Certainly one of my favourite issues about Walt Disney World is that, within the phrases of its namesake, it “retains shifting ahead.” When Walt uttered these three well-known and poignant phrases, I’m certain what he completely had in thoughts was adjustments to insurance policies that shake up the technique for many effectively experiencing EPCOT, which was completely a theme park in Walt’s thoughts.
Within the spirit of Walt’s sentiment, I’ve additionally been “opening up new doorways and doing new issues” with curiosity main me down new paths. For instance, I was a photographer with a weblog. Now I’m a blogger with heavy digicam bag. You see the distinction? As a substitute of photographing sunrises over Crescent Lake, curiosity about adjustments has led me down the paths in direction of the parks to do Early Entry at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT on a number of current mornings throughout a keep at BoardWalk Inn.
On a type of mornings, a very gorgeous dawn was forfeited for the sake of heading to Magic Kingdom to see how the Get together Season dynamic was taking part in out. Then lower than one week later, and earlier than I may publish a photograph report, Walt Disney World dropped the digital queue from TRON Lightcycle Run, rendering my outcomes out of date. (I’m not mad. Please don’t put within the newspaper that I acquired mad.) Fortunately, this morning at EPCOT went a bit higher, and the dawn was common anyway, so nothing of worth was misplaced…
My fundamental aim right here was to see the affect of dropping Take a look at Monitor till Summer season 2025 on the opposite headliners at EPCOT throughout Early Entry. Particularly, whether or not it’s nonetheless potential to reach at EPCOT by way of Worldwide Gateway in World Showcase, beginning with Remy’s Ratatouille Journey and persevering with with Frozen Ever After earlier than the wait occasions get unmanageable.
For individuals who aren’t conscious, Worldwide Gateway is the again entrance to EPCOT, located between the UK and France pavilions, which makes it advantageous for beginning at Remy’s Ratatouille Journey. Company who’ve entry to Worldwide Gateway are these staying on the Crescent Lake and Skyliner resorts, in addition to those that leap by means of hoops to get dropped off at a type of resorts by way of Uber/Lyft, Minnie Vans, and so on. Earlier than you ask, no we don’t suggest this. It isn’t well worth the trip time, cash, or stress. (Severely, should you’re contemplating one thing like this, you’re planning “too arduous.”)
Anyway, I arrived at EPCOT’s Worldwide Gateway at roughly 7:50 am on this explicit morning. The Skyliner was already dropping off company at Worldwide Gateway once I arrived, and safety and the turnstiles had been already open. Each of these issues had seemingly simply occurred 5 or so minutes earlier, as there have been roughly 100 company in entrance of me.
Upon coming into Worldwide Gateway, there’s a row of Forged Members scanning MagicBands, resort room keys, or no matter acceptable identification you may need if staying at one of many taking part third get together motels. Forged Members didn’t begin scanning till 7:55 am.
You get held again by the reward store and might’t entry the remainder of the park with out scanning right here, after which period you possibly can proceed in direction of the bridge to France. Otherwise you will be like the two% of company who, for some cause, head in direction of the UK.
The gang on the France bridge was held till 8:27 am. (Within the photograph beneath, the entrance of the road as originally of the bridge.)
That is really later than I’m used to experiencing, and I used to be stunned we had been on this spot so lengthy. How lengthy every maintain lasts varies from day after day (it’s not like that is tightly choreographed to happen at 8:27:00 am each day) and sure relies upon upon a wide range of elements. Throughout peak season, the brand new arrivals would necessitate the road transfer ahead. I used to be simply blissful to be within the shade for as soon as.
In any case, we began shifting in a loosely shaped line at 8:27 am, heading in direction of the Streets of Paris.
That is regular, as is the inevitable get together or two that decides they’re going to bolt forward of the group, ignoring the truth that everybody else is shuffling ahead in a line (roughly).
Look, I can even energy stroll–a lot sooner than we had been collectively shifting–however it’s patently apparent that it is a line. Level being, don’t be “that get together” that decides to disregard protocol and race forward. The icy stares aren’t price it. (And imagine me, we had been all obvious our hardest. Take that, line cutters!)
Anyway, the group was as soon as once more held on the entrance to the Streets of Paris space till 8:30 (so for like 45 seconds), at which level there have been roughly 112 individuals in entrance of me, a catastrophic improve of one-dozen because of the road cutters, who saved themselves an entire 2 minutes ready in line by taking part in soiled. I hope it was price it.
