Are you ready to experience the Animal Kingdom Rope Drop? I recently rope-dropped Animal Kingdom while staying at Caribbean Beach Resort, so today, I want to share my tips on my experience. I will also share popular strategies for you to consider for your next Walt Disney World vacation.
I am not a morning person and prefer to sleep in. Of course, I married an early bird who can’t wait to get to the parks as early as possible. My husband convinced me to try rope drop a year and a half ago. It was worth getting up early, even for me.
I suggest trying out rope drop, even if you think you will hate getting up early as much as I do.
Animal Kingdom Rope Drop Planning Guide
With some strategic planning, you can enjoy some of the most popular rides first thing in the morning, before dining on unique foods and stunning drinks later in the day.
Animal Kingdom Lands You Will Want to Visit First Thing
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a theme park full of lush nature, amazing animal trails, and thrilling rides. This is geographically the biggest of the Disney World parks. Animal Kingdom contains a fantastic mixture of rides, shows, and animal encounters.
Pandora: The World of Avatar
Animal Kingdom is home to the spectacular Pandora: The World of Avatar. Become fully immersed in the stunning and otherworldly landscape of Mo’ara Valley. Many people rush to this land first to ride Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey.
Africa and Asia
Journey through Africa and Asia and marvel at the sights and sounds of these lands. See The Festival of the Lion King show, and take a safari journey to spot some incredible animals. Be thrilled on Expedition Everest, and prepare to get wet on Kali River Rapids!
Expedition Everest doesn’t have much of a wait at park opening. A great time to ride Kilimanjaro Safaris is also at park opening, it is cooler and the animals are more active. Later in the day there are long waits for this ride and it can be hot!
Dinoland U.S.A.
Dinoland U.S.A is closing on January 12, 2025 to make room for the brand new Tropical Americas-themed land, Pueblo Esperanza. Disney has announced that Dinosaur will be open through 2025. They stated that “2025 is your year to visit before it goes extinct!”
Dinosaur will be replaced with a brand new Indiana Jones Ride, so if you love the nostalgia of Dinosaur you may want to consider rope dropping for this ride as well.
Discovery Island
You also cannot miss the iconic Tree of Life on Discovery Island. This gigantic tree sits in the middle of the park, making it a handy point to navigate your way around the park. First thing in the morning is the best time to get photos without a lot of people in them.
The Tree of Life is also the home to the It’s Tough To Be A Bug! show. This rarely has a wait, so we do not suggest rope dropping this show. Be sure to closely examine The Tree of Life to see all the different animals carved into this impressive work of art.
With so much to explore to get the most out of your day at Animal Kingdom, you may want to rope drop this park. This will allow you to have extra time in the park that many people don’t know about!
We could walk on to a few rides right away, and we rode everything we wanted to by 11 am! It opens the day up and lets you get more out of your vacation. We got to experience a few things we never would have had time for if we were waiting in the long lines in the middle of the day.
What is Rope Drop? (Frequently Asked Questions)
So what exactly is rope drop, and how can this insider tip help you maximize the magic during your visit?
Rope drop is a Disney term for being at the park when the gates open. People in the know understand the secret is that the gates usually open before the listed time!
The official park opening time is when the rides start operating, not when the park opens. Knowing this unpublished information is the best way to maximize your day at Animal Kingdom!
The gates to Animal Kingdom will usually open between 15 to 30 minutes before the listed opening time. This allows people to go through the park to get to the rides when they officially open.
The term rope drop comes from when guests were allowed into the park. The cast members would hold up a rope to stop guests from entering park areas that weren’t yet open.
Although the rope is now very rarely used, the term has forever become part of Disney’s lexicon.
What time does Animal Kingdom Open?
The opening hours for Animal Kingdom vary throughout the year, but usually, the park opens at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. Check out the Disney World website before your trip to see the opening hours for your visit, then make sure you are there 30-60 minutes before the park opening.
What is Early Entry For Disney World Resort Guests?
In 2021, Disney introduced Early Theme Park Entry for their resort guests. People at a Disney World Resort can enter the parks 30 minutes early. This is available in every park, every day!
This new system has replaced Rope Drop and has become an unofficial version of Rope Drop.
Thirty minutes doesn’t seem like a lot of time, but the benefit to this is being in the park before day guests can enter. This means you can head straight to the rides you want to enjoy first and be some of the first people in the queue before others can enter the park! This gives you a massive advantage.
Rides being open for resort guests only means you may even be able to get on some rides before the park opens to everyone else for the day!
