Do I need the WOC Picnic off season?

[minnieandmickey]

We are heading to DL on Sunday and are planning on going to WOC on Monday night. With it being off season do we need to purchase the picnic?

 

[Eeee-va]

Unless you absolutely can't/don't want to get to DCA until after noon or you actually want to eat the picnic, I personally would not bother with the picnic, off-season or not. FPs should be easy to get and it should probably only take a few minutes. If you arrive at DCA's opening (30 minutes prior to listed opening time), you should most likely be able to get blue, and I understand the picnics give yellow (considered a lesser section, though there are still some good spots).

In the off-season, and maybe even in the on-season, they will probably be giving out yellow or better FPs until at least noon, and quite possibly a couple hours (or more!) after that. If you would settle for red you could quite possibly come over at 2 PM or later in the off-season and get a FP.

I don't think the picnic is a horrible value necessarily, but it sounds like it's basically a snack with a FP. If you are at all budget conscious or just don't want the picnic, and if you don't mind hopping over to DCA to grab a Fastpass, there's really no purpose to the picnic.

 

[Hojoanaheim]

FPs should be easy to get and it should probably only take a few minutes.

If you are planning on being in the parks early, you should be able to get FastPass tickets with no problem at all. I have seen tickets still available around noon time and the latest I have seen is around 3, for the later WoC showing. The CMs say that the color you get is random, but it seems that the color they have the most of is yellow.

Hope this helps!
-Kriss

 

[skiingfast]

The CMs say that the color you get is random, but it seems that the color they have the most of is yellow.

What you are relaying from a CM is incorrect. Tickets are distributed in order. First Show: Blue zone until gone, then Yellow zone until gone, then Red Zone. If there is a Second Show, it will do the same order. If there is a Third show it repetes again. These are for tickets from the FP machines at GRR.

All tickets from Picnics are for the Yellow Zone. All tickets from the WCT lunch package are Blue zone. All WoC dinner packaged are for the Preferred Zone.

Unless you absolutely can't/don't want to get to DCA until after noon or you actually want to eat the picnic

This is really it. If you can't get there early enough picnics are a great Plan B. It you want to use the picnic at a meal, the Show Tickets are a bonus.

 

[Eeee-va]

and the latest I have seen is around 3, for the later WoC showing.

During November 2011 they had WoC FPs available well past 3 when 2 shows were running...I'd say probably 6 PM or maybe even later. I don't think they ran out except maybe Friday. On Saturday 11/26, we got a blue FP for the second show...I think it was about 1:30 (not certain about the time but I think that's when it was).

When they only had 1 show the Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving (fairly slow times) I believe FPs were available well past 3. I actually THINK they may have been on yellow around 1 or 2 PM (but I'm not certain about that and I didn't take a photo to confirm!).