A spontaneous trip in the FP+ and ADR era

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

There has been a great deal of discussion here over the last few months if trips can be booked inside of 60 days. We leave tomorrow, and booked our trip at 39 days out. I figured we were doomed as far as getting any desired FPs or ADRs and this trip was all about Disney at Christmas. Disclaimer: I stalk the heck out of MDE when I get a notion in my head. The night we booked we had a few priorities: Pre-opening CRT, CM, CP dinner on our party day around 4pm, SciFi, SDMT for everyday at the MK, A&E once, TSMM.

The day we booked I landed TSMM right off the bat, nothing else was available that we wanted. I was really discouraged and figured the spontaneous Disney trip was dead. Then I got my pre-opening CRT and Disney changed the operating hours and I was even more defeated. However through constant checking of the site and a FB group of fellow December travelers I leave tomorrow with 100% of the things I desired on my itinerary. I can see how someone who doesn't like having to constantly try to plan their vacation on a daily basis would hate it. But for those ultra planners out there, or those using a TA, I'd say the spontaneous trip is still viable.

Now if only the crowd calendars are correct, I think we'll have an awesome trip, fingers crossed.

 

[famy27]

We planned our September trip at 16 days out. With relentless MDE stalking, we got A&E. We struck out with TSMM, which was a disappointment. We ended up not going to HS and went back to the hotel to swim instead.

We had really good luck with ADRs inside the 24 hour cancellation window. I managed to snag CRT for breakfast the day prior. We also got Garden Grill and CP.

It can be done, but it was a lot of work. It was way more work than a pre-FP+ trip. We had a great time, so it was worth it in that respect, but I did kind of resent the time I had to spend to save time in line later. Blah.

 

[Memaw2Wm]

But doesn't all that online stalking take the "spontaneous" out of a spontaneous Disney trip?

I am a planner, but when I take my granddaughter for a long weekend trip, we prefer to wing it. Can't do that anymore unless you're willing to stand in the stand-by lines the entire trip.

Add in that I don't have a smartphone so no getting FP+ on the fly. It's annoying.

 

[PSUGuy]

This March we booked 5 days at All Star 6 days out as the weather in the Southern cities we planned to visit was no better than in Pa. We got pretty much all the FP+ times and rides we wanted by booking the best we could get and then returning repeatedly to make changes for the better.

Bill From PA

 

[robinb]

But doesn't all that online stalking take the "spontaneous" out of a spontaneous Disney trip?

That was my thought too . Plus, at 39 days the OP is still ahead of all those poor offsite folks who are trying to get FP+.

 

[BrianL]

My October trip was booked less than 3 weeks out. I was able to get everything except 7DMT. I kept checking and I found it very quickly (though not for a time that would work for me because I only had the pre MNSSHP hours to work within). The day before I left I scored the 7DMT FP+.

So, absolutely it's doable. It takes a little effort, but it all worked out for me.

 

[Andtototoo]

However through constant checking of the site and a FB group of fellow December travelers I leave tomorrow with 100% of the things I desired on my itinerary. I can see how someone who doesn't like having to constantly try to plan their vacation on a daily basis would hate it. But for those ultra planners out there, or those using a TA, I'd say the spontaneous trip is still viable.

.

Is it spontaneous if you have to do constant checking?

Our November trip was planned 60 days out. I couldn't get any FP+ for TSM or any of the high demand rides.

 

[PSUGuy]

Is it spontaneous if you have to do constant checking?

Our November trip was planned 60 days out. I couldn't get any FP+ for TSM or any of the high demand rides.

Ours was spontaneous in that we changed from a Southern swing trip to Disney with less than a week of lead time. Spur of the moment decisions don't preclude doing what you can in the time you have to maximize the experience.

Bill From PA

 

[nkereina]

But doesn't all that online stalking take the "spontaneous" out of a spontaneous Disney trip?

I am a planner, but when I take my granddaughter for a long weekend trip, we prefer to wing it. Can't do that anymore unless you're willing to stand in the stand-by lines the entire trip.

Add in that I don't have a smartphone so no getting FP+ on the fly. It's annoying.

This exactly. The type of person who would book a truly spontaneous trip is the anti-planner type of personality. They would not be stalking for FP+ and ADRs, and would be relegated to dealing with long stand-by lines, QS meals or TS meals that are not so popular, etc. It also isolates the "day visitor" - perhaps someone in town for whatever reason who wants to visit a park for a day. That person is in town for another reason and if they aren't familiar with Disney, they wouldn't even know about FP+ and ADRs, and would be at a disadvantage.

 

[robndani]

Just because you take a spontaneous trip doesn't mean that you don't want to plan.

I think it's spontaneous in the fact that you didn't expect to go to WDW, not spontaneous in the fact that you were just going to "go wherever the wind takes you"

Sometimes an opportunity comes up and you take it! We planned to go about 3 weeks before one of our trips and I did some planning, but not all. I think experiencing Disney in all different ways is great!

I hope you have fun!

 

[ArwenMarie]

You say you were constantly checking the site...

How many hours do you think you spent doing that? Just curious.