To make the best use of the extra time in Animal Kingdom, arrive 30 to 45 minutes before Early Park Entry. You want to be close to the entrance when the gate opens to be some of the first people in the park for the day.
Can I Rope Drop if I Don’t Stay at a Disney Resort?
With the introduction of Early Park Entry, there is no longer a way for people not staying at a Disney World Resort to rope drop. But you can still get ahead of everyone else by arriving early!
You cannot enter the park until the official opening time. You can get through security and start queuing at the gate to make sure you are one of the first people in the park once day guests are allowed in. This is the new way to rope drop if you are staying off-site.
This strategy will save you lots of time and get you ahead of other people who plan to arrive once the park opens. This will still help you to avoid long lines later in the day.
What Time is Rope Drop for Animal Kingdom?
This is one of the most common questions in our Walt Disney World Secrets and Tips Facebook group. When should you plan to get to the park for Early Entry or Rope Drop?
For the exact opening and closing times, visit Disney’s official website.
If you are staying on the property and are eligible for Early Entry, you will want to arrive at the park about 30-60 minutes before Early Entry begins. If you aren’t staying on property, you must arrive 30-60 minutes before the park opening.
What time you will leave your hotel will depend on what method of transportation you plan to take. Check out more information below based on how you will get to Animal Kingdom.
What is the Best Way to Get to Animal Kingdom for Rope Drop?
If you are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, you can use the complimentary transportation and get a bus to Animal Kingdom. Animal Kingdom has no other transportation options, so taking the bus is the only way.
This can mean buses are busier than some of the other Disney World parks as there are no other means for people to get to this park from their resort.
Disney buses start around one hour before the park opens. Be sure to arrive at your resort bus stop early as the buses can get full, particularly for people wanting to rope drop Animal Kingdom. Aim to arrive at the bus stop around 20 to 30 minutes before the day’s first bus to ensure you get a spot on it.
If you don’t manage to get the first bus, don’t panic. The buses run quite frequently so it should not be too long until the next one arrives!
If you will be driving to Animal Kingdom, the parking lot opens around one hour before the park opens. Try not to arrive too early before this as you may have to wait at the booths where you pay. You could even be turned away and asked to return once the parking lot opens.
If you get a taxi, Uber, or Lyft to Animal Kingdom, you can get dropped off around 45 minutes to 1 hour before the park opens.
Why Should You Rope Drop?
The top reason to rope drop is to be some of the first people to get into the queues for the most popular rides. Not only does it save you a lot of time, it may even save you some money too!
- May Save Money – arriving early can help cut down your queue time and save you money as you may not need to pay for Individual Lightning Lane Passes or Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
- Extra Time in the Park – Rope Drop also gives you extra time in the park, with the best part being that other people don’t even know this is possible!
- Saves Time at Bag Check– Another big reason rope drop is a great strategy is that you can save time. Get ahead of the crowd by walking from the transportation and going through bag checks. This will get you close to the front of the gates ahead of opening time.
Top Tips For Rope Drop at Animal Kingdom
Many people will aim to arrive at the park when the gates open as they believe this is what the opening time means. If they arrive at Animal Kingdom at 9 a.m., they must walk from the transportation and go through security, which can add 20 to 30 minutes.
By arriving early, you can get all this out of the way and be at least 20 minutes ahead of everyone else. This results in you having extra time in the park before it is even officially open!
People will start queuing around 30 minutes to an hour before the official opening. If you want to be some of the first people in the park, factor this in.
Avatar Flight of Passage
The ride most people head to first is Avatar Flight of Passage. Flight of Passage will have a long line right from the park opening. If you want to rope drop this ride, make this your first ride and head there quickly. It is the most popular ride in Animal Kingdom and still draws queues that are multiple hours long.
Na’Vi River Journey
After you get off of Flight of Passage you will want to hop on Na’Vi River Journey. It will usually be less than 30 minutes of a wait.
Expedition Everest
Expedition Everest is another super popular ride and is fantastic for roller coaster enthusiasts! Expedition Everest is opposite from Animal Kingdom Park to Flight of Passage. The best strategy is to choose which of these rides you want to rope drop and head straight for that.
Kilamanjaro Safaris
The Safari is a longer ride, so wait times will increase as you are on it. The choice is up to you. The queue is faster for Expedition Everest, so you can ride the safari, then Everest, then head over to Dinosaur and you have knocked out the most popular rides first thing in the morning!
Map of Animal Kingdom
Before you decide to Rope-drop any of Disney’s parks, you should familiarize yourself with the map before the park opens. People are serious about Rope Drop, and I’ve seen folks run to attractions like it’s Black Friday at Walmart with a big-screen TV on the line.
