Complete Guide to 2024 Hollywood Studios Rope Drop

Complete Guide to 2024 Hollywood Studios Rope Drop

Complete Guide to 2024 Hollywood Studios Rope Drop

This article is your complete guide on how to take advantage of the 2024 Hollywood Studios rope drop, or as it’s turning into a rope drop for Star Wars rise of the resistance! And we haven’t spent much time talking about rope dropping in a while however with the addition of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge as well as the very popular Toy Story Land Disney’s Hollywood Studios is very much a quality-over-quantity type of park. Not to mention the newest addition of the Disney Genie+ which has changed the way many families are rope-dropping at Hollywood Studios in 2024.

In this post we are going to break down why it’s more important now than ever before to take advantage of Hollywood Studios rope drop, including the best time to arrive, what attractions are available, and if you should rope drop Rise of the Resistance or Runaway Railway first. So if you’re ready to learn all about rope-dropping Hollywood Studios read on!

We hope you find this post helpful, and if you are planning a trip to Disney World be sure to check out our other FREE vacation planning tools. Our goal at The Park Prodigy has always been to help you save time on your next vacation and find the cheapest Walt Disney World vacation packages! So if you’re ready to learn about the Disney World Deluxe Resort extra hours read on! 

SPECIAL NOTE: If you’re looking for the best time to visit Disney World check out our Disney Crowd calendar! 

 Disney World Crowd Calendar

 What is Hollywood Studios Rope Drop 2024?

The phrase “rope drop” is one you’ll hear a lot if you are planning a trip to Walt Disney World. Especially if you are trying to get the most out of your time in the parks. Many people don’t realize thatyou can enter all Walt Disney World parks before the “scheduled” opening time. On-site Disney World hotel guests can also now enter any of the four Disney World theme parks a half hour before other park guests.

This has changed the pros and cons of rope dropping at Hollywood Studios significantly which is just another reason why so many families are deciding to book a Walt Disney World vacation package! 

What Time is Rope Drop at Hollywood Studios?

So one of the most common questions we receive is what time is the rope drop at Hollywood Studios? And rope drop at Hollywood Studios is typically 15 minutes – 30 minutes before the park’s opening time. Of course, it is important to note again that although Disney will allow guests into the park during this time there will be a rope blocking guests from going into the main areas of the parks.

Rope drop at Hollywood Studios typically occurs in three phases:

• Turnstile Entrance
• Rope Drop
• Scheduled Park Open

What Are The New Rope Drop Procedures?

As you can imagine Disney is doing its best to keep guests moving and from gathering in large crowds. Guests entering Hollywood studios can still expect to go through security as well as the new health screenings. Even when lines do form, Disney is making sure all guests abide by the socially distancing rules of standing six feet apart.

How Early Should I Get To Hollywood Studios for Rope Drop?

If you are trying to take advantage of everything Hollywood Studios has to offer we recommend arriving 45 minutes – an hour before the normal scheduled park opening. If you are driving and not taking Disney transportation we would say be sure to stay closer to that hour as you will need to prepare time from the parking lot to security.

You and your group must decide if you will be riding Rise Of The Resistance. If you are skipping Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and want to use your Hollywood Studios rope drop to ride Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway or Slinky Dog Dash then you should be able to get away with showing up a half hour in advance.

What time is Hollywood Studios Open 2024?

Hollywood Studios’ opening time will vary based on the day you visit with typical times being 8 AM or 9 AM. It’s important to note that guests staying at a Walt Disney World hotel will have access to the Disney theme parks 30 minutes before the regular opening time which we will cover next.

What time is early entry at Hollywood Studios 2024?

Guests who are staying at a Disney World hotel will have access to the four Disney World theme parks including Disney’s Hollywood Studios 30 minutes before the regular park opening of 8 AM or 9 AM. This early entry for Disney hotel guests also occurs every morning! In our experience with early entry at Hollywood Studios, we were able to get on both Tower of Terror and Rockin’ Roller Coaster in these 30 minutes which was a great start because these are two of the most popular rides!

What time does Hollywood Studios parking open?

Parking at Hollywood Studios typically opens up 45-60 minutes before the regular park opening which is typically 8 AM or 9 AM.

Related Page: Complete Guide to Star Wars Rise of the Resistance 

Why is the Hollywood Studios Rope Drop So Important?

Rope dropping at any of the Disney World parks is important if you truly want to make the most out of your day at Disney. The parks tend to get the most crowded around noon as people start coming in at that time. As you’ll see there are a few reasons why rope dropping at Hollywood Studios is now so important.

Rope drop Hollywood Studios to save time at security

As you probably guessed security at all Walt Disney World theme parks is extremely tight. This will without a doubt add to the amount of time it takes you to get into the park. So if Hollywood Studios opens at 9:00 AM, and you show up at 9 you will most likely be getting into the park sometime after 9:15-9:30. Rope drop allows guests to show up to the theme park before the scheduled park opens, go through security, and then wait on one of the main boulevards for rope drop to occur typically before the scheduled park open.

Ride some of the most popular attractions

As we have been discussing Hollywood Studios is a quality over quantity park. It’s home to some of the most popular rides such as Star Wars Rise of the Resistance, Slinky Dog Dash, and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Showing up early for rope drop at Hollywood Studios will allow you to ride one or two of the most popular rides before other guests get to the park.

Avoid paying for Disney Genie+ when you Rope Drop

The newest feature to come to Walt Disney World is a paid ad called Disney Genie+. This has changed the game as there are no longer any free fast passes. However, even with this new feature, it is still tough to grab a lightning lane reservation for some of the most popular rides such as Slinky Dog Dash. Rope dropping at Hollywood Studios will give you the best chance to get on rides like Slinky Dog and Mickey and Minnie’s.

Related Post: Individual Lightning Lane Rides

Should You Rope Drop Rise of the Resistance 2024

Next, let’s take a look at one of the most important questions within this topic and that is, can you rope drop Rise of the Resistance? And, yes you absolutely can rope drop Rise of the Resistance during your morning at Hollywood Studios as this ride is no longer operating through a virtual boarding pass system. However, it’s important to keep in mind that Rise of The Resistance is the most popular attraction in all of Walt Disney World, and for good reason. With that being said, it will alter your entire day if you are trying to ride as it can also have some of the longest wait times. This complicates things for two reasons, and as you’ll see on-site Walt Disney World guests have an advantage when it comes to trying to rope drop rise of the resistance. Below we are going to outweigh the pros and cons of rope-dropping Star Wars Rise of the Resistance for both on-site Disney World guests and off-site guests.

Pros for Star Wars Rise of the Resistance Rope Drop For On-site Guests

• An obvious pro for guests staying at a Walt Disney World resort is they will have access to Disney’s Hollywood Studios a half hour before other park guests. This will give them a head start as they try to tackle one of the most popular rides in Disney World.
• A second pro is for guests looking to upgrade to use the Disney Genie+ premium selection. On-site Disney World guests can start to make their Disney Genie+ premium selections at 7:00 AM while off-site guests need to be at the park.

Cons for Star Wars Rise of the Resistance Rope Drop For On-site Guests

• Another obvious con is if everyone rope-dropping is trying to ride Star Wars Rise of the Resistance there could still be a longer wait even if you show up early in the morning.
• The second pro on our list above only works if you are willing to pay the extra $15 per person to upgrade to the Rise of the Resistance premium Genie+

Pros for Star Wars Rise of the Resistance Rope Drop For Off-site Guests

• If guests plan to purchase the premium Disney Genie+ passes for Star Wars Rise of the Resistance you will need to be at the park early to select that attraction. On the flip side you can now also take advantage of some of the other popular attractions such as slinky dog dash.

Cons for Star Wars Rise of the Resistance Rope Drop For Off-site Guests

• The obvious one is that on-site Disney World guests now get into the theme parks a half hour earlier than other park guests. And we would say that a large majority of them are going to Star Wars Rise of the Resistance. So in this case we would suggest taking advantage of the shorter lines at Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway or Slinky Dog Dash if not staying on-site.

