Magical Quests Blog

Tag: Walt Disney World

Why You Should NOT Rope Drop at Walt Disney World
Many longtime Disney theme park fans will tell you that waking up early and arriving at the gates for park opening, also known as “Rope Drop,” is the only way to have a successful day in Walt Disney World. While I am a huge proponent of hitting these early hours in Disney for reasons beyond low wait times (slightly cooler temperatures to name one!), it is certainly not for everyone. If setting your alarm whilst in Florida sounds like the antithesis of vacation, read on for my solid reasons against heading to Rope Drop at Disney World.

#1. If you’re not an early riser, do not change your sleep schedule at Disney. There is a lot of walking involved at these parks, even if you are not rushing from ride to ride. It’s also very hot and humid the vast majority of the time, and instead of being moderately tired, you will be EXHAUSTED after day 2 if you change your sleep schedule. Even if you ARE an early riser, it can be an aggressive, early morning to have everyone up and out (sometimes moving with serious hustle) before the sun is up. Many guests will be logging close to 20,000 steps per day at the theme parks, and if you hit a wall early on due to lack of sleep, you could find yourself scheduling an unplanned rest day later during your visit.

#2. Arriving for Rope Drop doesn’t mean you aren’t waiting at all. Your wait is at the bus stop, getting through a longer security line, waiting outside the gates to be let in, getting scanned again to show your resort reservation, waiting again outside of a specific land or ride. It’s actually a LOT of waiting, you just aren’t waiting during park hours when you could be doing other things. For some, this logic isn’t enough to justify setting a 6am alarm.

#3. Rope Drop can be a bit stressful! Once the gates open you are rushing (but not running) to your first ride. You can take a leisurely pace if you want, but most guests will keep up with traffic. You might want to stop and take pictures of the park icon but depending on what your plan is for that morning, it is probably not a great idea. For example, if you are at Magic Kingdom Rope Drop and are trying to make it to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, that beautiful Castle picture absolutely has to wait until after the ride, or even later, since most of the crowd is headed to that queue. (I have sacrificed about 10 minutes of line time at Avatar Flight of Passage for a quick sunrise picture of the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom Rope Drop though, it was worth it for me.)

#4. Any hiccup in the day, especially due to things completely out of your control, can deter your morning and leave you feeling like you’ve missed out. While there is always another attraction to ride, it can feel frustrating if you’ve planned every step of your morning around riding a certain popular attraction at Rope Drop, only to have it not open in the morning (which can happen from time to time). Or, maybe there was a transportation snafu or delay leaving your resort, and you are now at the back of the crowd. If you didn’t also purchase Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, you could find yourself waiting in a long queue later.

In January 2024 I made it to Rope Drop at EPCOT on my departure day, which is a feat itself. I fully intended to ride Frozen Ever After, only to receive a notification from the app upon entering the park that it would be closed for unscheduled maintenance all day. I was bummed because I hadn’t been on this attraction in several trips (specifically because I didn’t want to wait for it!) but I don’t mind a pivot. At this time, though, Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind was still on virtual queue, so I hustled all the way to France and waited about 20 minutes for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. Considering that’s a 12 minute walk from the front of the park at a fast pace, that was my entire Early Entry Rope Drop. Not exactly an efficient use of my morning.

#5. Recent updates to Lightning Lane MultiPass and Virtual Queues at Disney World let guests plan ahead and sleep in. In the past, Lightning Lane bookings only opened up at 7am on the day of your visit, and were only for “next available” time slots. With the updated MultiPass system, guests can pick three rides based on tiered levels, 7 days in advance of their arrival when staying onsite. (Individual Lightning Lanes can also be booked in advance.) This allows guests to plan out their visit and sleep in if they want, with the ability to choose return times as well. If you visited the parks in the 2010’s, this is just a paid version of the old FastPass+ system, and for non-local guests it is vastly superior to the prior iterations of this service post-COVID.

Disney World also moved its last Virtual Queue attraction to standby wait in 2025, which previously required frantic button-mashing on your phone (and a silent prayer) at 7am to obtain a “boarding group” for newer rides like TRON Lightcycle / Run. With the end of Virtual Queue (for now), you no longer need to wake up early just to have a chance at racing for Team Blue. With these updates, Disney has once again made it easy sleep in, grab breakfast at the resort, and waltz into the park whenever you are ready.

#6. Speaking of grabbing breakfast at the resort – while there some options available very early in the morning, you really need to be prepared to have some sort of breakfast in your room at an obscenely early hour or bring a snack with you to the park for a successful Rope Drop. I have made the mistake of not eating a snack during a Rope Drop morning and becoming viciously hungry by 10a, which can damper a lovely time. And, because of the stressful timetables you are working within to make the most of the morning, it would be very inefficient to stop for a breakfast bite when you arrive at the parks. If eating on the go isn’t your vibe, Rope Drop might not be either.

