Disneyland Resort · Rope Drop

Disneyland Rope Drop

Rope drop at Disneyland means arriving before the official opening so you can ride the headliners while waits are at their lowest. Plan to be at the gate by about 12:30 AM, 30 to 45 minutes before the posted open. The best ride to rope drop here is Tiana's Bayou Adventure, where being there at opening typically saves about 52 minutes versus riding it late morning.

Updated

Be here at opening and skip roughly 52 minutes on Tiana's Bayou Adventure alone.

Your Disneyland morning plan

Pick how you like to play. Each plan is the most line-savings in a walkable order.

Arrive by 12:30 AM about 30 to 45 minutes before opening
  1. 1
    Tiana's Bayou Adventure Bayou Country

    The single biggest line-saver here. Riding now skips about 52 minutes versus late morning.

    +52min saved
  2. 2
    Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin Mickey's Toontown

    Right here in Mickey's Toontown, ride it before the wait climbs toward 40 minutes.

    +35min saved
  3. 3

    Right here in Mickey's Toontown, ride it before the wait climbs toward 32 minutes.

    +27min saved
  4. 4
    Chip 'n' Dale's GADGETcoaster Mickey's Toontown

    Right here in Mickey's Toontown, ride it before the wait climbs toward 26 minutes.

    +21min saved

This morning skips about 135 minutes of standby line.

Arrive by 12:30 AM about 30 to 45 minutes before opening
  1. 1
    Tiana's Bayou Adventure Bayou Country

    The single biggest line-saver here. Riding now skips about 52 minutes versus late morning.

    +52min saved
  2. 2
    Matterhorn Bobsleds Fantasyland

    Right here in Fantasyland, ride it before the wait climbs toward 37 minutes.

    +27min saved
  3. 3
    Chip 'n' Dale's GADGETcoaster Mickey's Toontown

    Right here in Mickey's Toontown, ride it before the wait climbs toward 26 minutes.

    +21min saved
  4. 4
    Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

    Right here in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, ride it before the wait climbs toward 25 minutes.

    +20min saved

This morning skips about 120 minutes of standby line.

Arrive by 12:30 AM about 30 to 45 minutes before opening
  1. 1
    Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin Mickey's Toontown

    The single biggest line-saver here. Riding now skips about 35 minutes versus late morning.

    +35min saved
  2. 2

    Right here in Mickey's Toontown, ride it before the wait climbs toward 32 minutes.

    +27min saved
  3. 3
    Chip 'n' Dale's GADGETcoaster Mickey's Toontown

    Right here in Mickey's Toontown, ride it before the wait climbs toward 26 minutes.

    +21min saved
  4. 4
    Astro Orbitor Tomorrowland

    Right here in Tomorrowland, ride it before the wait climbs toward 29 minutes.

    +24min saved

This morning skips about 107 minutes of standby line.

The wave you are beating

At rope drop Tiana's Bayou Adventure sits near 5 minutes. By late morning it climbs toward 57. Rope drop puts you on it while the park is still filling.

Best rides to rope drop at Disneyland

Ranked by the minutes you save riding at opening instead of late morning.

1 Tiana's Bayou Adventure 5 to 57 min save ~52
2 Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin 5 to 40 min save ~35
3 Matterhorn Bobsleds 10 to 37 min save ~27
4 Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway 5 to 32 min save ~27
5 Astro Orbitor 5 to 29 min save ~24
6 Dumbo the Flying Elephant 5 to 28 min save ~23
7 Chip 'n' Dale's GADGETcoaster 5 to 26 min save ~21
8 Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run 5 to 25 min save ~20

Rope drop at Disneyland, answered

Is rope drop worth it at Disneyland?

Yes. Tiana's Bayou Adventure alone typically swings from about 5 minutes at opening to about 57 minutes later, so rope drop can save roughly 52 minutes on that ride and stack more savings on the next two.

What time is rope drop at Disneyland?

Plan to be at the gate by about 12:30 AM, roughly 30 to 45 minutes before the posted opening. Walking in right as the park opens is what lets you reach the first headliner before the line forms.

Is rope drop the same as early entry at Disneyland?

No. Early entry is a perk that lets eligible resort or ticket guests in before the official opening. Rope drop just means arriving for the regular opening. They stack, so eligible guests can do early entry and still rope drop the next ride.

Do you have to pay to rope drop at Disneyland?

No. Rope drop is free. It only means arriving early for the normal opening time with everyone else. The paid or resort version of arriving early is early entry, which is a separate thing.

What is the best ride to rope drop at Disneyland?

The best ride to rope drop at Disneyland is Tiana's Bayou Adventure, which typically saves about 52 minutes when you ride it at opening, followed by Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin. Riding the steepest line-climbers first is where rope drop saves the most time.

Wait-time insights from Rope Drop News · unofficial, not affiliated with Disney.