Anna elsa FP if we are staying offsite?

[cseca]

Ok,
I'm searching the board for A&E FP info for people without EE or MM option but then I get really confused.

Could someone explain to me the best strategy?

I know it is better off to go during non EE or MM days and get there early. But then it gets fuzzy to me.
Do I line up to the left of the carousel with all our tickets?
Or where exactly do they hand out the FPs?
Thanks in advance

 

[Indiana Scott]

You'll need to use you early access to get in line for a FP for them.
Otherwise I suspect all of them will be gone by the time you get there at the normal time.

 

[tinkermomma]

cseca, we are also staying offsite and I just called about it. The best strategy is to go for an Anna & Elsa M&G Fast Pass (not actually considered a FP but rather just a return time) on a NON Early entry morning.

On the Disney parks blog from September it says that once you are issued a return time there is a 20 minute window in order to make it. I did confirm this with a cast member. I know you didn't ask that but I thought it was good information to have.

I would also like to hear about the best place to line up. We have reservations for the bippity boppity boutique first thing, and I need to tell the husband where to go

 

[tinkermomma]

oh and yes, the cast member told me have all tickets or APs in hand.

 

[jina]

note that the last 2 weeks of Dec both parks will be having EE every day so it sounds like anyone staying off site during those times (like me) will be out of luck for A&E as there will never be a non-MM/EE day at DL.

 

[cseca]

Thanks everyone!


And thanks Tinkermomma!
I am hoping for FP for non EE/MM day definitely. I figure we have no chance outside of that. Thanks for confirming that and for the 20min window info.

I hope someone could tell us where we should line up for the FP though.
I don't want to waste time circling the hub or Fantasyland for it

 

[hclifford]

So we went and saw Anna and Elsa last Saturday...which was a pretty busy day and a MM/EE day...also the Avengers run was earlier that morning.

We were let in the park a little before open and had to wait for the rope drop by the Walt Statue (we were on the left side of the statue). Once the rope dropped some people were running to get into fantasy land...we walked fast and made it over to the meet and greet area. At first we stood at the wrong spot but after a minute saw the line for the M&G passes. We waited in line for about 15 minutes and were able to get passes for a 2:40 return time and then about a 10 minute wait at our return time. All in all pretty easy and a lot less stressful then I originally thought it would be. Again not sure what the holiday times will end up being like, but for being a busy day that had early entry it was pretty no fuss.

I did hear later in the day that they were out of passes at about 45 min after park open though.

 

[AEmgee]

Here is my experience with the "return time ticket" from a recent visit in October (quiet days on the crowd calendar).

Day 1, Weekday MM/EE (which I didn't have, since I have an AP):

• Entered the park a few minutes before the opening time for common folk (10:00am) - even used one of the shorter lines
• Walked quickly to the Meet and Greet area and arrived within 8 minutes (10:08am)
• ALL RETURN TIME TICKETS DISTRIBUTED - CM would not even allow me to get in line for it

SUMMARY: Be in line within the first hour after the first people enter or forget about it

Day 2, Weekday non-MM/EE:

• Entered the park before opening time (7:53am)
• Walked quickly to rope drop area in front of Walt Disney and Mickey statue, where there was already a dedicated line for Anna and Elsa Meet and Greet (to the left if facing the castle; look for the sign). I was the last person in this long line already.
• At rope drop, herded by CM (while maintaining the same line order) to the Meet and Greet area
• Waited 30 minutes in line to get return time of 10:30am
• At 10:27am returned to Meet and Greet area and told that it was too early to enter the line, therefore lined up to line up (how ironic)
• At 10:30am entered the official line up and stayed, barely moving, for an ADDITIONAL 55 minutes before entering to meet Anna and Elsa

SUMMARY: Be in line within the first hour after the first people enter or forget about it

The line up begins in front of the Village Haus Restaurant and snakes around the bathrooms towards Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland.

Only one person needs to stand in line but that person must have all the park tickets for the entire party. Those must be ACTIVE park tickets, i.e., the ticketholder must have entered the park that day. A lot of people ran into problems with this rule as some families sent one only parent into the park with all the family's park tickets in hopes of getting return time tickets for everyone. Those park tickets were NOT eligible for return time tickets as they were not active for the day.

CM pointed out that the new system is better than the previous one, where Dads would camp out for 7+ hours (!!!) and the line would look deceptively short, when in fact one person could actually be holding a spot for an enormous group.

Hope that helps you in your quest to meet Anna and Elsa. I hope you don't mind lines.