#7. Strategically utilized queues are not the worst thing at Disney World. Many of the queues in the parks are indoors and air conditioned, and sometimes a 30-minute wait in low-lit tunnels for Space Mountain is exactly what you need. When I am at the mercy of the crowds, I will choose to wait for rides that will give me a respite from the heat (EPCOT is ideal for this, with almost all indoor queues) or see a show for a nice 20 to 30 minute seated break.

Don’t want to wake up early and don’t want to wait in lines? That’s the dream! And luckily, there are other strategies for avoiding peak wait times that don’t involve setting a wake-up call from Mickey Mouse (though, that is still fun to do regardless).

#1. One of the best ways to capitalize on low waits at night is to skip the fireworks. GASP! For some this is a hard pass, but if you have more than one evening at the parks, consider just seeing the fireworks once. At Magic Kingdom you can often enjoy a lot of rides during the fireworks, and some will offer a great view – rides like the PeopleMover in Tomorrowland, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Frontierland, and Dumbo in Fantasyland can really create a magical Disney moment during the fireworks. While EPCOT does close at the start of the Luminous: A Symphony of Us (meaning you need to be in line just before the show begins), Magic Kingdom is typically open for a bit after the fireworks end. There will be shorter wait times between the end of the show and closing as well, because many families start to head home. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, wait times will go down as the amphitheater fills up for Fantasmic! – which can hold up to 6,900 seated guests, and has standing room for about 3,000 more.

#2. At any park, you can hop in line for an attraction up until (approximately) one minute before the park closes. That means that if there is a 20-minute posted wait for Tower or Terror, or even at 60-minute wait for Rock’N’Roller Coaster, you can get in line at 8:59pm for a 9:00pm park closure. This follows the same logic as waiting prior to park opening at Rope Drop, in that you are not waiting during operational hours. (And of course, if you get to a ride and the queue is closed, don’t argue with the Cast Member!)

#3. Depending on the time of year, the early afternoon can have a little lull as early risers head to the exits for a midday break, and you can capitalize on some low-to-moderate wait times. If you live in a hot and humid climate and are comfortable with the high temperatures, you can take advantage of lower crowds as other guests leave during peak heat times. (It’s me, I am the one leaving!)

#4. If you’re staying at a Deluxe Resort on Disney property, you can enjoy Extended Evening hours, allowing for 2 extra hours after official park closing, 2 nights per week. This is usually held at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT during non-holiday seasons, with Magic Kingdom often running until 1am, and EPCOT until 11pm. When there are Halloween or Christmas parties happening at Magic Kingdom from August – December, Extended Evening hours will be offered at either Animal Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This is a great way to experience attractions with low wait times and avoid the blistering heat of the day.

If you are staying at a Deluxe resort and want to work this into your trip, I would plan for a resort/pool day or some other relaxing daytime activity, so you are rested and ready to go later. Shows and other entertainment are typically not offered, but the ride attractions are – and what’s better than flying through the lit-up canopy of TRON Lightcycle / Run at night?!

Choose, but choose wisely… What is the best strategy for your group?

Do I head to Rope Drop every day of my Disney trips? No way! But, on those days that I am sleeping in a little and taking my time, I am definitely utilizing Lightning Lane Multi-Pass or planning to head to the parks again at night to make the most of my evening.

If you are worried that you’re going to miss out on the fun by sleeping in a little on vacation, don’t be. Sometimes Rope Drop is not all it’s cracked up to be, and there are plenty of other ways to avoid long waits in the parks to keep the magic going.

Ready to hit the snooze button and luxuriate all day in Disney World? Wondering how to layer MultiPass bookings, Extended Evening hours, and resort days to craft the perfect relaxed itinerary? As an Authorized Disney Travel Agent, I can be your expert guide to the magic. Let’s map out your next Magical Quest today!

P.S. Are you curious about the pros of planning to Rope Drop the theme parks? Here are my reasons for Rope Drop in Disney!
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May 18, 2025
The BEST Early Morning at Magic Kingdom
Everyone dreams of the perfect morning at Magic Kingdom. You casually stroll up Main Street USA with majestic Cinderella’s Castle growing larger as you approach. You’ve just picked up a Starbucks iced latte at the Main Street Bakery, and you haven’t got a care in the world. There are no lines for PhotoPass photographers in the Hub, and you capture the ideal Instagram-worthy family photo that will be the centerpiece of your Christmas cards as well. Everyone in your group is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and you will now meander through the park leisurely, before heading to Fantasyland to ride all the rides without any wait.

Like I said, everyone dreams of the perfect morning at Magic Kingdom.

In reality this Rope Drop is both the most worthwhile and the most complex of the four theme parks at Walt Disney World. Between the multiple transportation steps needed for guests arriving by car or non-Disney resort bus and the tiered opening of lands in this park, there are a lot of logistics to consider when planning out your morning. But with 24 rides plus shows and parades, arriving early will help ensure you can have the most fun possible at Magic Kingdom.

