Buying extra ticket for extra fast pass?

[chartle]

I may have trouble convincing her to stay for 5. But I'm def going to try!

Any tips for convincing? She is worried it will be too much Disney for her staying that long.

Thank you all so much.

Most would say 5 days is the absolute minimum. 6 would be better.

Oh and this is just for WDW, throw in Universal, Sea World and even Bush Gardens and its 2 weeks easy.

 

[NancyIL]

For reviews of on-site Disney resorts - meaning you have access to Extra Magic Hours (not described quite accurately in the above post) - check out allears.net

If you're referring to my post, what wasn't quite accurate?

 

[stargazertechie]

I may have trouble convincing her to stay for 5. But I'm def going to try!

Any tips for convincing? She is worried it will be too much Disney for her staying that long.

Thank you all so much.

My husband had never been to Disney growing up (they went to MK for one day when he was 4, but he doesn't remember it).

We were visiting a friend of his in Orlando over spring break. I suggested we buy Disney tickets, and his friend said he could get us in for free one day (friend had a friend who worked for Disney). My husband coudn't figure out why I said no and was demanding to go for 5 days, he thought it would be terribly boring.


Long story short, by the end of the 1st day he's like "we didn't even see it all" and that's when I mentioned there were 3 more parks.

We now feel rushed if we have less than 7 days at Disney.

 

[DisCookie]

The Yeti or Expedition Everest ride has a single rider line, so you could probably ride it a few times that way if your partner doesn't care for it.

 

[MHSweb79]

Once per week, each park opens 1 hour early in the morning and stays open 3 hours later in the evening.

It sounds like you're saying each park is open for 4 extra hours on the same day, once a week. This is not quite how EMH works. The park that has morning EMH will have evening EMH on a different night. Parks may have more than one EMH during a specific week.

Usually every day will have a park with either morning EMH, evening EMH, or in busy times, two parks will have EMH - one in the morning, and the other in the afternoon.

For example, I'm leaving for WDW tomorrow, for a week's stay. During my week, Epcot has 2 evening EMH scheduled (Sunday & Friday) and one morning EMH on Tuesday. On Monday, AK is open early and the Studios is open late. So two parks that day.

That's why I left my original post vague- I thought it might be confusing for the OP. It can seem pretty complicated if you've never done it before. But once you're there, it's fairly straightforward.

 

[Butler_chic07]

First off - I love Australia! I did an exchange there for 6 months... I loved it!!

Next - my husband is not totally Disney like I am. We have found it is better to have more time at Disney than short time. Mostly because if for some reason he feels like he has had too much Disney we can go back to our hotel (Disney on-property) and we can have a relaxing evening there. We don't feel as rushed and like we have to cram it all in. Even myself being a Disney lover feels like the shorter the trip the less enjoyable it is because you want to do it all and see it all, etc.

I would highly suggest taking the money you'd spend on an extra ticket and extending your stay. Disney can be a magical place and even non-Disney lovers, such as my husband will enjoy it as long as you take it easy. I am slowly converting my husband to be a Disney lover.

We have found that our average trip is 7 days. This summer we are going for 10!!!

Good luck, you will enjoy it. But be prepared because I remember when I went to Australia everyone told me that I would not see it all - and I definitely did not get too even though I had 6 months. Coming here is going to be the same way for you.

 

[wildcatfan]

You might have already done this...but if you are trying to convince her, get the Disney DVD. It shows a lot of the parks and it includes the resorts and waterparks. If gives you some idea of what Disney has to offer. Of course, there is so much more to Disney than what you can see on the video.

 

[NancyIL]

It sounds like you're saying each park is open for 4 extra hours on the same day, once a week. This is not quite how EMH works. The park that has morning EMH will have evening EMH on a different night. Parks may have more than one EMH during a specific week.

Once per week, each park opens 1 hour early in the morning and stays open 3 hours later in the evening. You would need to look at the park hours for when you will be here to determine which park has the EMH. For example, right now Epcot has morning EMH on Tuesdays and evening EMH on Fridays.

I didn't say morning and evening extra magic hours were on the same day, and that's why I gave the example at Epcot. Yes, busier times will have more extra magic hours, and the parks are getting into peak period beginning mid-February.

 

[DavidNYC]

One additional option - if you take the DVC tour (which is about 2 hours long), you'll usually get a card for each person in your party that gives you 4 instant fast passes. Those definitely help for some of the really long fast pass wait rides.

 

[flortlebap]

If you want to ride something twice, the best bet would be to hit the ride at rope drop, ride standby and then get a fp for later in the day... Or you could manage to get a fp for a quick return and be able to get another an hour so later... Collect them up, ride the low line attractions and use all your fps at the end of the day. Buying two park tickets seems like a horrible expense...

 

[I Love Pluto]

If you want to buy 10 tickets to the park and re-enter 10 times each day, I'm sure Disney wouldn't mind rewarding you with Fastpasses for each guest. It's your money. You just gave it to Disney. The least they could do is to grant FPs for you. Actually, for ALL of you!