Once you enter Animal Kingdom, walk forward until you come to the Tree of Life. You will then want to take the left path leading to Pandora if you want to ride Flight of Passage first.
You will want to be at the park entrance about an hour before to make this your first ride. This ride is one of the individual lightning lanes you can purchase by itself, so that is another great option if it fits your budget.
Two of the best rides to rope drop are Expedition Everest and Kilimanjaro Safari. These two rides have long daily queues, but most guests will first go to Fight of Passage.
While everyone else runs to Flight of Passage, you can ride both quickly. You can get ahead of the crowd and queue for these attractions with a shorter queue time. Kilimanjaro Safari is also a great ride in the morning when the animals are the most active before the day gets too hot.
If Expedition Everest is the one for you, when you get to The Tree Of Life, take the right path to Dinoland U.S.A. You will follow this path, keeping the lake and Kite Tails theatre on your left side. If you follow this path, you will come to Expedition Everest!
Kilimanjaro Safari is located right at the back of the park. When you get to The Tree Of Life follow the path that leads to the left-hand side of this landmark and continue walking forward towards the back of the park. This is where you will find the entrance to Kilimanjaro Safari.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass
In Fall 2021 Disney World introduced Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane Passes. In July of 2024, Disney Genie+ was renamed Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Individual Lightning Lane is now called Lightning Lane Single Pass.
These systems allow you to pay to skip the queue for your favorite rides and shows. With Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you may book up to 3 Lightning Lanes in advance of your visit. Pricing for Lightning Lane passes varies by date and theme park or attraction. Pricing is always higher during holidays and peak park days.
The rides and attractions in Animal Kingdom that are included in Lightning Lane Multi Pass are:
- Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King
- DINOSAUR
- Feathered Friends in Flight!
- Avatar Flight of Pasage
- Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
- It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
- Kali River Rapids
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Na’vi River Journey
Purchasing Lightning Lane Multi Pass may change your rope drop plan. If you have managed to get a return time for one of the rides listed above, you will want to head to a different ride to take advantage of the shorter wait time at rope drop. It’s a win-win situation and can help you get the most out of your day!
Some people will purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass to cut the long wait times. The individual lightning lane passes can change and are often the most popular rides for Disney Parks.
Lightning Lane Single Pass can be purchased per ride on the My Disney Experience App at 7:00 AM Eastern Time on their first day of eligibility. If you are staying at a Disney Resort you can purchase and select your ride 7 days in advance, all other guests with tickets can purchase 3 days in advance.
It is a good idea to purchase right at 7 a.m. for these as they tend to book up fast!
Do you need to buy a Lightning Lane Pass?
You do not need to buy Lightning Lane Multi Pass or a Lightning Lane Single Pass to have a fantastic time at Animal Kingdom! These are optional extras for people who want a shorter queuing experience. One of the big benefits of rope drop is that you can head to the rides that draw the biggest wait times and be one of the first people in the queue, which reduces the time you spend waiting.
This can mean you do not need to spend money on these features. Not only can rope drop save you time, but it can also save you money!
More Animal Kingdom Rope Drop Tips
There are lots of other amazing things that you can do first thing in the morning at Animal Kingdom, other than the popular rides.
Animal Trails
If rides aren’t your thing, then visit the animal trails during your bonus rope drop time to see the animals on the cooler day. This is when they are more active and easier to spot! Just like humans, when the Florida sun is at its hottest, they like to retreat to shadier and cooler areas, so early in the morning is a great time to be a wilderness explorer and see the awesome animals at Animal Kingdom.
Great Photo Opportunities
If you get to the park for rope drop first thing in the morning, this is also a great time to take photos when the parks are quiet. Animal Kingdom is a beautiful Disney Park with many amazing photo spots to take photos to keep as memories of your visit.
Early Morning Dining
To start your day off the Disney way, consider booking one of the early breakfast dining reservations nearby. You can fuel up at the incredible Boma in Animal Kingdom Lodge. This resort is just a bus ride from Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Boma is a buffet packed full of incredible African and American fare.
The less popular Rainforest Café is located right at the entrance to Animal Kingdom! These locations are close to the park and a great way to start your day!
If you want to dine inside the park, consider the fun character breakfast at Tusker House Restaurant in Africa.
Final Thoughts
Animal Kingdom is one of the most unique and spectacular parks at Disney World. Now that you know all about these insider tips, the best way to rope drop, and how to get the most out of your day at Animal Kingdom, you can experience your best day ever!
If you’re looking for other Rope Drop Strategies for Early Entry to other Disney Parks, check out the guide I put together below:
