Is EE/RD worth it if Not Super Early?

[tigertides]

Most blogs and Vlogs suggest getting to park 1h BEFORE EE begins.

Typically I get to park and clear security about 25min BEFORE EE begins


It’s a balancing act… but also notice we sr begins the pack for 7DMT, FOP, etc


It does allow us to do a few rides, but even PP already has 20-25min wait by then.

Thoughts?

Either sleep in, or leave hotel 2h before EE official opens?

 

[musicguy856]

Most blogs and Vlogs suggest getting to park 1h BEFORE EE begins.

Typically I get to park and clear security about 25min BEFORE EE begins


It’s a balancing act… but also notice we sr begins the pack for 7DMT, FOP, etc


It does allow us to do a few rides, but even PP already has 20-25min wait by then.

Thoughts?

Either sleep in, or leave hotel 2h before EE official opens?

One thing to consider, especially for HS, is that rides like Rise frequently don’t open on time. If that happens you’re at the back of the line for other rides once you get to Rise and find that out, no matter how early you got there.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I’ve never cleared security more than 15-20 minutes before EE, and always had a great experience.

 

[SL6827]

HS is so going to be a gamble with rides opening on time. Sucks.

 

[Miffy]

We never arrive an hour early for EE. Usually about 25 or 30 minutes, just like you, OP. True, this doesn't work for FoP or RotR, for example, unless you're a sprinter, which I am not. Even if you're at the front of the pack, you still have to sprint for these rides.

The trick with RotR and FoP is to ride them close to closing time when the waits--despite what might be posted--are the lowest. I'm not sure what the optimum time to ride 7DMT is, but for sure someone else here does.

 

[SL6827]

I bet FOP is really bad since its the one headliner in that park.

 

[Miffy]

I bet FOP is really bad since its the one headliner in that park.

You are correct. FoP is indeed really bad at EE. But EE is really good at EE, so if that's your ride, you're in for a treat.

 

[Alison S]

I like using EE to hit anything other than the most popular attractions. Get a bunch of those out of the way quickly. This is with getting there 5 minutes before opening. Even with HS I wanted to do SDD so arrived maybe 30 minutes early, and it opened early so we did that, MMRR x 2 and TSMM before the park opened.

 

[jimim]

Personally I say commit and put the time in or don’t bother. When I say that I mean be at bus stop or transportation of ur hotel 90 mins pre so you have best chance of being in that first group of people. If you do that and you still are not then it wasn’t meant to be but at least you did everything you could. Anything else I feel isn’t worth getting up for. An extra 30 mins of sleep isn’t going to make a difference. That’s just me. It’s an all or none. Black and white. Commit or go home thing for me.

If we are taking headliners. If we are talking going on dumbo first thing vs mine train then show up last minute but if it’s rope drop for the big ol popular stuff do it up and do it right.

 

[jimim]

We never arrive an hour early for EE. Usually about 25 or 30 minutes, just like you, OP. True, this doesn't work for FoP or RotR, for example, unless you're a sprinter, which I am not. Even if you're at the front of the pack, you still have to sprint for these rides.

The trick with RotR and FoP is to ride them close to closing time when the waits--despite what might be posted--are the lowest. I'm not sure what the optimum time to ride 7DMT is, but for sure someone else here does.

We were in front for flight of passage multi multiply times. You don’t have to sprint. You still will get there and be in that first few groups and get on quickly.

It’s the sprinters that ruin it for everyone and eventually someone is really going to get hurt. Disney needs to do like they did for remi. Single file for the whole thing from security to the ride line. So those who got there early ride early. The sprinters are in thier spot to when they arrived not by how they run past everyone which is not what is suppose to happen or the new thing with send the kids and when the parents show up they pop in.

 

[trishadono]

We get there close to when EE opens. I am not standing in a line anymore.

If you only get in one ride it’s worth it. Usually we ride one and in line for 2nd before park officially opens.

