As someone who always goes solo, I don't rope drop Space Mountain since I can single rider that one later in the day. But that early monorail ride looks nicer than standing in a crowd of people for 30 minutes waiting for rope drop, haha. Plus you skip the crowd on Main Street.
Yep on any day you can get on Space in less than 10 or even 5 minutes in the Single Rider line even when the regular queue is 60 minutes. Highly recommend!
Assuming rope dropping is designed to save wait time, the person who goes through the main entrance will have waited 45 to 60 minutes before their day starts. The monorail guest has waited 5 minutes plus they go on their first attraction as they ride the monorail into the park. The monorail guest will eventually lose the 40 to 55 minute advantage as the longer wait times catch up with them. I wonder if, in the end, whether there would be much of a difference. Having said all that, you are right Dave - going to Disneyland on your own terms is the best way to go. Really like your videos and your positive attitude.
This haas always been a pet peeve of these "time saving videos" that FB produces. While I love the content, the idea of arriving an hour early to save 15 minutes doesn't seem to math in my head. Don't get me wrong... I enjoy Fresh Baked and their videos are top notch... but sometimes the logic doesn't mesh for me.
After 30+ trips to Disneyland I’ve become more go with the flow and this seems like the perfect start to the morning! Plus I can hit up Starbucks and not deal with it on Main Street!
It also makes a lot of sense if you're staying at the Disneyland Hotel and it's your first day...go straight to the hotel, check in or drop bags, then hop on the monorail and start your day in Tomorrowland. With younger kids in tow I only get so many walking miles/standing hours in a day before meltdowns occur; it pays to save them for the park itself!
That's what I was thinking too. If you just forgo Space Mountain and start with Matterhorn, you might not be behind on time compared to doing Matterhorn second (after Space Mountain), and maybe would be a couple minutes ahead. But you'd be able to avoid the line up at the gates and at the inside rope drop if that's something you do want to avoid.
Hi Chris, Also at 76 my daughter and I will need genie and hope , per your suggestion, we,’re able to pick up some experience redemptions during the day. Lol
I like it as well. It’s just a fun way to start the day! And if you are in Disney World going to Magic Kingdom, and arriving at the TTC you would be taking the monorail (or ferry). So doing that at Disneyland just reminds me of being at Disney World, which I like!
We have Monorail'ed in on Early Entry Mornings. IMHO, those days have been worth it. Otherwise our most efficient days have been to arrive early and rope drop from Main Street. We always love your data crunching videos. Thank you for sharing your perspective of DLR.
the way i see it,you were on the monorail at 8:01....so you already beat the crowds to first ride...(monorail counts as a ride) by 9:01,you had already hit 3 attractions....(monorail,space mtn,and matterhorn)and didnt have to walk all the way to the actual rope first for "rope drop"...so to start a day,this works pretty well.
lets recap that....didnt have to wait in the mob to get into the gate,didnt have to walk all the way to the hub,didnt have to wait in a gigantic mob till the rope dropped,got 1st ride in at 8:01,(beating the mob),3 rides by 9:01,4 rides by 10:01....i call that a win.
If you’re on vacation and this is your first day I wouldn’t do the monorail. Nothing beats first walking into the park and seeing the entrance and the castle and Main Street is just a great start to day whether it be ripe drop regular entering whatever.
Yes rope drop Monorial if you’re staying on property. I stayed at the Disneyland hotel during Christmas week, so helpful and quick, and fun. Drops you off next to Nemo, so you can choose which big ride you want to ride or go to toon town. The only thing the Monorail is not open after the park closes so you have to walk all the way to the front of the park. 🧟♀️😣 👟
I have rope dropped the monorail yet… but I want to the next time I go. Not efficient, true… but still a nice ride before getting into the main park area. 21 minutes for Space is okay after the nice Rail ride.
We tried that years ago with our then young boys and it didn’t save time but they loved starting the day that way when coming from the Disneyland Hotel. It was absolutely magical.♥️♥️♥️
Something to note for the monorail too, if you or someone in your party has a mobility scooter. Theres only one car on the train that carries them so if there’s someone else with one waiting before you, you’ll have to wait for the next train! its not long (5 min) but it’s something we experienced on our last trip with my dad’s chair.
1) the monorail 🚝 is an attraction, so you’re doing a 2nd attraction on SM. 2) ppl wait at hub very early, but you can usually walk up to monorail at 7:45A. 3) we stay at DLR and we like monorail if we don’t have EE for DL.
This is what I am thinking. How early do people arrive at the gates to get a good position at the hub? If you need to queue at 7AM vs 7:45 for the monorail, the monorail actually saves time as you do not have to spend the time queuing earlier. Plus you get that added ride in. The real comp is what happens when you get in line at 7:45 in the Esplanade compared to 7:45 at the monorail. Same Space Mountain test, but that is the comp I'd be interested in. I would wager you'd get the Space Mountain a little later in that circumstance.
You can do magic morning from the monorail and save some time. Assuming a 7:20 main gate opening, then walking all the way there. I typically get off the monorail at about 7:29 for magic morning.
