Rope Drop Strategy for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure with Lightning Lanes and Individual Lightning Lanes

[DLRExpert]

So if you were to show up at the gate at 8am and skip Space Mountain you would be pretty much in the same position as being there for rope drop correct?
No, there may be a line to get into the park. By arriving at the entrance around at 730-740 it should give you enough time to enter the park and be in decent position for the Rope Drop.
I hear they do security at the Toy Story Parking lot before boarding busses in the AM so what time would the first bus leave the parking lot and get you to the park at what time?
Everything opens at the same time.
Won't have EE but what part of the park do they have access to before rope drop?
Parts of Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.

 

[Launchpad5077]

For DCA with EE and G+, if we want to be able to do RSR at regular park opening with minimal wait time, do we have time to do either Web Slingers or Guardians plus Mater's during EE?

Which of Web Slingers and Guardians is faster during EE?

Is there a cutoff time where if we get off the first ride (either WS or Guardians) past a certain time we should just start lining up for RSR?

Where do you line up for RSR during EE?

Thank you!

 

[DLRExpert]

For DCA with EE and G+, if we want to be able to do RSR at regular park opening with minimal wait time, do we have time to do either Web Slingers or Guardians plus Mater's during EE?

Which of Web Slingers and Guardians is faster during EE?

Is there a cutoff time where if we get off the first ride (either WS or Guardians) past a certain time we should just start lining up for RSR?

Where do you line up for RSR during EE?

I would recommend WS at EE, be sure to get in line for RSR before parking opening. Preferably 10 minutes before park opening.

If Guardians is important you can fit it in after Guardians as the Standby wait should be 30 minutes or less.

I prefer to do Luigi and Mater's after RSR then head to Pixar Pier by 840ish am.

 

[Launchpad5077]

I would recommend WS at EE, be sure to get in line for RSR before parking opening. Preferably 10 minutes before park opening.

If Guardians is important you can fit it in after Guardians as the Standby wait should be 30 minutes or less.

I prefer to do Luigi and Mater's after RSR then head to Pixar Pier by 840ish am.

Thank you for the tips. After doing Web Slingers, where does the line form for RSR?

What order do you do Mater's and Luigi's?

And are you saying you would typically be able to finish RSR, Mater, and Luigi all from 8:00 - 8:40?

 

[DLRExpert]

Thank you for the tips. After doing Web Slingers, where does the line form for RSR?

What order do you do Mater's and Luigi's?

And are you saying you would typically be able to finish RSR, Mater, and Luigi all from 8:00 - 8:40?

By the RSR entrance.
Luigis then Mater's since Luigi is close to Racers. Both should be close to walk-ons.

 

[Jobelle]

What is the WS line like at regular rope drop for non EE?

 

[DLRExpert]

Usually 20 minutes less but grows quickly if you are not near the front of the rope drop.

 

[Cloudless Nights]

Hi all! I'm going to DLR for the first time in May for two days. Planning on staying off-site and already purchased Genie+. It sounds like Fantasyland is probably the best place to start at RD, then use Genie+ for all of the things that have them?

 

[dorchrislen]

Hi all! I'm going to DLR for the first time in May for two days. Planning on staying off-site and already purchased Genie+. It sounds like Fantasyland is probably the best place to start at RD, then use Genie+ for all of the things that have them?

I’m going for two days in August and that is my plan. You might want to figure out what you don’t have to do in fantasyland so that you can do the ones you really want and then move on. We are foregoing Peter Pan and doing Pinocchio, snow, and Alice, because those are the must dos for my son.

 

[Launchpad5077]

If we want to do Fantasyland during EE, and we do not want to purchase ILL for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway railway, should we leave Fantasyland to line up for Toontown rope drop ?

How early would we need to line up to be among the first few groups to ride Mickey and Minnie's Runaway railway with a short wait?

We're not doing Rise of the Resistance so we don't need to worry about trying to get over there.

 

[DLRExpert]

If we want to do Fantasyland during EE, and we do not want to purchase ILL for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway railway, should we leave Fantasyland to line up for Toontown rope drop ?

How early would we need to line up to be among the first few groups to ride Mickey and Minnie's Runaway railway with a short wait?

We're not doing Rise of the Resistance so we don't need to worry about trying to get over there.

Arrive near the entrance to Toontown 5-10 minutes before park opening.

 

[Brandonius]

Hi all! I'm going to DLR for the first time in May for two days. Planning on staying off-site and already purchased Genie+. It sounds like Fantasyland is probably the best place to start at RD, then use Genie+ for all of the things that have them?

If you care about the kids rides/dark rides, then yes it will get you on the most rides. I'm someone that rope drops rise or space mountain though because I'd rather get 2 rides on the big ones and skip the small rides. vs. 1 ride on everything. So if you're trying to just get on the most rides, yes rope drop Fantasyland - start at Peter Pan if you're at the absolute front of the rope drop line, otherwise do Alice first. If you're trying to reride big rides and don't want to pay for individual lightning lane, start at Rise. If you are gonna pay for ILL, start at space mountain.

 

[DLRExpert]

I’m going for two days in August and that is my plan. You might want to figure out what you don’t have to do in fantasyland so that you can do the ones you really want and then move on. We are foregoing Peter Pan and doing Pinocchio, snow, and Alice, because those are the must dos for my son.

Make sure the order is Alice, Snow White, Pinocchio.

Full the full FL experience (minus pan) at RD.
Alice, Dumbo, Toad, Snow, Pin.

With EE
Pan, Alice, Dumbo, Toad, Snow, Pin. Throw in Casey Jr.

 

[Launchpad5077]

Make sure the order is Alice, Snow White, Pinocchio.

Full the full FL experience (minus pan) at RD.
Alice, Dumbo, Toad, Snow, Pin.

With EE
Pan, Alice, Dumbo, Toad, Snow, Pin. Throw in Casey Jr.

With EE, what does the approximate timeline look like if you skip Peter Pan?
Can you do Alice, Dumbo, Toad, Snow, and Pinocchio all within the 30 minutes?

 

[DLRExpert]

With EE, what does the approximate timeline look like if you skip Peter Pan?
Can you do Alice, Dumbo, Toad, Snow, and Pinocchio all within the 30 minutes?

If there at start of EE 25-35 minutes if you follow that exact order.

 

[justinliew]

Just got back from a 4 day vacation at the parks. Did park hopping, staying at the Grand, and the tips here were super helpful. I ended up getting a MEP 3 of the 4 days, and being so close we could basically hit our dozen or so favourite rides over both parks in a short period of time which made the trip much less stressful. It was rainy the first half which helped but last Friday was very busy with school trips and the first nice day in a while.

Is the MEP fishing thing well known or mostly confined to this forum? I haven’t read anything about it elsewhere.

 

[take36]

For those with toddlers that can’t do most rides with height restriction and has EE and genie plus (feels like a waste but don’t want to be caught in surge pricing) and no parkhoppers, still advice is to do Pan, Alice, Dumbo, toad, Snow White, then pinocchio? Then off to toontown to duke it our runaway railroad?

I haven’t gone with railroad and usually head to tomorrow land after FL and then backtrack to toontown with small world and teacups on the way. Or should I head to Adventureland where I usually leave for afternoon or evening but it’s always so packed. Usually take a midafternoon break around 2-3.

Thanks for all the help and tips , I go a lot but every time there seems to be something new and with a growing toddler, the plan always has to change!

 

[DVChris]

We usually rope drop FL but when looking at wait times, I’m wondering if we should rope drop Toon Town instead? It will be our first time going since TT opened. If TT first, should we head to FL next or should we skip FL and try to come back later in the day? Thanks for the help!

 

[DLRExpert]

We usually rope drop FL but when looking at wait times, I’m wondering if we should rope drop Toon Town instead? It will be our first time going since TT opened. If TT first, should we head to FL next or should we skip FL and try to come back later in the day? Thanks for the help!

Rope Drop Fantasyland then head to Toontown by 830-840am.
There will be an initial rush to Toontown but it does down quickly.

My strategy:
Alice, Dumbo, Toad
Head to Toontown 830am
Roger Rabbit, Railway, Go Coaster
Out before 930am
Pirates or Jungle Cruise (JC first if line is short)

 

[DVChris]

Rope Drop Fantasyland then head to Toontown by 830-840am.
There will be an initial rush to Toontown but it does down quickly.

My strategy:
Alice, Dumbo, Toad
Head to Toontown 830am
Roger Rabbit, Railway, Go Coaster
Out before 930am
Pirates or Jungle Cruise (JC first if line is short)

Thank you for taking the time!