Rope Dropping Rise of the Resistance By The Numbers

So as you can see above there are certain advantages and disadvantages of rope-dropping Star Wars Rise of the Resistance, however, what do the numbers say? Well based on wait time data gathered from thrill-data.com, there is still an advantage of rope-dropping Rise of the Resistance. The wait time data shows that on average during the peak times of year, guests can expect to save 25-30 minutes by rope dropping rise of the resistance. What’s important to note here as well is that this was the case for both the on-site and off-site resort guests. So if saving time is the most important thing for your group during your next Disney World vacation we do still recommend rope-dropping Rise of the Resistance as early as you can.

Related Page: Complete Guide to Disney’s Genie+

Should You Rope Drop Rise of the Resistance or Runaway Railway?

Another popular question we receive is, should you rope drop Rise of the Resistance or Runaway Railway? As a general rule of thumb, we recommend rope drop Rise of the Resistance over Runaway Railway. The main reason for this is that Rise of the Resistance typically has an average wait time of ninety minutes or more while Runaway Railway has a much shorter average weight time. It’s also important to note that Runaway Railway is included as part of the Disney Genie+ rides, while Star Wars Rise of the Resistance is part of the premium $17 upgrade. So overall we just find that rope-dropping Rise of the Resistance over Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway will save you both time and money.

Reasons to rope drop Rise of the Resistance over Runaway Railway?

• Rise of the Resistance has a longer average weight time later in the day
• Rise of the Resistance is a Disney Genie+ premium ride

Related Page: Complete Guide to Average Cost of a Disney Vacation

Hollywood Studios Rope Drop Without Star Wars

So which rides should you go on if you’re not planning to rope-drop Star Wars Rise of the Resistance? Well in our opinion there are only two rides you should consider if you’re trying to take advantage of a Hollywood studios rope drop and they are Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway or Slinky Dog Dash. These are two of the newest attractions at Hollywood studios and tend to have two of the longest wait times if you try to visit during the middle of the day.

We would recommend riding Slinky Dog Dash as although this ride is included with the Disney Genie+ it’s one of the hardest rides to grab. It will also have a longer wait time when compared to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway later on in the day.

Related Page: How to Use Disney’s Magic Mobile 

Other Good Attractions for Your 2024 Hollywood Studios Rope Drop

Other good attractions to consider for rope drop are the Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run, Tower of Terror, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. If you don’t visit these first we strongly recommend picking one of these as your second attraction of the day to avoid longer lines later on.

Either way, you’ll want to know which rides you have your heart set on and in what order because you will be asked to line up once you enter the park.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Rope Drop 

Guests will go straight down the main street they are on once they enter Hollywood Studios, right until they see the front of the ride.

Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run Rope Drop

Guests will walk to the entrance of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.

Slinky Dog Dash Rope Drop 

Guests will walk to the entrance of Toy Story Land.

Tower of Terror & Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Rope Drop 

Guests will walk to Sunset Boulevard.

Where Should I Head 2nd For Our 2024 Hollywood Studios Rope Drop?

This is another great question we receive and the simple answer is to pick any of the rides we discussed before such as Mickey’s and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Slinky Dog Dash, Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run, Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

You will also want to consider the section of the park you’re in. For instance, Slinky Dog Dash is located towards the back end of Galaxy’s Edge and you might save time by going over to Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run. While the Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster are located right next to each other. Mickey’s and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is ideally located in the middle of the park.

Is Rope Drop at Hollywood Studios Worth it?

This is another question that has come up a lot with the recent addition of Star Wars Rise of the Resistance. The reason is there are just so many more people looking to visit Hollywood Studios these days. We would still suggest taking advantage of Rope Drop if you are only planning on visiting Hollywood Studios for one day. Getting a chance to ride one of the major attractions above before the park even opens will be a major time saver later on in the day.

When is The Best Time to Visit Disney World?

Our Disney  World Crowd Calendar is the best tool to help you get the most out of your time in the parks. We break down park crowds, park hours of operation, ticket prices, and average temperature. We also break down the best time to visit Disney World based on specific times of the year and special events.

Are You Ready to Plan Your Next Disney World Trip?

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Don’t forget to check out our wonderful friends over at Theme Park Today, as well