Are last minute trips even doable anymore?

[AustinTink]

We haven't been to the World since FP plus and magic bands were implemented. We switched over to Disneyland to avoid all the changes. We're creatures of habit who don't like change. Fast forward to now and we are itching to return to WDW. The problem is we are thinking about visiting in December (I know, I know) and we can't start planning until November for various reasons out of our control.

Will everything be booked up? I glanced at dining reservations for our dates and they are already almost full. And will there be any ride reservations left to be had? We have 20-plus Disney trips under our belts, but none to WDW with FP+. Tell me a possible last-minute trip is not crazy talk.

 

[pitpat]

between rope drop, reservation finders and people cancelling FPs, you can still have a great time and probably do most of what you want.

go for it.

 

[disneyseniors]

I was checking reservations for Nov or Dec just last week, and there were none for value or moderate on the Disney site. I did not check deluxe because that is not an option for us, so there might be some there. I wish you luck with your search.

 

[CyndiLooWho]

Friends of ours decided to go over spring break this year the day before. Literally looked at the weather at the place they were supposed to be going, decided they'd rather drive to FL, and just went. They found a hotel on Disney property, booked fast passes from the car, and even ate at a character meal they have never been able to get reservations for before (they go at least once a year). They never would have tried to book that meal last minute if they had planned in advance.

We were just talking about this particular trip and she said it was a lot of fun bc they weren't rushing like maniacs. They checked for fastpasses and took what they could find and had a blast, and she didn't have the stress of pre-planning.

 

[ols386]

I would guess that there would be some cancellations. In that case it would be about timing. Your calling or trying to book on the Disney reservation site, right after someone had just cancelled.

Or always the option/possibility of staying off property.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

I just booked a trip for next week yesterday! With one week notice there are still plenty of fast passes available for us to have a good time, and the ones that aren't available we will rope drop (aka Pandora Rides). Even on trips we plan way in advance I often change our fast passes the night before and never have a problem finding things to do.

Dining may be difficult, but if you are flexible you will find plenty of places to eat at as well.

 

[mikeamizzle]

Yes you still can do it pretty easily as long as you are fairly flexible and comfortable using the app. Many people cancel rooms/restaurant reservations within the last 14 days and even fast passes in the immediate days prior to a trip leaving more availability for last second planners than one may think.

its still a bit easier to plan a Disneyland trip last minute due to classic fast pass but WDW is easier than its reputation.

 

[mesaboy2]

From the FP FAQ:

Availability

The vast majority of the 62 FP attractions at WDW have FPs available as late as day-of.

- Attractions listed here are the most difficult to get. Onsite guests can expect limited availability even at 60 days in advance, while offsite guests are unlikely to get much availability (if at all) at 30 days. Acquiring these attractions less than 7 days in advance may require frequent monitoring of FP availability via the MDX app or website. Same-day FPs are most unlikely, but possible with constant monitoring via MDX.

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom)
• Frozen Ever After (Epcot)
• Avatar Flight Of Passage (Animal Kingdom)

- Attractions listed here can be difficult to get. Onsite guests can expect good availability at 60 days in advance, while offsite guests can expect limited availability at 30 days. Acquiring these attractions less than 7 days in advance will likely require regular monitoring of FP availability via the MDX app or website. Same-day FPs are possible with constant monitoring via MDX.

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Magic Kingdom)
• Peter Pan's Flight (Magic Kingdom)
• Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
• Splash Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
• IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth (Epcot)
• Soarin' (Epcot)
• Test Track (Epcot)
• Toy Story Mania (Hollywood Studios)
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios)
• Navi River Journey (Animal Kingdom)
• Rivers of Light (Animal Kingdom)

- All other attractions are relatively easy to get. Onsite guests can expect wide availability at 60 days in advance, while offsite guests can expect good availability at 30 days. Acquiring these attractions less than 7 days is likely, but availability may be limited. Same-day FPs are likely, but may require frequent monitoring via MDX.


- The MDX system can be used to check availability at any park, even if FPs are selected for a different park that day. However, guests are advised to be careful not to confirm any selections offered, or existing FPs will be affected. See the FP FAQ Addendum for more information.

- In general, day-of FP availability for most headliners--particularly outside of Magic Kingdom—is typically low and approaches nonexistent as choices for 4th FPs since several hours must pass until guests are eligible for 4th FPs.

- There is no evidence that different “pools” of FPs are maintained for different booking windows. In other words, the full slate of FPs available for any particular attraction is released at one time, some 70+ days in advance, and none are saved for offsite guests or those who wait until they arrive in the park.

- If maximum choice and times of FPs is desired, then reserving them at the earliest opportunity is highly recommended.

 

[Disney_and_Wine]

Will everything be booked up?

For every new "hot at the moment" attraction that comes on line (such as 7MDT a few years ago, Frozen after that and now Pandora), attractions that used to book up no longer do. At least not as much. It is actually easier to get FPs for previously hard to get attractions especially at tiered parks. Will a last minute trip net you the hardest to get FPs? Probably not. But will you be able to book other E-Ticket attractions? Yes. Couple that with rope drop and a willingness to wait in a couple of hefty standby lines each day and you will do just fine.

 

[AustinTink]

Still considering it. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[MrsDuck]

You'll be fine! When we found out Ellen's and GMR were closing, we booked a trip about 2 weeks out. We scored a moderate room, FP for everything we wanted, and dining reservations.

Just a suggestion: try going during the early part of December.

 

[Klayfish]

I can't speak for dining, because we don't eat in the restaurants. But as far as the attractions, I kid you not, you could tell me to get in the car today with zero pre-made plans and hit the parks tomorrow and I'd do it in a heartbeat. I guarantee you I'd get on every single ride I want in any park, with the potential exception of FoP and NRJ...and do it all without a single rope drop (as defined by having to show up 45 minutes before park open). Every single ride.

 

[flortlebap]

We did it in late July to early August 2013. Still got FPs, still got some decent ADRs, but we weren't choosy. Anything we didn't see was no biggie.

It was a great trip.

 

[Wild4Walt]

I think with flexibility just about anything is possible. People cancel last minute for a multitude of reasons so if you are willing to troll sites daily ( and in some cases hourly ) for those hard to get FPs and dining reservations it' still possible to get a room and eat.

 

[prprincess]

Like everyone else is saying, yes, but you have to be flexible and go with the flow. We booked last year we booked a trip on a Sunday in March and flew out on Thursday. We weren't able to snag any great FPs or dining ressies, but we still had a great time!

 

[catrax]

I can speak from recent experience. My answer is that it depends on what kind of trip you are hoping for and what you are used to.

We usually hit WDW for 10-12 days and are commandos. There are 5 of us with kids currently ranging from 8-13. We go to the park almost every day and plan our meals 180 days out, FPs 60 days out. O plan my days methodically, creating touring plans for each day. We usually stick to those plans, with flexibility in the afternoons due to changing crowds.

12 days ago, I decided to take one of my kids for a quick 3D/2N trip. It was very stressful to not have all that time to plan. We decided to go quick service with meals because it was such short notice and also to save some time. We did MK/AK/MK and got lots of good fast passes. Right away I found afternoon FPs for Splash, BTMR, Space Mtn, Peter Pan, Expedition Everest, Rivers of Light.

I also found passes later in my searches for Na'Vi and SDMT.

In the end, we had a great time and did most of what we wanted to do, but it wasn't like my other trips and I wasn't as satisfied because I wasn't able to wrong out as much as I usually would. I did, however, have a fantastic time and it gave me plenty to think about for my next trip in terms of slowing things down a bit.