 

[cseca]

Thank you hclifford and AEmgee!
Really appreciate the info. I will cross my fingers that we will get tickets

 

[JadeDarkstar]

We went Friday and it was a non EE day. Get in line at the gate early try and be one of the first in that line. We were held back as they did the count down and then boom we were let in. Every one ran or sped walk to the line on main street. we were number 55 or so. We didn't get in the first 40 so we stood in the fast pass line that the cast members made. (making sure no one jumped in who shouldn't) and we were 9:40 time. we then rode rides around there for 30 mins. Walk on mr toed, snow white, Pinocchio, Alice.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

BTW our line at main street was led in to the meet and greet place before rope drop so this may be different on different days.

 

[Vala]

When I tried it in late September I was okay as offsiter without MM.

Was first at the Non-MM gates, powerwalked down Main Street and tried the same with Fantasyland, but then broke into "walking with purpose" (okay, who am I kidding there... ran along with the others when I realized too many people overtook me) and got a 1.20 PM return time at around 8.30.

 

[nicolispicoli]

It's seems as more and more become familiar with the way to do this, it's completely impossible for offsiter non-MM/EMH guests to get them. I won't go on another rant, but I find that system unfair and sad for all the little ones who get dragged through morning rushes only to be disappointed 1 minutes after park opening. There has to be a better way...

 

[McNs]

If they move to DCA that might help, assuming the M&G goes with all the other Frozen activities opening there. There is no MM, only EMH, so is a lot quieter than DL on their early opening says.

Also, there are 4 days a week where it is fair for all at DL. You still need an early strategy on those days, but still should be doable.

 

[Lain]

The line up begins in front of the Village Haus Restaurant and snakes around the bathrooms towards Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland.

So just to be sure, where exactly are the return tickets distributed? And are the tickets dispersed via machine, CMs?

Also, if I plan to open up the park, and wind up at the Hub for rope drop, what path do I take? I'm assuming we go over the draw bridge through the castle, then the line forms away from the castle towards Big Thunder Mountain Railroad?

Thanks in advance!

 

[CaptBane]

The return tickets are handed out by CMs. You DO NOT go over the drawbridge through the castle. You take the path by the Princess Fantasy Faire...They'll scan your tickets with their hand held scanners to make sure the tickets are active. Also there was a CM with a sign that read "Frozen Meet and Greet Line Forms Here" or something like that. And he'll keep moving as the line gets longer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH9ttZvBbT4&feature=youtu.be

Here is the video I took of the Line, you can see the CM with sign at the end of the line. This was Friday 14, 2014 so the park official opening time was 9:00 AM
Hope this helps!

 

[nicolispicoli]

The return tickets are handed out by CMs. You DO NOT go over the drawbridge through the castle. You take the path by the Princess Fantasy Faire...They'll scan your tickets with their hand held scanners to make sure the tickets are active. Also there was a CM with a sign that read "Frozen Meet and Greet Line Forms Here" or something like that. And he'll keep moving as the line gets longer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH9ttZvBbT4&feature=youtu.be

Here is the video I took of the Line, you can see the CM with sign at the end of the line. This was Friday 14, 2014 so the park official opening time was 9:00 AM
Hope this helps!

That's not necessarily true for everyday. When I did this Thursday, if you were coming in at regular park hours right after EE/EMH, you had to go over the drawbridge, right up to the meet and greet and it did curl around by the BBQ.

 

[CaptBane]

Yes the line does curl around towards the BBQ. The Early line up before the official park opening goes around the Partners statue at the hub. And they escort you by the Princess Fantasy Faire. The first 40 people in line will go to the Meet and Greet. The rest will be given Return passes. Ours was on a busy weekend this could be different on a less busy day.

 

[minnierunning]

trying to strategize too and getting worried I'm gonna turn into a crazy person running and dodging punches or something....my question...does the rope drop thing only happen on MM EE days or all days. If we go on a day where there is no MM EE will the mad dash happen from gates? this would be our first day and thus we'd miss the oohs and ahhs because we'd be leaving kids with dads and getting in line...hmm..

 

[cseca]

Ok, here's our first hand experience today non EE day.

We stood in line 15-20min before turnstile opening the lines were pretty long already.
When we finally passed through (they really need picture taking for passes to be done somewhere else), I walked to the statue but didn't see any lines.

Apparently today they did NOT do the CM herding for AnE passes. Everyone went straight to the Frozen hut (in Fantasyland) to line up for passes. I think I went in line around 8:10 and received return time for 9:20-9:40.
When we return for our meet time right at 9:20, it took us a good 20mins in line.
I can see while we were waiting to meet AnE that they were still handing out passes then. So I guess they were still available around 9:30am. The meet was going on until 8pm tonight.

HTH!