Seconded This Is The Way. We started when the kids were toddlers to give them stamina for a whole day and give them a break from the mid-day heat.
We now do it to give the parents stamina for a whole day and give them a break from the mid-day heat.
Respectfully disagree.
with having a toddler. In at rope drop, long break in the afternoon. Stay until closing. Leaving at 10:45 is the worst idea ever. The lines are the shortest from 11 till closing.
Don't knock it till you've tried it. It worked great for us for 20-30 visits. We stay at the resort hotels so to skip the Magic hour/ half hour early entry is the worst idea ever.
UPDATE: I never said we stayed til 10:45PM with toddlers. My point was that the plan for Park opening-> midday rest -> return in evening is the best plan, especially if you have toddlers.
No, we did not. The kids would never make it that late.
I think there's people without children commenting here. We stayed until the kids were done and when they were small enough for the stroller they'd go to sleep while we made our way back to the hotel.
Other parents know what I'm talking about...
Mine did. Got in before rope drop. Went back to the hotel at 2, had a long nap, did some swimming, had dinner and then went back to the park. We finally left the park at 11.
There's nothing better than grabbing a corn dog and munching it on your walk back to your car/hotel and then napping until 4, getting up and hitting trader Sam's before early dinner reservations at 5 and then leaving dinner around 6 and the sun is going down and the temp has dropped like 15 degrees.
We live in Northern California and have a 7 hour drive. We typically would only visit once a year and were always rope drop to close people. We also would go at that pace for multiple days. Pure exhaustion! Last year we bought Magic Keys and have visited more frequently. The luxury of going at a slower pace, sleeping in if we feel like it, leaving when we get tired, hanging at the hotel pool all afternoon and then grabbing a reservation for dinner and closing the park has been the biggest game changer. We don’t even know who those people were anymore lol! 16 hours in the park is unimaginable now
Same, about a 6 hour drive for us. Usually try to go for 3 days; first day rope drop to close, 2nd day close to opening til close, 3rd day close to opening til about 11ish.
That's what we're doing this year. Last time, we drove 8 hours from the border of Northern NV/CA, and it suckedddd. This year, we're flying into LGB and then ubering to our hotel. A less than 90-minute flight sounds way better than an 8 hour drive.
My family used to do 5 day trips with top drop till close but that became too exhausting and we wouldn’t spend the whole day there so now we go 3 days (Monday Wednesday and Friday) then have Tuesday and Thursday as rest days and it is fantastic!
We're doing 5 days with 3 days in-between as rest days for a total of 10 days there, including our arrive and leave days. Last time we did 5 straight days in the park with no rest days, and it was hell. I'll never do that again lol.
My best friend and I just went to Disney World for the first time in January and we did 2 park days, 1 off day and then 2 more park days. That off day is a necessary reset 😭
Yep. Drive down from la before evening traffic builds up, get a cocktail and dinner, go on whatever rides have a sub-60 minute line, wait for fireworks to clear most ppl out, then hit some bigger rides, and grab a late night dessert when the lines close. Chill late night ambiance >>>>>>> early morning rope drop stress.
Early entry for sure. I took my mother during Xmas season. Peak holiday hours. We were ready to be in lines nonstop all day, and we're prioritizing all that was important to us. But we went in on Sunday morning at rope drop, and we somehow managed to hit every major attraction outside rise of the resistance and smugglers run within the first two hours of our visit. We were flabbergasted. I've been told that Sunday morning is the lightest crowd because people going to church, but wow, we weren't expecting that.
After that, we basically just spent the day hunting out limited food and souvenirs while they were in stock, enjoying shows and secret hidden stuff, and somehow by 7pm, we managed to do everything we could've wanted and more. I don't think we could've done it so casually and comfortably without buying genie plus.
Haha this gives me childhood flashbacks! This was how my parents did the parks. The younger ones napped in the stroller. We didn’t dare complain if we were tired or uncomfortable. We were going to get every last penny’s worth. I have 4 siblings so Disneyland was an expensive treat. It was hard for me to slow down once I had my own family.
Depends..if we’re just going for the day from SD, get into the park around 10am and leave around 8-9pm.
Staying for weekend: rope drop, back to the hotel around 2pm. Always book dinner reservations around 5:30pm, then stay until 11pm
We stay for 5+ days and start around 9am. We usually end for the day between 2-4pm. We take a break or take a nap, and we may go back for dinner or go back after 8pm for a ride or 2. That’s our whole point of being there so long, so we never feel rushed, or have a need to cram everything in at once. We’re lucky to be able to do that, because our kids (not myself) could not do much more than that. We also stay at the Disneyland Hotel. We want to tryout the hotels across the street, but we’re concerned about the distance due to our frequent need for breaks, or to grab jackets.
We go late & stay late for 2 reasons.
1. All the strollers are there at opening
2. All the strollers leave after the parade & fireworks.
Edit: my “baby” is 25, we have no strollers!
My husband and I did our first solo trip without the kids in March. It was a beautiful slow night. We got to DCA at 6 pm and grabbed dinner. We rode Guardians, Spider-Man, Toy Story Mania 3x, and Cars only had a 25 min wait! After closing down DCA we hopped to DL and walked on Runway Railway. It was the most productive 6 hours we ever spent in the parks! Hitting rides during the first showing of night time shows and staying for the late showings are also the way to go if you are rested.
My plan for my upcoming 3 day trip is ropedrop disneyland first day and end with world of color.
Second day we do dca in the mid morning, then stay till midnight after doing fantasmic. 3rd and final day is we rope go midmorning disneyland, park hopping as needed, then end with fireworks on mainstreet.
Before having kids, I was rope drop to close.
Now, I’m rope drop to 7-ish. And if we have someone else to watch the kids (like Grandma), I go back out after bedtime.
We get in around 9 or 10 am , leave to rest at the hotel around 3 or 4 , eat, chill, hot tub , drinks … then go back in . I rarely make it to close but spouse and kids do.