FreshBaked, Good morning.. my Girlfriend spotted you in the park Friday morning, I ran up to you and took a selfie with you. Thank you for all you do.. we took you advise at Alien Planet pizza and did the Pasta (we had the Chickan added to it) it was AWSOME! And my girl did the Asian salad.. it was ALL AWSOME. Thank you for the info. You’re the BEST.!!!
Oh my gosh thank you for doing this test!! I've been waiting for someone to do this. Honestly, it was better than I thought. So fun, regardless of efficiency. Also thanks for the cold brew on Thursday evening. It was so good. -Christy
I like that you’re challenging yourself to do things a little differently! If you’re not in a rush to get anything done, it seems like such a delightful experience!
Oh wow. I was once told by a cast member at the DTD Monorail entrance that it was only for Disney property hotel guests until 8:30am. As a result, I never again attempted to rope drop at that location. Good to know this has changed or I was erroneously given wrong info by a CM.
It's on my Disneyland bucket list to run into David on a rope drop morning 😂 I've yet to do that & I've seen so many videos where I was there on the same day!
As a Monorail CM, it’s best to catch first train. Beyond that, you’re definitely making sub-optimal time. Platform entry may vary depending on how smoothly opening goes. And though it’s like a few mins slower than being at the front of the ropes, it’s better than if you get to the gates near 8. Plus, less chaos
I like this as the monorail is an attraction too, but….if it doesn’t open on time you have to walk to the ,a8 entrance and lost rope drop opportunities.
When we stayed at Disneyland Hotel, using monorail for early entry (not rope drop) was beneficial...dropped us off in an empty tomorrow land before the rope drop crowd was cut loose. Left the station a little after 7:30
I appreciate this. I've always wondered if the Monorail would be faster. We've always hit SM first for the shorter lines. However, I've been on SM so many times I may want to switch it up and hit the Matterhorn first. Actually, I would like to not worry about being more efficient. I have been so many times, I would like to just go in and sit on a bench and watch people go by. Thanks David. I always love your research.
We did this last week after character breakfast at Googy’s. The monorail stalled 5 feet after leaving the station and left us sitting there for 15 minutes.
Your new music is pretty nice. I love that you can test these ideas and make it happen for us.This was really great. It didn't work our but it was fun to see.
Man I would take the monorail just for the vibes. That was chill as hell and you got to avoid the huge crush of people at the start. If your going to DL just to vibe, Monorail all the way.
A few years ago we visited Disneyland with our young adult son. We used your strategies to optimize every minute we could. My son was getting tired of me saying "Well, David from Fresh Baked suggests this..." We are a bit older now and would like to take our time and do things slower (we found ourselves wanting to do that last time also, but "kept going" as we sort of felt obligated). So taking a leisurely ride into Disneyland on the monorail (which is your first ride, by the way!) sounds perfect to us. 🙂
Back when I was younger, I was so excited to visit Disneyland that that happened to me several times... we went from restroom to restroom. We called it the "Disneyland Tour of the Bathrooms!"
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!! 🙂🍀💚 "May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light. May good luck pursue you each morning and night." - Irish Blessing 💚
I would rope drop the monorail if I was going to have breakfast at Tomorrow land Terrace but, there’s just something so magical about walking through the gates in the front.
Yes, you are correct. However, you'd do well to please remember that *ANY* rope drop scenario can quickly turn into a humungous failure. *ALL* attractions have the propensity to shut down suddenly. Any rope drop spot can be a winner, and by the same token, ant rope drop spot can be a loser.
Yay! I see no issues in basically, getting right on the monorail and quickly taking off into the park and AVOIDING the main entrance lines, crowds and misguided guests!!✨
We usually stay at The Westin hotel, so we go through security down by the DL Hotel (which is typically much less busy than the Harbor Blvd entrance), and then take the monorail. If I could ever get my husband up and out the door early enough to actually rope drop😏, we’d probably just do the walk through Downtown Disney and enter DL through the main gates. ETA: we are not locals so we always buy Genie+ to maximize our rides per day, so rope dropping isn’t quite as crucial. We usually roll up about 8:30 am
When we rope dropped Space Mountain they had us walk around the theater, then up the ramp and we ended up in the back of where you stopped inside that room.
20:56 I very much agree with you, David, just relax and have fun at Disneyland. Though if it is a once in a lifetime trip and you’ve only got two days to be there, you might not have the same opinion. 😕
I've visited many theme parks that I plan on only visiting once (I visited MANY parks throughout Europe) and I never stressed out when visiting ANY of them. The idea is to go in, explore and have fun. If you're not having fun, then why are you there?
Thank you for your rope drop strategy videos! I was wondering what Rise looked like at 9. Also, wondering if you can do a rope drop starting at the parking lot, if you haven’t already. I’m curious how long it takes to park, security, bus to entrance. And what time you arrive at lot of course. Thanks!
I want to see what space mntn was as you walked out of it. Seems like you would want to switch tactics if you’re a little late, like do Matterhorn first then do Space and let that initial rush die off
Cool I see my back! Seriously though, it was really nice to meet you in the space mountain queue David. Funny, I went straight to the matterhorn right after and it was down, and must have literally reopened minutes after I passed it.
