0 Stars, Do NOT Recommend Doing This at Magic Kingdom at 8 AM

We’re in Disney World EVERY day, always with the intention of figuring out all the nuances and changes so you can have the best vacation yet!

One of the things we test out most often is rope dropping, because, like you, we often go into the parks from open to close on our personal vacations to pack in as much as we can. That also means, though, that we know the issues you can often face when rope dropping, as well as the mistakes we’re embarrassed to say we’ve made. If you’re planning on rope dropping on your Magic Kingdom day coming up, don’t make these mistakes like we did!

The Big Rides Decide to Say, “Hmm, Not Today”

One of our number one rope drop strategies, no matter what park you’re in, but especially in Magic Kingdom, is to hit some of the most popular rides early on in the day if it’s most important for you to hit them with low waits. In Magic Kingdom, this includes rides like:

• Jungle Cruise
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Space Mountain
• TRON Lightcycle / Run
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Haunted Mansion (especially if you want that special 13-minute wait, which basically means a walk-on)
• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

However, we’ve experienced MULTIPLE times where we walk all the way to an attraction, only to find out that it’s CLOSED! Now, sometimes this isn’t a mistake, per se, as it’s not always listed in the app. However, we highly recommend checking the My Disney Experience app as you walk into the park to triple check if a ride is listed as open and operational before you walk all the way to it.

Standing in The Starbucks Coffee Line

Listen, we totally get it — it’s early in the morning, you may be running on very little sleep and need caffeine to make it through the chaotic (yet fun!) Disney World morning that is to follow, but the Starbucks line on Main Street U.S.A. almost every morning is almost ALWAYS absolutely wild.

The Starbucks in Magic Kingdom is Main Street Bakery, and we’ve commonly seen this line out the door on regular mornings right near Early Entry or rope drop, but it’s absolutely the worst around busier times of year, such as summer and holidays.

We know that sometimes those special seasonal flavors, or your classic order at any time of year, are sometimes too hard to resist, but if you’re looking to make the most of your time in the park, we don’t recommend spending anywhere from 15-45 minutes in line for coffee. Instead, head to one of the multiple Joffrey’s locations around the park, where all of them have fewer lines 9/10 times, and those donuts call our name every time.

The Whole Breakfast Debacle

For me, personally, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and that’s only enhanced when I’m in Disney World. However, breakfast can also be one of the trickiest meals in Magic Kingdom, because not all of the restaurants are open right at Early Entry/rope drop.

We recommend checking ahead of time on the My Disney Experience app for what breakfast options you’d like to check out, but ALSO seeing what time they open! For example, if you want to grab the Warm Cinnamon Roll from Gaston’s Tavern, this spot often doesn’t open until 8-9 AM. The same can be said for The Friar’s Nook, which has similar opening hours. The last thing you want is to walk ALL the way to a spot, only to find that it’s closed.

However, it’s also EXTREMELY important that you don’t forget to eat breakfast as a whole! Rope drop is so exciting, and I’ve had issues jumping from ride to ride and not wanting to stop to eat, and then regretting it when I’m STARVING, hangry, and my energy is already running low, only a few hours into the day. Be sure to take that time to pause and have a bite to eat, even if it means you bring breakfast with you in your bag and eat while you’re in line.

Choosing the Wrong Fantasyland Pathway

When you enter the park first thing in the morning, if the early morning Mickey and Friends Magical Friendship Faire isn’t taking place just yet, there are three pathways to get to Fantasyland — you’ll find one to the right of the castle (near Tomorrowland), through the castle, and to the left (closer to Liberty Square). If the show is happening on stage, or getting ready to, there are only the pathways on the right and left of the castle to travel through.

It may not seem like it’ll save you a lot of time, but we’ve noticed that picking the correct pathway here can save you some valuable minutes, and often, that pathway is the one on the left! We find that the Tomorrowland pathway is often more crowded, as it includes those heading to Tomorrowland instead, whereas fewer people are on their way to Liberty Square (no offense, Liberty Square, but it’s true, there’s not a lot going on there except construction right now).

Therefore, keep to the path on the left, especially if you’re heading to the attractions on the left side of Fantasyland, such as Peter Pan’s Flight, “it’s a small world,” and Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. While you’ll be closer to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train taking the path on the right, the crowds will sometimes negate the lack of steps to walk.

If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

We’re always here to bring you our latest and greatest Disney World tips, tricks, and hacks so your trip can be the absolute best it can be!

I Asked 5 Disney Experts Which EPCOT Ride They Rope Drop First — They All Said the Same Thing

How do you feel about rope dropping? What tip would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments!

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