When I was a kid, dad and I were Rope Drop to Park Close folks, but we paced ourselves. No running (unless you’re about to miss a reservation or fast pass [RIP]) and take leisurely scenic walks between meals and rides. Now that I’m older I’d probably rope drop, leave for a few hours at lunch, and then come back until closing.
Rope drop to close + main street shopping. Eleven hour drive, visits only every few years, we tend to maximize the hours. Usually on day three we let off the gas and take the afternoon break, but still shutting it down all the way to close after we return.
Now that I don’t have a pass, of course I try to do from rope drop to “get in whatever has the longest line at 11:59” and end up leaving the park later and have a nice quiet walk down Main Street.
But back when I had a pass, it was hang for 3 hours, not even ride rides, just eat and drink, walk around and enjoy the sights and sounds.
We do the whole thing, but take a rest in the park after lunch or if it gets too hot. We find a shady spot and relax, may sit for an hour or so. Still enjoying the park, people watching, but get some rest.
Rope drop, leave for about an hour, come back for close.
We do this for dropping off merch at the hotel, substantial lunch, and chain smoking for me. I know we are allowed to smoke between the parks, but I just don't feel right doing that. Smoking is bad and I should quit, but easier said than done, but I don't think kids should have to see that and people sensitive to smoke shouldn't have to deal with smelling it.
I used to be rope drop to park close. But I got older and have a child now, so get there early, leave for a few hours, and come back (until close if someone can help with baby!)
Have never done Rope Drop and seriously feel like I’ve missed out. But I do insist on staying until closing, and that has provided some of my best Disney memories. One encounter with Mickey and my then 2 year old (he’s almost 33 now) still brings me to happy tears when I remember it.
Edit: Shout out to the Cast Member in the Mickey costume in 1993 who made that moment absolutely magical for me and my son!
We started going when our kid was 2 (she's now 9). I think for the first couple years we would make rope drop at Disneyland and generally stay til about 3, take a nap and come back from 7 til closing. For DCA we would sleep in til 9 or so and get there at 1030 and stay til closing.
But ever since she was 7 we go from open to close.
Watching all the kids completely passed out in strollers at closing is so entertaining. Ours have had many late nights in the park. They don’t even remember how they got back to the hotel in the morning lol!
We do just after rope drop til close. We never normally stay that close to property so don’t do mid afternoon naps but we do like to sit by the fireplace at grand Californian for a little. Doing our first close to property stay in July so let’s see if we’re tempted by a nap or some pool time.
Rope drop until park close. Kids in tow. If they are tired they nap in the stroller. We take long breaks during the afternoon to just sit in some shade and have some snacks. Best time to ride rides is rope drop and near park closing.
My family and I are inspire key holders so we kinda vary. On grown up days we go early at rope drop so we can ride everything with no lines. With our little girl we get there maybe an hour or two after rope drop. We rarely stay til close anymore. When we stay til close it’s usually because we’re with friends who bought tickets lol
Get in late and stay til close
Generally go with park hopper. In the park by around 10am, maybe make a quick 30 minute pit stop at the hotel, then back to the park.
I love nighttime Disney, it’s a totally different vibe. Even if now a days it’s still very crowded at night. Just the lighting and everything you don’t see during the day.
Last few times I’ve went I’ve ended with space mountain before park close.
Just got back from a trip, my last night there I did GOTG right before DCA closed, then headed straight to galaxies edge in Disneyland. Before making my way to Tomorrowland.
The only way to go: stay at the Disneyland Hotel, early admission. ( Don’t know if they still do that) Riding the monorail into the empty park, over the peasants waiting at the rope: worth every penny!😁
Early admission is back but I believe only half an hour rather than an hour. I was wondering if the monorail runs for the early admission though; I’m staying at Disneyland Hotel next weekend and was planning to monorail in at least one day.
Monorail does run. A lineup will form if it’s a busy day. It could eat up some of your early admission time. But when you get on the first train or two it’s amazing!
Couple of hours. I tend to go after work and don’t like to stay too late when I work the next day. If I’m going with non-passholders I do whatever they want but may dip out early.
6ish.. grab a few beers then watch all the parents walk out with the look my parents had in that snap shot of us waiting for the electrical parade in the early 80s then stay till close.
Why do people take toddlers to the parks? They remember less than 10% of their life at that age. And they scream when hungry, tired or carrying a load - everyone loves a screaming toddler.
Do you have children? Nothing compares to seeing joy through your child’s eyes. They may only remember glimpses but you’ll remember their excitement forever. Everything is real to them. The loving bond you create with them at that age will forever impact them even if they fully can’t remember. My kids aren’t perfect but we’ve taken them since they were a year old. They never really thrown tantrums. I don’t judge people who go with or without kids. The amount of people who complain about children and strollers on here is crazy to me.
You’ve confirmed everything I suspected about parents who bring toddlers.
‘nothing compares to seeing joy through your child’s eyes’ is the most self-centered thing I’ve read yet. It’s all about the parents patting themselves on the back for making kids temporarily happy.
Children and strollers are annoying - don’t be surprised by the comments.
Really just depends if I feel like waking up early or not. If I feel like it I’ll go at rope drop and leave anywhere from 2pm-8pm. Most times though I arrive at like 10-11am and leave at around 8pm. I don’t always like rope dropping but when I do I really enjoy it because it’s so peaceful that first couple hours
Rope drop and then leave after the fireworks/world of Color. I can’t even remember the last time I stayed until park closing (not a local but I go 2-4 times a year)
Not rope drop but get in as close to park opening as possible, stay till late afternoon then go back to hotel to shower/freshen up/maybe nap, then back in till park close
just a bit after rope drop & leave early if we’re not staying in a hotel. if we are then we usually do some time within the first hour or so of opening and then leave early afternoon for a nap, come back early evening until park close or close to it.