When I was a kid in the late 80s early 90s we always entered the park from the monorail. We went straight to star tours then space mountain and after, so my dad could recover, we'd hit the Peoplemover. Crowds seemed different then.. 🤷♂️ FRESH BAKED!!
We rope drop the monorail because it is my daughter's favorite ride and what she always wants to ride first. After we ride the monorail we head to the train
Oh wow! Thanks so much! I asked about this in your live stream a month or so ago and am so curious! Also wondering on our one California adventure rope drop day since both Luigi’s and radiator springs are down so much if it would be at all reasonable to try Luigi’s first and then do radiator springs single rider at rope drop. Thanks again
I went in line for Rise about 0845 with a 60min wait it turned out to be a 20 min wait. We were moving through the queue, never once stopped until the Rey room.
I feel like with space mountain the standby line is on the opposite side so I always get turned around and I only go once a year and last trip we accidentally went up the lighting lane side. I didn’t even realize it until I was at the front of the line where lightening lane meets standby. I was so embarrassed and thought the cast members probably thought I was an idiot but didn’t care enough to chase me down and be like “maam” 🤨😂
Thank you, I had been curious about Rope Dropping the Monorail. Can you ride the Monorail in for an After Dark Event, if you just have the After Dark ticket?
Loved the video. You brought up a point/flaw/question I had from the last time we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel. Even having early entry, the security checkpoints tend to back up prior to opening. Even though we were in the checkpoint line at 7, we couldn't actually get to the rides by 7:30 to REALLY take advantage of the full half hour of early entry. Any chance you could do a video on how early you'd need to get into the security line to be through the CM checkpoint by 7:30?
I remember going as a kid in the mid-90's and riding Space Mountain 4 or 5 times in a row, with no line whatsoever (they were running trains less than half-full, believe it or not). On a subsequent trip just a few years later, it was solid bodies-like being at Coachella or something. Terrible experience. I've been a handful of times in recent years and it's clear that the "off-season" is now permanently a thing of the past. It's always _busy_ but it's _mobbed_ on weekends and school breaks. Your best bet is to look at the "price calendar" and go on one of the lowest-tier days. But it's still going to be busy.
Getting to the main cue of Space Mountain just 25 minutes and boarding just 5 minutes later after opening is actually record time. Also, riding in on the monorail.. like your own personal transport into the park.
When my wife and I rope dropped from the Monorail, we were the only two on Autopia. We talked about that moment alot. Unusual to be on a ride with no crowds.
Ooh this makes me think our last park day where i thought of rope dropping fantasy land as a chill day cqtching up what weve missed the day before... maybe MR would be a good idea to start the day and get to fantasyland
I’m very never been able to rope drop. It’s always been down or not running during the “extra magic hours” time. But! Something that not even the on property hotel front desk employees tell you is that in order to do the extra magic hours, you’ve got to board from the monorail. At least that’s what we found when we went years ago staying on property. The front gate cast members didn’t even know where or how guests were supposed to go in for extra magic hours. It was extremely frustrating and made the early time null and void. We wasted early hours b/c none of the cast members could tell us how we were supposed to get in. (And this was as a So Cal native staying at on property for the first time. ) shameful promoting early hours to out of town tourists to get them to book into an on property hotel, pay the extra money, and then have no idea (or not tell them) how to even get into the park in that hour early before the main gate.
Not sure how many years ago you did this, but we're international guests and were doing Extra Hour openings(from on property) between 2014 - 2023 and it was pretty simple to work out how to enter through the main gate. Even better when staying in GCH for DCA.
@@mrxmanb it was in 2012. Perhaps they went through re-training or there was a gate we didn’t know about. But no one standing there could tell us how to get in. We wasted all our early time trying to figure it out.
@@fourlittlebirds6166 Ah, that explains it. Rest assured if you were to return it's a very simple process now. Unfortunately it's only 1/2 an hour now and you're luck to get 2 or 3 rides done before general population enters.
I love seeing you test different rope drop strategies! I have one day in each park in August, and I’m studying! I’ll take all the tips you’ve got! When is the best time to ride the monorail? I’m thinking in the afternoon when the park is getting busy.
Yay!! I love the monorail as my first ride of the day!!! The speech always gets us all hyped up and the matterhorn views and to pull up and see the lagoon first thing, may not be super efficent but the vibes are special❤ also me and my daughter love the submarines😅😊 and it's good to do first thing when im still too happy and ready for the day to be claustrophobic😂 then we do small world and toon town and fantasyland definitely not the path most taken but it's kinda become my kids groove also Micky and minnie's is a great first 5 rides ride IRS so cheerie and wonderful somtimes we do it before small world and then close thon town Ann's tho it again as our last 2 then that's when we do GADGETS go coaster and then close out the play yard😂 it's great because there's very few tired moms and kis back the so the play yard anxiety decreases by half the kits have a great last 20-15 minutes and Mickey and minnie come out like the last 5 minutes and are still offering photos and I loovvvveeeeee being able to thank Mickey and tell him we had a great day❤ So Yay, YAY all day I especially love it if we're staying at the Disneyland hotel.