For non-resort guests, official park opening is typically at 9am, meaning Early Entry Rope Drop begins at 8:30am for guests staying at a Disney Resort and other participating Good Neighbor Hotels. Magic Kingdom will open earlier during peak seasons, often with an 8am opening time during Spring Break weeks, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and some peak summer weeks. It is always good to double check the MyDisneyExperience app about a week before your trip. Disney will post basic operating hours 60 days in advance, with the actual/confirmed hours showing withing 1-2 weeks of the actual dates. (For reference, Saturday March 1 was the early end of spring break week and the park opened at 8am.)

In this addition to my Rope Drop Series, I will cover the logistics of traveling to and entering Magic Kingdom for Early Entry Rope Drop, along with strategies to help you make the most of these early morning hours, how to navigate the “waves of opening” in the Magic Kingdom lands, and how to spend all that glorious free time you’ll have left. (Unsure what Early Entry Rope Drop is? Check out my post, “Why You Should Rope Drop at Disney World” for background information.)

Getting to the Park – By Land or By Sea

There are multiple options for traveling to Magic Kingdom depending on where you are staying. Guests staying in the Magic Kingdom resort area on one of the monorail resorts – Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Contemporary Resort & Bay Lake Tower, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort can (obviously) take the Monorail to the park.

If you are staying at the Contemporary Resort (including Bay Lake Tower,) it is quickest to walk to the park. You’ll follow a sidewalk path to the gates and pass through a small security checkpoint on the pathway. Taking the Monorail from Contemporary might take you 20 minutes or more with the resort stops along the way.

You can also walk from Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. This is about a 15-minute walk, depending on what end of the resort you are leaving from. Since Grand Floridian is the last stop before the park, it’s going to be quicker to take the Monorail unless you really want to burn some unnecessary steps before you even get into the park.

You can also take the launch boats from Grand Floridian and Polynesian Resort, and will need to take the launch boat from Wilderness Lodge or Wilderness Campground. The boat from the monorail resorts can be fairly efficient if timed correctly, but the boats from Wilderness can take a bit longer since there are more people to service. If you are trying to rope drop (any park) from the Wilderness complex, you want to be waiting for that first boat in the morning or the first bus of the day for other parks.

All other resorts will utilize the Disney Bus service. During very busy times of the year, transportation will often begin running earlier than the 60-minute mark, and it’s important to factor travel time into your morning. If you are driving, parking also opens 60 minutes before early entry begins (occasionally earlier during peak seasons).

It’s important to know that if you drive and park at Magic Kingdom, or take a ride share that is not a Minnie Van (offered through Lyft for a premium rate), or are using the bus service from a Good Neighbor Resort, you’ll be parking at/dropped off at the Transportation and Ticker Center, and will need to take either the Monorail or Magic Kingdom Ferry across the Seven Seas Lagoon to the gates. This will add a significant amount of travel time to your morning, so if you are in this boat (get it?!), set your alarm extra early.

So, what time are you waking up? For those of you lucky enough to be staying in the Magic Kingdom resort area on the Monorail, (especially those lucky guests at Contemporary Resort) you will have a comparatively relaxing start to your Rope Drop morning. If you are driving or not staying on-property at a Disney Resorts Collection Hotel, you’ll want to be up before the sun for the peak-week early 8am openings. It’s okay, you’ll be running on Joffrey’s and Pixie Dust in no time!

Security and Park Entry

Security typically opens 45 minutes or more before early entry begins. This allows any lines forming outside the park to be let into the space between security and the turnstiles/MagicBand readers. This is where you will gather with everyone else who got up and out early to hit the parks. Yes, while the main point of rope drop is to avoid long lines in the park, you are still waiting a good 30 minutes outside of the gates if you want to be at the front of the crowd. The theme park logic in this is that you are not waiting during the park’s operating hours, at least for the first few rides of the day.

The entry procedure recently changed at Magic Kingdom (Fall 2025). Cast members will usually start allowing all guests into the park around 7:45am, well before early entry starts, to alleviate the crowds gathering from the later busses. Guests can leisurely stroll up Main Street U.S.A. and take all the Castle pictures your heart desires. Once inside, if you are a non-resort guest and arrive early for official park opening, cast members will direct to you to a separate queue/corral area to wait.

After you tap your band, phone, or keycard and fingerprint for park entry, you’ll be directed towards cast members who have handheld readers to scan your ticket again. This is to ensure that you are indeed a Disney resort guest. If you are traveling with others, be sure that everyone included on your resort reservation is together for this step, so one person can be scanned, let the cast member know how many people are on the reservation, and they will simply count heads and let your group in. Cast Members now allow resort guests all the way into Tomorrowland and Fantasyland to queue up outside of attractions, rather than on the bridges into the lands. I am a big fan of this new system because you have less dense crowds of people waiting to move into a larger area, and it just feels more comfortable and safer all around.