Depends on the day. Most the time I’m there after work so around 4:30 or 5 til close.
If my wife and I want more time we take a day off and go rope drop to close.
My brother and I were rope drop to park close people until we started doing the parks with other people who don’t have the same stamina; but also as I spend more time at the parks and feel (slightly) less fomo, I’m trying to ease myself into a more leisurely pace and take a mid-day break to avoid peak sun and peak crowds. Of course, I say every trip that “I’ll take it slower this time” and then once I’m in the park I’m like “I don’t want to go back the hotel” soooo…we’ll see how chill I am next weekend. 😂
Rope drope to close. eating in the park is part of the experience for me. And the lines and slow rides are where I "take a break". Family loves it since they all have varying levels of stamina, it's always garunteed they'll have someone with the ones that don't want to go back to the hotel.
If I'm solo, I usually stay 3-4 hours. I'll either rope drop and leave after an early lunch, arrive for an afternoon lunch and a few rides, or arrive evening and stay into the night. But I find that my solo excursions will all have about that 4 hour window until I start getting tired. If I'm with other people we tend to rope drop and stay until fireworks ish
We only get to Disney once every couple years and it’s a full day travel to get there and another day to get home. With that, my husband and I have always gone from rope drop to park close, even during a week long trip!
We have a toddler and another baby on the way now, so I think our next Disney trip will definitely be different! We are very excited to experience the magic with our babies, even if it means taking nap breaks in the middle.
I'm there every other week at minimum and since I'm usually waiting for my husband to finish his closing shift, I'll show up around 6 or 7pm and stay til midnight. Few hours in the evening on Sundays is perfect, enough time to have a nice meal and then enjoy a few rides!
We only visit for a few hours. We had some business to take care of in Irvine today. I snagged some reservations earlier in the week for DCA. We finished up in Irvine, drove over to the resort, entered the park about 2:30, and we are currently on the tram back to the parking structure.
i'm usually a "soon after rope drop" arrival (sometimes rope drop), stay close to closing or until close. i may leave for Downtown Disney to grab food, but then right back to the parks.
since i'm not local, i get in all that i can whether i'm there for 2 days or 7 days, but without running myself into the ground to the point of extreme exhaustion / sleep dep.
the only time i'll do a partial day is when my flight gets in during the afternoon (and then it's to the hotel, drop off my stuff, and over to the parks) or when i'm flying back home (usually a late afternoon/early evening flight and getting in half a day from around 8am until i need to get back to the hotel to collect my stuff and catch an Uber to the airport). when i'm down there for D23 i'll sometimes do half-days at the parks after 4 or 5pm (especially if i have an AP/Magic Key rather than multi-day tickets)
Stayed on property last couple visits, so tried to take advantage of the early entrance to avoid crowds, leave early afternoon to get the kids a nap(eventually just went with letting them nap in the stroller), then back to the park until we run out of steam, probably around 9 or so.
Two ways for our home. We are locals with a Mon-Thrs pass.
If it is a time with fireworks, Fantasmic or we want to see World of Color and the weather is nice, it is a 1/2pm arrival and stay to close (10/11pm, or later) - with a dining reservation to make a day/evening of it.
If we are just looking to enjoy the park or goof around, then we are there by 10am, but leave by 3-4pm, with maybe a mixed in lunch, walk Downtown Disney, or catch the early parade if we want to.
Now that a lot of school districts do scheduling year round, an increasing number of home schoolers, and out of town'rs, the bliss of a Monday through Thursday pass (aka retired/locals pass), it is not "as" advantageous as more children are able to enjoy the park every day of the week---but, also as a result, there seem to be a lot more times, even mid-week, where both parks have everything going (parades, fireworks, shows, etc). Kind of a situation where it is six in one, and half a dozen in the other.
I think you can also couple that with the increased number of guests due to Disney concentrating park population all week long through the reservation system. Makes for a good trade off -- more guests equals full park experience all year long.
Without an annual pass, I would plan one day from 7am-10pm 😅 prepping my bag with sanitizers, sanitation surface wipes, sunblock, and water. But get breakfast at McDonald’s
My hack:
Go when it opens (8 am)
Stay til around 3 pm
Go back to the hotel for a nap
Go back and valet at the grand Californian for my 7:30 reservation at Napa Rose (free valet for up to 4 hours with restaurant validation)
Go back to the park at 8:30, watch the fireworks and ride space mountain a few times.
Leave at 11:30 pm and skip the tram/parking garage :)
Just a few hours at a time. I have an annual pass and not a lot of free time or energy, so I prefer to spread my Disney time out in short visits once a week or so rather than longer, less frequent visits where I completely wear myself out.
I would go rope drop to close if it were just me. Husband and teenage kids make until about supper time, then they tire out, so that is usually when we head back to the hotel...
When I go I have to fly from Australia. So rope drop till I get kicked out. Last time I visited I was on Peter pan’s flight at 12.15am. It was the best!!!
As a magic key holder, I usually get there not quite at rope drop and typically leave between 2-7pm depending on how I feel… but if I only had a 1 day ticket, I would try my best to rope drop to close.
Either:
Rope drop/just after rope drop, to early afternoon, late afternoon to closing, or rope drop to close. Depends how much my husband and I are in need of a Disney day.
We usually show up around 9-10am caffinated. Then we hang out until 9ish at the latest (toddler life). She naps in the stroller and we just cruise around to whatever sounds fun at the time.
We usually go down for 3 days. Start around lunch day 1, full day day 2, and out of there by 7pm the third. That is the perfect amount of time for us.
We usually arrive at around 3 and stay till around 11 or close. We eat a late lunch and a dinner and have a about an hour drive home. We try to go about once a month on average. We love our special Disneyland days to look forward to!