@FreshBakedDisney Hello! Thanks for putting this together. My Bro-in-Law follows your channel and helped direct our park strategy. And serendipitously, we were onstage with you on this same day- probably 15-20 minutes behind you at Space Mountain and then again on the Matterhorn. For context we arrived at the main gate at 7:53 am, and after visiting our family tile in the front plaza, taking a few pics by the Mickey flower bed reached the front entrance of SM at 8:17am. While we we following in the wake of your efficiency, I can unequivocally say that our family (6) directly benefited from your tips and data. In all the many times that I’ve been to Disney, this was by far the most efficient visit ever!
There was a time when the monorail was considered a ride. I still call it a ride in Disneyland. So in my book you have been on 2 rides not just 1. Sometimes I think we get so caught up in all the strategies of using the park that we don't appreciate the simple things. We once had annual passes to Disneyland. We had been there enough times to no longer rush but to just take our time. Everyone was running down main street to get to the rides while we were just walking. A Disneyland cast member was standing right next to a sign that said "Meet Alice Davis." We asked if we could go in. She said "Please do, I'm surprised that no one else this morning has asked." We got to spend over 30 minutes with the Legendary Walt Disney Imagineering costume designer Alice Davis. She designed and created all of the original costumes for "It's a Small World" and for "Pirates of the Caribbean." She told us how she was hired by Walt Disney in 1963, how her costume work brought so much joy to the New York Worlds faire where the ride originated, and how she continued to work directly with Walt Disney on Pirates of the Caribbean. This was an amazing opportunity for my family, we will never for get it, and it just reminds me to not always rush to the rides at Disneyland.
I recently stayed on site for the first time April 2023, and I've seen slightly bigger lines than what you experienced (but still no very long) at monorail in the morning. IF you sleep through your alarm, and you're not going to be in line at 730a anyway, monorail MIGHT be a good option for on-site guests.
Cordoning guests off inside the old Starcade second level has always been a mystery to me. I am sure there are issues with guests lined up in the inner tunnels of Space Mt unmonitored, but it is a much better queue to stand in as it is well themed and the video displays are shown every so often. Lightning Lane entrance should simply be down with Single Rider to avoid all of this issue.
I feel like it would have been cool to have a real time side by side comparison between rope dropping the hub and walking to Space Mountain vs rope dropping the monorail to space mountain.
Te real test would be two people who ride in the same car to Disneyland, and then film (in real time and on the same day) their experience getting to and riding an attraction. Who is standing in line longer, who is done first. It's a great idea.
Why doesn’t the city invest is light monorail that connects to Disneyland. So much space is used to park all of the cars. All Disney parks outside of the US is accessible by tail.
In the 80’s- the monorail would take its first trip 15 minutes before the front gate opened- so you’d be able to arrive at Tomorrowland before everyone else. Good times.
As someone who always goes solo, I don't rope drop Space Mountain since I can single rider that one later in the day. But that early monorail ride looks nicer than standing in a crowd of people for 30 minutes waiting for rope drop, haha. Plus you skip the crowd on Main Street.
Yep on any day you can get on Space in less than 10 or even 5 minutes in the Single Rider line even when the regular queue is 60 minutes. Highly recommend!
Assuming rope dropping is designed to save wait time, the person who goes through the main entrance will have waited 45 to 60 minutes before their day starts. The monorail guest has waited 5 minutes plus they go on their first attraction as they ride the monorail into the park. The monorail guest will eventually lose the 40 to 55 minute advantage as the longer wait times catch up with them. I wonder if, in the end, whether there would be much of a difference.
Having said all that, you are right Dave - going to Disneyland on your own terms is the best way to go. Really like your videos and your positive attitude.
This haas always been a pet peeve of these "time saving videos" that FB produces. While I love the content, the idea of arriving an hour early to save 15 minutes doesn't seem to math in my head. Don't get me wrong... I enjoy Fresh Baked and their videos are top notch... but sometimes the logic doesn't mesh for me.
After 30+ trips to Disneyland I’ve become more go with the flow and this seems like the perfect start to the morning! Plus I can hit up Starbucks and not deal with it on Main Street!
Absolutely! We couldn't agree more!
Same
It also makes a lot of sense if you're staying at the Disneyland Hotel and it's your first day...go straight to the hotel, check in or drop bags, then hop on the monorail and start your day in Tomorrowland. With younger kids in tow I only get so many walking miles/standing hours in a day before meltdowns occur; it pays to save them for the park itself!
One good reason to start from the Monorail is if your kid REALLY wants enter Disneyland from the Monorail. I was one of those kids 🙋🏻♂️
Me three!
So you got on 3 rides by 9am, sounds pretty good to me! Yes, i consider MR as a ride.
Bingo!
I'd love to see another version of rope drop via monorail where you start with matterhorn first and then do the rest of your morning normally
That's what I was thinking too. If you just forgo Space Mountain and start with Matterhorn, you might not be behind on time compared to doing Matterhorn second (after Space Mountain), and maybe would be a couple minutes ahead. But you'd be able to avoid the line up at the gates and at the inside rope drop if that's something you do want to avoid.
Huge risk as on multiple occasions the monorail didn’t open with the park when I’ve tried to do this.
FreshBaked. Good morning David. Rope dropping the Monorail, now you are talking my kind of language. How sweet it is. Cheers, Chris Perry.