 

[leebee]

I know this was mentioned briefly by a previous poster (PP), but you really should utilize the single rider line. It's a great way to get 2nd or 3rd rides on attractions with almost no wait time. Here's how we do it...

We get fastpasses for, as an example, Expedition Everest, one FP per park ticket. We'll go right away to the single rider line and ride the attraction. SRL is FAST; the most we've ever had to wait is about 5 minutes. (Even in August, when all headliner attractions had regular standby line wait times of 90-120 minutes, the SRL was only about 20 mins, and boy were we annoyed that it took that long!) The cast members use the SRL to fill in "empty spaces" in the attraction seating; you'll be invited to share a ride vehicle with folks who are seated by themselves, or have an empty seat in a multi-person ride vehicle. We ride via SRL, then use the FP to ride together when the window opens- although sometimes we don't waste our FPs (you can only have one at a time, or one every 2 hours if the park is really busy) and just utilize the SRL over and over.

OK, you aren't sitting with your sweetie, but you still have that FP so you can experience the ride together at some point, without having to waste time in line or waste money on extra park passes. OR you could get the FP for EE, then go do something else... either wait in line at Kali River Rapids (which also has FP but you can only get ONE at a time and theoretically you are holding one for EE) or see the bird show, explore the Maharajah Trek, etc. until your FP window opens. Ride EE for the 1st time with your sweetie, using your FP to minimize wait time, then go right to the SRL to ride again. Either way, you will save the money you'd spend on a second park ticket and probably get your second ride in quicker (SRL is almost always faster than even the FP line).

I am trying to remember where SRLs exist... I know they have them at Expedition Everest, Test Trak, I think at Dinosaur... not sure where else. SOmeone will know- that's what I love about the DIS!!

 

[chartle]

I am trying to remember where SRLs exist... I know they have them at Expedition Everest, Test Trak, I think at Dinosaur... not sure where else. SOmeone will know- that's what I love about the DIS!!

No Dinosaur, but RnRC that's it.

 

[mesaboy2]

No Dinosaur, but RnRC that's it.

Yeah, there are only three single-rider queues in all of WDW--a mere drop in the bucket. Not as big a help at WDW as it is at Universal, where there are more SR queues and fewer attractions overall.

 

[torinsmom]

There is no need for extra FPs if you plan your day out, even is you were staying offsite. If you send me a list of what you want to do in each park, I could make up a plan for you. It is all about getting FPs as soon as is possible to rides that have longer lines and not getting them for rides that don't really require them. With your staying onsite, you will get so much done using the morning EMH and the evening EMH, that I think it would be a waste of money to buy extra tickets for the FPs. Using single rider for RnRC and EE is also a good tip, as those FPs can be longer waits.

I definitely wouldn't buy extra tickets ahead of time. Wait and see how things go.

 

[djsiek]

thank you all for your replies. I'm now trying to decide what week to go in Feb.. either the 14th to the 18th (inclusive) or the 22nd to the 26th (inclusive). seems like 14th to the 18th would be best.

There is no need for extra FPs if you plan your day out, even is you were staying offsite. If you send me a list of what you want to do in each park, I could make up a plan for you. It is all about getting FPs as soon as is possible to rides that have longer lines and not getting them for rides that don't really require them. With your staying onsite, you will get so much done using the morning EMH and the evening EMH, that I think it would be a waste of money to buy extra tickets for the FPs. Using single rider for RnRC and EE is also a good tip, as those FPs can be longer waits.

I definitely wouldn't buy extra tickets ahead of time. Wait and see how things go.

Thanks so much. I'd really appreciate that. i'll send you a list soon

 

[mesaboy2]

thank you all for your replies. I'm now trying to decide what week to go in Feb.. either the 14th to the 18th (inclusive) or the 22nd to the 26th (inclusive). seems like 14th to the 18th would be best.



Thanks so much. I'd really appreciate that. i'll send you a list soon

I agree with you. Your later dates are during Presidents week, where many school systems have a winter break.

 

[krb2g]

OP, the other options that Disney offers to help people with limited time see more in the parks are the VIP guided tours. These tours are expensive (up to $315 an hour with a minimum number of hours), but depending on the level of tour you get, you get FP-line access (without FPs), reserved viewing locations for parades/fireworks, and private transportation between the parks.

 

[kaligal]

I understand thanks. But can't you leave the park without showing existing ticket and just re enter with new one,then you'd have two valid tickets.

If only you could pay for a premium access pass like other theme parks.

Yes. We have done this several times. You really do have to go through the turnstile, immediately leave and then re-enter with the other ticket.

Disney has some insane rule against one person paying twice.

The money is only wasted if you don't value what you get for it. There are those who say any money spent on a Disney vacation is wasted. Some people get bent out of shape if you choose to waste money on something that they wouldn't waste it on.

In the immortal words of Ricky Nelson, "You can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself."

 

[d1gitman]

....But I won't be going again.

we've all heard that one before...