Credit: Inside the MagicNothing at Walt Disney World is worth getting hurt over – not even being the first person in line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Normally, Guests lining up for “rope drop” at a Disney Park is pretty standard. For those who don’t know, rope drop is the moment that a park opens in the morning when Cast Members literally pull back the rope and allow Guests entry to their favorite rides. At the Magic Kingdom, Guests who arrive before the Park officially opens are usually corralled on Main Street, U.S.A., where they wait until the morning castle show finishes.
While rope drop can be frantic, it usually isn’t dangerous. Cast Members ensure Guests walk with purpose to their destination instead of running and generally open the streets as much as possible so that Guests may pass safely. Many people consider arriving for rope drop to be integral to riding some of the most popular attractions in the park, as wait times will be the shortest right as the park opens.
However, according to some Guests on Reddit, this was NOT the case at the Magic Kingdom yesterday. u/Johnykbr posted to r/WaltDisneyWorld to share his harrowing experience at the Magic Kingdom rope drop.
We rope dropped yesterday to MK. Were towards the front with a stroller and our two little ones. The moment they gave the all clear to rush to 7DMT, it was a mad house like nothing we’ve seen before. People were pushing, shoving, using elbows, knocking strollers, etc. Someone stepped on the back of my kids shoe and it came off causing him to fall down and he was literally nearly trampled from people pushing behind. We always rope drop and have never once experienced it this bad.
No ride is worth anybody getting hurt over, no matter how short the wait may be first thing in the morning! Many took to the comments to discuss their own rope drop experiences at both Magic Kingdom and the other Walt Disney World parks, especially after the opening of new rides. During the first month of Pandora: The World of AVATAR, one Guest lamented her rope drop experience; “Same, I almost got pushed off a bridge by a man in his 50s sprinting and shoving to get to the front. My dad steadied me, but for real people need to calm down.”
Even though rope drop is usually pretty normal at Walt Disney World, there’s no denying that some Guest behavior has gotten a little out of control over the past few years, especially since the Parks re-opened following the pandemic closure. Many comments in the thread implored readers to slow down, pointing out that it’s just a theme park ride and there is no reason to push or shove your fellow Guests. Other commenters, though, took a different point from the story.
“I’ll say what a lot of you are thinking. 7DMT isn’t worth a rope drop.”