Hi Chris, Also at 76 my daughter and I will need genie and hope , per your suggestion, we,’re able to pick up some experience redemptions during the day. Lol
I like it as well. It’s just a fun way to start the day! And if you are in Disney World going to Magic Kingdom, and arriving at the TTC you would be taking the monorail (or ferry). So doing that at Disneyland just reminds me of being at Disney World, which I like!
We have Monorail'ed in on Early Entry Mornings. IMHO, those days have been worth it. Otherwise our most efficient days have been to arrive early and rope drop from Main Street.
We always love your data crunching videos. Thank you for sharing your perspective of DLR.
the way i see it,you were on the monorail at 8:01....so you already beat the crowds to first ride...(monorail counts as a ride)
by 9:01,you had already hit 3 attractions....(monorail,space mtn,and matterhorn)and didnt have to walk all the way to the actual rope first for "rope drop"...so to start a day,this works pretty well.
lets recap that....didnt have to wait in the mob to get into the gate,didnt have to walk all the way to the hub,didnt have to wait in a gigantic mob till the rope dropped,got 1st ride in at 8:01,(beating the mob),3 rides by 9:01,4 rides by 10:01....i call that a win.
@@markwelker95 Me Three! More magic per step taken!
If you’re on vacation and this is your first day I wouldn’t do the monorail. Nothing beats first walking into the park and seeing the entrance and the castle and Main Street is just a great start to day whether it be ripe drop regular entering whatever.
Yes rope drop Monorial if you’re staying on property. I stayed at the Disneyland hotel during Christmas week, so helpful and quick, and fun. Drops you off next to Nemo, so you can choose which big ride you want to ride or go to toon town. The only thing the Monorail is not open after the park closes so you have to walk all the way to the front of the park. 🧟♀️😣 👟
I have rope dropped the monorail yet… but I want to the next time I go. Not efficient, true… but still a nice ride before getting into the main park area. 21 minutes for Space is okay after the nice Rail ride.
We tried that years ago with our then young boys and it didn’t save time but they loved starting the day that way when coming from the Disneyland Hotel. It was absolutely magical.♥️♥️♥️
Rope dropping the Monorail is on my todo list now. Such a chill lay back way of starting the day.
Something to note for the monorail too, if you or someone in your party has a mobility scooter. Theres only one car on the train that carries them so if there’s someone else with one waiting before you, you’ll have to wait for the next train! its not long (5 min) but it’s something we experienced on our last trip with my dad’s chair.
1) the monorail 🚝 is an attraction, so you’re doing a 2nd attraction on SM. 2) ppl wait at hub very early, but you can usually walk up to monorail at 7:45A. 3) we stay at DLR and we like monorail if we don’t have EE for DL.
This is what I am thinking. How early do people arrive at the gates to get a good position at the hub? If you need to queue at 7AM vs 7:45 for the monorail, the monorail actually saves time as you do not have to spend the time queuing earlier. Plus you get that added ride in.
The real comp is what happens when you get in line at 7:45 in the Esplanade compared to 7:45 at the monorail. Same Space Mountain test, but that is the comp I'd be interested in. I would wager you'd get the Space Mountain a little later in that circumstance.
Exactly this. If the objective of rope dropping is to get to a ride asap then rope dropping the monorail is an automatic win.
Not very efficient, BUT what a way to start a day at Disneyland! Epic Views and Good Vibes!
We did rope drop once with breakfast reservations at carnation Cafe! Talk about swimming upstream!! It was hilarious to watch everyone rushing.
You can do magic morning from the monorail and save some time. Assuming a 7:20 main gate opening, then walking all the way there. I typically get off the monorail at about 7:29 for magic morning.
I did this once back in 2007 and they allow us to start boarding until 8:20-8:25 felt like the longest wait ever
FreshBaked, Good morning.. my Girlfriend spotted you in the park Friday morning, I ran up to you and took a selfie with you. Thank you for all you do.. we took you advise at Alien Planet pizza and did the Pasta (we had the Chickan added to it) it was AWSOME! And my girl did the Asian salad.. it was ALL AWSOME. Thank you for the info. You’re the BEST.!!!
Back in the early 90s, this was the way to go. Monorail actually would leave early so you'd be dropped off at the same time as rope drop.
Sad to see the old people mover track being unused. Wish they kept the old ride. I love riding it at DW.
I have always wondered about entering for rope drop via the monorail. Thank you for testing this!
Oh my gosh thank you for doing this test!! I've been waiting for someone to do this. Honestly, it was better than I thought. So fun, regardless of efficiency. Also thanks for the cold brew on Thursday evening. It was so good.
-Christy
I like that you’re challenging yourself to do things a little differently! If you’re not in a rush to get anything done, it seems like such a delightful experience!
Oh wow. I was once told by a cast member at the DTD Monorail entrance that it was only for Disney property hotel guests until 8:30am. As a result, I never again attempted to rope drop at that location. Good to know this has changed or I was erroneously given wrong info by a CM.
It's on my Disneyland bucket list to run into David on a rope drop morning 😂 I've yet to do that & I've seen so many videos where I was there on the same day!
