Unofficial Guide readers know well that the early bird gets the worm, so we’ve freshly field-tested our morning touring plans at Universal Orlando’s newest theme park to bring you these best ways to rope drop Epic Universe.
“Rope drop” is the term for the moment each morning when theme parks release the barriers holding back guests, and begin allowing them to rush towards the rides. This often occurs prior to the published official opening time, and those already stationed at the front of the crowd can be on and off their first attraction before those behind them are even through the gates, which makes arriving early essential for optimal touring efficiency.
That goes double for Epic Universe rope drop, which happens in two waves every morning on opposite ends of the park, and occurs. Because your rope drop strategy makes a big impact on the overall success of your entire experience at Epic Universe, we’ve developed three different plans depending on where and when you are starting out your day:
Epic Universe Rope Drop for Helios Grand Hotel Guests
Guests staying at the Helios Grand Hotel get the best of both worlds: they get to sleep in a room that’s luxuriously appointed (although slightly undersized considering the price), then wake up steps away from a world-class theme park.
As Universal’s first resort hotel with an integrated park entrance, guests here are certainly paying a premium for the location, but the advantage you can gain during rope drop may be almost as valuable as an Express Pass (which the room rate does not include).
Early Park Admission (EPA) for all Universal Orlando Resort hotel guests starts one hour prior to the official park opening time, but guests begin lining up in the Helios Grand hallway outside the exclusive entrance at least an hour before that. If EPA begins at 8 a.m., inspections of hotel keycards and security screenings will start around 7:15 a.m., with the first guests scanning into the park a few minutes later.
By the time Helios Grand guests are released into the park, the line will stretch back towards the hotel, but those at the front have a huge advantage over everyone else at Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. Assuming the attraction is up and running on time, those first few dozen guests get to file directly through the Floo Network in the the massive Ministry lobby, and can be on and off their enchanted elevator within 15 minutes after EPA begins.
After their ride, Potter fans can explore the land’s enchanted windows or enjoy a Butterbeer crepe for breakfast. The attraction’s single-rider queue usually opens towards the end of the early entry hour, and is great for a second go-around. Or if you wish to leave the Wizarding World, wait times will still be reasonable at Stardust Racers and inside Isle of Berk.
Epic Universe Rope Drop for All Other Universal Hotel Guests
Helios Grand guests may get a huge head start on the Harry Potter attraction, but guests of other Universal hotels entering from the front gates have the advantage on Early Park Admission’s other headliners. Buses from all other hotels begin running to Epic at least two hours before the official opening time, while guests staying across the street at Stella Nova arrive on foot before the first bus.
Security checkpoints at Epic Universe’s main entrance open 45-60 minutes before early entry begins, and guests begin entering the front half of Celestial Park about 30 minutes prior to EPA. Once inside, queues form along the storefronts on the left side for Super Nintendo World, and on the right side for Isle of Berk and the rest of the park. Each side has separate lines for hotel guests eligible for EPA — who have their keycards inspected before being released towards the rides up to 10 minutes prior to the scheduled hour — and everyone else, who can proceed a few minutes prior to the official opening.
The large majority of Early Park Admission guests entering Epic Universe’s front gate go into Super Nintendo World, with most of them heading up the warp pipe escalator towards Mario Kart. Because that ride has multiple pre-shows, even the very first riders won’t emerge from Bowser’s Castle for at least 20 minutes or more, and those behind them will eat up all their early entry hour inside.
Instead, we recommend those at the front of the Epic Universe rope drop crowd enter Super Nintendo World’s lower level via the exit to the right of the warp pipe, and rush right to Mine-Cart Madness in the rear of Donkey Kong Country. This attraction consistently develops the longest wait time vs ride length ratio, and frequently breaks down, but the first riders of the day can be on and off before EPA even officially starts. Just be sure to double-check Universal’s app right before rope drop to make sure the ride isn’t “delayed.”
If you aren’t interested in rather rough roller coaster ride, early entry is an ideal time to enjoy Yoshi’s Adventure and the interactive Power Up Band games around the land with minimal waits. Alternatively, families with small children should consider saving Super Nintendo for later in the day, and instead line up outside Isle of Berk before EPA begins, so they can beeline back towards Toothless’s meet & greet.
This adorable animatronic dragon demands wait times that can equal any of the E-Tickets, and first thing in the morning is your best chance of seeing him with less than an hour wait. When you’re done, you’ll find that the family-friendly thrill rides around Berk are almost walk-ons during most of the early hour, and sometimes beyond.
Epic Universe Rope Drop for Non-Hotel Guests
Last but not least, guests who are ineligible for Early Park Admission at either Epic Universe entry are pretty much out of luck when it comes to rope-dropping the major rides in either the Wizarding or Super Nintendo Worlds, no matter what time they arrive. However, there are still good reasons for everyone to show up when the gates open for hotel guests.
When the park officially opens, those at the front of the non-EPA rope drop queue on the right side of Celestial Park can enter Isle of Berk to find the lowest waits for Toothless and the rides that you’ll likely see all day, even with early entry guests. Celestial Park itself will have short waits for Constellation Carousel, and Stardust Racers‘ line should be building but still manageable.
However, the one place where regular and hotel guests are almost on equal footing is Dark Universe, which is the only land that doesn’t awaken until the park’s official opening time (or usually 10 minutes before). This portal is closer to the left side of the park, but because that half get congested with Super Nintendo-goes, its usually quicker to start on the right side and cross over in front of the fountain.
There’s no reason to storm Frankenstein’s Castle at rope drop, because that dark ride’s standby wait rarely exceeds 30 minutes, but Curse of the Werewolf is an ideal first-ride candidate because this spinning coaster’s limited capacity quickly gets overwhelmed as the morning wears on.
What’s your favorite way to start a rope drop morning at Epic Universe? Let us know in the comments below!
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