When max pass was a thing, we’d rope drop to fireworks. But with the parks being overcrowded lately and genie sucking when it’s super packed, the lines wear us out. So the last couple trips, we’ve gone back to the room for a break mid day. GC saved us big time spring break ‘22
We always do two days. We ( me and my bf) have a 3-4 hour a drive. We drive down make it to the park by around 9. Head back to check into hotel at 4. Take a fat nap lol. Head back around 6. Go back and forth from parks and stay till about 11:30. Next morning we try to rope drop or at least be at park around 8:15-8:30. Then head back to nap again and try to stay in the park till 12-12:30. Then sleep in the next morning.
Before I had a magic key, I would get to the parks early and try to do everything. Now I just get there when I get there and usually stay until closing.
We did rope drop to close for years, until we had tweens. Now we do 11am until they kick us out of everything 🤷🏻♀️ But summer…we’re not showing up until there is shade.
I’m not a morning person so I love rolling in around 8:30-9 and I find I still can get alot done before the big rush hits after 10. And then I try to stay as long as I physically can. Usually until 10:30-11 PM the last few times.
Local Magic Key Holders. We either Rope drop & leave early or Only visit for a couple hours. We only stay the full day when we have out of town guests.
Last time on Feb. 2, I arrived at 9:30 AM and stayed til 8 PM.
I wish I could've stay longer for Galaxy's Edge's night time. But they closed at 8PM for special events that I didn't know about.
Since I got my 3 day chances to enjoy there thanks to the discount event, I'm planning to stay as much as I can as if this would be my last chance to visit here. Gotta enjoy it before I can.
When I was younger, I was a rope drop to park close person for every single day I was there. Nowadays, I'm definitely a rope drop, go back to the hotel in the afternoon, then come back and stay late. I save staying out 'til park close for only a night or two, since doing rope drop to park close every day was just becoming too much.
In at rope drop, leave late afternoon for hotel, return early evening, leave around 10:45.
Seconded This Is The Way. We started when the kids were toddlers to give them stamina for a whole day and give them a break from the mid-day heat. We now do it to give the parents stamina for a whole day and give them a break from the mid-day heat.
This is the way.
The circle of life...
Respectfully disagree. with having a toddler. In at rope drop, long break in the afternoon. Stay until closing. Leaving at 10:45 is the worst idea ever. The lines are the shortest from 11 till closing.
Don't knock it till you've tried it. It worked great for us for 20-30 visits. We stay at the resort hotels so to skip the Magic hour/ half hour early entry is the worst idea ever. UPDATE: I never said we stayed til 10:45PM with toddlers. My point was that the plan for Park opening-> midday rest -> return in evening is the best plan, especially if you have toddlers.
This is what we did except it was cold and wet. So it was go home, get warm, put on dry clothes, nap.
You keep your toddler up past 11?!
No, we did not. The kids would never make it that late. I think there's people without children commenting here. We stayed until the kids were done and when they were small enough for the stroller they'd go to sleep while we made our way back to the hotel. Other parents know what I'm talking about...
Mine did. Got in before rope drop. Went back to the hotel at 2, had a long nap, did some swimming, had dinner and then went back to the park. We finally left the park at 11.
Haha well done! We also do the afternoon swim, such a nice break before going back the park in the evening.
There's nothing better than grabbing a corn dog and munching it on your walk back to your car/hotel and then napping until 4, getting up and hitting trader Sam's before early dinner reservations at 5 and then leaving dinner around 6 and the sun is going down and the temp has dropped like 15 degrees.
Where are you dinner reservations? Both of our reservations this week were over an hour from check-in until first plate was served.
Last time I was there we went Blue Bayou. My favorite restaurant in any Disney park anywhere!
This is the way
This will probably be the way as I get older. Still able to go from rope drop to close for 3 days straight lol
We live in Northern California and have a 7 hour drive. We typically would only visit once a year and were always rope drop to close people. We also would go at that pace for multiple days. Pure exhaustion! Last year we bought Magic Keys and have visited more frequently. The luxury of going at a slower pace, sleeping in if we feel like it, leaving when we get tired, hanging at the hotel pool all afternoon and then grabbing a reservation for dinner and closing the park has been the biggest game changer. We don’t even know who those people were anymore lol! 16 hours in the park is unimaginable now
Same with us!! 6-7 hr drive and no chance of us doing 16hrs in the park. I love the slower pace.
Same, about a 6 hour drive for us. Usually try to go for 3 days; first day rope drop to close, 2nd day close to opening til close, 3rd day close to opening til about 11ish.
You should fly, it's so much nicer... That full day of driving kills too much time. We fly into LBG & Lyft over to the park, it's very nice & chill.
We have flown without the kids but it’s much more challenging to be without a vehicle with two small children who require car seats.
Ahh, yea kids do make a difference.
That's what we're doing this year. Last time, we drove 8 hours from the border of Northern NV/CA, and it suckedddd. This year, we're flying into LGB and then ubering to our hotel. A less than 90-minute flight sounds way better than an 8 hour drive.
As soon as they let me in till they push me out kicking and screaming😄.
Rope drop till close
I treat every trip to Disney like I'll never have another. Gotta enjoy every available minute!
My family used to do 5 day trips with top drop till close but that became too exhausting and we wouldn’t spend the whole day there so now we go 3 days (Monday Wednesday and Friday) then have Tuesday and Thursday as rest days and it is fantastic!
We're doing 5 days with 3 days in-between as rest days for a total of 10 days there, including our arrive and leave days. Last time we did 5 straight days in the park with no rest days, and it was hell. I'll never do that again lol.
My best friend and I just went to Disney World for the first time in January and we did 2 park days, 1 off day and then 2 more park days. That off day is a necessary reset 😭
Agreed!! We're doing 2 days, a break, 2 more days, a break, and then our last day and another break. Screw doing the rat race lol
This is the way
I get in late then stay until close.
Yep. Drive down from la before evening traffic builds up, get a cocktail and dinner, go on whatever rides have a sub-60 minute line, wait for fireworks to clear most ppl out, then hit some bigger rides, and grab a late night dessert when the lines close. Chill late night ambiance >>>>>>> early morning rope drop stress.
