Magic Kingdom Rope Drop...Which Way Do We Go?

One of the questions we get asked a lot is which way to go in the Magic Kingdom once you get past Rope Drop.  Rope Drop is the opening ceremony at the Magic Kingdom.  Our first destination has changed over the years as the kids have gotten older.  Early on, when they were very young, our first stop had to be Fantasyland.  Dumbo, then Pooh and then Peter Pan and then whatever else we got on after that.
Once the kids got older and a little more adventurous, our first destination was Big Thunder and Splash in Frontierland.  We had a great secret way to get there in that once we got through Rope Drop, we would go upstairs to the train station and hop the first train to Frontierland and usually get there before the foot traffic did.  Then 2-3 rides on each and then onwards into the park. 
Now, the last couple of years we've been heading for Tomorrowland with the masses to get on Space Mountain a couple times and get a fastpass before it gets crowded.  On our last trip, our first day at the Magic Kingdom was an afternoon/evening because we got into Orlando in the PM.  We had a good night and really did a lot in Tomorrowland.  The next morning was to be a Rope Drop Magic Kingdom and this time when we got to the Hub, we took a left into Adventureland.  We've not done it beforfe and were shocked at how empty it was.  This was the end of August on a Touring Calendar rating of a 7.  Here are two videos that we took without really knowing I was going to use them in a post, so they're short.  What they show is a jammed Main Street and an empty Adventureland minutes apart.

 

So this can be an alternative strategy for you in the MK.  With the boy at 16, we will send him to Space Mountain for Fastpasses while we go through Adventureland and meet up with him at Pirates or Jungle Cruise.  The only downside is that we will need to be back in T-land for that fastpass time.  We'll deal. 

Where do you go at Rope Drop in the Magic Kingdom?  What do you think about the above alternative route?  Comment here or email at WGTWDW@gmail.com.

The Walt Disney World Rope-Drop

I always assume that the terms I use when discussing the Disney parks are known by all but was reminded this past weekend about a term that might not be widely know. The term is Rope-Drop. This refers to the ceremony that occurs in all parks at the beginning of the day. Each park’s ceremony might be a little different but they are all mainly the same idea. Before the park opens, you are allowed to go into the park to a certain point. In the Magic Kingdom; right at the tunnels under the Train Station. At Epcot; after you get past Innoventions to across from Mousegears. In the Disney Studios; near the Sunset Blvd intersection and in the Animal Kingdom; right at the bridge as you first view the Tree of Life. Only the Magic Kingdom and the Animal kingdom have real shows at the Rope Drop. Epcot and DHS really did not have a planned show as far as I can tell. The Disney Studios link is a link to a DisBoards post by Robo. This is a very detailed description of what to expect. Thanks Robo!
I have seen a couple of different versions of the MK show. Sometimes with the family of the day sometimes without. Sometimes with the train pulling up, sometimes not. Either way, right as the time for the park to open arrives you hear the music volume turn up and the Welcome song begins. One of the podcasts I listen to, Character Breakfast uses this song for their opening. The characters sing and dance with the family of the day and then they would open the park and then the Mad Dash would start. Look for more on that in another post. In the Animal Kingdom, as you are waiting for the ‘Rope-Drop’ an old and rickety Jungle truck drives in from the direction of Dino-land and has some of the Fab 5 on board. Mickey is missing but shows up later. They go through a nice script to welcome you to the park and then the Rope-Drop and the Mad Dash begins. Epcot was a little more relaxed in that I could not tell if there was a planned show. The Fab 5 come out dressed in shiny tuxedos and do a quick dance and then that rope-Drops and the Epcot Mad Dash begins. Similar at DHS. Although there were times where the Streetmasphere people do there shticks and then that Rope-Drops and the DHS Mad Dash Begins.
Here’s a couple of words about the Mad Dash I mention above. As soon as the rope drops people take off toward the attractions in what can best be described as a Mad Dash. Everyone is trying to get to those E ticket attractions that get crowded fast. Each park has two or three of these attractions. In DHS, most people make the Mad Dash to the Tower of Terror and the Rockin Roller Coaster. In Epcot, it’s Soarin, Test Track and Mission Space. This is a picture of the line for the Soarin' FASTPASS right after Rope Drop. Something to look forward to. In the Animal Kingdom it’s Everest and the Safari. The Magic Kingdom actually has two routes. The first for the kids is the mds-Dash to Fantasyland and Dumbo or Peter Pan. For the older crowd, the Mad-Dash is to the mountain of your choice. I would think Splash Mtn . and Big Thunder get the biggest share.