Parks WITHOUT FP+

[tddalton2]

We are headed down in July and debating between buying day tickets or bucking up for the annual passes. When we last visited WDW, FP+ was in testing stages. We made FP choices ahead of time, but had no problems changing, adjusting, and getting them on all of the rides throughout the day. (It was a thing of beauty, even over the New Year holiday!)

If we tried that approach this summer, now that the full FP+ rollout has taken place, will we be able to make those adjustments on the fly?

DH is convinced that we can wing it and decide once we get there about the APs. I think we need to decide now because I am convinced that FP+s are necessary to do any of the Mountains...

Advice???

 

[Tltorrez]

You can't wing the headliners. You have to either book in advance or ride at Rope Drop. If you're willing to get there at RD or you're not interested in all the headliners, then it gets easier but FP+ is still an advantage.

But why not buy the day tickets, make your FP+ reservations and then upgrade them to APs later, if you decide to do that. FP+ window for day tickets and APs are both 30 days. It's 60 days if you have an onsite reservation.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Things have really tightened up over the past year. Day-of availability especially.

 

[mom2rtk]

It's alarming to see what sheer quantities of people can do to a system (now that everyone is using it).

Why not just book some in advance and either use them or don't when you get there?

You can also keep an eye on your dates here as it gets closer.

 

[Crystal824]

If you want to do headliners, you should get the tickets and make the FP+ reservations in advance. There will be selections available, but it won't be the headliners most likely.

 

[Jennasis]

If it makes you feel better, I detested FP+ and making advance reservations on our trip last fall, so I'm planning on not using it much if at all on our trip this December. 7DMT was a total snoozefest so I don't care if we ride it at all...maybe I'll try it right before park closing. ZERO interest in anything Frozen so no A&E for us either.

You can wing anything...as long as you don't mind waiting.

 

[Crystal824]

If you want to do headliners, you should get the tickets and make the FP+ reservations in advance. There will be selections available, but it won't be the headliners most likely.

 

[Ambear]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the problem, but you should be able to ride the mountains without fast passes. Even standby should be able to fit most major rides in a day. I was able to do every ride I wanted at US studios without express pass help. I doubt magic Kingdom is much harder or different.

 

[HopperFan]

Could you not just buy the tickets for number of days you will be there to book FP+ "in case" and then once there if you decide to get APs, upgrade those tickets while you are there? Honestly aside from FP+ you are talking summer and the parks have consistently gotten more crowded over last few years.

 

[itchin2go]

This website shows you what FPs are available for today ... or any other day you want to look at.

http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/fastpass_plus_availability.php

It doesn't mean FPs are available for the TIME you want, just that they're available. It's very encouraging, and we had great success riding tons of stuff standby at rope drop this past November.

Regardless, I'm a proponent of "get whatever advantage you can". In that vein, I would still recommend getting advance FPs if possible.

 

[tddalton2]

Thanks!
It never occurred to me to do the upgrade once we are actually THERE! That makes perfect sense.
Thank you!

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

When we go during Christmas, the FP+ is a necessity. We arrived around 7:30am on Christmas day (30 minutes into EMH, 30 minutes before the park opened.)

The previous year, we arrived at the same time and walked on Space Mountain. We then used our FP+ for Buzz (something my whole family rides,) Thunder Mountain and Haunted Mansion. This year, we set our sights on 7DMT but couldn't get it. Instead, we shot for Space Mountain, Thunder and Buzz, with the plan to ride 7DMT during EMH. Fortunately, we got 7DMT on FP+ another day, because when we arrived it was already at a 2 hour wait!

Basically, if you arrive close to rope drop or for EMH, you can walk on any of the mountains. As it gets closer to 9-10am, the wait times will start to quickly go up. By noon, Space will be at 90-120 minutes, Thunder will be 90 minutes and in July especially, Splash will be astronomical.

You can go without FP+,, but you're gonna wait and miss out on a lot of the park.