Epcot FP+ - FEA vs. Soarin'

[kcm105]

Hey all. We're having a family debate about our Epcot FPs, so I'm looking for some outside opinions.

We're doing 2 days at Epcot on our upcoming trip. One of the days we're FPing TT, but we're debating between FEA and Soarin' for day 2. We'd ultimately likely to do both, but the question is just which should we FP and which should we either stand in line for or hope to pickup a same day FP for. This isn't about which is the better attraction, only which it's more important to have a FP for.

My first instinct is to FP FEA and hope for the best with Soarin, but am I wrong?

 

[CAS239]

FP FEA and do Soarin as standby or grab it as a 4th FP

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Just FYI OP, you may want to edit your post to say “FEA” - most will read HEA and think Happily Ever After (the MK fireworks show).

But I agree with @CAS239, I’d FP FEA.

 

[kcm105]

Just FYI OP, you may want to edit your post to say “FEA” - most will read HEA and think Happily Ever After (the MK fireworks show).

But I agree with @CAS239, I’d FP FEA.

Gah. This is the second time I've done this in the past week. For some reason I think "Frozen" and type "H" instead?!

This could explain why I couldn't find any other threads on this subject, which I was surprised about. Thank you, and sorry!

 

[slford00]

FP Frozen all the way if you can get it. After Avatar, that's the hardest FP to get at all of WDW (along with 7 Dwarfs). Also, since they added the 3rd theater at Soarin', the max standby waits are usually significantly lower than the standby waits at Frozen and TT.

If you rope drop the park and go straight to Soarin' you can usually do it with minimal wait (most of the crowd heads toward TT and especially Frozen).

 

[Calee]

Frozen. When we were there last week we easily walked on Soarin at rope drop, and also picked it up as a 4th FP.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Fast Pass FEA and do Soarin at RD.

 

[kcm105]

Thanks everyone! Looks like my gut feeling was correct. I wasn't aware they'd added a theater at Soarin'.

 

[Look_Alive]

Xxx

 

[epcotobsessed]

We have gone straight to Soarin' at rope drop and have never walked on, and we walk quickly (though we do not run and we don't shove people, although we have been shoved!) and have never had less than a 10 minute wait. I stopped trying to figure out what we were doing wrong and make sure that we get a FP or a PPO reservation at Garden Grill. Problem solved. This is another option for you - a PPO for Garden Grill, then walk on Soarin, or a PPO at Akershus, then walk on FEA.

 

[loves to dive]

I agree with FP Frozen. We were there last week and had a FP for Frozen for an evening during the trip. On a whim one night we were walking around munching at F&G and got full and so decided to see what had short lines. It was around 5 or so. We walked on SSE, walked over to The Land and walked on Living with the Land and decided to just see what the wait was for Soarin. We aren't fans of the new one so don't wait in lines for it. The wait said 20 min. so we decided to go for it. The wait was about 12 min. and for once we actually got in the middle so nothing was distorted. We then walked over to the Living Seas and walked around, there was practically no one in the building. We could have walked on to TT as well but we had done Wild Africa Trek that day and my son has back problems so we didn't want to push it.

 

[RPM1214]

I just made my FP this morning, and FEA was difficult in the morning until my last day, so I would totally try to fastpass that.

 

[Babs1975]

We have gone straight to Soarin' at rope drop and have never walked on, and we walk quickly (though we do not run and we don't shove people, although we have been shoved!) and have never had less than a 10 minute wait. I stopped trying to figure out what we were doing wrong and make sure that we get a FP or a PPO reservation at Garden Grill. Problem solved. This is another option for you - a PPO for Garden Grill, then walk on Soarin, or a PPO at Akershus, then walk on FEA.

Can you tell me your experience with Garden Grill PPO? We've done Garden Grill breakfast, but not PPO. Considering it for next trip. What time do you suggest for ressie? 8 for 9 opening? How long does breakfast take at that time? Do you get into Soarin before ropedrop crowd? Details please! Thanks!

 

[North of Mouse]

Hey all. We're having a family debate about our Epcot FPs, so I'm looking for some outside opinions.

We're doing 2 days at Epcot on our upcoming trip. One of the days we're FPing TT, but we're debating between FEA and Soarin' for day 2. We'd ultimately likely to do both, but the question is just which should we FP and which should we either stand in line for or hope to pickup a same day FP for. This isn't about which is the better attraction, only which it's more important to have a FP for.

My first instinct is to FP FEA and hope for the best with Soarin, but am I wrong?

Definitely FP FEA, it's easy to pick up Soarin' later usually.
Although one day recently we were able to pick up FEA later in the day of, but not the norm.

 

[ChristineOH]

I have gotten Soarin’ as a 4th FP many times, but FEA is very hard to get as a 4th. Soarin’ often has a short or reasonable line in the evening. We found it to be a walk on around 8:00 pm last June.

 

[BrookieM2001]

I agree with the majority, from what i have heard, Soarin isnt too difficult to pick up as a 4th, so it makes much more sense to get a FP for FEA and not wait in that insane line. Also, there are usually times during an average day when waits at Soarin will drop randomly. If you cant get a FP, keep an eye on the app and see what waits do throughout the day.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Can you tell me your experience with Garden Grill PPO? We've done Garden Grill breakfast, but not PPO. Considering it for next trip. What time do you suggest for ressie? 8 for 9 opening? How long does breakfast take at that time? Do you get into Soarin before ropedrop crowd? Details please! Thanks!

Yeah, get an ADR as close to 8 as possible. Although the exact time of a PPO reservation doesn’t ‘usually’ matter - even if you have an 8:30AM ADR, for example, they let all the PPO ADR folks in the front gate at the same time.

Garden Grill is a pretty darn quick meal. You sit down, they bring drinks and the food - there’s not much to it. In our experience, characters come around pretty quickly that early because the restaurant isn’t full.

Ask your server to pay the bill early so you can go ahead and get that out of the way.

Unless you’re just really slow breakfast eaters, you can usually be done and among the first onto Soarin’ once it opens.

 

[gharter]

I would rope drop Soaring. we've done that several times and rarely have a wait over 10 minutes. Then head to Living with the Land. Again under 5 minute wait. you can then usually go to the Seas or Spaceship Earth with a minimal wait.
i would FP FEA for 1-2 pm. That gives you time for lunch and time to enjoy the other things in Future World before heading to World Showcase.

 

[epcotobsessed]

Can you tell me your experience with Garden Grill PPO? We've done Garden Grill breakfast, but not PPO. Considering it for next trip. What time do you suggest for ressie? 8 for 9 opening? How long does breakfast take at that time? Do you get into Soarin before ropedrop crowd? Details please! Thanks!

Yes, get as close to an 8am reservation as possible, and they will still let you into the park at 7:45ish even if your reservation is for 8:10, 8:20, etc. Like GADisneyDad said, it's a family style meal, so the food is on your table almost immediately, you can ask for the check right away and easily be out of there by 8:45am and then walk on Soarin' (you might be held a few minutes until the ride opens).

 

[hertamaniac]

Queue for FEA is orders of magnitude better than Soarin'. But, I would FP FEA and rope drop Soarin' given the 3rd theater has been added.