I’m walking right down the middle of Main Street USA

Only Main Street USA, Tomorrowland, and Fantasyland are open for Early Entry. This means that Adventureland, Frontierland, and Liberty Square are not open until official park opening. They will be fully roped off, and you will not be able to walk through these areas. Unless you have a breakfast reservation at Crystal Palace, you’ll be heading straight back to Fantasyland behind Cinderella’s Castle, or banging a right and heading to Tomorrowland. Depending on your group’s goals (and if you are really leveling up by also using MultiPass and/or Individual Lightning Lanes today), the most popular “first rides” for Early Entry are Peter Pan’s Flight, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Space Mountain.

There’s a great big, beautiful Tomorrow…

My favorite ride to head to first is Space Mountain. Opening on January 15, 1975, Space Mountain was the first fully indoor roller coaster, and the first roller coaster to be fully computer-controlled, making it a cornerstone attraction in the evolution of theme park technology and safety. Space Mountain often has a 40+ minute wait during the day, though the fully indoor queue can be a nice respite from the Florida sun if you do find yourself in a longer standby queue later. One of the logistical bonuses to ticking off Space Mountain first is its proximity to TRON Lightcycle / Run, if you are trying to race for Team Blue.

Though located in Tomorrowland, TRON Lightcycle / Run does not open with Early Entry. If you are not purchasing an Individual Lightning Lane for TRON and want to avoid the long wait later in the day, this is the most efficient way to fit it into your morning. You can also go straight to the ride and queue for the entire 30 minutes of early entry, but that’s not a great use of your time.

Don’t be afraid to ask a Cast Member for a ballpark wait time if you opt to hit Space Mountain first. They will have someone manning the back of the line, and that person might be able to tell you what the approximate wait will be once the ride opens. You can then decide if the wait is worth it for your group, or if you want to keep your morning moving.

“Fantasyland is dedicated to the young, and the young-at-heart…” – Walt Disney (Fantasyland dedication in Disneyland, July 1955)

The vast majority of people are headed to Fantasyland, and specifically Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which frequently has a posted wait time of 75 minutes or more. This is a great use of Early Entry if you are at the front of the Rope Drop pack. With literally hundreds of people headed to the same family-friendly coaster, this can get a little intense in all honesty. There will be a mad dash of people rushing this way (with so many strollers it almost feels like a go-kart race), and the walkways can get a little tight in certain areas. In the MyDisneyExperience app, you will see that they typically just throw a 35 minute wait up as soon as the ride opens because of the anticipated crowds headed this way.

Hopefully you will be zipping through the queue, but there are a few fun interactive elements to play with as you make your way to the load area which can keep kids (and adults!) occupied for a bit. The attraction is an adorable blend of Disney dark ride with advanced audio animatronics and light thrills, and while most of the ride moves slowly, the coaster portion does top out at 34mph. Believe it or not, that’s faster than both Space Mountain (28mph) and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (30mph)!

Other guests headed to Fantasyland are likely on their way to Peter Pan’s Flight, which can also have a 60+ minute wait through much of the day. A classic Disney dark ride, Peter Pan’s Flight opened on October 3, 1971 — 2 days after Magic Kingdom’s grand opening — and has undergone a couple of facelifts over the years, most recently in 2024 with an update to the Never Land Tribe scene. If you find yourself in the middle of the pack heading into the park, this is a great attraction to start your day with (or book via MultiPass).

Make the Most of Early Entry

If you were lucky enough to hop on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Peter Pan’s Flight, you can now hit other attractions in Fantasyland that will continue to have lower waits in the morning – The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, It’s a Small World, Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid, and Dumbo are all solid picks. While Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin is still a great early ride, it’s a comparatively long walk from the other fun attractions that are just steps away from each other in Fantasyland. These rides will have moderate waits later in the day and can sometimes run out of Lightning Lanes when the park is very busy. There are a handful of other rides that tend to have low waits throughout the day and can be saved to ride later: Barnstormer, Mad Tea Party, Tomorrowland Speedway, and Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover.

Be prepared to PIVOT

Magic Kingdom has more attractions than any other park, and there can always be some technical difficulties at park opening at any major theme park. Because so many guests are headed to these three big attractions (and in particular, the two in Fantasyland), if one of them does not open with Early Entry, you can see a very high influx in the other queues. In that case, just throw your plans out the window and hop on the next closest ride that you want to ride. Really, I mean it! Don’t overthink things and don’t panic. Disregard your Early Entry plans and just have fun! Beyond having the most rides of any theme park, Fantasyland has the highest concentration of rides of any land in any park, and most people will find that their day becomes really “magical” when they are just going with the flow.