At 8:30 am we moved ahead, filling within the full line and out of doors overflow queue at Remy’s Ratatouille Journey. It rapidly grew to become clear, despite the fact that it wasn’t within the My Disney Expertise app, that the attraction was going to have the dreaded delayed opening. Now the choice to carry us for thus lengthy on the bridge made much more sense.
Once more, solely about 112 individuals in entrance of me. This may’ve been a close to walk-on (nevertheless lengthy it took to slowly trudge by means of the queue, assuming no additional line cutters) as soon as the experience got here on-line. However, I instantly started deliberating about whether or not to chop my losses and leap out of line. I debated the professionals and cons till I simply couldn’t bear it anymore–the wait was excruciating.
So at 8:39 am, I exited the road. The amusing (at the very least to me) factor is that, if going by reminiscence, I’d swear that I stood in that non-moving out of doors queue for half-hour, simply. And that’s exactly why I take notes when doing these discipline exams, as a result of it was really lower than 10 minutes. Longest 8-9 minutes of my life…till the subsequent time this occurs.
My calculus for getting out of line at this level could be totally different than your decision-making course of. A very good rule of thumb so that you can decide when to chop your losses is how lengthy it’ll take you to stroll over to Frozen Ever After. The aim is to reach there by 9:05 am should you get out of line, so work backwards from that.
I wished to have the ability to approximate a standard morning with no delayed opening, and the way issues would go together with my second cease. I additionally wished to see how lengthy the road was for Remy’s Ratatouille Journey, whether or not company had been arriving from the entrance of the park, and so on.
Actually, a delayed opening that “compelled” me to leap out of line was for the most effective of this discipline check. I shouldn’t have been in that line within the first place–I understand how lengthy it takes to do Remy’s Ratatouille Journey on common from my spot–it was extra worthwhile to look at how issues had modified behind me. Why I didn’t consider this beforehand is past me. Maybe I simply actually wished to experience my tenth favourite attraction at EPCOT. Extra seemingly, it was the dearth of sleep and low.
The road behind me was lengthy. Very, very lengthy:
As of 8:40 am, the again of the road was nonetheless forming with new arrivals speed-walking from the entrance of the park. This regular stream in all probability would’ve continued for the rest of Early Entry since there isn’t a line all shuffling collectively from this path. Folks arrive at totally different occasions based mostly on how rapidly (or not) they will stroll.
The posted wait time round 8:45 am for Frozen Ever After was 35 minutes and the posted wait time for Soarin’ Across the World was 10 minutes. This advised me that the most important impacts of the Take a look at Monitor closure throughout Early Entry had been Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille, and never Soarin.
That got here as a slight shock, however not fully. In any case, EPCOT has a trio of practically co-equal headliners with standby traces, and Soarin isn’t a part of that. However, I figured Soarin would see features as a result of Take a look at Monitor closure. In any case, it’s on the entrance of the park and the opposite choices are for much longer walks for anybody arriving from the primary entrance. However I suppose not.
The road for Remy’s Ratatouille Journey could be very lengthy. A part of that’s attributable to the experience not working, and thus absorbing the Worldwide Gateway company earlier than the primary entrance ones started arriving over the course of the earlier ~quarter-hour (the Rat Experience generally begins operating earlier than 8:30 am).
Regardless, this could’ve been a very lengthy line. To the purpose that I battle with the notion of hoofing it from the entrance entrance all the best way again right here. Is that actually the way you wish to begin your day? Getting scorching and sweaty earlier than it’s even 9 am? Not solely that, however there’s the chance price.
To every their very own, however I simply can’t see the way it’s price it to do Remy’s Ratatouille Journey throughout Early Entry should you’re coming from the entrance of the park. Sure, you in all probability may have a shorter wait time than the each day common. Maybe considerably so. You additionally energy walked like a mile to the again of the park (which takes time and power) and will’ve completed one thing else as a substitute.
None of that is something new, although. I’ve by no means really useful Remy’s Ratatouille Journey for Early Entry when coming into by means of EPCOT’s important entrance. This simply additional seals the deal, as a result of now there’s extra competitors with Take a look at Monitor being down.
As I used to be taking images en path to Norway, Remy’s Ratatouille Journey got here on-line for the day. If I had about ~8 minutes of persistence within the tank, I might’ve been fantastic to experience it.
Anyway, I made a decision to “let it go” (hahahaha) and headed over to Frozen Ever After, the place I arrived at 8:58 am to a posted wait time of 35 minutes. That is just about at all times my aim throughout Early Entry at EPCOT by way of Worldwide Gateway: beat the park opening crowd to Frozen Ever After.