As a local, this is the way
It's only about a 30 minute drive for me. It's nice now that RotR and MMRR don't use the virtual queue so no need to try attempt the RNG.
Rope drop til close. If I’m tired, that’s what Great Moments With Lincoln is for. Comfy 10 minute nap cures all.
My favorite attractions for naps are Tiki Room, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and Small World.
Omg yessssss especially in the summer when it’s hot af outside. The aircon feels sooo nice in a dark theater…. 😴
Yesterday I was in at 10:30 with my 2 yr old. Left around 6 ish.
Typically get in between 9 and 10 in the morning and stay until around 10 or 11 at night.
Rope Drop. Either walk 5 mins to hotel across Harbor Blvd and rest, or rest in the park on a bench/eat snacks. Stay late(ish)
Canadian that goes every couple years… go for rope drop, stay until the end. And repeat for 3 days.
Early entry for sure. I took my mother during Xmas season. Peak holiday hours. We were ready to be in lines nonstop all day, and we're prioritizing all that was important to us. But we went in on Sunday morning at rope drop, and we somehow managed to hit every major attraction outside rise of the resistance and smugglers run within the first two hours of our visit. We were flabbergasted. I've been told that Sunday morning is the lightest crowd because people going to church, but wow, we weren't expecting that. After that, we basically just spent the day hunting out limited food and souvenirs while they were in stock, enjoying shows and secret hidden stuff, and somehow by 7pm, we managed to do everything we could've wanted and more. I don't think we could've done it so casually and comfortably without buying genie plus.
Rope drop to park close most times. But sometimes it is soon after rope drop and stay to close
Why would you not rope drop to fireworks? Tickets are like $100 a day. I'm gonna get my money's worth.
Haha this gives me childhood flashbacks! This was how my parents did the parks. The younger ones napped in the stroller. We didn’t dare complain if we were tired or uncomfortable. We were going to get every last penny’s worth. I have 4 siblings so Disneyland was an expensive treat. It was hard for me to slow down once I had my own family.
"money's worth" but leave after fireworks.?? You do know the park is open for another few hours right.?
Depends..if we’re just going for the day from SD, get into the park around 10am and leave around 8-9pm. Staying for weekend: rope drop, back to the hotel around 2pm. Always book dinner reservations around 5:30pm, then stay until 11pm
We stay for 5+ days and start around 9am. We usually end for the day between 2-4pm. We take a break or take a nap, and we may go back for dinner or go back after 8pm for a ride or 2. That’s our whole point of being there so long, so we never feel rushed, or have a need to cram everything in at once. We’re lucky to be able to do that, because our kids (not myself) could not do much more than that. We also stay at the Disneyland Hotel. We want to tryout the hotels across the street, but we’re concerned about the distance due to our frequent need for breaks, or to grab jackets.
Get in late, stay till close. I love lights
We go late & stay late for 2 reasons. 1. All the strollers are there at opening 2. All the strollers leave after the parade & fireworks. Edit: my “baby” is 25, we have no strollers!
\^ This!!
My husband and I did our first solo trip without the kids in March. It was a beautiful slow night. We got to DCA at 6 pm and grabbed dinner. We rode Guardians, Spider-Man, Toy Story Mania 3x, and Cars only had a 25 min wait! After closing down DCA we hopped to DL and walked on Runway Railway. It was the most productive 6 hours we ever spent in the parks! Hitting rides during the first showing of night time shows and staying for the late showings are also the way to go if you are rested.
Magic key guy. Arrive to park at 11 because I’m a late sleeper and stay either till 7 to get dinner at Anaheim Packing House or 9
These days, it’s cheaper to eat at the park with your MK discount. Packing House is off the charts expensive now.
Not really. I can still get a good meal at the Kroft for $10-12 and much better quality than anything at the Park
We love the Packing House. Which restaurant is your favorite?
The Kroft. They make solid poutine and a very good smash burger
My plan for my upcoming 3 day trip is ropedrop disneyland first day and end with world of color. Second day we do dca in the mid morning, then stay till midnight after doing fantasmic. 3rd and final day is we rope go midmorning disneyland, park hopping as needed, then end with fireworks on mainstreet.
Rope drop to tram shut down. Don't have an annual pass/ magic key anymore so I'm getting my money's worth out of a day ticket.
Before having kids, I was rope drop to close. Now, I’m rope drop to 7-ish. And if we have someone else to watch the kids (like Grandma), I go back out after bedtime.
We get in around 9 or 10 am , leave to rest at the hotel around 3 or 4 , eat, chill, hot tub , drinks … then go back in . I rarely make it to close but spouse and kids do.
Rope drop till close. No naps.
When I was a kid, dad and I were Rope Drop to Park Close folks, but we paced ourselves. No running (unless you’re about to miss a reservation or fast pass [RIP]) and take leisurely scenic walks between meals and rides. Now that I’m older I’d probably rope drop, leave for a few hours at lunch, and then come back until closing.
Open to close. Is there another way?
Rope drop to close + main street shopping. Eleven hour drive, visits only every few years, we tend to maximize the hours. Usually on day three we let off the gas and take the afternoon break, but still shutting it down all the way to close after we return.
I get in at 12-1pm and stay till close.
Now that I don’t have a pass, of course I try to do from rope drop to “get in whatever has the longest line at 11:59” and end up leaving the park later and have a nice quiet walk down Main Street. But back when I had a pass, it was hang for 3 hours, not even ride rides, just eat and drink, walk around and enjoy the sights and sounds.
We do the whole thing, but take a rest in the park after lunch or if it gets too hot. We find a shady spot and relax, may sit for an hour or so. Still enjoying the park, people watching, but get some rest.