A great first ride in Fantasyland in this scenario is The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which can have a 30+ minute later in the day and can also run out of Lightning Lanes sooner than other attractions. (It’s also right across from Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.) In Tomorrowland, you can head to Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin if Space Mountain is closed – I would not hop in line for TRON because that’s what most everyone else will be doing in that scenario, and you could be looking at a 60+ minute wait.

Fuel up for Fun

There are a couple of quick service locations open in these two lands in the early part of the day if you need some breakfast (or second breakfast). At the Lunching Pad in Tomorrowland, there is a sticky bubble bread that is available all day long, as well as a breakfast bowl that is available until 10:30am. I tried this breakfast bowl during my last morning visit to Magic Kingdom and I was happily surprised by how tasty this was, and how massive the portion is. With tater tots, a cheese omelet, chili con carne, pico de gallo, and sour cream, this is definitely shareable or a good choice if you need to really fuel up for a longer park day (which was my case).

In Fantasyland, Gaston’s Tavern and Friar’s Nook both open at 9am and serve a giant cinnamon roll, crème brulee croissant, or ham and gruyere tart (Gaston’s) and a breakfast bagel sandwich or bacon cheddar tot bowl (Friar’s). Both Friar’s Nook and the Lunching Pad have Mobile Order available, and I highly recommend using this feature to speed things along. There are also a couple of sit down character dining options available for breakfast in the park, like The Crystal Palace with Pooh and Friends, or Cinderella’s Royal Table with a few Princesses.

We’ve done one Rope Drop yes, but what about “Second Rope Drop?”

Once regular park operating hours begin, non-resort guests will be able to queue for rides and the waits for attractions like TRON and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train could be lengthy. You could opt to hop in line for one of these big attractions right before 9am, though be prepared for a 45+ minute wait at this point. (This is not what I would do with my remaining morning time.)

Liberty Square, Frontierland, and Adventureland open at 9am (or regular park hours, whatever that is for your visit date) which means you can essentially Rope Drop the other half of the park at this point. Major attractions like Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, or Jungle Cruise are all great options to hit right when they open up. Fantastic! Let’s do it again!

Since I am typically in Fantasyland during Early Entry, my next move is to head to Haunted Mansion, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (which is currently closed for refurbishment). The queues for each of these can easily hit 30-45 minutes later in the day (much longer for Tiana’s), and any of them would be a great choice to knock out early. If you are staying off-property, it would be worth your while to go directly to the waiting corrals for these lands when you enter the park and skipping Fantasyland and Tomorrowland entirely in the morning.

Many guests alternatively will opt to position themselves for Jungle Cruise in Adventureland. An opening day attraction at both Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom, Jungle Cruise features a skipper guide who tells cheesy puns about the animatronic animals you encounter on your river journey. With the recent live-action Jungle Cruise movie renewing the fervor for this attraction, you will often encounter long waits to see the backside of water (in a queue that can get quite hot) so ticking this one off early is a good move.

Whether you head back to Frontierland or over to Adventureland, the most logistically convenient attraction to hit next is Pirates of the Caribbean (pronounced Caribbean). Often thought to be an opening day attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean didn’t open at Magic Kingdom until 1973 – this is because the Imagineers thought that Floridians wouldn’t be interested in riding an attraction focused on pirates, because they already had actual pirates in the area throughout history. However, guests who had been to Disneyland were perplexed when there was no fan-favorite Pirates of the Caribbean at Magic Kingdom, so the Imagineering team recreated the classic musty-water-smelling boat ride we all know and love today (with a few minor tweaks).

In Every Job that Must be Done, there is an Element of Fun.

By this point in the day, Rope Drop is sadly over. However, you’ve probably accomplished 4-5 popular “E-Ticket” attractions by this point, and maybe even caught the “Let the Magic Begin” show in front of the Castle. Now is the time to nosh on a breakfast bite if you haven’t yet, enjoy in a show, or take in a scenic ride on the Magic Kingdom Railroad or the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. Maybe you planned your Rope Drop morning around some MultiPass Lightning Lanes, and ideally those return windows are starting around 10am – great job, you are a park professional! Maybe you are looking for a more elevated dining experience and/or a respite from the park pace – head over to one of the Magic Kingdom resorts for brunch, and a little rejuvenation.

A Real World Experience

My last Magic Kingdom Rope Drop was pretty low-key. I had gone to the Orlando Informer event at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure the night before, and was attempting to hit all four Disney parks in one day. (Aggressive, I know! And spoiler alert, I accomplished what I set out to do!) I did have an Individual Lightning Lane for TRON Lightcycle / Run booked and intended to be on the first park-to-park bus to Hollywood Studios at 10am. The park also opened early this day at 8am instead of 9am because of anticipated crowds at the start of Spring Break week. For these reasons, I wasn’t necessarily trying to position myself to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Peter Pan’s Flight. I wanted to accomplish as much as I could, with the least amount of hustle. (I mean isn’t that always the real goal?)

