Better to RD GE or Try for Evening Magic Hours?

Goldilocks07

A rockin' mom and her sweet princess
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
To successfully get on any of the Galaxy Edge rides, without crazy wait times, do you think it's better to try and rope drop, or go at night for the evening extra magic hours? Info: we are going next week, March 8th, a Sunday. And by "successfully" I mean not wait more than 45min-1 hour per GE experience/ride. This planning is sending me into a panic!!
 
To successfully get on any of the Galaxy Edge rides, without crazy wait times, do you think it's better to try and rope drop, or go at night for the evening extra magic hours? Info: we are going next week, March 8th, a Sunday. And by "successfully" I mean not wait more than 45min-1 hour per GE experience/ride. This planning is sending me into a panic!!
You can’t ride Rise of the Resistance without a boarding group (which can only be obtained within the first minute or so of park opening). They do not run ROTR during extra magic hours and there is no standby line without getting a boarding group. There is a thread here all about obtaining boarding groups, check it out if you want to ride ROTR.
 
MFSR is operating during emh and it might be a shorter wait but i would have realistic expectations and say an hour is not unrealistic
 
We split our day at HS on our recent trip (2/17-2/21). We arrived before opening to try for a RotR BG and got lucky with #29, so we were able to do that before leaving the park by 9:45. We returned much later that night and the wait for Smugglers Run was posted at 40min (this was about 45 min before park close). We decided that wasn’t terrible and jumped in the standby line (this was a day before FP was being offered). Actual wait was 38 min. We were happy with our strategy and glad we got both new experiences done in a single day. Beforehand I’d tentatively planned two HS days thinking we’d need that due to crowds, but after this one day success, we modified our plans and subbed MK versus going back to HS again. YMMV as every day is different, but I did spend the last few days before our trip watching wait times near closing and getting a general idea of the averages.
 


When we were at DHS on President's Day they extended the park closing by one hour due to crowds ... not sure how that extra hour would compare to typical evening EMHs but in that hour we got on Alien Spinning Saucers and then rode the Falcon twice back to back - so I think waits should be lower then. I would think it would be similar as at that point there were no FPs for the Falcon, and similarly, would only be standby during the EMHs

This was after rope dropping the Falcon as well, which we had about a 40+ min wait for once in line (we were off it before 9am with an 8am opening ... we got to the park just over an hour before park opening so guess have to factor that into wait time as well. But overall we did get 3 rides on the Falcon and did get our ride in on RotR using our BG (on our third attempt to ride, it was down the first two times we showed up)
 
You can’t ride Rise of the Resistance without a boarding group (which can only be obtained within the first minute or so of park opening). They do not run ROTR during extra magic hours and there is no standby line without getting a boarding group. There is a thread here all about obtaining boarding groups, check it out if you want to ride ROTR.

Ah, ok I am getting the 2 new rides confused. Yes, I remember (clearly not that well!) reading about the boarding groups and getting there 30-60 min prior to opening and the whole 8:00 refreshing MDE app. Got it.

I guess I'm referring to the other ride-
 
So, after getting a boarding group for RotR (assuming and hoping we get one), can't we go straight to Smugglers Run? For the standby line?
 


So, after getting a boarding group for RotR (assuming and hoping we get one), can't we go straight to Smugglers Run? For the standby line?

Maybe sharing my experience from about 10 days ago:
- got to DHS ~ 1:10 before park opening (so was about 6:50 for an 8am opening ... go tthorugh bag check in line, etc.
- gates opened at 7am and we were let into the park and people dispersed to be towards the land of whatever attraction they wanted ... we went with the largest group towards Galaxy's Edge as we wanted to rope drop Smuggler's run
- we were held in a big group at the entrance to Galaxy's Edge (noted we basically got there/stopped moving at 7:13am)
- Waited until park opening at 8am. At that time (or just before) they made an announcement about the Boarding Group process (though most of us were already ready to go prior to the announcement and then started trying to get one)
- They give you a few minutes to execute the process before "rope drop" and then they started walking everyone into Galaxy's Edge and getting people in line for Smugglers Run (where most of us were heading - some to Savi's or other spots)
- Line was huge (can post picture if interested) but it moved and we were off the ride at about 8:50am (so about a 40 minute wait, but much of it was walking to fill the queue, etc.)

If we were there 30 mins earlier would have been closer to the front and probably had like a 15-20min wait instead of 40m


So to your specific question, it isn't really "get a BG and THEN get in the standby line for Smugglers Run" it is more "Get into the masses waiting for standby for all things Galaxy's Edge, including Smuggler's Run and in that line is where you will be when trying to secure a BG"


Hope that helps - it might sound like a lot when written out but everyhting is very well organized - didn't see people pushing or anything like that (actually, generally everyone in very positive/excited spirits)
 
Maybe sharing my experience from about 10 days ago:
- got to DHS ~ 1:10 before park opening (so was about 6:50 for an 8am opening ... go tthorugh bag check in line, etc.
- gates opened at 7am and we were let into the park and people dispersed to be towards the land of whatever attraction they wanted ... we went with the largest group towards Galaxy's Edge as we wanted to rope drop Smuggler's run
- we were held in a big group at the entrance to Galaxy's Edge (noted we basically got there/stopped moving at 7:13am)
- Waited until park opening at 8am. At that time (or just before) they made an announcement about the Boarding Group process (though most of us were already ready to go prior to the announcement and then started trying to get one)
- They give you a few minutes to execute the process before "rope drop" and then they started walking everyone into Galaxy's Edge and getting people in line for Smugglers Run (where most of us were heading - some to Savi's or other spots)
- Line was huge (can post picture if interested) but it moved and we were off the ride at about 8:50am (so about a 40 minute wait, but much of it was walking to fill the queue, etc.)

If we were there 30 mins earlier would have been closer to the front and probably had like a 15-20min wait instead of 40m


So to your specific question, it isn't really "get a BG and THEN get in the standby line for Smugglers Run" it is more "Get into the masses waiting for standby for all things Galaxy's Edge, including Smuggler's Run and in that line is where you will be when trying to secure a BG"


Hope that helps - it might sound like a lot when written out but everyhting is very well organized - didn't see people pushing or anything like that (actually, generally everyone in very positive/excited spirits)

THAT was exactly what I needed to read. THANK YOU SO MUCH for explaining it in that way. We all read, understand, compute things differently, and you spoke my language. I've researched this a good bit and couldn't wrap my brain around the process. Now, I get it.

Now, if you think I'm getting to the park 1:10 before opening, that means I have to be up by 6:00 am am rushing my bum off with a 9 year old..... um...the friend I'm with may have to go at it on her own with her 9 year old, she's the one dying to do these rides. I'm not a morning person and may pass until the next trip. HA.

Again, this post was super helpful.
 

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