Hollywood Studios Rope Drop Strategy

[state08]

So I could use some expert opinions on a couple Hollywood Studios rope drop strategies I've been debating. First of all, we will have Genie+ and plan to buy ILL for ROTR. My original strategy had been to buy MFSR at 7am and then rope drop Slinky Dog followed by either MMRR or TSM. I had assumed it would be more efficient than possibly getting a late Slinky Dog G+ and kicking off the 120 minute rule at park opening. However, this was before TOT was only running 1 track which has me re-thinking the need to have an earlier strategy for that. So which do you think makes more sense:

1. 1st G+ MFSR or TOT, Rope Drop Slinky Dog to TSM/MMRR
2. 1st G+ Slinky Dog, Rope Drop TOT to RNRR

Thanks!

 

[Smugpugmug]

I would do the first option where you pick ToT as your first Genie+ option and rope drop Slinky. With Slinky there is a good chance you will get a later time whereas with ToT you will get one that is earlier. If you get a time before the 120 minute rule, you can grab another Genie+ selection before people waiting for the 120 minute rule can which can be CRITICAL at Hollywood Studios. Plus ToT is the second Genie+ selection to "sell out" alongside Slinky.

For example, on my last trip I picked ToT as my first selection and got a return time of 10 am. The park opened at 8:30 so those that got later return times would be able to grab another selection 2 hours after park open, so 10:30 am. If you have a 10 am return time, you would have a 30 minute booking advantage which I found to be extremely helpful at HS. I did this technique at MK as well in picking rides with early return times and was able to grab a ton of LLs in the morning.

 

[Mamiamjo]

I Haven't tried either strategy yet, but my plan for when we go next month is to follow your 2nd option.

 

[skippytx]

We just got back from an 8 day trip and didn't get to ride ToT at all. It went down often, and the reduced capacity had the ride at pretty much constant 2 hour waits. The one night we went back to HS an hour before close to jump in line before closing the ride was just down. You also can't count on ToT being open at rope drop, there was a couple mornings it didn't open on time or went down. I would personally use my G+LL for ToT if it's important you ride it.

We had very good success with rope dropping HS. We took the first bus from Contemporary, which I think was 6:30 AM and were there before 7AM. We got there so early security was holding people back at the parking lot. We were easily one of the first 50 people in the park that day. We rope dropped SDD, hit TSM, and then noticed MFSR was only a 5 minute wait posted, so we skipped saucers and booked it over to MFSR where it was basically a walk on at the time. We were walking off MFSR before 9 am.

 

[gharter]

With one side of ToT still down, I would purchase that first. The standby lines have been very long and the LL have gone faster than usual. Nothing like Slinky fast.
Do RoTR as ILL$ and RD Slinky.

 

[Scalemaster34]

I can tell you both in Feb and May... TT didn't start operating right when EE started. I don't know how common that is, in Feb they had us all line up back in the Fantismic que area, but May they just lined people up down Sunset... and beyond.

Part of our group went and did RRC, MFSR and Aliens... before we were done on TT.

Had lots of EE issues....
Safari at AK is listed as an attraction at EE, but it doesn't open till 8AM (or later)... so our 7:30 EE really didn't include it.
MK only opens Tomorrowland and Fantasyland at EE.... but only the attractions that are working. Feb - Mine Train, Pooh and Tea Cups were down till normal park opening. May - they actually didn't even bother opening Tomorrowland, so everyone was on the one bridge to Fantasyland.

 

[puffyjj]

My go-to has always been your second option but that is totally dependent on TOT being open for EE which it isn't reliably. I think the RD SDD and G+ TOT is the better strategy. Personally, I'd RD SDD, TSMM and book it down Sunset for RNR with single rider line if it's open.

 

[vcb]

So, this is the first time I’m hearing about ToT. It’s running at min capacity?

 

[Smugpugmug]

So, this is the first time I’m hearing about ToT. It’s running at min capacity?

Yes. Half of the elevators are down due to maintenance. When they finish one side of the elevators, they will close the other side so it will be a while before both sides are up and running at the same time.

 

[skippytx]

So, this is the first time I’m hearing about ToT. It’s running at min capacity?

When it's running yeah, it's only running 1 side/track right now. Wait times last week were ridiculous often going over 2 hours, with the ride going down several times a day from what I saw. We tried to get in line around 8PM last Thursday and the ride had been down since 7PM and they were not going to get it back up and running before close. I took the kids on RnR again instead. At the moment of this post ToT is at 115 min wait.

We skipped it because I didn't feel like burning 2 hours of my day on something that will probably break before I even get a chance to ride it. We've been multiple times to WDW and DLR, so we've experienced the ride a ton, it didn't ruin the trip or anything, but it was disappointing now my kids love thrill rides.

 

[gharter]

So, this is the first time I’m hearing about ToT. It’s running at min capacity?