My casual Magic Kingdom Early Entry Rope Drop looked like this (time stamps are approximations based on pictures taken throughout the morning):
- Official Park Opening at 8am, Early Entry Rope Drop began at 7:30am
- 7:07am Bus to Magic Kingdom from Animal Kingdom Lodge (~20 min ride)
- 7:33am Through security and approaching turnstiles
- 7:36am Leisurely walk down Main Street USA
- Walked to Space Mountain but it was closed , should have checked the app – time to PIVOT!
- 7:50am Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- 7:58am Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Park officially opened while I was under the sea with Ariel
- 8:12am Haunted Mansion
- 8:37am Breakfast in Tomorrowland at Lunching Pad
- 8:55am TRON Lightcycle / Run (Individual Lightning Lane)
- 9:12am Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
- 9:35am Pictures in front of Cinderella’s Castle
- 9:45am Leisurely stroll down Main Street USA, hopped on first bus to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which pulled away right at 10am.
Had I been up and out a bit earlier, I probably could have accomplished one more ride before leaving the park. Considering I arrived “late” to Rope Drop and had to pivot when Space Mountain was closed, I think it’s pretty fantastic that I was still able to accomplish 5 rides and breakfast in about 2 hours. That just goes to show you that there’s really no wrong way to enjoy your morning at Magic Kingdom, no matter what time you arrive.

Willing to set your alarm while on vacation? Interested in staying at a Monorail resort to make your morning a bit easier? As an Authorized Disney Travel Agent, I can be your expert guide to the magic. Let’s map out your next Magical Quest today!

References/Resources

“Pirates of the Caribbean” Behind The Attraction, created by Brian Volk-Weiss, Season 2, Episode 1, Disney, 2023.

“Space Mountain” Behind The Attraction, created by Brian Volk-Weiss, Season 1, Episode 5, Disney, 2021.

“What Would Walt Do?” The Imagineering Story, created by Leslie Iwerks, Season 1, Episode 2. Disney, 2019.
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May 11, 2025
May the Force Be with You: Immersive Star Wars Experiences at Disney World
A cultural phenomenon since Episode IV: A New Hope premiered in 1977, the Star Wars saga has captivated audiences for almost 50 years through movies, TV shows, cartoons, and theme park experiences. Ramping up in recent years with the additions of Galaxy’s Edge in 2019, the Star Wars-Disney connection goes back to the mid-1980s with the development of the Star Tours attraction. A self-proclaimed fan of Disneyland (having visited the park on its second day of operation as a kid in 1955) George Lucas partnered with Disney Imagineering to build a novel attraction for Tomorrowland, and the rest was theme park history.

A long time ago, on both coasts of the USA…

“That’s no moon.” – Obi Wan Kenobi, A New Hope

Star Tours opened in Disneyland January 9, 1987, and in Walt Disney World on December 15, 1989, forever changing how fans can experience the Star Wars story. This first of its kind 3D simulator ride brought guests directly into the action as we ventured out on a tour to the forest moon of Endor, piloted by droid RX-24, only to find ourselves inadvertently in the middle of the epic Death Star battle from A New Hope. This blending of cinematic storytelling and (at the time) cutting edge technology marked a revolutionary step forward in Imagineering, that continues to be built upon today.

The bi-coastal Star Tours attractions closed in 2010 and were replaced by Star Tours: The Adventure Continues in 2011. The next generation version utilizes the same ride system with C-3PO as your pilot on a galactic quest through one of a multitude of possible different combinations of scenes. Recently, Disney added even more updated scenes and story lines to this ride, bringing fan-favorite characters like the Mandalorian and Ashoka Tano for the adventure. Guests can now experience fifty-four different combinations of locations and story lines, making this ride one of the more “re-rideable” attractions in the parks. (I personally have yet to encounter Mando on my adventure, and I’m always excited for Star Tours.)

The nostalgia lover in me must point out that while the classic safety instruction video was updated with the attraction, the Imagineers held true to the peak 80s quirkiness from the original safety video. The costumes and makeup used to portray space beings and creatures boarding the attraction is top notch, and I appreciate that they re-filmed this in the same spirit and vibe as the original safety shpeel video. This simple yet effective clip brings you both into the story, and back in time. (Watch the original below!)

Bright Suns! Welcome to Black Spire Outpost

“You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.” – Obi Wan Kenobi, A New Hope

With the addition of Galaxy’s Edge in 2019 at Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World and Disneyland in California, travelers can explore the Outer Rim in new and highly immersive ways. A unique planet imagined specifically for the Disney properties, Batuu is still recognizable as distinctly “Star Wars.” As you enter Black Spire Outpost and take in your surroundings – from the Resistance Base in the forested edge of the land to the marketplace that evokes scenes from Tatooine – you are enveloped in the sights and sounds of a living, breathing galactic community.