As a Monorail CM, it’s best to catch first train. Beyond that, you’re definitely making sub-optimal time. Platform entry may vary depending on how smoothly opening goes. And though it’s like a few mins slower than being at the front of the ropes, it’s better than if you get to the gates near 8. Plus, less chaos
I like this as the monorail is an attraction too, but….if it doesn’t open on time you have to walk to the ,a8 entrance and lost rope drop opportunities.
When we stayed at Disneyland Hotel, using monorail for early entry (not rope drop) was beneficial...dropped us off in an empty tomorrow land before the rope drop crowd was cut loose. Left the station a little after 7:30
I appreciate this. I've always wondered if the Monorail would be faster. We've always hit SM first for the shorter lines. However, I've been on SM so many times I may want to switch it up and hit the Matterhorn first. Actually, I would like to not worry about being more efficient. I have been so many times, I would like to just go in and sit on a bench and watch people go by. Thanks David. I always love your research.
We did this last week after character breakfast at Googy’s. The monorail stalled 5 feet after leaving the station and left us sitting there for 15 minutes.
Googy's is GREAT!
Esmile!
Your new music is pretty nice. I love that you can test these ideas and make it happen for us.This was really great. It didn't work our but it was fun to see.
The theme music has been around for years, and has actual just recently returned after a hiatus.
I literally was wondering about this yesterday haha! Thank you :)
Man I would take the monorail just for the vibes. That was chill as hell and you got to avoid the huge crush of people at the start. If your going to DL just to vibe, Monorail all the way.
A few years ago we visited Disneyland with our young adult son. We used your strategies to optimize every minute we could. My son was getting tired of me saying "Well, David from Fresh Baked suggests this..." We are a bit older now and would like to take our time and do things slower (we found ourselves wanting to do that last time also, but "kept going" as we sort of felt obligated). So taking a leisurely ride into Disneyland on the monorail (which is your first ride, by the way!) sounds perfect to us. 🙂
Oh aye!
I wish you’d put a little more of Space Mountain in your videos when you ride it. I know we can’t see much, but we can still hear it.
One time i had to rope drop straight to the restroom! I missed out that morning. It was still a great day.
Back when I was younger, I was so excited to visit Disneyland that that happened to me several times... we went from restroom to restroom. We called it the "Disneyland Tour of the Bathrooms!"
Haa! I think my problem is that i'm getting older.lol. Have a great day.@@WindowtotheMagic
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!! 🙂🍀💚 "May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light. May good luck pursue you each morning and night." - Irish Blessing 💚
I would rope drop the monorail if I was going to have breakfast at Tomorrow land Terrace but, there’s just something so magical about walking through the gates in the front.
Yes, but as David states in the video, these techniques are not about having fun, but rather about optimizing your ride utilization.
Taking the monorail is nice & quick but there's nothing like walking underneath the train tunnel & walking down Mainstreet.
We usually do the monorail to beat the crowds getting in the park. Its way easy for us
I don’t like rope dropping the monorail because if the monorail breaks down then you have to walk all the way to the main entrance.
Great point! Thanks so much. This is a bucket list trip from the east coast for my daughter and I and all local information is so helpful!
Yes, you are correct. However, you'd do well to please remember that *ANY* rope drop scenario can quickly turn into a humungous failure. *ALL* attractions have the propensity to shut down suddenly. Any rope drop spot can be a winner, and by the same token, ant rope drop spot can be a loser.
If we've learned anything... it's to let the Disney winds guide you! Set your intent and let the Park guide you!
The monorail system is a cool way to get from tomorrowland to the Disneyland hotel
I like the idea of this rope drop. I'm not looking to run to be the first on a ride. This looks like a laid-back and fun way to start a Disney day.
Yay! I see no issues in basically, getting right on the monorail and quickly taking off into the park and AVOIDING the main entrance lines, crowds and misguided guests!!✨
That’s my thinking as well….bypassing the crowd and lines at the main entrance turnstiles.
Howdy KDM! And Actually being on one of my favorite rides At 8 am!
We usually stay at The Westin hotel, so we go through security down by the DL Hotel (which is typically much less busy than the Harbor Blvd entrance), and then take the monorail. If I could ever get my husband up and out the door early enough to actually rope drop😏, we’d probably just do the walk through Downtown Disney and enter DL through the main gates.
ETA: we are not locals so we always buy Genie+ to maximize our rides per day, so rope dropping isn’t quite as crucial. We usually roll up about 8:30 am
When we rope dropped Space Mountain they had us walk around the theater, then up the ramp and we ended up in the back of where you stopped inside that room.
This is exactly what I was wondering and searching for yesterday! 🎉🙏
20:56 I very much agree with you, David, just relax and have fun at Disneyland. Though if it is a once in a lifetime trip and you’ve only got two days to be there, you might not have the same opinion. 😕
I've visited many theme parks that I plan on only visiting once (I visited MANY parks throughout Europe) and I never stressed out when visiting ANY of them. The idea is to go in, explore and have fun. If you're not having fun, then why are you there?
Thank you for your rope drop strategy videos! I was wondering what Rise looked like at 9. Also, wondering if you can do a rope drop starting at the parking lot, if you haven’t already. I’m curious how long it takes to park, security, bus to entrance. And what time you arrive at lot of course. Thanks!
