concerned about my 2 different parks/day strategy.

[tlmadden73]

How has it worked for other people using this strategy? For example will I be able to get a FP for RnR at DHS if I don't get to the park until 5pm to make the selection? or since the new system has rolled out, do you try to do the same park both morning and night?

I have never tried the park hop thing with FP+ .. I have mainly stayed in the same park (but easily been able to get 4th (or more) Fast Passes at that same park. I purposely schedule my Fast Passes for the morning though so I can start scheduling the 4th FP near (or after) lunch.

As for RnR, it depends on how crowded DHS is on the day you are going.
On the day in August (8/28/15) that I went to DHS .. DHS wasn't very crowded at all and I was able to get a 4th FP to RnR at 7:30 for 5 minutes later (7:35 PM). I had a FP for Fantasmic .. but my son wasn't interested in staying that late and so we cancelled those plans and I went on the coaster quick before we left. It was a pleasant surprise.

 

[DisneyOma]

We schedule the parks with a break in the middle of the day and a hop in the afternoon. We schedule morning FP+, and use our afternoons at World Showcase, or at MK, where there are many more attractions to get later FP+. We stay for 5-6 days at the least though, and that way we can book all the super-popular atttractions by FP+ at least once.

 

[Lisa_Loves_Disney]

We schedule the parks with a break in the middle of the day and a hop in the afternoon. We schedule morning FP+, and use our afternoons at World Showcase, or at MK, where there are many more attractions to get later FP+. We stay for 5-6 days at the least though, and that way we can book all the super-popular atttractions by FP+ at least once.

yup, that's exactly what I'm doing. we are going to be in the parks for 6 days, so luckily I currently have at least one FP+ for every ride we want to go on. I was just hoping to be able to ride a couple of rides at night when we go back for dinner and shows, so I cancelled some FP+s I had previously booked for my morning park and changed them to night FP+s. some, I just couldn't let go, like a morning Safari.

 

[dkrauss]

I apologize if this is a repeat....

I believe (and this was learned) that the best approach to your 2 park/one day approach is something you already have in your plan.....Rope Drop! What can work is schedule your FP+'s for the second park in the afternoon. Since your at park 1 at RD...........lines (depending on time of year ) should be light....er.......until 10:30 or so. Get to you #1 ride in park 1 first and then work back from there.

I'm a big fan of the afternoon back at the hotel...........and the NAP ! I wouldn't change that. Just work your 3 FP+'s for after that. For example:

Park 1 is the MK and Park 2 is HS

Step 1 - Do RD at MK and head directly for 7DMT......you'll wait but it shouldn't be awful (depending on time of year ). Next off to Haunghnted (sp) Mansion..........and finally do Splash Mtn.........on your way out check out Pirates and Jungle Cruise.................

Step 2 - Off to Lunch and that wonderful NAP !
Step 3 - Afternoon around 3:30 or so get to HS and use 3 FP+'s on Toy Story Mania, RnR, and ToT! Easy Peasy! Fill in with dinner and Fantasmic!!!

It could work........maybe not now since you have things set..........but in the future.

Have a wonderful trip!!

Doug

 

[Accident]

I've had a lot of success and really like the 2 park half day touring style. I find the afternoon park to be pretty empty in certain sections right away and easy to get on and enjoy a lot of things. Weekends (fri/sat) is when it tends to be much more crowded especially if the afternoon park is an EHM park. We generally only hit EHM at night when everything else is clsoed (or not worth heading too because it's closing soon) but not ready to call it a night. We're also around long enough that we can have a few different days to hit each park if there is any rides we're really interested in and they are crowded on a specific day. Instead of waiting, we'll just come back another time.

 

[soniam]

I have successfully gone to AK in the afternoon, not early evening though, without FP+. We used them at the morning park. AK wasn't bad trying to get FP+ for EE, but it has a single rider line too. One trip we did Safari on SB toward the end of the day. The other trip I managed to swap a Primeval Whirl FP+ that I had gotten at the park for a Safari one, but I had to keep stalking MDE all through the Flights of Wonder show. I would be reluctant to do it for some of the other parks or popular rides.