I acquired right here barely sooner than anticipated since I didn’t experience Remy’s Ratatouille Journey. Even had I arrived at 9:05 am, I nonetheless would’ve crushed the rope drop crowd. You can not teleport from the entrance entrance to Norway, and I can’t think about that know-how is being added to the park anytime quickly. If CommuniCore Corridor is the present excessive water mark on innovation at EPCOT, we’re 1,982 years away from teleportation.
That is positively an extended line than I’ve seen through the common Early Entry at EPCOT, however not by that a lot. The times of Frozen Ever After being a walk-on through the tail finish of Early Entry ended some time in the past–just about when the park moved to a 9 am opening time.
I used to be nonetheless on Frozen Ever After by 9:10 am, making for an precise wait time of 12 minutes. Notably, I didn’t see a single individual scan into the Lightning Lane whereas I used to be in line (and I used to be watching).
All in all, that’s not too shabby. Particularly when you think about that I may’ve completed Remy’s Ratatouille Journey and nonetheless made it to Frozen Ever After with a 15-20 precise wait time. From that perspective, Early Entry continues to be very clearly price it at EPCOT. I’d argue that it’s higher than Lightning Lane Multi-Move.
In fact, the true check of whether or not Early Entry at EPCOT is worth it throughout Take a look at Monitor closure goes to come back when arriving by way of EPCOT’s entrance entrance.
I don’t have a definitive reply for that because it’s not what I examined, however my observations did lead me to some preliminary conclusions:
- Don’t race to Remy’s Ratatouille Journey. The tradeoffs simply don’t work out from my perspective.
- If you wish to experience Frozen Ever After back-to-back, do this first! It’s nonetheless a little bit of a hike from the entrance, however not as unhealthy. Extra importantly, there’s much less demand and also you’d have the time to loop Frozen Ever After in that first ~45 minutes.
- Take into account a extra laid again strategy, arriving at ~8:45 am and doing Soarin’ first.
I do know it’s anathema to the obvious philosophy of this weblog, however I’m in all probability taking the third possibility if I’m an everyday visitor.
Whereas we obsess over effectivity and strategizing, we additionally like to consider issues in holistic phrases. Not all trip time has equal worth, however it all does have some worth–and there’s a possibility price to each technique and determination. Arriving at 8:45 am doesn’t imply sleeping in “solely” an additional quarter-hour–it’s extra like 30-45 minutes.
I didn’t roll up proper when Early Entry began–being on time would’ve been too late for Remy’s Ratatouille Journey. I arrived at 7:50 am and waited round for some time. Even when the Rat Experience didn’t have a delayed opening, my complete wait time wouldn’t have been ~5 minutes–it might’ve been 5 minutes plus 40 minutes.
If we’re going by precise waits versus posted ones, 45 minutes just isn’t that removed from the typical for Remy’s Ratatouille Journey. Early Entry solely crosses over into “price it” territory from Worldwide Gateway for me as a result of: 1) pre-park opening time is decrease worth; 2) I like that peaceable morning stroll by means of World Showcase with none crowds; and, 3) I additionally did Frozen Ever After. The second level is crucial to me despite the fact that we glossed over it right here. It’s what retains me motivated to do that, from a private perspective.
If I had been coming to EPCOT from the opposite path and I didn’t perform at Walt Disney World in a state of perpetual sleep deprivation, I might’ve weighed the knowledge of coming so early and whether or not that required any tradeoffs. Particularly, would it not necessitate a noon break or leaving earlier than park closing?
In that case, I might’ve recalibrated and made my aim, fairly merely, to reach a couple of minutes earlier than rope drop. Being even barely forward of that crowd is extremely advantageous, and would’ve saved time at Soarin. It’s clearly not excessive worth, however it’s the decrease effort strategy. And generally taking the trail of least resistance is the most effective technique of all. I feel that’s in all probability true of Early Entry at EPCOT from the entrance through the Take a look at Monitor closure.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Ideas on Early Theme Park Entry at EPCOT? Have you ever skilled this 30 minute jumpstart to the day since Take a look at Monitor went down till 2025 for reimagining? What’s your most well-liked strategy to mornings at EPCOT? How would you’ve gotten completed issues otherwise? Another suggestions on arriving early to the Walt Disney World theme parks? Agree or disagree with our recommendation or strategy? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
