Disney’s Animal Kingdom began testing new rope drop procedures last week, and Cast Members confirmed with us today, July 23, that they are now permanent.

Animal Kingdom Rope Drop Procedure

Cast Members confirmed the procedures that went into testing last week are now permanent as far as they know.

During the previous Animal Kingdom opening procedure, non-resort guests were held in the Oasis (the entrance area before Discovery Island) until the park’s official opening at 8 a.m. Resort hotel guests would proceed into the rest of the park for Early Entry at 7:30 a.m.

Disney is now bringing non-resort guests onto Discovery Island during this waiting period. This allows much more space for guests to breathe, although Discovery Island shops still aren’t open before 8 a.m. There are PhotoPass photographers available at the Tree of Life if you want to get your pictures taken early.

There are three entry points from Discovery Island to other areas of the park. These are located in front of Island Mercantile for Pandora – The World of Avatar; in front of Zootopia: Better Zoogether! for the bridge to Expedition Everest; and at the former DinoLand U.S.A. bridge.

Resort guests check in with Cast Members at each of these spots for Early Entry while non-resort guests wait in designated areas.

The exact procedures are subject to change.

How do you feel about this version of Disney’s Animal Kingdom rope drop? Let us know on social media.

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