I remember when he bob sleds did not have individual seats. You sat between another rider's legs and you both shared a seat belt.
Very cozy!
Thank you for this. Didn't even think this was an option.
Early Entry + rope drop at monorail. Just did it recently and it was absolutely magical, especially with all my kids 😂
Do they start the monorail earlier on Early Entry days? I’m staying at Disneyland Hotel in Sept and it would be great if it did.
@@aoefeable Yes, that was our experience =)
@@Maluhia oh great, thanks for replying. :)
Great information David! Thanks
FRESHBAKED is DISNEYLAND!!
Late to this video, but sure do love that intro music!
I want to see what space mntn was as you walked out of it. Seems like you would want to switch tactics if you’re a little late, like do Matterhorn first then do Space and let that initial rush die off
Cool I see my back! Seriously though, it was really nice to meet you in the space mountain queue David. Funny, I went straight to the matterhorn right after and it was down, and must have literally reopened minutes after I passed it.
When I was a kid in the late 80s early 90s we always entered the park from the monorail. We went straight to star tours then space mountain and after, so my dad could recover, we'd hit the Peoplemover. Crowds seemed different then.. 🤷♂️
FRESH BAKED!!
We rope drop the monorail because it is my daughter's favorite ride and what she always wants to ride first. After we ride the monorail we head to the train
Love, Love, Love Disneyland!
--- 17:10: Welcome to Disneyland Calculus 101 . . . . 🤣
Oh wow! Thanks so much! I asked about this in your live stream a month or so ago and am so curious! Also wondering on our one California adventure rope drop day since both Luigi’s and radiator springs are down so much if it would be at all reasonable to try Luigi’s first and then do radiator springs single rider at rope drop. Thanks again
I went in line for Rise about 0845 with a 60min wait it turned out to be a 20 min wait. We were moving through the queue, never once stopped until the Rey room.
I feel like with space mountain the standby line is on the opposite side so I always get turned around and I only go once a year and last trip we accidentally went up the lighting lane side. I didn’t even realize it until I was at the front of the line where lightening lane meets standby. I was so embarrassed and thought the cast members probably thought I was an idiot but didn’t care enough to chase me down and be like “maam” 🤨😂
What a fun video. Relaxing and informative, the perfect balance. Thanks Fresh Baked!!
SCIENCE! lol. Nice experiment, I would still do the monorail because it’s a cool way to enter the park.
Thank you, I had been curious about Rope Dropping the Monorail. Can you ride the Monorail in for an After Dark Event, if you just have the After Dark ticket?
Loved the video. You brought up a point/flaw/question I had from the last time we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel.
Even having early entry, the security checkpoints tend to back up prior to opening. Even though we were in the checkpoint line at 7, we couldn't actually get to the rides by 7:30 to REALLY take advantage of the full half hour of early entry.
Any chance you could do a video on how early you'd need to get into the security line to be through the CM checkpoint by 7:30?
Yesss you brought the title screen back!???? Where’s the og one?
This helps a lot with our up coming trip. I’ve been hesitant to rope drop RSR. I think we’ll pass 👍🏻😁. Thanks fresh baked!
I remember going as a kid in the mid-90's and riding Space Mountain 4 or 5 times in a row, with no line whatsoever (they were running trains less than half-full, believe it or not). On a subsequent trip just a few years later, it was solid bodies-like being at Coachella or something. Terrible experience. I've been a handful of times in recent years and it's clear that the "off-season" is now permanently a thing of the past. It's always _busy_ but it's _mobbed_ on weekends and school breaks. Your best bet is to look at the "price calendar" and go on one of the lowest-tier days. But it's still going to be busy.
Hey Fresh Baked!!
Getting to the main cue of Space Mountain just 25 minutes and boarding just 5 minutes later after opening is actually record time. Also, riding in on the monorail.. like your own personal transport into the park.
If you count the monorail as a ride, you were already on your first ride at 7:59. That’s amazing
I had wondered about this.
what about the time you saved for not needing to be early at traditional rope drop and the amount of steps you saved on your legs?
Dave, how do you always come up with this interesting content?
He talks with his viewers.
When my wife and I rope dropped from the Monorail, we were the only two on Autopia. We talked about that moment alot. Unusual to be on a ride with no crowds.
Ooh this makes me think our last park day where i thought of rope dropping fantasy land as a chill day cqtching up what weve missed the day before... maybe MR would be a good idea to start the day and get to fantasyland
I’m very never been able to rope drop. It’s always been down or not running during the “extra magic hours” time. But! Something that not even the on property hotel front desk employees tell you is that in order to do the extra magic hours, you’ve got to board from the monorail. At least that’s what we found when we went years ago staying on property. The front gate cast members didn’t even know where or how guests were supposed to go in for extra magic hours. It was extremely frustrating and made the early time null and void. We wasted early hours b/c none of the cast members could tell us how we were supposed to get in. (And this was as a So Cal native staying at on property for the first time. ) shameful promoting early hours to out of town tourists to get them to book into an on property hotel, pay the extra money, and then have no idea (or not tell them) how to even get into the park in that hour early before the main gate.
