food IS a theme park
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.
Rope drop crowds!
However, there are a couple of annoying rope drop issues that can ruin your morning… if you’re not prepared.
Hotels have been a major part of the Walt Disney World experience since the Magic Kingdom opened back in 1971, and hotel guests have always had access to numerous perks while staying on property, ranging from transportation to dining and park access.
Art of Animation
That tradition continues to this day, and guests checking into Disney World hotels in May will find some major new, returning, and limited-time changes!
Staying at a Disney World hotel comes with tons of perks! We love the convenient location and transportation, along with access to early booking for Lightning Lanes and dining reservations, and so much more. Of course, just staying in the Disney bubble with gorgeous theming and fantastic service is always an added benefit.
Magic Kingdom Early Entry
One of our favorite perks is Early Entry, which is where we get extra time in the theme parks, but Disney is making some changes to the program you need to know before you book your hotel.
Early Entry is one of Disney’s most POPULAR perks, and it’s about to expand!
Early entry sign!
A quick refresh on Early Entry before we begin: 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). Now that’s out of the way, let’s move on to what’s changing!
Early Theme Park Entry at Disney World can be a total game-changer!
Early entry sign!
If you’re staying at a Disney World hotel, you have access to this extra benefit that allows an additional 30 minutes in the theme parks every morning — which can make a huge difference. But, if you’re heading to Early Entry at Magic Kingdom soon, you need to know that something has changed!
Disney World is constantly changing, and soon there will be some things to watch out for at Magic Kingdom!
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.
Disney has wasted no time getting started on the transformation of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios from Aerosmith to The Muppets (two equal giants in the rock world, obviously), and we’ve been keeping up with all the progress.
©Disney
It was recently confirmed that the new ride will be a Lightning Lane Multi Pass option once it opens later this summer, but now we know a little bit more about how the ride will operate — especially when it comes to Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours!
The Flower & Garden Festival has hit EPCOT, and the whole park is decked out with bright and colorful flowers, with tons of topiaries and a bunch of people. Wait, a bunch of people?
We’re in the merchandise rope-drop line!
The first day of every EPCOT festival always welcomes so many guests, happy to get in on the fun. Because of these crowds, Disney decided to try a new system, and well, it didn’t quite work.
For many Walt Disney World guests — especially the early birds — rope dropping the Magic Kingdom (AKA arriving at the park in time to enter as soon as it opens, literally as Cast Members drop the entry rope) is a major mission each trip.
Rope Drop crowds!
Now, the goals of rope dropping are to get into the park as quickly as possible and, in turn, get to some of the busiest attractions at the park before the crowds descend. Which brings us to the mistake that many attempted rope droppers make…
Our DFB team loves sharing our best hacks and tips with you to help you become Disney World pros and make your vacations a bit easier.
Cinderella’s Castle
Our team doesn’t just repeat common advice, but we actually test it. We spend countless days in Magic Kingdom tracking wait time patterns, transportation timing, dining options, and Lightning Lane advice, so you don’t have to learn the hard way. These tips are aimed at saving you time and stress and making your Magic Kingdom day better!
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