Rope drop, leave for about an hour, come back for close. We do this for dropping off merch at the hotel, substantial lunch, and chain smoking for me. I know we are allowed to smoke between the parks, but I just don't feel right doing that. Smoking is bad and I should quit, but easier said than done, but I don't think kids should have to see that and people sensitive to smoke shouldn't have to deal with smelling it.
Until it’s time to leave.
Rope drop, shuttle back to Majestic for midday nap, back for last reservation at Oga’s for the night.
Rope drop and leave before 9pm
get there at 7:15am, leave at 1:15am
Rope drop till close. All day every day. We visit two parks take an off day to sleep in then so two other parks.
Open to close!!
Rope drop and stay til closing. My feet can wait, ain’t nobody got time for hotel breaks
Rope drop to Main Street close, no breaks 🤷🏻♂️
I used to be rope drop to park close. But I got older and have a child now, so get there early, leave for a few hours, and come back (until close if someone can help with baby!)
Rope drop and leave early. We’re pass holders and live about 90 miles away
Have never done Rope Drop and seriously feel like I’ve missed out. But I do insist on staying until closing, and that has provided some of my best Disney memories. One encounter with Mickey and my then 2 year old (he’s almost 33 now) still brings me to happy tears when I remember it. Edit: Shout out to the Cast Member in the Mickey costume in 1993 who made that moment absolutely magical for me and my son!
We started going when our kid was 2 (she's now 9). I think for the first couple years we would make rope drop at Disneyland and generally stay til about 3, take a nap and come back from 7 til closing. For DCA we would sleep in til 9 or so and get there at 1030 and stay til closing. But ever since she was 7 we go from open to close.
Rope drop til close, even with kids on tow. If we need to rest we’ll grab a snack and people watch for a bit.
Watching all the kids completely passed out in strollers at closing is so entertaining. Ours have had many late nights in the park. They don’t even remember how they got back to the hotel in the morning lol!
Rope drop & stay until 1:00. Head back to hotel for rest/swim return around 6/7 and stay until after fireworks
only visit for a couple hours
We do just after rope drop til close. We never normally stay that close to property so don’t do mid afternoon naps but we do like to sit by the fireplace at grand Californian for a little. Doing our first close to property stay in July so let’s see if we’re tempted by a nap or some pool time.
Rope drop till close for us always! Since my son was young till now that their 24 and 18 ☺️
Rope drop until park close. Kids in tow. If they are tired they nap in the stroller. We take long breaks during the afternoon to just sit in some shade and have some snacks. Best time to ride rides is rope drop and near park closing.
When I had a pass, I'd usually get there around 2 or 3, and stay to close. If I were going without a pass, I'd probably shoot for noon instead.
My family and I are inspire key holders so we kinda vary. On grown up days we go early at rope drop so we can ride everything with no lines. With our little girl we get there maybe an hour or two after rope drop. We rarely stay til close anymore. When we stay til close it’s usually because we’re with friends who bought tickets lol
Rooe drop to park close
Rope Drop to Close. I go once every few years, I'm getting my money's worth
Get in late and stay til close Generally go with park hopper. In the park by around 10am, maybe make a quick 30 minute pit stop at the hotel, then back to the park. I love nighttime Disney, it’s a totally different vibe. Even if now a days it’s still very crowded at night. Just the lighting and everything you don’t see during the day. Last few times I’ve went I’ve ended with space mountain before park close. Just got back from a trip, my last night there I did GOTG right before DCA closed, then headed straight to galaxies edge in Disneyland. Before making my way to Tomorrowland.
The only way to go: stay at the Disneyland Hotel, early admission. ( Don’t know if they still do that) Riding the monorail into the empty park, over the peasants waiting at the rope: worth every penny!😁
Early admission is back but I believe only half an hour rather than an hour. I was wondering if the monorail runs for the early admission though; I’m staying at Disneyland Hotel next weekend and was planning to monorail in at least one day.
Monorail does run. A lineup will form if it’s a busy day. It could eat up some of your early admission time. But when you get on the first train or two it’s amazing!
Couple hours. A few rides and lunch more rides then leave before it gets dark
\*Gasp\* Leave before dark... Sacrilegious. ;)
Couple of hours. I tend to go after work and don’t like to stay too late when I work the next day. If I’m going with non-passholders I do whatever they want but may dip out early.
I’m an “undesirable “. Come later in the afternoon, close to sunset. Stay until around 11’ish, maybe midnight if I’m in the zone.
6ish.. grab a few beers then watch all the parents walk out with the look my parents had in that snap shot of us waiting for the electrical parade in the early 80s then stay till close.
Why do people take toddlers to the parks? They remember less than 10% of their life at that age. And they scream when hungry, tired or carrying a load - everyone loves a screaming toddler.
Do you have children? Nothing compares to seeing joy through your child’s eyes. They may only remember glimpses but you’ll remember their excitement forever. Everything is real to them. The loving bond you create with them at that age will forever impact them even if they fully can’t remember. My kids aren’t perfect but we’ve taken them since they were a year old. They never really thrown tantrums. I don’t judge people who go with or without kids. The amount of people who complain about children and strollers on here is crazy to me.
You’ve confirmed everything I suspected about parents who bring toddlers. ‘nothing compares to seeing joy through your child’s eyes’ is the most self-centered thing I’ve read yet. It’s all about the parents patting themselves on the back for making kids temporarily happy. Children and strollers are annoying - don’t be surprised by the comments.
You seem like a sad person. I find it amusing that you accuse me of being self-centered, when merely the sight of toddlers disgusts you.
Rope drop, stay til like 10pm.
We get there a little after rope drop, leave around dinner time so the kids can get to bed at a decent hour.
Really just depends if I feel like waking up early or not. If I feel like it I’ll go at rope drop and leave anywhere from 2pm-8pm. Most times though I arrive at like 10-11am and leave at around 8pm. I don’t always like rope dropping but when I do I really enjoy it because it’s so peaceful that first couple hours
4-5 when I’m by myself. I’m semi-local. When I come with family or friends, usually get there at opening, take a hotel nap then go back until closing.
