ToT and RnR Crowds at Rope Drop in HS

bozley0621

Mouseketeer on the edge.
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
We will be at HS on May 3. We will do TSL that evening, and will RD ToT and RnR. Has anyone noticed the wait times on either of these in the first hour of park opening? For what it’s worth, the plan of the day for Hubbs and I is (clearly, the goal is as many rides as possible b/t the two in the first hour :D):

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Rock n’ Roller Coaster
Rock n’ Roller Coaster (FP 10:05-11:05)
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy
Star Tours
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (FP 12:15-1:15)

Break and then
Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White 4:30

Alien Swirling Saucers
Slinky Dog Dash (FP 7:05 - 8:05)
Toy Story Mania
 
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all I can tell you that on an emh am on our mid Dec. 2018 trip both were not busy, It was crazy n toy story land. At app 8:30 am there was a 4 hr wait for slinky dog and a walk on for toy story mania
 
we went a few times in the first hour before TSL opened (April 2018) and it was low wait (10-20 min tops) for both the first hour but one of the days RnR was down at open- I hear it's quite frequent for RnR to be down so I'm glad you're also planning on a FP+. We would go straight to RnR and do it 2-3 times - DD isn't much into TOT but I noticed the waits were low. I'd expect with TSL it's even more dead over there now. Wonder how SWGE will affect the open - I'd think many will mob SWGE & TSL but overall there will be more crowds so everything may be impacted at open.
 
Its a little bit busier on mornings with early morning magic because of everyone getting the hell out TSL when the rope drop crowd arrives but on any morning, waits will be very minimal. Because of the length of time involved with ToT Id probably do RnR first but thats just me. Two rides on ToT could you put walking into standby of RnR 30 minutes after you've first walked to ToT.
 


Because of the length of time involved with ToT Id probably do RnR first but thats just me. Two rides on ToT could you put walking into standby of RnR 30 minutes after you've first walked to ToT.

Good point, we’ll do a spin on RnR first.
 
Last May I did RnR 3 times, ToT 3 times, and Star Tours all in less than an hour at rope drop. I did RnR first. The crowds were super light in early May last year.

This is the kind of scenario that I’m hoping for!

I could even do without Star Tours. I’m not a Star Wars fan and this is the only ride that has ever given me slight motion sickness (Tea Cups at full speed don’t bother me in the slightest). But Hubbs appreciates one ride without a desire for repeats, so I can oblige.
 


We were there on a super busy morning, so hopefully you have better luck—we got to RnR towards the back of the first wave of rope droppers and it was a 20 minute wait, ToT at that point was 10 I think. By the time we got off RnR ToT was up to 30 or so. I didn’t check often, but ToT was seeing waits of 75+ when I did look later that day.

Your dinner and TSL timing might be tight, though? We ended up canceling our storybook reservation because most reviews mentioned that it’s a solid two hour meal and that’s too long for my kids right now. Hopefully that early they seat you quickly, but it could be 6:30-7:00 by the time you finish. What’s your transportation plan? Are you willing to skip AS2 if needed to get to your SDD FP?
 
Also keep in mind that for the foreseeable future (as far as I know they haven't announced an end date), TOT is operating at half capacity, so the waits there are going to build more quickly than usual and fewer FPs being distributed could shuffle a few (probably not that many) more rope droppers in that direction.
 
Last May I did RnR 3 times, ToT 3 times, and Star Tours all in less than an hour at rope drop. I did RnR first. The crowds were super light in early May last year.

This exactly for us last May (well it was actually the last day or 2 in April that we hit DHS). DD and DH went on RNR 4 times within about an hour with only one of those being an FP. ToT was not a priority for them so they just did one time on it with FP. I would definitely hit RNR once before ToT but then check on the wait times before doing another.
 
I would do RNRC first. You can do it twice with very minimal wait if you're towards the front of rope drop. Most the people go towards TSL so you should easily be towards the front if you get there around 20-30 minutes before opening. When we were there in January, we rode it, went to TOT, then looked back at RNRC and at around 8:20 after riding TOT (it was EMH) it was already up to near an hour (can't remember if it was 45 or 60). We could have done it twice (which we did the last time we were there), then over to TOT twice easily. Then go back to RNRC for your FP.
 
On an EMH morning, RnRC and ToT will be busier as the EMH crowd will be headed there as the masses flood TSL.
On a normal morning, RnRC and ToT were not busy.
Last fall we did TSL at RD. Finished all 3 rides by 9:15 and had walked around the land. Walked over to RnRC. Had a 10 minute wait in the standby line. ToT was similar.
 
So I did RNR and then TOT at RD recently. I actually used an anytime FP on the second TOT ride because the line was at 30 minutes. I think RNR fills up faster and the SR line works really well in the morning. I wish I had known about using it as I saw two people get in line twice in the time I was waiting to go once.
TOT seems to fill a little less quickly, but even at RD both took longer than I thought they were going to.
 
In September, my mom and I rode TOT 5 times and RnR twice (once with a fast pass) within 1 hour and 10 minutes of park opening!
 
I'm also wondering about ToT waits at rope drop, now that only one side is operational. On my FP day, the earliest time available was 1:35 at 60+1, so I'm hoping to hit it first thing at rope drop and then head to my 9AM FP at RnR.
 
What are the odds that becomes 2TS in the not-too-distant future? (AKA "Le Cellier Syndrome")

Right now, Storybook Dining is $55 and one credit, whereas BOG dinner is only $5 more and requires two credits.

I'm also wondering about ToT waits at rope drop, now that only one side is operational.

Is the side down for routine maintenance or is it a bigger issue?
 
Is the side down for routine maintenance or is it a bigger issue?

They are doing a refurb. But just one side at a time so that they don't have to take the whole thing out of rotation. So when that first side is done they'll swap and do the other side.
 
can not speak for everyday... but they both have been minimal wait times when I have gone.... opened at 8 went on Slinky dog (which I could skip) waited a long time walked to RR went on twice walked to TOT went on once... went back on RR was going to go back on TOT but the wait was around 20 or 25 minutes around 10.... no fast passes involved.... we had them for a different park in the afternoon... have done the similar 2 years in a row minus slinky dog.
 

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