Everything in this land is highly detailed, from blaster marks on the walls down to the droid tracks in the ground (some of which were created by the original R2-D2 droid suit). As you move through Black Spire Outpost, you’ll notice slight changes to the background theme music as the scenes around you transform from the resistance outpost to the First Order base, all created by none other than John Williams, the legendary composer behind the Star Wars soundtrack (among many others). You can easily spend hours looking at the droids, creatures, and other details that bring Batuu to life – not to mention the X-Wing, TIE-Fighter, and transport ships parked around the outpost.

If your schedule allows, visit Batuu at night. This land takes on another feeling when the sun sets and the thematic lighting can be clearly seen, with the occasional lightsaber cutting through the dark.

From Padawan to Jedi Knight – The Evolution of Immersive Star Wars Attractions

“Rebellions are built on hope.” – Jyn Erso, Rogue One

As Imagineering has evolved over the years, so has the ability to bring you into the story in physical ways that have not been possible before. Building off the technology of Star Tours, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run advances the motion simulator technology to put you in the pilot’s seat. As you make your way through Batuu, and set your eyes on the Fastest Hunk of Junk in the Galaxy for the first time, you might find yourself getting more emotional than your first sight of Cinderella’s Castle. Absolutely stunning in scale and detail, the Millennium Falcon is a true gift to fans of the Star Wars universe. Childhood dreams come true as you board the ship, wander its hallways, sit at Chewy’s chess table, and pilot the Falcon on a galactic heist of coaxial cables for famed smuggler Hando Ohnaka. The queue is truly amazing, and you really feel like you’re prepping the Falcon for an excursion.

Travelers of Batuu can look forward to a new ride update coming in May 2026, when The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters. In addition to a new story line, characters, and locations, there will be new interactive elements for the engineer seat (which currently is just a button-mashing “job” and is sadly the only spot I’ve ever sat in!) that will allow guest in the back of the ride to have a couple of fun responsibilities: 1. Select the destination location and 2. Interact with Grogu! This upgrade will take this immersive attraction on step further, and I look forward to seeing what the Imagineers dream up for Grogu. (You can find more information about the upcoming enhancements in the recent Disney Parks Blog Post about the Star Wars Celebration in Japan. This is the way.)

“The First Order wins by making people think they are alone. We’re not alone. Good people will fight if we lead them.” – Poe Dameron, The Rise of Skywalker

I am not sure that we can even refer to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance as a “ride” or “attraction.” A true feat of Imagineering and storytelling with multiple ride systems, audio animatronic characters and jaw dropping technological effects, Rise of the Resistance can only be referred to as “an experience.” From the moment you enter the queue and meander through the Resistance Base, seeing lockers of blasters, pilot gear, and other galactic weaponry, you begin to feel yourself becoming animated and excited to battle The First Order. After your briefing from Rey about the dangers ahead, and a quick dash to your transport, you’re taken prisoner by the First Order and will need to escape from a Star Destroyer.

Rise of the Resistance showcases some of the most advanced technology and audio animatronics Disney has to offer – from the fluidity of Kylo Ren’s movements to the blaster effects, it really is one jaw-dropping scene after another in this 15-minute experience. Including three ride ride systems, role-playing cast members, and set designs that tower stories above you, this is a fully immersive adventure that sets a new bar for Walt Disney Imagineering. Imagine every time you played “Star Wars” as a kid, using a paper towel role as a light saber and trying to outrun your cousin or friend who was playing a Stormtrooper; now imagine that is real. That is what Rise of the Resistance is like.

I have been lucky enough to join the Resistance many times, and my personal favorite scene is the room with the enormous AT-AT Walkers – the scale of these always blows my mind, and I appreciate that the Imagineers when to such heights to make this experience feel so real.

Fuel Up & Stay Out of Trouble

“Can I offer you a libation to celebrate the closing of our shared narrative?” – The Client, The Mandalorian

There is no shortage of thematic food & drink found at Galaxy’s Edge, and the Imagineers have found a way to bring details of the stories to life with quick service locations like The Milk Stand (serving up Blue or Green Milk) and Ronto Roasters (which uses an old speeder engine as an oven).

For me, the highlight of these immersive dining experiences is Oga’s Cantina, a location akin to Mos Eisley Cantina on Tatooine. A dimly lit cavernous space with creatures in tanks and the occasional Storm Trooper questioning patrons, Oga’s Cantina has an immersive vibe that immediately makes you forget you are in a theme park (if you hadn’t already forgotten that from your time in Galaxy’s Edge). You may even recognize a familiar droid if you were lucky enough to ride the original Star Tours – our old friend REX has been reprogrammed to a DJ and has really found his calling spinning all day at Oga’s. (He was a terrible pilot anyway!)

