Best time of day for FP+ reservations?

[MomBird]

With new FP+, is it better to get the fast passes for early in the day so that you can use them and "free up" the slots for 4th & 5th fast passes later in the day?
If a member of the group misses one of their reservation, does that still "count" as one of their 3 so that they can book another when all 3 are "up"?


Background info about our touring style/time of visit:

-I haven't been in a couple of years and we used the legacy fast pass system effectively when we went. (i.e. show up at RD and me running across MK for Splash Mtn fast passes while hubby and kids headed to Space Mtn).
-I read Birnbaum's before there was the internet and toured with note cards in hand. In 2012 when I went, I used a crowd app on my phone. So...I don't mind planning, but I did always have a few different options available in case of crowds.
-We are going the first week of June, so I know crowds will be high. I have been that week a few times before. (Used to travel in Sept. and Oct. when the kids were younger, but gone are those days of missing school for Disney.)
-We will be at the parks for 7 days and do have park hoppers. Out of those 7 days, we will show up at RD for 4 or 5 days and either sleep in or head to the pool a couple of days. We will break for a TS meal every evening and spend a few hours of pool time in the afternoon on one or two days.
-We are used to doing most all of the rides at the parks and our favorites a couple of times. We've never visited without riding ToT at least 3x and RnR at least twice, Soarin' once and TT twice, Mt Everest twice.... I am seeing posts that those sorts of experiences may not be possible under the new FP+ scenarios?

Thanks for any advice!!

 

[IWannaBuildASnowman]

For the rope drop mornings, I would advise FPs starting at 10ish and ending early afternoon (if available of course). That way you get a chance to do some standby stuff right away, but still have your 4th fp freed up by the time the afternoon hits. This will be particularly effective if there is stuff you want to ride a couple of times - go standby immediately then use your FP later.

And yes, if someone doesn't use their FP, it still counts as having used it. So after all 3 are used/expired you can go get a 4th.

 

[Raenstoirm]

And yes, if someone doesn't use their FP, it still counts as having used it. So after all 3 are used/expired you can go get a 4th.

Not exactly. You can just move it so you don't need a 4th. If you are trying to get on the same ride a second time, you can delete the last preplanned FP+ to get the 4th.
Your milage may vary here, but we have had a wide variety of experiences with the 4th FP+. Right after they put it in play, we got 4, 5,6,7 extra FP+. I don't remember, but we kept going back and getting more. In September we were there for 6 days and we got only 2 4th FP+ total. The kiosk lines were longer than the ride lines! It was madness and it was mid September! Since you are rope drop people, take advantage of EMH and morning crowds and get a lot done and then grab your fast passes mid day.

 

[MomBird]

Gotcha! Thanks for the recommendations. That would stink to stand in line for so long for the FP+ kiosks. Perhaps it's better than running all over the park to collect fastpasses the old way, though.

 

[Angel Ariel]

If you decide you want to try to get 4th/5th/6th FP+, then I'd schedule your FP for 10-11, 11-12, 12-1. I'd use your first FP+ close to 11 - maybe make the first and second FP+ near each other, ride them back to back and then get an early lunch (11:30ish) before your last FP+ window opens. Maybe plan your last FP+ to be near a kiosk? EasyWDW has a list of kiosk locations (they are not listed on park maps - or at least, they weren't in November).

If you decide NOT to try for a 4th FP+/etc, then i would schedule your FP+ somewhere between say like 1pm and 5pm (on days you're not taking a midday break) or between 5pm-9pm (working around your dinner) if you are taking a midday break.

 

[Angel Ariel]

-We are used to doing most all of the rides at the parks and our favorites a couple of times. We've never visited without riding ToT at least 3x and RnR at least twice, Soarin' once and TT twice, Mt Everest twice.... I am seeing posts that those sorts of experiences may not be possible under the new FP+ scenarios?

Using RD, you'll be able to get some re-rides in, I think.

For example, if you wanted to do Soarin' once and TT twice and only have 1 day in Epcot, I would RD Soarin, then head to TT and either ride SB or single rider and then have your Tier 1 FP+ be for TT soon after (maybe a 10-11a or 10:30-11:30a window)

Doing TOT 3x and RNRC twice will be harder with only one day here. You might want to plan 2 half days at DHS (so 2 sets of FP+ to use) rather than 1 full day - especially if you want to get any TSMM in as well (since you can't FP+ both RNRC and TSMM).

Everest twice should be pretty easy. Either hit AK at RD and head there first, and have a FP+ for soon after opening so you can do it 2x in a row, or hit AK in the afternoon (like 3-4ish). That park really empties out in the afternoon, especially now that there's no afternoon parade there.

