Essential Disneyland Tips: How to ‘Rope Drop’
Stepping into Disneyland is always magical, but knowing a few insider tips can make your day run smoother and help you experience even more of the park. From mastering rope drop to spotting Hidden Mickeys tucked into the details, a little preparation goes a long way in maximizing your time and creating memorable moments with your family.
Whether it’s your first visit or your fiftieth, these essential Disneyland tips will help you navigate the parks with confidence, beat a few crowds, and uncover some of the park’s most charming secrets. Here’s how the premise of this article came about.
I received a text message from a friend. It read… “I need your best Disneyland tips. We’re going to be there on Friday.” So many tips ran through my mind. “Where do I even start?” We exchanged a few text messages and I discovered that my friend had never even heard of Rope Drop. I asked him to give me a day to compile all my tips into an email, and when I sent it to him, I had to apologize for how long it was.
Here’s a summary of my essential Disneyland tip so you can master Rope Drop at The Happiest Place on Earth.
What You Need to Know About Rope Drop
First of all, what is Rope Drop? It’s when you arrive at the park, and the moment they “drop the rope” to let people enter the park, you’re there and ready to go. I consider Rope Drop essential to ensuring I get my money’s worth for a day at the park. Get there when the park opens. Stay until the park closes. While that isn’t always possible, especially when I had younger kids who needed naps, it was my goal.
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How do you Rope Drop? Let me explain.
Both Disneyland Park and Disney’s California Adventure usually open daily at 8 a.m. (double check the park’s schedule for the days of your visit). Oh, and make sure you’ve made your park reservation for the day after you purchase your tickets.
Arrive at the security entrance by 7 a.m. so you can get through security to the Disneyland Esplanade and wait in line to get through the gates. The turnstile gates to both parks open at roughly 7:30 a.m.
How to Rope Drop the Disneyland Park
Scan your tickets at the turnstiles and make your way to the circle at the end of Main Street U.S.A. I recommend heading to your left (towards Frontierland) so you can get to Rise of the Resistance. Why that ride? This ride doesn’t have Lightning Lane included in your general Lightning Lane purchase. You’d have to spend even more money to get a Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance. To save yourself from standing in the line as long, you just wait in that circle at the end of Main Street U.S.A.
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When they drop the rope that’s keeping people back (which happens at 8 a.m.), you can book it to the ride. No running, but there’s nothing against walking fast. 😉 Some people debate which route to take around the lake – right or left? I think it’s sixes, but you can look at the map and see which route seems shorter.
If you don’t want to target Rise of the Resistance upon Rope Drop, head toward your favorite ride. I watched a video of three Disneyland influencers that hit different attractions and lands. One targeted Adventureland. Another, Tomorrowland. The final one hit up Fantasyland. Read their Instagram post for the results.
What’s the first ride you want to tackle to start your day at Disneyland?
How to Rope Drop Disney’s California Adventure
Make your way through the turnstiles, then follow the road toward Cars Land. They’ll stop you by the waterfall area of Grizzly Peak Recreation Area. Your goal is to get to Radiator Racers as soon as they open up the park. Why that ride? This ride doesn’t have Lightning Lane included in your general Lightning Lane purchase. You’d have to spend even more money to get a Lightning Lane for Radiator Racers.
As soon as they open the park and let people in, walk fast (but no running) to the entrance to Radiator Racers. Ideally, if you arrived early enough and were at the front of the pack, your wait time for the ride shouldn’t be very long.
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Another popular ride to hit up at Rope Drop includes Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission Breakout (formerly Tower of Terror). Others head to Pixar Pier for Toy Story Mania or Incredicoaster. What’s the ride you want to start with at Disney California Adventure?
Start Booking Lightning Lane the Moment you Enter the Park
Book your first Lightning Lane while waiting at Rope Drop. As soon as you scan your park ticket, you can start booking your first Lightning Lane. So while you’re standing there, waiting for the rope to drop, figure out which ride you want to go with first and get it booked. That will start the clock ticking so you can then book a second lightning lane ride sooner.
Best Way to Get Disneyland Tickets and Vacation Packages
My friends at Get Away Today are passionate about making everyone’s visit to Disneyland magical. They can help individuals, couples, families, and even extended families find the right hotel and park tickets to meet your needs.
There are two ways for you to book your family vacation with Get Away Today:
- Price your Disneyland vacation online at GetAwayToday.com. Find the hotel that works for you, along with the best prices on Disneyland tickets.
- Call them at 1-855-GET-AWAY to talk with an agent. They can answer you questions, provide you with a quote or two, and book your vacation package.
Regardless of which route you use, let them know Carltonaut’s Travel Tips sent you (use code Carltonaut10 online) and you’ll save a few more dollars on your vacation package.
Also, be sure you download and log in to the Disneyland Mobile App (Apple Store or Google Play). The app allows you to manage your park reservations, order food, look at your PhotoPass photos, and book your Lightning Lanes.
Are you an open-to-close at Disneyland kinda person?
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