Do SDMT Fast Passes open up? Go to SDMT at rope drop?

[bluejeansmum]

I am planning the Fast Passes for my family's trip to Magic Kingdom on Thursday May 25. The earliest Seven Dwarfs Mine Train fast pass+ I could get was after dinner. I booked it but I'm wondering if passes open up earlier in the day at some point? I keep checking a few times a day hoping for an opening!

I'm wondering if it's worth having FP reserved so late since we will have to wait all day to use that FP before it will open up the opportunity to get more Fast Passes. We will be there for rope drop so we could take our chances and try to get there first thing and cancel the FP then if we get on early. What are the lines like right at rope drop on a potentially high crowd day? I have 5 and 8 year old boys so trying to be efficient with the time we have to wait in line.

For now, I have Jungle Cruise FP 9:20-10:20, Splash Mountain FP 10:25-11:25 and Crystal Palace lunch at 12:05. Any thoughts are appreciated!

 

[FCDub]

Unless they change park hours, no additional FP are added.

With your planned FPs, I would recommend getting there before RD and hoofing it to the attraction. Think of it this way: Even if you have to wait in a little longer line at 7DMT in the morning, you'll save yourself X hours of waiting throughout the day by being able to move your third FP up and have a shot at a 4th, 5th, 6th, etc.

 

[TravelDad]

Our strategy is this and it likely differs from others on here. We do park hop, so that may change strategy as well, but here we go:

1. Book the best evening FP's for your trip that you desire, they are in less demand thus easier to get the ones and times you want.
2. GET UP FOR ROPE DROP (Easily the most important part. To us it doesn't matter which park because we hop and have evening FP's. If offsite, we go to a park that doesn't have EMH as that park tends to be the busiest for the day)
3. Quickly go to the attractions you desire that will have the longest wait times during your trip (won't be able to do them all in one day likely) and spend the first several hours checking off those attractions.
3. Spend the next several hours at lesser wait time attractions that you still desire (for us things like POTC, JC, Figment, Seas, Ariel, Spaceship Earth, Muppets. And shows: Lion King/Nemo/Indy/Carousel of Progress.
4. Eat an early lunch at the park, crowds will be very heavy by this time.
5. Go back to the hotel and pool/rest for 2 or 3 hours.
6. Get back to whatever park your FP's are for and you'll now have 3 or 4 good attractions to ride when the crowds are busiest.
7. Watch your Fireworks or Parade
8. RINSE AND REPEAT.

 

[ErinsMommy]

IMO drop the Jungle Cruise FP, its a waste there. And I've spoken to CMs who have said they dont release all the FPs on day 60, what method to their madness they use to release bit by bit is anyone's guess.

 

[Davey Jones II]

I haven't used this trick myself, but everyone says to keep checking for FP+ openings as your trip approaches. That's because some people cancel their trips.
I would keep the FP for 7DMT but move up the other ones to the afternoon, if you're spending all day in the park. In the morning, I would plan to rope drop, but go to anywhere else besides Fantasyland when you get in the park. The herd heads to FL, so you can get in a lot of rides by going to other lands for the first couple of hours.

 

[CAS239]

-There's not more Fast Passes released. If you happen to see any, it's from people cancelling theirs
-7dmt is A LOT more fun at night so I would keep the late FP
-You can head there at rope drop and get straight there and then ride again at night. Why not ride twice? Get to the park early and briskly walk to 7dmt, within a few minutes the line will likely be 30+ min.
-We never try to burn our 3 fps to try to get more. The 4th, 5th, etc passes you'll get won't likely be headliners. I FP the popular rides for later in the day so we beat the lines. Some people use their first 3 within the first 3 hours of a park being open, but I find it pointless and a waste. 99% of the time the rides you can get with a 4th FP are like Figment, Primeval Whirl, It's a Small World, etc.. I personally just don't find the point in that and much rather have FP's for rides that I know will have long waits.
-You don't need a FP for Jungle Cruise or Splash for that early. We don't start our FP's until around 11am when lines start to build. At that time Jungle Cruise and Splash will very likely still be walk ons
-I would cancel your two early FP's, keep the 7dmt, and make all your FP's start after your Crystal Palace lunch

 

[bluejeansmum]

Wow! These are all great ideas and make perfect sense! In fact, I love this idea to book in the afternoon and try to fit as many things as we can in for rope drop without burning through the FP. I never thought of the fact that the FP we get after we use these three will probably be for less exciting rides. I'm excited to go make some tweaks!! THANK YOU!

 

[mom2rtk]

And I've spoken to CMs who have said they dont release all the FPs on day 60

We have seen no credible evidence that this is the case as a general rule. Sometimes park hours are increased and that causes more to be added, but no evidence they are routinely held back for after the 60 day window.

 

[ErinsMommy]

We have seen no credible evidence that this is the case as a general rule. Sometimes park hours are increased and that causes more to be added, but no evidence they are routinely held back for after the 60 day window.

