Advice for a FP+ Rookie

[jrt1176]

Can anyone give me some FP+ Advice?

I'm taking my 9 y/o niece for her 2nd trip(surprise birthday) at the end of January for a week. This is my first time with FP+ and I wasn't sure when the best time would be to schedule the fast passes, etc.

We aren't rope drop people, but I might try it with my niece this trip for the first time. Assuming I get to the parks between 9:30-10:30am, should I make the FP reservations for when we first get there or should we have them a few hours later?

I really haven't looked to much in to FP+ strategy yet, but I thought I would ask here first.

Thanks in advance!

 

[mesaboy2]

You may find the green link in my signature helpful.

 

[Hootch]

In my view, it depends on the park. For the MK I would start FPs around lunch. It is the easiest to get additional FPs. For the other three parks, I would schedule for later. How late depends on when you arive, how you tour, when you have ADRs, etc.

There is a thread written by Mesa Boy that lays out the difficulty of getting FPs. It will help you identify which attractions are important for you and your niece and how to prioritize thrm in touring plans. I also recommrnd www.easywdw.com for help in touring planning.

You may find new things by involving your niece. Kids have different perspectives.


God luck!

 

[CAS239]

Are you park hopping or staying in one park all day?

We park hop so what we do is hit one park, then have fast passes set up for the second park when we hop.

If you're staying in one park, I wouldn't start any FP's until about 11am/noon. Most rides are still short waits the first couple hours.

You could also schedule as soon as possible to try to get a 4th, 5th, etc FP..but what you get is determined by what's left that others haven't taken yet. You normally won't get headliners and are subject to whatever times are also left over.

 

[leebee]

We have been to Disney 25+ times, but only once with FP+. We are going again in Nov. and I just can't wrap my head around the best way to do FP+. For the first time, I signed up at touringplans.com and made my park plan with the help of the online planner. I then looked at their recommendations for FP+, for both the attraction and the time, and went to my MDE page and made my FP+ reservations based on the touring plan.

 

[buyerbrad]

At MK, we schedule our first one to end 15 minutes after the first afternoon parade ends, and our next one to start right after that. That way, we do Parade, FP+(right at the end of its time window), FP+(right at the start of its time window), eat late lunch, 3rd FP+(right at the start of its time window). Essentially, we use all 3 in about 1.5 hours time, and then start to get more FP+s.

 

[jrt1176]

Thank you all for the insight! Mesaboy2, I think I read your thread a while back; it really helped!

We are going to park hop, but not every day. I have never done rope drop, so I might try it this trip with my niece at least once!

I imagine that we'll be at the parks by 10-10:30am. So, I'll probably try to make my FP+ reservations for 2-4pm and do as much as we can when we get to the parks while going at our own pace.

We may get to the parks earlier some days, but we have 7 days, so I think it will be very relaxed for us. My mother and brother are also coming, but, I have a feeling, after the first few days they will meet us in the parks in the afternoon while lounging in the morning or doing their own thing.

I have to say, that I miss the old days where you just showed up and went to the parks! Yes, you had your idea of what you wanted to do, but you made your dining reservations once you arrived at Disney for the most part. To me, the original fast pass concept was simple and efficient.

 

[RiversideGal]

I'm a FP+ rookie as well! Can you answer a question for me?? We are staying for two weeks on property, and I'm able to make my FP+ choices on the 11th. Can I make them for my whole trip, or do I have to go day by day?? Thanks for the help! I'm hoping it's like dining reservations, and I can choose them all at one time! *crossing fingers*

 

[Kaz#289]

Anyone know the rides/ shows with longest lines at Hollywood ? I don't know which things I should use my Fast passes on? Do I need a fast pass to see beauty and the beast live or the frozen sing along? Or are these easy to see and I should use my passes for Rocking roller coaster and fantasmic?

 

[mesaboy2]

I'm a FP+ rookie as well! Can you answer a question for me?? We are staying for two weeks on property, and I'm able to make my FP+ choices on the 11th. Can I make them for my whole trip, or do I have to go day by day?? Thanks for the help! I'm hoping it's like dining reservations, and I can choose them all at one time! *crossing fingers*

Whole trip. You may find the green link in my signature helpful.

Anyone know the rides/ shows with longest lines at Hollywood ? I don't know which things I should use my Fast passes on? Do I need a fast pass to see beauty and the beast live or the frozen sing along? Or are these easy to see and I should use my passes for Rocking roller coaster and fantasmic?

You may find the green link in my signature helpful.

 

[Stubbzilla]

I made my plans in touringplans, optimized them, then got FP+ for the wait times that they'd given the longest estimates to. Then I added my FP+ into my touringplans personalized plans, then re-optimized.

At first I followed advice about getting FP+ for early, then trying to get more FP+ in the park, but with so many of the "good rides" FP+ already gone at >60 days out, it seemed like that wasn't going to work very well, so I switched and followed the above method.

The biggest issue I see with not having FP+ for morning rides is that it seems like so many people have gotten FP+ for morning rides that it has really pushed up the SB wait times, so rope-dropping is not as effective as it used to be.