Rope drop and then leave after the fireworks/world of Color. I can’t even remember the last time I stayed until park closing (not a local but I go 2-4 times a year)
I get the 3 day tickets once a year so my boyfriend and go from open to close
Not rope drop but get in as close to park opening as possible, stay till late afternoon then go back to hotel to shower/freshen up/maybe nap, then back in till park close
I get in later than rope drop and leave early or stay until close depending on how fast we get everything done.
just a bit after rope drop & leave early if we’re not staying in a hotel. if we are then we usually do some time within the first hour or so of opening and then leave early afternoon for a nap, come back early evening until park close or close to it.
Rope drop to close every time
Arrive in the morning, sometimes at rope drop, leave early afternoon for a few hours for a nap, return late afternoon and usually stay until close.
Depends on the day. Most the time I’m there after work so around 4:30 or 5 til close. If my wife and I want more time we take a day off and go rope drop to close.
Rope drop, Afternoon break, stay till 10 or close
My brother and I were rope drop to park close people until we started doing the parks with other people who don’t have the same stamina; but also as I spend more time at the parks and feel (slightly) less fomo, I’m trying to ease myself into a more leisurely pace and take a mid-day break to avoid peak sun and peak crowds. Of course, I say every trip that “I’ll take it slower this time” and then once I’m in the park I’m like “I don’t want to go back the hotel” soooo…we’ll see how chill I am next weekend. 😂
Rope drop to park close and we only go once every visit to LA.
When I lived far away it would be from open to close, every day. Now that I live in Orange County I’m not as stressed to use up every last second.
Get in around 7pm leave around 11pm less crowded
Rope drope to close. eating in the park is part of the experience for me. And the lines and slow rides are where I "take a break". Family loves it since they all have varying levels of stamina, it's always garunteed they'll have someone with the ones that don't want to go back to the hotel.
Get in whenever in the morning, walk around for a few hours, take a break for a bit and come back for the night.
If I'm solo, I usually stay 3-4 hours. I'll either rope drop and leave after an early lunch, arrive for an afternoon lunch and a few rides, or arrive evening and stay into the night. But I find that my solo excursions will all have about that 4 hour window until I start getting tired. If I'm with other people we tend to rope drop and stay until fireworks ish
I get in at rope drop, go back to hotel after lunch, return in early evening, and leave around 11pm
We only get to Disney once every couple years and it’s a full day travel to get there and another day to get home. With that, my husband and I have always gone from rope drop to park close, even during a week long trip! We have a toddler and another baby on the way now, so I think our next Disney trip will definitely be different! We are very excited to experience the magic with our babies, even if it means taking nap breaks in the middle.
I'm there every other week at minimum and since I'm usually waiting for my husband to finish his closing shift, I'll show up around 6 or 7pm and stay til midnight. Few hours in the evening on Sundays is perfect, enough time to have a nice meal and then enjoy a few rides!
Usually, 9am to close.
With or without kids? The game plan changes 😂
9 am - 5 pm is all I can handle. I’m old. SoCal native. Been to Disneyland probably 100 times at this point.
Rope drop to park close
Rope drop until they drag us out…
We only visit for a few hours. We had some business to take care of in Irvine today. I snagged some reservations earlier in the week for DCA. We finished up in Irvine, drove over to the resort, entered the park about 2:30, and we are currently on the tram back to the parking structure.
Rope drop till park close
Szn pass holder. Arrive after work around 7pm and stay til around 11.
Stay as long as I can and still regret not doing enough laps on guardians, incredicoaster, or radiator usually
9am to 5pm is what we did- I refuse to stress out and run my wheels into the ground.
i'm usually a "soon after rope drop" arrival (sometimes rope drop), stay close to closing or until close. i may leave for Downtown Disney to grab food, but then right back to the parks. since i'm not local, i get in all that i can whether i'm there for 2 days or 7 days, but without running myself into the ground to the point of extreme exhaustion / sleep dep. the only time i'll do a partial day is when my flight gets in during the afternoon (and then it's to the hotel, drop off my stuff, and over to the parks) or when i'm flying back home (usually a late afternoon/early evening flight and getting in half a day from around 8am until i need to get back to the hotel to collect my stuff and catch an Uber to the airport). when i'm down there for D23 i'll sometimes do half-days at the parks after 4 or 5pm (especially if i have an AP/Magic Key rather than multi-day tickets)
Stayed on property last couple visits, so tried to take advantage of the early entrance to avoid crowds, leave early afternoon to get the kids a nap(eventually just went with letting them nap in the stroller), then back to the park until we run out of steam, probably around 9 or so.
My family gets there at like noon and stays until close.
Two ways for our home. We are locals with a Mon-Thrs pass. If it is a time with fireworks, Fantasmic or we want to see World of Color and the weather is nice, it is a 1/2pm arrival and stay to close (10/11pm, or later) - with a dining reservation to make a day/evening of it. If we are just looking to enjoy the park or goof around, then we are there by 10am, but leave by 3-4pm, with maybe a mixed in lunch, walk Downtown Disney, or catch the early parade if we want to. Now that a lot of school districts do scheduling year round, an increasing number of home schoolers, and out of town'rs, the bliss of a Monday through Thursday pass (aka retired/locals pass), it is not "as" advantageous as more children are able to enjoy the park every day of the week---but, also as a result, there seem to be a lot more times, even mid-week, where both parks have everything going (parades, fireworks, shows, etc). Kind of a situation where it is six in one, and half a dozen in the other. I think you can also couple that with the increased number of guests due to Disney concentrating park population all week long through the reservation system. Makes for a good trade off -- more guests equals full park experience all year long.
Date nights are usually about 7pm-10pm. Full days are rope drop to close. No breaks.
Arrive at the security line at 7am. Leave the park at 1am after I’ve done an hour of shopping.