Not sure how many years ago you did this, but we're international guests and were doing Extra Hour openings(from on property) between 2014 - 2023 and it was pretty simple to work out how to enter through the main gate. Even better when staying in GCH for DCA.
@@mrxmanb it was in 2012. Perhaps they went through re-training or there was a gate we didn’t know about. But no one standing there could tell us how to get in. We wasted all our early time trying to figure it out.
@@fourlittlebirds6166 Ah, that explains it. Rest assured if you were to return it's a very simple process now. Unfortunately it's only 1/2 an hour now and you're luck to get 2 or 3 rides done before general population enters.
I love seeing you test different rope drop strategies! I have one day in each park in August, and I’m studying! I’ll take all the tips you’ve got! When is the best time to ride the monorail? I’m thinking in the afternoon when the park is getting busy.
Yay!! I love the monorail as my first ride of the day!!! The speech always gets us all hyped up and the matterhorn views and to pull up and see the lagoon first thing, may not be super efficent but the vibes are special❤ also me and my daughter love the submarines😅😊 and it's good to do first thing when im still too happy and ready for the day to be claustrophobic😂 then we do small world and toon town and fantasyland definitely not the path most taken but it's kinda become my kids groove also Micky and minnie's is a great first 5 rides ride IRS so cheerie and wonderful somtimes we do it before small world and then close thon town Ann's tho it again as our last 2 then that's when we do GADGETS go coaster and then close out the play yard😂 it's great because there's very few tired moms and kis back the so the play yard anxiety decreases by half the kits have a great last 20-15 minutes and Mickey and minnie come out like the last 5 minutes and are still offering photos and I loovvvveeeeee being able to thank Mickey and tell him we had a great day❤ So Yay, YAY all day I especially love it if we're staying at the Disneyland hotel.
@FreshBakedDisney
Hello!
Thanks for putting this together. My Bro-in-Law follows your channel and helped direct our park strategy. And serendipitously, we were onstage with you on this same day- probably 15-20 minutes behind you at Space Mountain and then again on the Matterhorn.
For context we arrived at the main gate at 7:53 am, and after visiting our family tile in the front plaza, taking a few pics by the Mickey flower bed reached the front entrance of SM at 8:17am.
While we we following in the wake of your efficiency, I can unequivocally say that our family (6) directly benefited from your tips and data.
In all the many times that I’ve been to Disney, this was by far the most efficient visit ever!
There was a time when the monorail was considered a ride. I still call it a ride in Disneyland. So in my book you have been on 2 rides not just 1. Sometimes I think we get so caught up in all the strategies of using the park that we don't appreciate the simple things. We once had annual passes to Disneyland. We had been there enough times to no longer rush but to just take our time. Everyone was running down main street to get to the rides while we were just walking. A Disneyland cast member was standing right next to a sign that said "Meet Alice Davis." We asked if we could go in. She said "Please do, I'm surprised that no one else this morning has asked." We got to spend over 30 minutes with the Legendary Walt Disney Imagineering costume designer Alice Davis. She designed and created all of the original costumes for "It's a Small World" and for "Pirates of the Caribbean." She told us how she was hired by Walt Disney in 1963, how her costume work brought so much joy to the New York Worlds faire where the ride originated, and how she continued to work directly with Walt Disney on Pirates of the Caribbean. This was an amazing opportunity for my family, we will never for get it, and it just reminds me to not always rush to the rides at Disneyland.
I recently stayed on site for the first time April 2023, and I've seen slightly bigger lines than what you experienced (but still no very long) at monorail in the morning. IF you sleep through your alarm, and you're not going to be in line at 730a anyway, monorail MIGHT be a good option for on-site guests.
If you are a hotel guest and early entry is at Disneyland- it's the BesT because you get in 30 mins before regular guests!! 🥰
I take the monorail in all the time. I love it 🥰
When staying at a Disney hotel I always enter the park by monorail.
Lovely video as always. Thank you David.
@@Squeebop hypocritical ass baby
Cordoning guests off inside the old Starcade second level has always been a mystery to me. I am sure there are issues with guests lined up in the inner tunnels of Space Mt unmonitored, but it is a much better queue to stand in as it is well themed and the video displays are shown every so often. Lightning Lane entrance should simply be down with Single Rider to avoid all of this issue.
Can you do rope drop monorail and do either Mattahorn/ Toontown? Maybe you might get more rides in. Or Monorail to fantasyland and toontown ?
if doing an early entrance for Disneyland, does the monorail get any earlier start for those guests?
What camera are you using it looks beautiful
I feel like it would have been cool to have a real time side by side comparison between rope dropping the hub and walking to Space Mountain vs rope dropping the monorail to space mountain.
Te real test would be two people who ride in the same car to Disneyland, and then film (in real time and on the same day) their experience getting to and riding an attraction. Who is standing in line longer, who is done first. It's a great idea.
what about going to Mickey's runaway railroad?
You don’t drop Indiana due to possible not running?
Why doesn’t the city invest is light monorail that connects to Disneyland. So much space is used to park all of the cars. All Disney parks outside of the US is accessible by tail.
In the 80’s- the monorail would take its first trip 15 minutes before the front gate opened- so you’d be able to arrive at Tomorrowland before everyone else. Good times.