I haven't seen evidence of this either but I also haven't tried. Usually I get whatever we want/need on our 60 day mark and I leave it alone and find it easier to tweak my dining around anything that may be a conflict. But this is what a CM said when I asked what the likelihood of getting FPs for the Pandora attractions would be last day of trip vs. first day.

 

[mom2rtk]

I haven't seen evidence of this either but I also haven't tried. Usually I get whatever we want/need on our 60 day mark and I leave it alone and find it easier to tweak my dining around anything that may be a conflict. But this is what a CM said when I asked what the likelihood of getting FPs for the Pandora attractions would be last day of trip vs. first day.

Some spots do open up as people cancel trips or otherwise change plans, but people here like to test the system in all sorts of ways and I think would have discovered if they were routinely holding back.

 

[Davey Jones II]

Wow! These are all great ideas and make perfect sense! In fact, I love this idea to book in the afternoon and try to fit as many things as we can in for rope drop without burning through the FP. I never thought of the fact that the FP we get after we use these three will probably be for less exciting rides. I'm excited to go make some tweaks!! THANK YOU!

You're welcome, and have a great trip with your kids.

Another trick is to book your FP+ reservations for your second park of the day, if you're going to do some park hopping. If you do Early Magic Hours, for example, I would change parks before noon, because parks without EMH will have less crowds that day. Then you can have your FPs waiting for you at the second park.

 

[mesaboy2]

I haven't seen evidence of this either but I also haven't tried. Usually I get whatever we want/need on our 60 day mark and I leave it alone and find it easier to tweak my dining around anything that may be a conflict. But this is what a CM said when I asked what the likelihood of getting FPs for the Pandora attractions would be last day of trip vs. first day.

From the FP FAQ:

- There is no evidence that different “pools” of FPs are maintained for different booking windows. In other words, the full slate of FPs available for any particular attraction is released at one time, some 70+ days in advance, and none are saved for offsite guests or those who wait until they arrive in the park.

I don't have any special insight however, other than watching this situation closely since the birth of FP+.

 

[mom2rtk]

From the FP FAQ:


I don't have any special insight however, other than watching this situation closely since the birth of FP+.

And there's one of those people who watch the system closely.

 

[lorileahb]

If you can't get a fast pass (I don't think many open up for Mine Train once they are gone), I'd try to get the PPO breakfast at Be Our Guest - good chance you'll get on Mine Train once or twice before rope drop. On busy days, you can still get in a very long rope drop wait for mine train unless you are one of the very first in line. And, while PPO BOG can be hard to get far in advance, I ended up finding several reservations at 8:30 a.m. or before the day or two before (people cancel).

 

[Hopefully]

IMO drop the Jungle Cruise FP, its a waste there. And I've spoken to CMs who have said they dont release all the FPs on day 60, what method to their madness they use to release bit by bit is anyone's guess.

As with everything in life folks (CM's here) say different things - for whatever reason. There is no evidence this is true.

 

[mamamelody2]

I agree with other posters about your first 2 FPs. They won't be needed that early. Modify them to a later time. Or just do those rides standby and change to new FPs for after lunch. I would keep the 7DMT. Day of, I would try to modify it to an earlier time if you want to. Just keep refreshing.
When DH and I were on our last night in the MK last September, we really wanted to do 7DMT in the dark, but had no fast pass and the line was ridiculous. We refreshed MDE literally 100+ times, but we got the FP we wanted!

 

[bluejeansmum]

This is my new plan. I never would have thought to try to do it this way but I'm excited! I think it will actually be kinda nice because with Fast Passes in the morning we would have been running around the park like crazy and then the lines would have been too long to do much in the afternoon with the two little guys. This is a great use of time for our day at MK. I can't wait!! Thank you for the advice!

Rope Drop until – 11:45
Speedway
Buzz Lightyear
Barnstormer
Dumbo
Tea Party
It's a Small World
Haunted Mansion

12:05 – 1:15 - Reservations for lunch at Crystal Palace on Main Street

Go back to Polynesian for a break

4:10 - 5:10 – Splash Mountain (Fast Pass)
5:15 - 6:15 - Peter Pan’s Flight (Fast Pass)
6:40 – 7:40 – Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Fast Pass)

4:00 - later ... try to do these between fast passes...
Pirates of the Carribean
Jungle Cruise
Swiss Family
Tom Sawyer Island
Liberty Square

 

[MMR76]

We book our first FP approximately 2 hours after park opening and then stack the 3 back to back. This gives us time to get some rides in while the park is not too busy and also use our final fast pass by early afternoon. We have been to WDW in late May in 2016 and 2014 since FP+ was implemented. Both times we have had luck using our system. Last year we were able to get additional FPs for 7DMT, Peter Pan, Splash, Space, Pirates and BTMR.

We always FP 7DMT and rope drop Peter Pan.

Keep checking to see if you can change your FP time for an earlier one. You never know what will pop up between now & then.

Have a great trip!!

 

[mamamelody2]

Your new plan sounds good.
Once you scan your magicbands for 7DMT, get on MDE and try to book a FP for pirates or Jungle Cruise if you haven't done them yet. Jungle Cruise line especially can get really long, but often 4th+ fastpasses are available.