked to be 60 minutes at least. It snaked down to the bridge and back and then 1/2 way to Tiffins.

 

[SaintsManiac]

We’re planning to do early morning magic at AK that opens at 800 what time should we plan to be there and do they hold the rest of the crowd back until 900 on that day? Thanks

AK does not have Early Morning Magic. If you are referring to Extra Magic Hours you will need to be there at least an hour early if your intention is to ride FoP.

 

[holden]

Don’t forget the option of getting in line shortly before closing. You’ll avoid those insane crowds.

 

[JessicaW1234]

Don’t forget the option of getting in line shortly before closing. You’ll avoid those insane crowds.

How long did you have to wait when you did that?

 

[3princesshome]

We did extra magic hours on December 29th during the busiest time of the year at Disney. The EMH started at 7am and we arrived at the park at about 6:10am. There was no wait to go through security and we were lined up a the turnstiles by 6:15am (there were about 20 people in line at each turnstile. By 6:30am the line up behind us was HUGE. They opened the turnstiles at 6:40 and every human in that line were all headed to FOP doing a 'fast walk'. It took us about 10 minutes in the line just because there were so many people getting in line and you just had to move slowly to get everyone through - but we did keep moving constantly through the weaving line right up to the front. We were on the ride just before 7am. By the time we got off and started walking back towards the middle of the park, it was an insane line up. I'm guessing these are the people that arrived for 6:45/7am. The line up was easily more than an hour. It weaved out of the FoP line up section, back up the walkway into Pandora land and then curved up the path towards Africa. I would estimate it was at least a 2 hour wait from there. For the people that showed up at 8am, the line up was already 5 hours long. Seriously, I am not kidding. It was posted on the app as the wait time. At 8am, we were walking by the bridge that leads to Africa (where you would turn to go towards the Festival of Lion King show) and the line up had weaved its way down there. There was a CM with a sign standing at the end of the line (the sign basically said 'this is the end of the line for FoP) and when we walked by at 8am we heard him telling people that if they got in line now, they wouldn't be riding the ride until 1:30/2:00. Insane!
So, from my experience, yes, you should still get in line an hour before even when the EMH is 7am. A 7am EMH is usually because they expect the park to be very busy. It was worth every minute of lost sleep - and if you're not doing it multiple days in a row, it's not too bad. Where else can you say you're getting up at 5am on your vacation?!

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

How long did you have to wait when you did that?

The wait for FOP right at closing time can be 20 minutes or less. Our shortest wait was 17 minutes in early June.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

We did extra magic hours on December 29th during the busiest time of the year at Disney. The EMH started at 7am and we arrived at the park at about 6:10am. There was no wait to go through security and we were lined up a the turnstiles by 6:15am (there were about 20 people in line at each turnstile. By 6:30am the line up behind us was HUGE. They opened the turnstiles at 6:40 and every human in that line were all headed to FOP doing a 'fast walk'. It took us about 10 minutes in the line just because there were so many people getting in line and you just had to move slowly to get everyone through - but we did keep moving constantly through the weaving line right up to the front. We were on the ride just before 7am. By the time we got off and started walking back towards the middle of the park, it was an insane line up. I'm guessing these are the people that arrived for 6:45/7am. The line up was easily more than an hour. It weaved out of the FoP line up section, back up the walkway into Pandora land and then curved up the path towards Africa. I would estimate it was at least a 2 hour wait from there. For the people that showed up at 8am, the line up was already 5 hours long. Seriously, I am not kidding. It was posted on the app as the wait time. At 8am, we were walking by the bridge that leads to Africa (where you would turn to go towards the Festival of Lion King show) and the line up had weaved its way down there. There was a CM with a sign standing at the end of the line (the sign basically said 'this is the end of the line for FoP) and when we walked by at 8am we heard him telling people that if they got in line now, they wouldn't be riding the ride until 1:30/2:00. Insane!
So, from my experience, yes, you should still get in line an hour before even when the EMH is 7am. A 7am EMH is usually because they expect the park to be very busy. It was worth every minute of lost sleep - and if you're not doing it multiple days in a row, it's not too bad. Where else can you say you're getting up at 5am on your vacation?!

Wow, that’s quite a story. Ours is much simpler. We just walked up, waited 17 minutes then rode the ride.

 

[LaurenT]

Or earlier.

We had a recent trip and took an Uber to DAK from All Star Sports at about 6:15AM.
(Got to DAK about 6:20.)

By the time we got through the DAk gates and over to Pandora, the line for FoP was well over an hour.
It was staggering.
We chose not to wait for FoP but rode Navi with zero wait, then went elsewhere in DAK.

Got to bag check at 6am. Off FoP and Nav’i river by 7:25 line is 2 hours now!
Thanks for the heads up! End of the line is at pizzafari (and loops over and doen the bridge to fotlk)

 

[Robo]

Got to bag check at 6am. Off FoP and Nav’i river by 7:25 line is 2 hours now!
Thanks for the heads up! End of the line is at pizzafari (and loops over and doen the bridge to fotlk)

Yowsa!!
Glad you made it in EARLY!

 

[SaintsManiac]

Got to bag check at 6am. Off FoP and Nav’i river by 7:25 line is 2 hours now!
Thanks for the heads up! End of the line is at pizzafari (and loops over and doen the bridge to fotlk)

Ok so how many times did you ride EE

 

[LSUfan4444]

anyone done this? I’m always there an hour early ...but I think with it being this early, even a lot of the early RD crowd may not be there so early.
Thoughts? Leave Kidani at 6 am, or is 6:30 safe ...

From my experience, the rope drop crowd is the rope drop crowd. Just like the park close crowd is the park close crowd. 6, 7 or 9am, I'd still get there 60 minutes before opening for AK and HS if FoP or SDD is in your rope drop plans. If neither of them are your priority you can probably arrive 30 minutes prior and be totally fine.