Disney World guests have spent years perfecting their rope drop strategies. Arrive early, get through security, and head straight toward one of the park’s most popular attractions before the crowds catch up.
It’s a strategy that can save visitors considerable time, especially at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where several major attractions regularly draw lengthy standby lines.
However, one of the park’s newest experiences is making that strategy a little more complicated.
And for guests who don’t want to waste valuable vacation time, choosing the wrong attraction first could completely change their morning.
Disney World’s Newest Roller Coaster Creates a New Challenge
When Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets opened in May 2026, it gave Hollywood Studios visitors another reason to race toward Sunset Boulevard.
The updated roller coaster replaced the attraction’s longtime Aerosmith theme with the Muppets, bringing the characters back into the spotlight following the closure of Muppets Courtyard.
For fans who missed seeing Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the rest of the gang at Hollywood Studios, the updated attraction offered something worth checking out.
But its popularity has also introduced a familiar Disney World problem.
When everyone wants to ride the same attraction first, arriving early doesn’t always provide the advantage guests expect.
Instead of enjoying a nearly empty queue, visitors can find themselves joining a crowd of other guests who had exactly the same plan.
And that’s assuming the attraction actually opens on time.
A Two-Hour Closure Shows How Quickly Plans Can Fall Apart
On October 26, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets remained unavailable during the first two hours of regular Hollywood Studios operations.
AllEars documented the attraction as temporarily closed at both 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.
It finally reopened by 11 a.m., with a posted standby wait of 35 minutes.
For guests who planned to make the roller coaster their first attraction, the closure presented an immediate challenge.
Should they wait for the ride to reopen, or abandon their original plans and head somewhere else?
That decision becomes particularly important during the first few hours of the day, when guests can sometimes experience several major attractions before wait times increase.
On the same morning, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway posted a 15-minute wait at 9 a.m., while Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run also had a 15-minute wait.
Meanwhile, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror was posting just 13 minutes.
Those shorter waits presented opportunities for guests willing to change their plans.
Why Rope Dropping Isn’t Always the Best Decision
The bigger issue goes beyond one unexpected closure.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets is popular enough that guests can encounter significant waits even when the attraction operates normally.
And because so many visitors prioritize the same rides, the first hour of the day isn’t automatically the best time to experience every attraction.
On October 26, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster reached a 65-minute wait at noon but dropped to 40 minutes by 1 p.m.
By 5 p.m., the posted wait was down to 35 minutes.
Although those numbers represent just one day, they demonstrate why guests should monitor wait times instead of assuming earlier is always better.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass offers another option for visitors who want to avoid spending too much time in the standby queue, although return windows depend on availability.
Disney World Guests Should Rethink Their Morning Plans
None of this means guests should stop arriving early at Hollywood Studios.
Rope dropping can still be an excellent way to experience popular attractions before the park becomes crowded.
However, the October 26 closure demonstrates why guests shouldn’t build their entire morning around Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets.
If the attraction is unavailable, visitors should consider moving to another ride rather than waiting indefinitely.
And if its standby queue is already lengthy, checking back later could prove worthwhile.
Disney World’s newest roller coaster might be a must-do experience for Muppets fans, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be the first attraction of the day.
Sometimes, the smartest Disney World strategy isn’t racing toward the newest ride. It’s knowing when to walk in the opposite direction.