 

[Mikie]

One other negative people have about FP+ is the feeling of needing to wait around for their FP window to open and being afraid to miss it if they go standby on something else vs. waiting. I feel like if you stack your FP three in a row, yo're left with awkward amounts of time between each to fill.

If you know you'll stop for lunch, I like to do one FP around 10:30-11:30ish and ride near the end of the window; then have lunch nearby, then have your next two FPs scheduled (nearby if possible) at something like 12:30-1:30 and 1:30-2:30. You'd be finished with a QS lunch in time for the second half of that 12:30-1:30 window and can go straight to the last FP. The only waiting around is when you're eating lunch - you've only once had to look at your watch for that first FP, then progress through ride/food/ride/ride. If you're trying to get thru FPs earlier so you can get your 4th sooner, you can do 2 FPs before lunch and one after. I'm not a particular fan of that, though, because I feel like rope drop crowds didn't rise all that high yet by 10, so I would be "wasting" a FP on a ride whose wait wasn't all that long yet instead of having it in early afternoon when waits are longest.

Caveat: I can easily tolerate 20 min waits and don't have expectations of riding most of my rides with 5 min waits. I was put off by kiosk lines and didn't have a goal of accumulating FPs or riding mostly only rides with FP vs hitting a reasonable SB line. If that's not you, you may not like my approach.

 

[Angel Ariel]

If you're trying to get thru FPs earlier so you can get your 4th sooner, you can do 2 FPs before lunch and one after. I'm not a particular fan of that, though, because I feel like rope drop crowds didn't rise all that high yet by 10, so I would be "wasting" a FP on a ride whose wait wasn't all that long yet instead of having it in early afternoon when waits are longest.

if you get a 10am-11am FP+ and an 11am-12pm FP+, though, you don't have to ride that first FP+ until 11am...we did find, on our November trip, that there were lines long enough - especially at headliners - to warrant FP+ at 11am. I would expect the same to be true during a busier time of year (which June is).
If the OP decides to try for a 4th FP+, doing 2 before lunch and 1 after is more likely to result in a wider selection of 4th FP+ options. It also works a bit better if they're planning a mid-day break anyway (which the OP did say they do).

I do agree that waiting for FP+ windows to open can be annoying, but I think that's a bit nullified if you place FP+ near each other (close in proximity, I mean, in the park), and wait to use the first one until close to the end of the window.

For example if, in June, you could get BTMRR for 10-11am, Splash for 11-12pm, and 7DMT for 12:00-1. Ride BTMRR at 10:55am, exit and head to Splash Mtn right away. You'll likely be done with Splash by 11:15-11:20ish, leaving you almost 1.5 hrs before having to be at SDMT. So, from Splash head to lunch - maybe Pecos Bills or Pinnochio's Village Haus (or BOG FP+ if you can get it), since those are both "on the way" to SDMT from Frontierland. Depending on wait times, you might even be able to get HM or iaws in as well, especially if you had the FP+ for BOG. The least busy FP+ kiosk location, according to EasyWDW, is Storybook Circus which isn't too far to get to quickly from 7DMT if they wanted to try and book a 4th FP+.

(ETA - sidenote- I feel like I'm planning out my November MK days already...)

 

[MomBird]

Thanks for these tips!! They are great!

I can easily handle a 20 min line. I liked the 5 minute waits of yester-year off season visits, but going in June I know that walking right on isn't very likely.

Since we have hoppers, we will have more than 1 day at each park. More like a day and a half once we include pool time/break time. What I'll need to do now is go re-arrange my schedule just a bit to make sure that I do rope drop at each park at least once (rather than repeating rope drop at MK 3 times .

 

[MomBird]

Based on these suggestions, I've altered my draft schedule a bit to ensure that I do make rope drop at least once at all four parks that way we can hit the headliners before the first FP+ of the day. I've also tried to take into account the crowd calendars for the days, although the guys in the group want to do SWW and we know there will simply be crowds to content with.

Here's plan, without the actual touring details added in yet.

Sun: (arrival day) 2:00 Girls go to MK, Guys go to HS. All meet at HS b/c MK closes early. See Fantasmic. (CS dinner. Staying off site this night.)

Mon: AK, rope drop. 9-6 at AK, then check-into to Disney resort. Dinner at Whispering Canyon. After dinner any group members who want can head to HS for EMH.

Tues: MK, rope drop. 9-3. CS for lunch at MK. HS 6-9. Late night dinner at Bongos.

Wed: Sleep in/pool. Lunch at Cookes of Dublin. Epcot after lunch. Dinner at Ohana at 8. (these are the only reservations so far. The rest in just in "planning stages") Watch the MK fireworks from Ohana/Polynesian.

Thurs: HS, rope drop. 9-3. Break. Epcot 6-11. Dinner at La Hacienda or Tokyo Dining. Illuminations.

