Disneyland Rope Drop: Which Ride to Hit First

By Jenna R. · Dining & food festivals

Published November 9, 2026

Start at Indiana Jones™ Adventure, not Peter Pan’s Flight. SupaPark has logged six Disneyland Park days so far (November 4–9, 2026). On those days, Indy’s lowest posted wait came in the 8 AM hour and never came back down that far. Peter Pan was the reverse: its posted wait was at its highest in the 8 AM hour.

One thing changed the math this year. Hotel-guest Early Entry ended for visits starting January 5, 2026, so everyone now comes through the gates at the same time. Nobody gets a head start on you, so the ride you pick first matters more than ever.

A note on the numbers: these are early SupaPark logs of the posted standby waits shown in the park, as hourly medians over six days. They’re not timed waits, and they’re not a forecast. SupaPark only started logging Disneyland Resort in November 2026. Treat them as a first read, not a long-term pattern.

The early numbers at a glance

Median posted standby wait, in Pacific time, across the six logged days:

Two patterns stand out. Some rides climb fast and stay high, so they reward an early start. Others are cheap at either end of the day, so spending your opening minutes on them wastes your best window.

First ride: Indiana Jones Adventure (Adventureland)

Indy has the strongest case for going first. Its posted wait went from 20 minutes in the 8 AM hour to 35 by the 9 AM hour, the steepest one-hour jump of any ride here. After that it sat at 40–45 minutes from mid-morning into the evening. The best it did after dark was 28 minutes in the 9 PM hour. Matterhorn and Tiana’s both had cheap late windows. Indy didn’t, at least on these six days, so the morning is its one clear bargain.

The catch is height. Indy’s minimum is 46 inches, the tallest requirement in this group. If someone in your party is shorter, use Rider Switch. Indy is part of Lightning Lane Multi Pass, so you can also save it for a Multi Pass return later and open with a ride that suits the whole family.

Planning around this? Open Disneyland in SupaPark.

Second stop: Matterhorn Bobsleds (Fantasyland)

From Adventureland, head toward Fantasyland for Matterhorn Bobsleds. It had the lowest posted wait of the big coasters in the 8 AM hour (10 minutes), and it was still only 20 in the 9 AM hour. It hit 30 by the 10 AM hour and peaked at 40 in the 3 PM hour.

Matterhorn also has a backup plan. Its posted wait fell back to 15 minutes in the 10 PM hour, and it has a single rider line on some days (not always open). If you miss the morning window, an evening lap works too. The minimum height is 42 inches.

Third stop: Space Mountain (Tomorrowland)

Next, walk on to Tomorrowland for Space Mountain. It posted 25 minutes in the 8 AM hour and 30 in the 9 AM hour, then sat at 40–45 for most of the day. The 8 PM hour dipped to 35. That’s a modest morning edge, but it adds up across a three-ride opening run.

If you’re teleporting in from the Tomorrowland side of the hub instead, flip the order: Space first, then Matterhorn, then cross over to Indy. Just know Indy will likely have climbed by then.

Why Peter Pan isn’t your opener

The usual advice is to rope-drop Peter Pan’s Flight because its line is slow and it’s not on the Multi Pass list. That holds if you’re at the very front of the crowd. On these six days, though, Peter Pan’s Flight hit its highest median posted wait (35 minutes) in the 8 AM hour, exactly when everyone else heads there. It eased to 25 by mid-morning and bottomed out at 20 in the 1 PM hour.

The move: unless you’re one of the first people through Sleeping Beauty Castle, skip Peter Pan at opening and come back right after lunch.

Rides you can safely save for later

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Bayou Country). This one had the biggest swing of the seven rides: 5 minutes in the 8 AM hour, up to 40 in the 2 PM hour. That’s a 35-minute range, bigger than Indy’s or Matterhorn’s. But it stayed at 5–10 minutes through the 10 AM hour, and it was back down to 5 by the 7 PM hour. You don’t have to race there at opening. Ride it before about 11 AM or after dinner. It also has a single rider line on some days.

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (Galaxy’s Edge). It never had a cheap morning: 40 minutes in the 8 AM hour and 50 by the 10 AM hour. Its lowest median was 30 minutes in the 9 PM hour. It’s one of only two Lightning Lane Single Pass rides at the resort (paid per ride), so it’s not on Multi Pass. For standby, an evening ride looks like the better bet.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Its median topped out at 15 minutes all day. Don’t spend morning minutes on it.

Use the Multi Pass while you’re in line

As of November 2026, you make your first Lightning Lane Multi Pass selection after you enter the park that day, in the Disneyland app. Make it as soon as you’re through the gates, before you reach Indy’s queue. Pick a ride whose posted wait climbs later in the day, not one you’re about to ride standby. Space Mountain is a good choice if you’re starting on the Adventureland side. Tiana’s works if you’d rather ride it in its 2 PM peak window. You get your next selection once you redeem the current one, or two hours after booking it, whichever comes first.

Staying at a Disney hotel? Each registered guest age 3 and up gets one entry to an eligible Multi Pass ride on one day of the stay. Using it on Indy at midday saves you about 20 minutes over the 8 AM posted wait.

The one thing to remember

For an opening run, go Indy → Matterhorn → Space Mountain, and save Peter Pan for early afternoon. Ride Tiana’s either before 11 AM or in the evening, and save Rise of the Resistance for after dark. Indy is the only headliner in this group that showed no real second chance later in the day, so ride it first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What ride should I rope drop first at Disneyland?

Indiana Jones Adventure is the best first pick. Its median posted wait over six logged days in November 2026 was lowest in the 8 AM hour (20 minutes) and never got back below 28 minutes later in the day.

Is Peter Pan’s Flight a good rope drop ride at Disneyland?

Only if you’re at the very front of the crowd. On SupaPark’s six logged days, its posted wait was highest in the 8 AM hour (35 minutes) and lowest around 1 PM (20 minutes).

Do Disneyland hotel guests still get early entry?

No. Hotel-guest Early Entry ended for visits starting January 5, 2026, so everyone enters at the same time. Disney hotel guests now get one Lightning Lane Multi Pass entry per registered guest age 3 and up, for one day of the stay.

Should I rope drop Rise of the Resistance?

On the logged days, no. Its posted wait was 40 minutes in the 8 AM hour and peaked at 50 by 10 AM. Its lowest median was 30 minutes in the 9 PM hour, so an evening standby ride is the better bet.

Go deeper — the full guides: Disneyland Adventureland Guide: Rides, Food, What to Skip · Haunted Mansion or Pirates First? New Orleans Square · Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Disneyland: Height & Best Time