Everything Early Theme Park Entry (ETPE) - Please Read Post 1

[unrequited23]

We were just back from CBR (6/11-6/21) The posted skyliner hours were 7am-10:30pm. We were running "late" on our first HS day and walked up to the Jamaica station at 6:50 and there were 5 other families there. I was pleasantly surprised. We ended up "really late" for EMH several other mornings--the heat index was 105 for most of the trip and it tired us out more than expected. (For us "really late" would be getting checked for EMH 10-15 minutes after it started.) We still found EMH useful even if we were "really late"/not held at the tap styles for 20-30 mins before being let into the park. ROR and SDMT were 30 min waits showing up "really late" for EMH. YMMV, but don't consider a day to be lost if you are not at transportation 90 minutes before EMH.

 

[shystalips]

Staying at POR with 3 small children. Want to do ETPE at epcot international gateway entrance to knock out Remy and frozen. Any ideas if uber/Lyft are out and would like to try to not buy genie+? Tia

 

[scrappinginontario]

Staying at POR with 3 small children. Want to do ETPE at epcot international gateway entrance to knock out Remy and frozen. Any ideas if uber/Lyft are out and would like to try to not buy genie+? Tia

You would want to take Uber/Lyft to either Swan/Dolphin or to DHS and take the Skyliner from there. Ride shares are not permitted to drop off at Disney resorts.

Depending on how early you're up you can save the cost of the ride share and take a bus to DHS then the Skyliner to Epcot but it will take time.

 

[shystalips]

You would want to take Uber/Lyft to either Swan/Dolphin or to DHS and take the Skyliner from there. Ride shares are not permitted to drop off at Disney resorts.

Depending on how early you're up you can save the cost of the ride share and take a bus to DHS then the Skyliner to Epcot but it will take time.

Thanks, thats what I thought.

 

[123SA]

Question about managing Genie+/ILL 7am selection and ETPE.

August trip, staying at ASMusic Park Hours for all parks currently have 830am as the ETPE time (I will keep checking)

Post 1 says be at transportation 90 minutes prior to ETPE time -- so that means I'll be leaving my room at 650am and walking to the bus stop to be there by 7am.

But...I'll also need to be on my phone getting ready for Genie+ selection and ILL selection? And, I'll possibly be on a bus and trying to deal with Genie+ selection and ILL selection - especially if any of the ETPE times shift to an earlier time? Or no, the buses do not come at 7am, I'll just be standing in line at that bus stop and doing this?

It kind of sounds like a stressful way to start the day.


So I guess my question is, is being on the bus on the way to ETPE a bad spot to be for securing Genie+ selection and ILL selection?

 

[shystalips]

Question about managing Genie+/ILL 7am selection and ETPE.

August trip, staying at ASMusic Park Hours for all parks currently have 830am as the ETPE time (I will keep checking)

Post 1 says be at transportation 90 minutes prior to ETPE time -- so that means I'll be leaving my room at 650am and walking to the bus stop to be there by 7am.

But...I'll also need to be on my phone getting ready for Genie+ selection and ILL selection? And, I'll possibly be on a bus and trying to deal with Genie+ selection and ILL selection - especially if any of the ETPE times shift to an earlier time? Or no, the buses do not come at 7am, I'll just be standing in line at that bus stop and doing this?

It kind of sounds like a stressful way to start the day.


So I guess my question is, is being on the bus on the way to ETPE a bad spot to be for securing Genie+ selection and ILL selection?

 

[scrappinginontario]

Question about managing Genie+/ILL 7am selection and ETPE.

August trip, staying at ASMusic Park Hours for all parks currently have 830am as the ETPE time (I will keep checking)

Post 1 says be at transportation 90 minutes prior to ETPE time -- so that means I'll be leaving my room at 650am and walking to the bus stop to be there by 7am.

But...I'll also need to be on my phone getting ready for Genie+ selection and ILL selection? And, I'll possibly be on a bus and trying to deal with Genie+ selection and ILL selection - especially if any of the ETPE times shift to an earlier time? Or no, the buses do not come at 7am, I'll just be standing in line at that bus stop and doing this?

It kind of sounds like a stressful way to start the day.


So I guess my question is, is being on the bus on the way to ETPE a bad spot to be for securing Genie+ selection and ILL selection?

You will be at the bus stop but waiting for a bus so able to work on securing what you want.

 

[shystalips]

1st bus will probably be there around 75-90 minutes prior to ETPE. Most likely you will be at the bus stop doing all of the above but yes, there is a chance you will be on the bus trying to manage the chaos.
BTW, you forgot to add virtual queue to the list as well. LOL

 

[123SA]

BTW, you forgot to add virtual queue to the list as well. LOL

True. There will be 4 of us working on securing it all. I'm so glad the youngest in my party is 17. I can't imagine doing this while trying to keep track of young kids.