As you enjoy a snack and libation and take in the cantina, you can imagine smugglers wheeling and dealing at a corner table, while rebels exchange information in hushed tones near the bar. So many iconic scenes in both the movies and TV shows happen in spaces just like this – Han shooting Greedo, Mandalorian telling his bounty he can bring him in warm or bring him in cold, Obi-Wan and Anakin following a would-be assassin through Coruscant – that it really feels like anything could happen at any moment to alter your story. Oga’s Cantina is not necessarily a wow moment from a palate perspective. There are a couple of thematic snacks that are visually interesting and tasty, and the cocktails each have a unique Star Wars-tilt to them. The alcoholic drinks are batched, though, so if you are looking for a standard cocktail, you won’t find it here. Because of its popularity, this location also has a 45-minute time limit, but you are welcome to take your second (or third!) drink with you to go.

Become a Jedi Knight

“An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.” – Obi Wan Kenobi, A New Hope

The next entry is not for everyone due to the cost-prohibitive nature of the experience, but for those who are able and willing to shell out extra cash to build a lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop, it is truly a memorable experience. Organized in relatively small groups, this feels like a personal experience where you are lead through the process of selecting and building your own lightsaber. Through storytelling, music, and well-themed lighting effects, this experience will give any Star Wars fans goosebumps. I was looking forward to this experience, and I was blown away by how unique and moving the workshop was. Though, the cost has increased substantially since I was able to build my lightsaber, as of publishing date ringing in at $249.99 +tax. (Like I said, cost-prohibitive…)

Character Interactions

“I find your lack of faith disturbing.” – Darth Vader, A New Hope

Among the things that makes Galaxy’s Edge so immersive and compelling in a storytelling sense is the fact that characters wander around and interact with travelers throughout Batuu. Whether you encounter Stormtroopers as they patrol the land, or team up with Rey and Vi Moradi to aid the Resistance, there’s really no telling who could be around the corner and where your next turn will take you. If you’re lucky, you’ll run into the Mandalorian and Grogu by the marketplace – This is The Way.

However, my favorite Star Wars character interaction isn’t found in Galaxy’s Edge. Easily one of the best character meet and greets in all of Walt Disney World and located in the Star Wars Launch Bay on the other side of the park, pledging allegiance to Lord Vader himself is a must-do for any Star Wars fan, rebel or imperial. Towering well over 6 feet tall with perfect costume and voice animation, Darth Vader intimidates me every time I meet with him to file my reports (because clearly I have been spying for him all day on Batuu). I do hope they find a way to move this character experience closer to Galaxy’s Edge (along with Chewbacca and BB-8 who you can also say hello to in this area). I think it can sometimes be forgotten because of its off-the-beaten-path location and lack of any other driver of traffic ever since the previously housed movie memorabilia was moved to the Rise of the Resistance queue.

Update Fall 2025: Star Wars Launch Bay is now closed. Guests can meet Darth Vader by the entrance to Star Tours: The Adventure Continues, and interact with Chewbacca in Galaxy’s Edge. BB-8 is currently not available as a character meet-and-greet, but you can see him when you ride Rise of the Resistance.

Gone but Not Forgotten

“Rejoice for those around you who transform into The Force. Mourn them do not, miss them do not.” – Yoda, Revenge of the Sith

It would be remiss of me if I did not mention a couple of Star Wars experiences from years past that are no longer available at the parks:
- Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular – Nighttime fireworks which included scoring by John Williams ran from June 16, 2016 through COVID closure in March 2020 and has not returned. Currently only Fantasmic is available as a nighttime show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (which is a must-see) but who wouldn’t love to cap off an epic day of playing along in your favorite Star Wars story with this extravaganza?
- March of the First Order – A brief daytime show where a battalion of Stormtroopers would march in front of the Chinese Theater lead by Captain Phasma. Whether it was because of the impending opening of Galaxy’s Edge in late 2019, or a logistical issue with this large march of actors, it was a bummer when this came to an end. I vividly remember seeing this show immediately upon entering the park one day and it was such a wow! moment for me.
- Jedi Training Academy – This fun kids’ experience let padawans learn to wield the force from Jedi Knights, and the stage sadly sits empty next to Star Tours at Hollywood Studios. Not only would I love to see this return – I’d like it to be an all-ages experience so I can participate as well! (Just kidding… sort of.)
“Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future.” – Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

There are so many ways to immerse yourself in the Star Wars story in Disney World, it’s not even possible to highlight all of them in this post. In addition to my favorites above, you can also build a droid, complete missions on your DataPad (aka cell phone) using the Disney Parks app, utilize the PhotoPass Cast Members to capture your favorite Star Wars moment, and put together your perfect Jedi-vibe at the merchandise stalls. With upcoming enhancements to Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run and the fairly recent addition of the Mandalorian and Grogu as character interactions, fans can look forward to the future as the Star Wars saga continues.

Ready to Join the Resistance? This is the Way. Let’s map out your next Magical Quest today!
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May 4, 2025