For years, rope dropping — arriving at a Walt Disney World theme park to be there in time for Cast Members to literally drop the rope and allow guests to rush to their attraction of choice — has been an integral part of many guests’ vacation plans.

However, there are a couple of annoying rope drop issues that can ruin your morning… if you’re not prepared.

Have a Backup Ride Plan

For many, the primary goal of rope dropping is to rush immediately to Disney World’s busiest rides — think TRON Lightcycle/Run, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Slinky Dog Dash — to attempt to jump in line before they balloon to their usual wait times.

Many guests will build their whole rope drop strategy around getting to their tip-top ride of choice. The only issue? Rides go down, and sometimes never open for the day. Take Rise of the Resistance. This mega-popular Star Wars attraction may be the most advanced masterpiece of modern Imagineering. The multiple-part experience features animatronics, several ride systems, and trackless vehicles.

However, thanks to all those elements, the ride sees long wait times when operational and significant downtime, especially compared to other major attractions.

If you find yourself rushing to Hollywood Studios only to find Rise of the Resistance shuttered at rope drop, you can instead get your Star Wars fix on Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run or Star Tours: The Adventure Continues.

Early Entry Guests

Even if you find the ride you wished to rope drop open, you may also discover it already has a long line. How can that be? Two words: Early Entry. Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels (and select other hotels) can take advantage of a 30 Minute Early entry into each of Walt Disney World’s theme parks every day of their stay (including check-in and check-out days), so they have a chance to head to select in-demand attractions a half an hour before.

If you find yourself rope-dropping a Disney World hotel without having access to Early Entry, your best bet may be to look over the list of Early Entry-eligible attractions at your park of choice and avoid attempting to rope drop one of them if possible.

Attractions currently available for Early Entry include:

Magic Kingdom Park

• “it’s a small world”
• Astro Orbiter
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant
• Mad Tea Party
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Space Mountain
• The Barnstormer
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Tomorrowland Speedway
• Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
• Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

EPCOT

• Frozen Ever After
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
• Mission: SPACE
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Soarin’
• Spaceship Earth
• Test Track
• The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
• Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
• Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets – Opening May 26th
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Toy Story Mania!

Animal Kingdom

• Avatar Flight of Passage
• Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
• Na’vi River Journey
• Zootopia: Better Zoogether!

Next time you’re planning to rope drop a Walt Disney World theme park, be sure to keep these tips in mind so minor annoyances don’t lead to a major morning meltdown. Stay tuned to DFB for more tips on visiting the “Most Magical Place on Earth.”

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What’s your rope drop strategy? Let us know in the comments below.