Disney World is constantly changing, and soon there will be some things to watch out for at Magic Kingdom!

In 2026, we have already seen an entire land permanently close, rides go down for refurbishment, and construction feels like it’s everywhere at Disney World. As things change, guests need to adapt and change their plans and traditions to still get the most out of their vacation — even in the middle of changes.

In 2025, Magic Kingdom’s Early Theme Park Entry process changed.  Rope Drop is a major way to help your Disney trip when it comes to maximizing. Rope dropping is when you go to the parks before they open to get in line so you can hop right on the rides as soon as the parks open. This can help save you tons of time for popular rides around Disney World, and we have put it to the test many times over the years.

Early Theme Park Entry is a perk that Disney resort guests get, and it grants them an extra 3o minutes in the mornings inside the park. In Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland open early so resort guests can enjoy the rides before anyone else.

Early Entry guests can get in line in those three lands to wait until the rides open at the park. So, say early entry begins at 8:30 AM, the rides in those three lands will still open at 9 AM, but resort guests can get in line for them before anyone else. A great example of this is Tron Lightcycle/Run (which is in Tomorrowland but not included in Early Entry.)

This also had an impact on non-resort guests as well. TRON’s rope drop line will have 30 minutes of guests waiting before non-resort guests can get in line, making the wait time pretty high early in the mornings and not really worth your rope drop time. 

Soon, there will be even more changes to rope drop as Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin will reopen on April 8th and will be a part of Early Entry. When this reopens, many resort guests are likely going to take advantage of riding this during Early Entry, so you might want to head to it first.

That’s not the only ride coming back to the Magic Kingdom lineup! Disney has revealed that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen with new magic and the shine and polish of an all-over refurbishment in early May! While an exact reopening date has still not been announced, we’re thrilled to know that we won’t have to wait all summer to experience this ride once again. However, this is in Frontierland, which is closed for Early Entry. You’ll want to be sure to remember that when it reopens, so you don’t “waste” 30 minutes by waiting on there just to ride it with everyone else. Instead, we suggest booking a Lightning Lane for it if you plan on purchasing Multi Pass.

To make the most out of Early Entry, we have a few tips for you. Be sure to arrive before Early Entry starts. You can go through security, scan in to the park, and be ready to go by the official start time of the perk. You don’t want to just arrive at the park at the start.

Next, is to have your priorities in order. Know what your goals are (resort guest or not) and be willing to adjust if one wait time is already a bit too high. You don’t want to waste time trying to get every member of your party on the same page on what to ride there.

Third, is to have all of your information ready. When it comes to Tron during rope drop, for resort guests it can be a great bet! You might not be able to ride the ride until 9 AM but you can get in line at 8:30 AM and, according to Cast Members, you can start putting your things in the lockers at 8:45 AM. This means you might be ready to hop on those lightcycles as soon as the clocks strike 9 AM.

Another recommendation for non-resort guests is to consider choosing Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for your rope drop choice. If you aren’t going the Adventureland route and you want to go on a coaster first thing, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train operates during early entry, so when it’s time for you to head into the parks, this ride won’t have as long a line started by resort guests. It might still be long, but not as long as Tron.

Finally, a tip for everyone who is spending an early morning at Magic Kingdom — eat ahead of time. If you’re like me, you get in the zone at rope drop, and you’re solely focused on getting rides done that you forget to eat! I recommend eating a snack in your hotel room before heading to the parks and then Mobile Order breakfast to have it ready for when things slow down.

If this all feels like too much to remember, you can also consider using a travel agent! If you don’t want to go through all of the stress of booking your Disney World trip alone, you can reach out to our friends at Small World Vacations!

Their experienced agents monitor your reservation for possible future savings, compare discounts, and figure out which one works best for your travel party, dates, resort, and touring plans. And, they share expert tips and first-hand advice with you about your magical vacation!

Rope drop can feel stressful, but it doesn’t have to be! Make your goals and priorities list so you can enjoy the magic while you’re in the parks. As always, be sure to keep following DFB for more Disney tips and tricks.

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Do you have any personal “rules” you follow for rope drop? Tell us in the comments below!