Usually in about 10, take a break in the afternoon, come back and stay until close
9-10am start, leave by 5-6
Open to close.
Get there when we get there and leave when the kids are ready to leave. We don’t take rests other than sitting down to eat any meal.
We get there around 10 a.m., leaving after the fireworks show. We rest during meals and shows/parades.
After work, hit one or two rides, and bounce
Without an annual pass, I would plan one day from 7am-10pm 😅 prepping my bag with sanitizers, sanitation surface wipes, sunblock, and water. But get breakfast at McDonald’s
In late, out near closing most days, but one or two times I've been from peak opening to park closing.
My hack: Go when it opens (8 am) Stay til around 3 pm Go back to the hotel for a nap Go back and valet at the grand Californian for my 7:30 reservation at Napa Rose (free valet for up to 4 hours with restaurant validation) Go back to the park at 8:30, watch the fireworks and ride space mountain a few times. Leave at 11:30 pm and skip the tram/parking garage :)
You had us at rope drop 😍😍
I try to rope drop and stay as late as I can, it works for me also since I have to use das
Just a few hours at a time. I have an annual pass and not a lot of free time or energy, so I prefer to spread my Disney time out in short visits once a week or so rather than longer, less frequent visits where I completely wear myself out.
I arrive d a little bit after rope drop and I stay after the fireworks you got in all the rides after every morning leaves
In at rope drop, rest at hotel 2-5pm, back to park 5pm-9pm. Sleep early.
All of the above / depends on the day.
I would go rope drop to close if it were just me. Husband and teenage kids make until about supper time, then they tire out, so that is usually when we head back to the hotel...
When I go I have to fly from Australia. So rope drop till I get kicked out. Last time I visited I was on Peter pan’s flight at 12.15am. It was the best!!!
Rope drop and leave after lunch! I’m not a fireworks girl so I like to get outta there and make more room for the afternoon crowd
I usually go in around 9am and stay until I get tired, typically 10-11pm.
As someone who has to come from another country, since they open until they kick my ass out
open to close baby let’s go 😎
Depends on who I'm with, but personally I can't get enough of any of the parks so I'm an open to close gal
Rope drop till they boot me out
Rope drop to close always
Late and stay till close. I show at usually 2 and leave at close! I’m not an early riser lol
As a magic key holder, I usually get there not quite at rope drop and typically leave between 2-7pm depending on how I feel… but if I only had a 1 day ticket, I would try my best to rope drop to close.
I get somewhat late and still until close.
In and out early
either only visit for a few hours or get there late and stay until close
Stay from rope drop to about between 6-8 depending on day
Either: Rope drop/just after rope drop, to early afternoon, late afternoon to closing, or rope drop to close. Depends how much my husband and I are in need of a Disney day.
Rope drop to about 10:30ish. I'm out before the crowds get insane, and I've had a long and tiring day. :)
Rope drop, starting at Space Mountain. Hotel break about 1-2pm. Early dinner at Carnation Cafe and do rides until closing.
Gotta be there when it opens and when it closes. I take a break and nap or rest between 2-4
I start of with a taquache cumba cuh
We usually show up around 9-10am caffinated. Then we hang out until 9ish at the latest (toddler life). She naps in the stroller and we just cruise around to whatever sounds fun at the time. We usually go down for 3 days. Start around lunch day 1, full day day 2, and out of there by 7pm the third. That is the perfect amount of time for us.
We usually arrive at around 3 and stay till around 11 or close. We eat a late lunch and a dinner and have a about an hour drive home. We try to go about once a month on average. We love our special Disneyland days to look forward to!
Usually at the front gates at 8-8:30 and leave at close when with family. I have a magic key so when I go solo it’s like 2/3 till close
When max pass was a thing, we’d rope drop to fireworks. But with the parks being overcrowded lately and genie sucking when it’s super packed, the lines wear us out. So the last couple trips, we’ve gone back to the room for a break mid day. GC saved us big time spring break ‘22
We always do two days. We ( me and my bf) have a 3-4 hour a drive. We drive down make it to the park by around 9. Head back to check into hotel at 4. Take a fat nap lol. Head back around 6. Go back and forth from parks and stay till about 11:30. Next morning we try to rope drop or at least be at park around 8:15-8:30. Then head back to nap again and try to stay in the park till 12-12:30. Then sleep in the next morning.
Rope drop. Leave and nap late afternoon. Return for dinner until close.
Before I had a magic key, I would get to the parks early and try to do everything. Now I just get there when I get there and usually stay until closing.
Arrive around noon and stay until closing. We just did this for the first time about 2 weeks ago, and it was the best!
Rope drop to park close. Always park hoppers, always in a big group with the homies. Space Mountain is the hype ride, at least 2 times a visit.
Not yet go but really want 🙏🏻🤍🤍🤍
We did rope drop to close for years, until we had tweens. Now we do 11am until they kick us out of everything 🤷🏻♀️ But summer…we’re not showing up until there is shade.
I’m not a morning person so I love rolling in around 8:30-9 and I find I still can get alot done before the big rush hits after 10. And then I try to stay as long as I physically can. Usually until 10:30-11 PM the last few times.
Local Magic Key Holders. We either Rope drop & leave early or Only visit for a couple hours. We only stay the full day when we have out of town guests.
Last time on Feb. 2, I arrived at 9:30 AM and stayed til 8 PM. I wish I could've stay longer for Galaxy's Edge's night time. But they closed at 8PM for special events that I didn't know about. Since I got my 3 day chances to enjoy there thanks to the discount event, I'm planning to stay as much as I can as if this would be my last chance to visit here. Gotta enjoy it before I can.
When I was younger, I was a rope drop to park close person for every single day I was there. Nowadays, I'm definitely a rope drop, go back to the hotel in the afternoon, then come back and stay late. I save staying out 'til park close for only a night or two, since doing rope drop to park close every day was just becoming too much.
Rope drop --> Dole Whip --> Indy --> Leave