How much time is enough time?

[KLud]

I've never stayed off site before. What time should I shoot to get to the parks? I'm concerned about the line to get into the parking lot (we'll be at the parks May 1-2) and want to be sure we are ready to go at rope drop. If it makes a difference, we'll be starting at EPCOT on Friday and AK on Saturday.

Now the only other thing: how do I express the importance of getting up super early to my non WDW friends without them thinking I'm insane?

[dumbo ears]

well i guess is all depends on where you are staying. id say find out how many minutes away you are from the park and try to get there at least 30 minutes before. really just leave early and try to gauge you time correctly. On the part about getting your non wdw fan friends to get up early well you could always just tell them to meet you there when they wake up if you have separate cars. If you don't then just try to say that if you get there early then ya'll could leave in the middle of the day and go back to the hotel and recooperate. I would not recomend the buses from any offsite hotels. They make like 2 trips a day and they aren't very reliable

[andreallybadeggs]

Agreed that you want to arrive at the parking lot at least 30 mins before opening from the parks you mention. If you change plans and start at MK one morning I'd add another 15 minutes if you really want to be there at rope drop since you still have the TTC-MK leg.
When I've taken groups of friends/family I've started "indoctrinating" them about the advantages of arriving for opening quite awhile before the trip. Then when we'd get to Orlando I would joke with them that they were about to see the Disney Nazi in action but that they would likely get more done before 11 am than the whole rest of the day. If I was their ride to the parks I would good naturedly insist that we stick to the departure time while promising a rest in the afternoon.
(we would return to our condo and/or chill in one of the monorail resorts for awhile) If they had their own transportation and really did not want to leave so early we'd meet later in the parks. It's worked pretty well most of the time although one trip I felt sad for some younger kids whose parents would not get up and take them early. They had to stand in a long line for everything. Finally the last day the parents let the grandparents take the boys early and happily they left with a better memory of the MK.
Many of our first timers seemed sceptical it was necessary to be there at rope drop but once they got there and saw the difference in the crowds as the day progressed, they were up early every day.

[Meteora]

Just present it to your friends in a positive way and make it seem like it's really the only sensible way to do things (which it is, really). When they see for themselves how bad crowds get in the afternoon, they'll be waking you up the next day!

Seriously, though, most people will go along with your crazy scheduling (my friends always have) when they realize that you have thoroughly thought this out and are doing it to make sure they get the most mileage for their time and tickets.

Also, assuming you're not planning on going to the parks the first night you get there, you might want to take a "test run" to see how long it will take you to drive to a park without traffic. Keep in mind that from offsite, DHS is closest. AK and Epcot are further out of the way. On the way back, you can always stop at DTD (very close to the front of the World) and grab an ice cream or something.

As for when to get there, it depends on the park. My experience has been that DHS and Epcot are quite quick to tram to after parking. AK takes a bit longer, and MK can take forever. I wouldn't obsess about getting there at the rope drop as long as you're there within fifteen to twenty-five minutes of opening.

Also, don't take my word as gospel, but we go Christmas week almost every year and drive, and we've never had a "waiting to get into the parking lot" line problem. Ever.