DHS FP strategies for Jan 2020

[newtandkaren]

Hi! Spending ONE day at DHS on Tuesday, Jan. 21 and need advice on how to book my fast passes. I am only in the park from rope drop until early evening because I am hoping to head to Moonlight Magic at AK that same evening.

Anyway, my goal is to be able to ride both Smuggler's Run and Rise of the Resistance (neither of which have FP yet). I plan to FP Slinky Dog Dash, Star Tours, and Muppet 3D with the hope of adding additional tier 1 FPs later in the day. Sooooo, here is my question:

Do I book my fast passes for the morning or the afternoon? My concern is if I choose morning for FPs, I will never get on anything in SWGE, but if I choose afternoon, I will not be able to get FPs for anything else that I want to ride.

Any advice on how to navigate this day as my FP booking window opens this week? My top priority is SWGE because I have never been!!

Thank you for any advice!

 

[hiroMYhero]

Do I book my fast passes for the morning or the afternoon?

Book Muppets for 9a and allow those FPs to expire.

Book Star Tours for 10a and allow it to expire if you are still in SWGE.

Book SDD for 11a and you’ll have until 12:15 to use the FP.

Book FP#4 as soon as you are in line for SDD.

 

[TinkSassy]

If you are trying for SDD at 60+1 your chances are slim. I would have a backup option in Tier 1. I couldn't tell if this is your one day total OR if you will be starting at other parks a few days prior. That being said - keep hope alive as I will be trying for SDD at 60+1 on Monday too!

 

[DisneyPrincess1984]

Thank you for posting this. Our fast pass booking is coming up for the end of January and I have been trying to figure out what to do, too.

 

[Vicki Rickerd]

Not January but the first week of February will be our trip. Will it be so busy, that if we dont stay on site we will not be able to get fast passes for all things Star Wars.

 

[YawningDodo]

Do I book my fast passes for the morning or the afternoon? My concern is if I choose morning for FPs, I will never get on anything in SWGE, but if I choose afternoon, I will not be able to get FPs for anything else that I want to ride.

Think of it this way: you're going to spend a period of time using FP+ outside of SWGE, and you're going to spend a period of time not using them while you're in SWGE. It's not like you can simultaneously watch Muppet*Vision 3D and also be on Smuggler's Run. If all three of the attractions you listed are things for which you actually want FP+, just book them for a time when you don't plan to be in SWGE--presumably the afternoon. If you're just churning through tier 2 attractions to be able to book more tier 1's, though, go with @hiroMYhero's advice and book some tier 2's in the morning that you'll just allow to drop off your account while you're enjoying SWGE.

For my own day in DHS, I'm aiming for a strategy down the middle of the two options: book a throwaway tier 2 as early as possible in the morning, then Star Tours and a tier 1 for early afternoon. I plan to be in SWGE all morning, so when I leave to spend time in the rest of the park after lunch the first tier 2 should be off my account, and then I'll have two FP+ I actually want to use waiting for me--assuming I can snag what I want. I'm not holding my breath for SDD since I'll only be at 60+1 for that day.

Keep in mind, too, that you can often use the refresh method to move FP+ up to earlier in the day. If your initial three FP+ are spread out over the afternoon, just refresh to move the second one up as soon as you've tapped into the first, and so on. You can get through them a lot quicker that way.

 

[pillow]

So is the general consensus to go directly to SWGE upon entering the park? We won't be there at night (touring Epcot), so lower crowds during that time won't help us.

DH and I are going in early February, and we really only want to ride 4 things . . . Rise of the Resistance, Smugglers Run, Rock N Roller Coaster, and Tower of Terror. Interestingly, when I use Touring Plans, they have me doing the Star Wars rides after the other two.

Thoughts?

 

[fatmanatee]

So is the general consensus to go directly to SWGE upon entering the park? We won't be there at night (touring Epcot), so lower crowds during that time won't help us.

DH and I are going in early February, and we really only want to ride 4 things . . . Rise of the Resistance, Smugglers Run, Rock N Roller Coaster, and Tower of Terror. Interestingly, when I use Touring Plans, they have me doing the Star Wars rides after the other two.

Thoughts?

Hard to say given that Rise isn't open and is expected to be a blockbuster. My plan for HS next year is to get there way early and do Rise first, but things might change if the data shows that wait times are better later in the day. The possibility of the virtual queue being used is also a factor. On the other hand... it could turn out like the initial opening of GE and there's no issue whatsoever! The situation isn't ideal for scheduling FPs but it is what it is.

 

[newtandkaren]

Thanks everybody! Some brilliant ideas!!

 

[mom22boys]

Book Muppets for 9a and allow those FPs to expire.

Book Star Tours for 10a and allow it to expire if you are still in SWGE.

Book SDD for 11a and you’ll have until 12:15 to use the FP.

Book FP#4 as soon as you are in line for SDD.

This is my plan too. But, my FP day isn't until 12/14, so I will be watching the boards from 12/5 on to see if anyone suggests an alternate plan.

 

[eliseisawkward]

Not January but the first week of February will be our trip. Will it be so busy, that if we dont stay on site we will not be able to get fast passes for all things Star Wars.

There are no fast passes for the new Star Wars rides, so on site or not doesn't impact that.

 

[lizzilou]

We are going late Jan 2020 and not staying on site. Booking 2 "burner" am FP is an idea I hadn't thought about! We are going after ROR opens, the Christmas season and the week right after the president day crowds, so I have no idea how to plan. Its seems so up in the air. We were last there in 2017 so I was hoping to do both some TSL and SWGE, but we will only be going for one day, so we might just have to focus on SWGE and miss Toy Story stuff.