At least since sometime in March I believe. 1 side was down for repairs in April. As noted, they will work on the other side once one is done. So it will be at reduced capacity for quite a while.

 

[coachk34]

Our strategy is going to be a little different as we don't want to pay for ILL's. We are going to be early and Rope Drop RoR and hopefully also get to do MFSR. Hope to get a Genie+ for SDD before 10:30, but know that might be hard. Then hope to Genie+ the following in order MFSR, MMRR, RnR, and TSMM. Sprinkle shows in between the Genie+ plus rides and an afternoon break. Perhaps trying RoR at park closing. Any thoughts?

 

[skippytx]

Our strategy is going to be a little different as we don't want to pay for ILL's. We are going to be early and Rope Drop RoR and hopefully also get to do MFSR. Hope to get a Genie+ for SDD before 10:30, but know that might be hard. Then hope to Genie+ the following in order MFSR, MMRR, RnR, and TSMM. Sprinkle shows in between the Genie+ plus rides and an afternoon break. Perhaps trying RoR at park closing. Any thoughts?

Trying to rope drop RoR or getting in line at the end of the night is a gamble with how often the ride goes down. You can't count on it working. We didn't use G+ last week at all, but we did go ahead and pay for the RoR ILL. It's the only (somewhat) guaranteed way to get to experience it.

 

[Scalemaster34]

Trying to rope drop RoR or getting in line at the end of the night is a gamble with how often the ride goes down. You can't count on it working. We didn't use G+ last week at all, but we did go ahead and pay for the RoR ILL. It's the only (somewhat) guaranteed way to get to experience it.

Yeah I agree ToT seems to have it's issues of late, but RotR has had problems "getting out of bed" from day one. Someone use to keep a chart of when it was operational and when it wasn't....

For me ILL is a way to optimize and already expensive vacation. But I can see how you could do without ILL at the other parks (well maybe not with Guardian and Tron), but DHS for Rise.... it's a gamble I wouldn't want to take.

And do know that if you go back there, walk through the whole queue and wait 15- 30 mins... and they come though telling you it's down... there is no recompense.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

Trying to rope drop RoR or getting in line at the end of the night is a gamble with how often the ride goes down. You can't count on it working. We didn't use G+ last week at all, but we did go ahead and pay for the RoR ILL. It's the only (somewhat) guaranteed way to get to experience it.

This line of thinking is why those that are patient and wait until later in the day will find the shortest lines for Rise.

I agree that it may have trouble firing up in the morning and wouldn’t want to fight through those crowds anyway.

By waiting until later in the evening, we find that most guests have either already done it or have given up just based on the posted wait times.

Just a few weeks ago we rode twice in about an hour, and could have done a third trip but opted for Tower instead. We found it to be a very efficient use of time.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Whatever plan you make, I'd encourage you to have a Plan B and maybe Plans C-E. We were there in late April and at RD RnRC was down, ToT was at min capacity, then about 1 hour after park opening TSM went down to min capacity, too. And SDD went down later in the morning.

It was the most frustrating day I'd had at WDW. "We make plans--God laughs," as the old saying goes. Or as put by a more contemporary philosopher, "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

 

[donaldanddaisy]

Hmm, thanks for this thread. I was going to rope drop Tower given the capacity issues, but I do want an earlier LL, so your 1st plan makes sense. Our 2nd priority is MMRR since we have not ridden it. And if I have to stand in line, I think MMSR is better because it is indoors. So maybe, SD, MMRR, then try to get the RnR before the crowds swell.

 

[emonade8]

Just a few weeks ago we rode twice in about an hour, and could have done a third trip but opted for Tower instead. We found it to be a very efficient use of time.

Interesting. What time did you get in line?

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

Interesting. What time did you get in line?

7:40 pm. The posted wait time was 85 minutes, with an actual wait of 15 minutes the first time and 5 minutes the 2nd.

We were done by 8:45 and saw the posted wait had dropped to 40.

We opted instead for one more ride on Tower, where the posted wait was 80 with an actual wait of 10. All done by just after 9 pm.

The thing is, this is just a typical day at the park for us. Most lines do get really short as closing time approaches.

 

[flipflopmom]

Our experience yesterday morning- we had 2 people booking at 7. We got ROTR for 9:15 and Slinky for 11:15. I’ll use my kids for an example because they rope dropped TOT. They rode TOT, then 2 turns on RNRC (youngest did 3) and met us at Woodys at 8:30. We ate, went to our ROTR, did Frozen sing along, got an 11:30 TSM, did Slinky. then TSM and were headed out of park by12:30. We had done MFSR and MMRR one evening earlier in the week so we didn’t need to repeat those.

I will edit to add that our prior evening Slinky was posted 120 minute wait at park close. We got in a long line and did not move for 10 minutes, even the LL line was long and slow at that time. We gave up.