If we want good rides we book the ILL so we can sleep in. I say that because getting to park early does not guarantee you’ll get to ride your 1st choice. Often rides don’t open at park opening. It’s been a bit frustrating post Covid.

 

[SL6827]

We are early rope droppers, but I will still be buying some ILLs as well. Sounds like one for FOP might not be a bad idea now.

 

[disdoc93]

I'm always very early, but I it's got to be better than showing up at 1030!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Most blogs and Vlogs suggest getting to park 1h BEFORE EE begins.

Typically I get to park and clear security about 25min BEFORE EE begins


It’s a balancing act… but also notice we sr begins the pack for 7DMT, FOP, etc


It does allow us to do a few rides, but even PP already has 20-25min wait by then.

Thoughts?

Either sleep in, or leave hotel 2h before EE official opens?

It depends on which park you are going to. You definitely need to get to Hollywood Studios before early hours begin because of the way the touch posts are set up. This is the only park of the three that holds the regular guests outside of the park entry point. This makes a huge line of regular guests waiting in line to enter the park. The other three parks let everyone through the park entry point but holds everyone just inside the gates except early entry guests.

We don't usually arrive more than about 15 minutes before early opening hours begin. You can do a lot of rides before the general crowd enters.

 

[titojackson84]

We are early rope droppers, but I will still be buying some ILLs as well. Sounds like one for FOP might not be a bad idea now.

I went last week of August of 22 and roped dropped FOP, I never had to stop in the queue (except when someone wanted to stop for a quick photo). The only time I stopped was when you got into the room where you stand on the numbers.

Things to consider is time of year and how busy the parks are and your mobility. If you (or someone you’re with) can’t walk as fast, if someone has to stop and look at things, etc. I always push harder first thing and do the bigger rides first. You can always slow your pace after and look at the things you passed later.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think it may depend on what your goals are but in general we're more of the "it helps us get inside the parks earlier". While we haven't stayed on site with EE we did back in 2017 when it was 1 hour for morning EMH and we used it over at Universal last year (theirs is still 1 hour). We didn't typically get there before it started but it was still helpful. But even back then rides like 7DMT (speaking about 2017) were often not running in the morning.

I think the loss of the full hour hampers the advantage for most of the rides but you're in the parks already and using that time to make it to either the area you want or the attraction you want can be a big advantage. AK for instance it can be quite the trek to get through the front area.

One notation we experienced people at DHS (which was a mad house at the gates and then into the tapstiles) getting in the incorrect line. There was a woman behind us talking to people behind her about the opening time of the park. She thought the opening later than it was and so she thought she was in line for EE but at that exact moment EE was already going on. She was all the way towards the right and had to weave through so many people just to get to the left side where the EE entry was and she wasted some valuable time there. So I could see where some just don't want to even think about that aspect.

I will say when we went to DL back in 2019 I hadn't been since I was a toddler and back then we had bought a 3-day ticket which got you into extra hours in the morning there and I do remember getting there fairly early because the park itself was unfamiliar to us so it might be helpful to those who can get up much earlier than EE time is and use that that extra time to get their bearings in the parks.

 

[Anna131517]

We usually arrive right as EE starts and never have any issues. The park is still less crowded than it will be later and we can still do a lot. I think EE is worth doing for all the parks except AK. At AK theres just not that much to do that early and we buy FOP ILLs for those that want to ride it.

 

[rstevens333]

EE at AK is a great opportunity to get a coffee and do Dinosaur (for a limited time only)

 

[fatmanatee]

I’ve gotten to EE 15 min before they start letting people in and it’s worked out fine, even for HS. I have not and would not choose Rise as my first ride though.

 

[MickeyMice]

definitely (usually) worth it even if you're at the back of EE rope drop. you're still going to do something (probably more than one thing) with low or no waits - especially if you avoid each parks #1 RD target.

only possible exception might be AK because that park is usually open so early, basically everyone is running to FoP, and not many attractions are open when the park opens. but if you want to walk on everest like 5 straight times, you will get to.