Fri: MK, 9-1. Lunch at Wolfgang Express. Pool. PM at either Epcot or AK depending on week so far. Dinner at either Planet Hollywood or Biergarten. 2nd PM at MK for very late night EMH, if we feel up to it and believe we can still make tomorrow's rope drop.

Sat: Guys back to HS for SWW. Girls to Epcot for rope drop. (this would mean the guys don't get a rope drop at Epcot) Break in the pm. Dinner at Tutto Italiano or Chefs De France.

Sun: Departure day. CS breakfast at resort.

Aside from the two lunches at DDT, the rest would be CS at the parks. Of course, plans don't always work perfectly, so some of those days, I imagine we may leave for breaks earlier than planned... Now my next step will be to fill in the actual touring plan and wait until I can book those fast passes!

Thanks again for the recommendations!!

 

[Jrits]

I agree with others. Lines are short at rope drop. I would 10-11, 11-12, 12-1 and use 1st FP later in the hour when starts to get crowded. I was there last week and felt kiosk lines looked long but most were groups and it moved very quickly. It was worth it to get the 4th-8th FPs for me. Also remember you can get the 4th as soon as you use the 3rd so if you use the 12-1 FP at 12, you can pick another as soon as you finish the ride.

 

[DisneyKidds]

A couple general notes/recommendations.

Looks like you have a few days where you will rope drop one park and end up in a different park in the evening. We do that a lot, and we find there is great benefit to scheduling FP+ in the evening park, especially when hopping to DHS or Epcot. You can get so much done at rope drop in your morning park that you may not need FP+ there when they might be better used for Soarin/Test Track and SE, or TSMM/RnR and ToT. Using up your three FP+ early on those days in hopes of securing a 4th FP+ in the evening when you arrive at DHS or Epcot may not get you much. If course you may want to make sure you FP+ the MK one day, to get 7DMT and other things where SB may not be effective.

Rope drop, it's still great, but you have to hit it right. AK is a breeze, you don't really have to be at the tapstiles way in advance of opening. MK as well is very effective with a little margin for error if you are running a few minutes late. Sure, if you want 7DMT at rope drop you need to be Johnny on the spot, but otherwise MK isn't that hectic at rope drop. But at DHS, and to a lesser extent Epcot.....there is no margin for error.

At DHS you have to be to the tapstiles 45 minutes prior to stated opening, which will likely be 30 minutes before actual opening. The SB lines will build QUICKLY! Last July we blew it one morning for DHS rope drop. Didn't get out when I knew we needed to (teenage DD!). We wanted to get TSMM. Fortunately we didn't need to get RnR or ToT as I think we had them FP+. Showed up at 8:45 for a stated 9:00 opening. They had just started letting people in. We were through the tapstiles and on our way to TSMM 10 minutes behind the front of the pack. Our wait on line was 45 minutes. We didn't need to go SB on RnR and ToT, but had we wanted to the lines were long by the time we got over there.

On Dec 30 we rope dropped DHS. Arrived at tapstiles at 7:20 for a stated 8:00 opening. We were 4 people back at the tapstiles. We wanted to rope drop the heck out of DHS.....TSMM, RnR, ToT, Star Tours. They started letting us in at 7:40. Chaotic walk, we zigged when others zagged, and we walked onto TSMM. Zero wait, first ride vehicle. Exiting TSMM 10 minutes after we got there and the posted SB was 60 minutes. Those just 10 minutes behind us spent as much as 60 minutes in line. Ouch! We high tail it to RnR and wait the posted 10 minutes and when we exit the posted wait is now 65. Jump over to ToT and ride via the posted 15 minute SB line and when we exit the posted SB is 60 minutes, but I hear a cast member saying it's actually longer. Across the park to Star Tours and a 5 minute wait, we finish our rope drop goals in about an hour and fifteen minutes, whereas those through the tapstiles just 10 minutes behind us would have spent upwards of four hours doing the same via SB.

Epcot isn't as severe, but the lines for Soarin' and TT build quickly there as well.

 

[DisneyFive]

We typically schedule them right before and after lunch. That gives us the most flexibility.

If we want to sleep in. No problem.
If we want to rope drop and do a headliner or other rides first, no problem.
If we feel like heading back to the resort to take a break in the afternoon, no problem.
If we want to hop to another park later, no problem

Dan

 

[Mamaspoon]

We typically schedule them right before and after lunch. That gives us the most flexibility.

If we want to sleep in. No problem.
If we want to rope drop and do a headliner or other rides first, no problem.
If we feel like heading back to the resort to take a break in the afternoon, no problem.
If we want to hop to another park later, no problem

Dan

I love this idea! I'm such a planner, but my husband wants to just enjoy the day. And with a 7 and 4 year old, you just never know when they'll be to tired and need to sleep in, or go back to the resort to rest. Taking your advice, we can all be happy.