I do think spontaneous trips are still possible as long as you don't care about specific, high-demand ADRs. FPs seems to be easier as long as you aren't looking for A&E or 7DMT.

 

[JanaDee]

There has been a great deal of discussion here over the last few months if trips can be booked inside of 60 days. We leave tomorrow, and booked our trip at 39 days out. I figured we were doomed as far as getting any desired FPs or ADRs and this trip was all about Disney at Christmas. Disclaimer: I stalk the heck out of MDE when I get a notion in my head. The night we booked we had a few priorities: Pre-opening CRT, CM, CP dinner on our party day around 4pm, SciFi, SDMT for everyday at the MK, A&E once, TSMM.

The day we booked I landed TSMM right off the bat, nothing else was available that we wanted. I was really discouraged and figured the spontaneous Disney trip was dead. Then I got my pre-opening CRT and Disney changed the operating hours and I was even more defeated. However through constant checking of the site and a FB group of fellow December travelers I leave tomorrow with 100% of the things I desired on my itinerary. I can see how someone who doesn't like having to constantly try to plan their vacation on a daily basis would hate it. But for those ultra planners out there, or those using a TA, I'd say the spontaneous trip is still viable.

Now if only the crowd calendars are correct, I think we'll have an awesome trip, fingers crossed.

Like others have pointed out, there was nothing spontaneous about your trip. Stalking and checking a website constantly are not how I want to plan/spend my vacation.

 

[Here4mydisneyfix]

We live 20mins away from the world and we go on spontaneous day trips about 2-3xper week. We often will book our FP+ the night before or even the morning of and we typically get what we want. We've even had luck getting A&E and 7DMT on relatively short notice too! We find the best thing is to get there at rope drop! If we do that, we always get to do everything we want, regardless of whatever fp+'s we have/don't have. Your trip is TOTALLY do-able!

 

[JimmyV]

Thanks for the report. I am not going to "pile on" and say that your trip was not spontaneous. I would call it "spontaneous for a Dis'er", so this is useful information for those of us here. But I wouldn't use this as an example of how any ol' person could do it. In fact, I was asked two days ago by a Disney rookie if she should book a last minute trip for the week between Christmas and New Year's and I sadly told her that it would be a waste of time for her, as she is not nearly Disney-savvy enough to pull off what you did. Instead, I told her to call our Board hosts at Dreams Unlimited and see if she could squeeze her way on to a Disney cruise instead.

 

[disneyAndi14]

We live 20mins away from the world and we go on spontaneous day trips about 2-3xper week. We often will book our FP+ the night before or even the morning of and we typically get what we want. We've even had luck getting A&E and 7DMT on relatively short notice too! We find the best thing is to get there at rope drop! If we do that, we always get to do everything we want, regardless of whatever fp+'s we have/don't have. Your trip is TOTALLY do-able!

I agree totally, we were there in November and we did 7DMT, TSM, and other headliners several times without FP+ right at RD. We also could have done AE with a 40 minute wait but DD is so over Frozen, it was not a priority. So if you don't get the FP in one park get there at RD and save the FP for later in the day on favorite attractions. 7DMT is okay but not worth getting upset about if you don't have FP in my opinion. It is easily doable at RD. Enter the park way to the right and stay to the right with the CM's and you are able to ride within 5-10 minutes.

 

[ghtx]

But doesn't all that online stalking take the "spontaneous" out of a spontaneous Disney trip?

Agreed. I think when OP said "spontaneous" he meant to say "last-minute". Not the same.

 

[JimmyV]

We find the best thing is to get there at rope drop! If we do that, we always get to do everything we want, regardless of whatever fp+'s we have/don't have. Your trip is TOTALLY do-able!

I've said it a hundred times, and I'll keep saying it. Rope Drop (and morning EMHs) is the antidote to FP+. No amount of planning, strategizing or hitting "Refresh" at midnight can get you better results than simply getting to the park before it opens.

 

[JimmyV]

Agreed. I think when OP said "spontaneous" he meant to say "last-minute". Not the same.

I don't know. They sound pretty similar to me.

spon·ta·ne·ous spänˈtānēəs
adjective
performed or occurring as a result of a sudden inner impulse or inclination and without premeditation or external stimulus.

synonyms: unplanned, unpremeditated, unrehearsed, impulsive, impetuous, unstudied, impromptu, spur-of-the-moment, extempore, extemporaneous

 

[ghtx]

I don't know. They sound pretty similar to me.

Fair enough. But there are (at least) two different meanings of "spontaneous": 1) last-minute, and 2) unplanned.

OP's trip fits the first but not the second meaning.

 

[JimmyV]

But there are (at least) two different meanings of "spontaneous": 1) last-minute, and 2) unplanned.

OP's trip fits the first but not the second meaning.

That's fair as well. It's just that the word "unplanned" is always hard to apply to a Disney trip. Every trip is "unplanned" right up to the point when it gets planned. Could happen two years in advance. Or 39 days in advance. The only truly "unplanned" trips are those taken by people who are in the area and decide to go to the park that day, or by people who wake up one morning and decide to hop on a plane and go to WDW. But even this last group can plan ahead if their plane has a wi-fi connection.