 

[happypaws]

We have always been park hoppers too. Haven't gone since FP+ started, but I am encouraged that other find it an improvement. I am a little nervous.

I have kind of a crazy park hopping plan coming up because half of our party is joining us on the second day of a brief trip. They would like to see all of the parks, but not all of one particular park. This led to me splitting the same two parks over two days, AK and Epcot. One of the days I made FP+ for AK in the morning and then we are going to Epcot in the afternoon, probably will do more leisurely things along world showcase. When the rest of group gets there we are doing the same split, AK and Epcot, but we are getting FP+ for Epcot in the afternoon instead. I know it seems nuts, but we never feel like we need to do "everything" at one particular park and there is something we like at each park.

 

[wareagle57]

I know for certain rides like 7DMT and TSMM it is probably impossible at this point, but I would look into trying to reschedule FPs to you PM park. If you're there at RD anyway and only want to ride 3 or 4 rides in the morning, then there is no reason to use FP. You're just wasting them.

 

[Lisa_Loves_Disney]

I know for certain rides like 7DMT and TSMM it is probably impossible at this point, but I would look into trying to reschedule FPs to you PM park. If you're there at RD anyway and only want to ride 3 or 4 rides in the morning, then there is no reason to use FP. You're just wasting them.

agreed. we plan to be there for RD every morning and only ride 4 rides or so before heading back to the hotel for a break. probably a waste of FP's for the morning park. I'm only still a little worried about DHS on an EMH morning with no FP's...if I run right to TSMM will it already be a 30+ minute wait?

 

[Lisa_Loves_Disney]

I apologize if this is a repeat....

I believe (and this was learned) that the best approach to your 2 park/one day approach is something you already have in your plan.....Rope Drop! What can work is schedule your FP+'s for the second park in the afternoon. Since your at park 1 at RD...........lines (depending on time of year ) should be light....er.......until 10:30 or so. Get to you #1 ride in park 1 first and then work back from there.

I'm a big fan of the afternoon back at the hotel...........and the NAP ! I wouldn't change that. Just work your 3 FP+'s for after that. For example:

Park 1 is the MK and Park 2 is HS

Step 1 - Do RD at MK and head directly for 7DMT......you'll wait but it shouldn't be awful (depending on time of year ). Next off to Haunghnted (sp) Mansion..........and finally do Splash Mtn.........on your way out check out Pirates and Jungle Cruise.................

Step 2 - Off to Lunch and that wonderful NAP !
Step 3 - Afternoon around 3:30 or so get to HS and use 3 FP+'s on Toy Story Mania, RnR, and ToT! Easy Peasy! Fill in with dinner and Fantasmic!!!

It could work........maybe not now since you have things set..........but in the future.

Have a wonderful trip!!

Doug

thanks Doug, I've always loved the 2 parks a day with a nap in the afternoon strategy. 4 years ago I went to WDW for 13 days in a row and those naps really kept me sane, lol. thanks for your suggestions. just two adults going so I don't think 7DMT will be a priority for us, I'm thinking at MK RD I'll run to Space Mountain.

 

[wareagle57]

agreed. we plan to be there for RD every morning and only ride 4 rides or so before heading back to the hotel for a break. probably a waste of FP's for the morning park. I'm only still a little worried about DHS on an EMH morning with no FP's...if I run right to TSMM will it already be a 30+ minute wait?

DHS is the most methodical RD park of any of the WDW parks IMO. TSMM, RnR, ToT. You knock out the big 3 in the first hour. Granted, I have only done this a handful of times, and I have NOT done it since they started the stupid practice of holding people inside the park and letting everyone go at once. I did that once during Star Wars weekends and it works great, but I suspect most people were heading to Star Wars related things, not TSMM.