Rope drop returns to Walt Disney World theme parks as physical distancing continues to be reduced

By WDWMAGIC Staff · Tuesday June 8, 2021 10:22am ET · "EPCOT"
Rope drop returns to Walt Disney World theme parks as physical distancing continues to be reduced
Disney continues to reduce physical distancing as capacity is increased at the theme parks.

Photos / 11 in this gallery

EPCOT rope drop June 8 2021

The classic Walt Disney World experience of the "rope-drop" is back at EPCOT.

Guests arriving at the park are now allowed into the entrance area around 10am, and then join one of two rope-drops on the eastern and western side of Spaceship Earth.

The eastern side appears to be the most popular, leading to Test Track and Mission: SPACE.

A smaller line had formed on the west side leading Soarin' and Finding Nemo.

The rope was dropped at 10:20am allowing guests to move further into the park.

Guests heading to Test Track at rope-drop are in for a crowded and long wait.

By 10:45am the wait for Test Track immediately after rope-drop was at 1.5 hours.

Although a long-time tradition at Walt Disney World theme parks, rope drops have not been seen since the park's reopened in July 2020, with COVID-19 physical distancing preventing close grouping of guests.

 

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Are they not opening rides until the posted time?

This change would allow Early Entry to begin.
↩ replying to wdwmagic
YAY! THE PANDEMIC IS OFFICIALLY OVER! THE MOBS ARE BACK! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!
This seems like the first step to getting Early Entry going.
I'd love to have early entry up and running by the time we go in August!
↩ replying to MansionButler84
Rides are opening early as before.

Long wait for Test Track immediately at 1.5 hours.
↩ replying to Disstevefan1
NOT until Pyro!!!!
↩ replying to jrhwdw
After July 4th 🤣
↩ replying to mnelson3
June 35th
↩ replying to Squishy
Oh No! You people!

Wether it's some date after July 4th or it's July 5th If that's really June 35th I don't care! I just want a date form TDO at the moment! I'm not expecting Pyro tonight or something!
↩ replying to wdwmagic
The lines were a bizarre sight when we visited for a week in mid-May. The line for Everest started in Dinoland. It was very strange. We ended up leaving Hollywood Studios after an hour because the lines were sprawling everywhere throughout the park.
↩ replying to jmp85
You must be mistaken. I've read several times on these boards that the lines are sooooo much better without FastPasses.
↩ replying to Po'Rich
But that is skewed by the fact that there are not as many people in the parks right now. Of course it is better right now. If Disney does not re-instate FP or some version of it and leaves it as standby only then they are going to change their tune about how nice the lines are without FP. Those same people that gripe about FP still use it.
↩ replying to G00fyDad
Actually, I was being sarcastic. I want FPs to return because then I can be somewhat assured that I will get to ride at least some of the better rides. The idea of having to wait 1.5 hours for a ride doesn't sound like much of a vacation to me.
↩ replying to Po'Rich
Me either. This will likely be our last WDW trip for a while. We may go back when our grandchildren are older but even that is a "maybe" for us since it will depend on when my daughter can afford to take her kids. This trip next year my son will be 19 and he will have his girlfriend with us too. She has never been to WDW and I do not want her to remember just standing in lines all day.
↩ replying to wdwmagic
Hmmph. So much for "the lack of FP will keep standby times down".

Specific to Epcot, do FW wait times die down in the evening? I could see that happening as people move to WS for the evening, but on the flip side this seems like the park most likely to "hop" to in the evening which might keep wait times longer.