Thanks for your help

 

[usckitty]

So excited to take advantage of early morning hour for our trip!

 

[Ermise]

I saw a post from April 2023 that stated RotR and Smugglers Run were still opening before ETPE officially began. Has anyone experienced that this summer as well?

 

[gottalovepluto]

So excited to take advantage of early morning hour for our trip!

*half* hour

 

[momof2gr8kids]

True. There will be 4 of us working on securing it all. I'm so glad the youngest in my party is 17. I can't imagine doing this while trying to keep track of young kids.

Thanks for your help

Just make sure you're on your data and not the wifi. This happened to me, was stepping onto the bus and I guess switching from resort wifi to the bus wifi. Rookie mistake!! Lol I had forgotten to turn them off and use my data, so lost out on VQ for Tron. (Got it at 1 pm though).

 

[Mome Rath]

Just back from a trip and thought I'd share what my AK early entry morning was like (7/10/23). My aim was to be at the bus stop at around 6:30 (for a 7:30 Early Entry), but was a bit later. Waited for about 15 min or so, and the bus driver said it was his second trip, and that the first bus was practically empty. This bus was standing room only. Got there a bit around 7:10. Went all the way to the far right tapstiles and watched closely for them to open more, which they did. That put me about 10 back from the tapstile when I moved over.

They opened the tapstiles later than I was used to in the past; about right at 7:30. Headed left, and was 2nd in a moving line to get scanned in (the scan did not work and she asked me how many and which hotel, and then waved me through; obviously did not want to mess with how long it would have taken to clear up whatever issue). Speed walked to Pandora, held at the bridge, only about a minute. Lead back, and was in the first group of riders on FoP. Straight off, to Na'vi River, total walk on, to bathroom.

Took back path to Africa, straight onto Safari (this was right around 8am). The animals were so worth getting up that early for; go to see the "baby" giraffe, hippo, and zebra (I'd call them younglings, not babies, but was still really neat). I think I got to see at least one of everything you are usually on the lookout for.

Kusafiri Bakery for breakfast; overnight oats which were really cold and really good. People watched a long while, then shopped on my way out, took pics over by Everest as it was down that morning, and really quiet over there. Could have ridden anything else after Safari of course, but was done with rides.

 

[pvj1970]

To get to IG for ETE, planning on driving to park at HS and Skyliner over - for timeline planning purposes;
1 how much time does it take once boarded to unload at E?
2 I'd surmise that there are some people that do this, but not a ton, so is there typically much of a wait to board at HS?

 

[CarolynFH]

To get to IG for ETE, planning on driving to park at HS and Skyliner over - for timeline planning purposes;
1 how much time does it take once boarded to unload at E?
2 I'd surmise that there are some people that do this, but not a ton, so is there typically much of a wait to board at HS?

Not a long wait at DHS, but expect a line at CBR where you transfer to the Epcot line. Guests from CBR, Pop and AoA will be boarding there, too, for ETPE.

I’d expect at least 30 minutes for the trip from DHS to Epcot, more or less depending on length of line (which usually moves quickly) at CBR.

From DHS you could also walk or boat to Epcot. Walking can be fastest. Boat takes +/- 30 minutes too due to stops between DHS and Epcot.

 

[gottalovepluto]

To get to IG for ETE, planning on driving to park at HS and Skyliner over - for timeline planning purposes;
1 how much time does it take once boarded to unload at E?
2 I'd surmise that there are some people that do this, but not a ton, so is there typically much of a wait to board at HS?

If time maters walk from DHS to EP otherwise you could get bogged down in the transfer line at CBR. No priority is given to people who arrive to CBR via Skyliner, everyone boards the EP line from the same line.

I always feel it necessary to remind people who go to these extra lengths to use IG- Remy has a nasty habit of being down. If Remy is down do realize you will be behind all the EEH people coming from the front for all of the other attractions.

 

[tinabina919]

You would want to take Uber/Lyft to either Swan/Dolphin or to DHS and take the Skyliner from there. Ride shares are not permitted to drop off at Disney resorts.

Depending on how early you're up you can save the cost of the ride share and take a bus to DHS then the Skyliner to Epcot but it will take time.

Is that new? Or only for the mornings? I’ve taken Uber/Lyft from resort to resort many times.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Is that new? Or only for the mornings? I’ve taken Uber/Lyft from resort to resort many times.

This began in 2020 when the parks reopened. It is strictly enforced in the AM hours but many have reported being denied access to a resort without a resort reservation or ADR at other hours too.

 

[erin_mouse88]

With the changes recently I'm hoping they make it 60 minutes again. Except AK some days their EE is 7:30, I can't see getting up and out with 2 toddlers that early.