What Time Is Rope Drop at Disneyland?

What’s the best time to arrive at the “Happiest Place on Earth”?

Disneyland Park

Over the years, “rope-dropping” has become one of the most common pieces of advice dedicated fans of Disney’s theme parks will often dole out. The practice involves arriving at the park early, to be let in as soon as possible — it takes its name from the literal moment of Cast Members dropping a rope barrier to allow guests to enter the park — and rushing towards the busiest rides and attractions. So, the question is, what time to guests need to arrive to rope drop Walt Disney’s original park?

Disneyland currently opens at 8AM each day. However, as any seasoned Disney park veteran knows, it’s not possible to simply waltz up at 7:55AM and expect to get into the park for opening. In fact, Disney advises to arrive much earlier.

According to Disney, if you plan to rope drop the park, you should arrive “… at Security as early as half an hour before they begin operating at 7:00AM.” Based on our own experiences, we’d agree! The early bird gets the worm and that is 100% true for rope drop. Now there is some wiggle room there, but we’d say get to security no later than 7AM if possible. From there, it’s recommended that you make your way to the main entrance of the park you’ll be visiting first, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

Crowds on Main Street at rope drop

From there, each park begins scanning guests the park “around 7:30AM.” Once you’re in, you will wait with your group at the roped-off section of the land you wish to enter once the park begins operating at 8AM.

There is a caveat, however: If you’re staying at one of the Disneyland Resort’s hotels (the Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and the Pixar Place Hotel), you can “take advantage of 30-minute early entry to a designated theme park” every day of your stay to enjoy select attractions, dining and shopping locations. Currently, Disneyland Park offers early entry to hotel guests on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday each week, while California Adventure features an early opening for hotel guests on each Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

It gets crowded!

If you’re looking to rope drop Disneyland, you’ll need to be prepared to be at security pretty early on your chosen morning. Stay tuned to AllEars for more Disneyland tips.