Many guests are unaware that there is a second rope drop at Disneyland each day. This lesser-known opportunity is a great strategy for getting on popular rides with minimal wait times without purchasing Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
We’ve done this second rope drop at Disneyland many times, and it’s our favorite way to get on these specific rides with low wait times, especially at a time when the park feels empty. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including the return of two popular guest experiences and a surprisingly weird rule for Disney’s most expensive photos.
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Disneyland’s Secret Second Rope Drop
Disneyland rope drop is the unofficial term guests use for the moment when the parks open for the day and guests are allowed to experience the rides for the first time. The term comes from the literal ropes cast members use to block off walkways, and then they lower them to allow guests to proceed to the attractions.
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Rope drop is the best part of the day because this is the first time guests can get in line for popular rides without any wait, as they’ve just opened for the day. Rope drop usually takes place in the morning, but there is actually a second Disneyland rope drop of the day that happens after the fireworks end in Fantasyland.
Disneyland closes most of Fantasyland before the fireworks show, which typically takes place around 9:30 PM Friday through Sunday and daily during peak times of the year, including the summer months and the holiday season. These rides in Fantasyland only close during the fireworks show, not for the projection show, which takes place on weekdays during most of the year. This creates a second Disneyland rope drop for Fantasyland.
Fantasyland includes one of the most popular rides at Disneyland, Peter Pan’s Flight, which has consistently long lines throughout the day. This is also a ride that does not offer Lightning Lane, which just further creates the need to consider strategies to experience the ride with lower wait times. Other rides in this area of Fantasyland that are closed during the fireworks include Alice in Wonderland, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Snow White’s Enchanted Wish, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, and King Arthur Carrousel.
How Disneyland’s Second Rope Drop Works
Fantasyland will reopen about 15 minutes after the fireworks show ends, and guests will start gathering to rope drop this land again long before that time. To join this second rope drop, you need to go to the back entrance of Fantasyland past the Mad Tea Party. That is where you will see the area roped off and crowds beginning to gather.
If the crowds are large that particular night, cast members will actually start forming a line for Peter Pan’s Flight near Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. They will only allow 50 or so people in line before they close it off, and then cast members will escort that line to Peter Pan and start loading this group first. Once that line has been led over the queue, they will drop the rope for everyone else to access the land!
If the crowds aren’t too bad, the rope will act as a regular rope drop experience with cast members dropping the rope and crowds being allowed to freely go towards Peter Pan’s Flight without forming a line first.
After taking advantage of this shorter wait for Peter Pan’s Flight, especially without the stress of the sun in a typically unshaded queue, check the app to see what the longest line in the park is. Save that attraction, which is usually Space Mountain, for right before park closing. The other open attractions in Fantasyland will likely all be walk-ons, as Peter Pan’s Flight is usually where most of this crowd goes to.
If time allows after Fantasyland, head towards the area of Disneyland where Frontierland, Adventureland, and New Orleans Square are. This side of the park clears out the fastest at night. This is when you can enjoy the lowest wait times for Big Thunder Mountain, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Haunted Mansion, which are all classic Disney favorites.
You can also eye the queue for Indiana Jones Adventure to see if you can see anyone in line outside. If you can’t, that means using a Lightning Lane for this attraction is useless, as the entire line is inside the temple. This attraction is often like this for the last hour of the park being open.
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I always recommend saving Space Mountain for right before the park closes. Get in line just five minutes before Disneyland closes to end the night with this attraction, which stays popular in the evenings since it’s such a draw for teens and adults.
Of course, you can swap out any of these rides with any others you want to prioritize. One of the best parts of doing the second Disneyland rope drop is how flexible it is. Most of the rides will be at their lowest wait times of the day or at least close to what they are in the mornings before crowds arrive.
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