Epcot FP help!! Frozen, Soarin, Test Track, Baymax, Joy and Sadness at rope drop

[jenhelgren]

My FP window is approaching and we just decided to add a day to do Epcot for the morning. We have not been to Epcot since Frozen or tiers started and I cannot decide what to FP or if we will regret our day. It will be Sunday 10/29/17 which is an EMH evening at Epcot and we do not want to participate in F & W so only plan on being in the park from rope drop to early afternoon at the latest. Frozen, Soarin, Test Track, Spaceship Earth, and meeting Baymax, Joy, and Sadness would be our must dos. Is all that even possible on a Sunday morning at Epcot late October? Any advice, suggestions, tour plans are GREATLY appreciated!!

 

[Daniela Rose]

If you can get a frozen fp, that's the one you want.

 

[mesaboy2]

From the Strategies post in the FP FAQ:

- A common Epcot question is which attraction to use FP on if interested in riding Frozen Ever After, Soarin', and Test Track on the same day. Usually FEA is the best answer (as it generally sees the longest waits), while using Single Rider for TT and rope drop for Soarin' will help reduce wait times at those attractions. Average standby wait times for Soarin' have lessened somewhat since the addition of a third theater in 2016.

 

[jenhelgren]

double post--sorry!

 

[REEREEG]

I've read a few recent posts that suggest frozen waits aren't that bad for the first hour....

 

[33Legend]

I'm not as experienced with this as most here, but would the best strategy be to:

Since you are only going for 1 morning:
1. Rope drop Soarin and Test Track if you are able to secure a morning FP for Frozen.
2. If you can't get a Frozen FP in the morning, get a Soarin FP-then Rope drop Frozen and Test Track.

Would that be a possibility?

 

[Mamabun]

Pretty sure Baymax, Joy, Sadness don't have FP. The Epcot Character Spot FP is for Mickey, Minnie, etc. So to get your whole list in, I'd try something like:

Fastpass: Frozen and Spaceship Earth
Rope Drop: Soarin, then Baymax, Joy, Sadness
Single Rider: Test Track

The exact order would be determined by when you could get your fastpasses.

What a fun morning

 

[sqpcsqpc]

Pretty sure Baymax, Joy, Sadness don't have FP. The Epcot Character Spot FP is for Mickey, Minnie, etc. So to get your whole list in, I'd try something like:

Fastpass: Frozen and Spaceship Earth
Rope Drop: Soarin, then Baymax, Joy, Sadness
Single Rider: Test Track

The exact order would be determined by when you could get your fastpasses.

This is our plan for our November Trip though not sure if we will do Soarin' or Joy and Sadness first.

 

[CAS239]

I've read a few recent posts that suggest frozen waits aren't that bad for the first hour....

I've read this to but each of my 2 or 3 times for frozen right at rope drop the wait for the back of the pack has been 45+. Unless the crowd has changed drastically within 1-2 months, I'm not seeing how frozen would be under a 30 min wait anytime after 20 min after the park has been opened.

Each time I've went it's just hundreds of people power walking straight for Frozen like an episode of The Walking Dead

 

[REEREEG]

I've read this to but each of my 2 or 3 times for frozen right at rope drop the wait for the back of the pack has been 45+. Unless the crowd has changed drastically within 1-2 months, I'm not seeing how frozen would be under a 30 min wait anytime after 20 min after the park has been opened.

Each time I've went it's just hundreds of people power walking straight for Frozen like an episode of The Walking Dead

That's good to know - I've been trying to decide between frozen -> joy & sadness -> soarin or soarin -> joy & sadness -> frozen.

 

[CAS239]

That's good to know - I've been trying to decide between frozen -> joy & sadness -> soarin or soarin -> joy & sadness -> frozen.

I would aim to try for a FP for frozen and do Joy and sadness, Soarin, then frozen with FP.

Also for anyone at epcot in the afternoon, it's not uncommon now to be able to get Soarin as a 4th FP

 

[jenhelgren]

Are the lines for Joy and Sadness and Baymax so long that they should be a priority over Soarin or Test Track if we get lucky enough to get a FEA FP?

 

[CAS239]

Are the lines for Joy and Sadness and Baymax so long that they should be a priority over Soarin or Test Track if we get lucky enough to get a FEA FP?

Joy and sadness are usually a steady 60 min wait. Baymax I believe is usually right up there as well but I hear more about joy and sadness.

Test track single rider is an option that could cut a wait down and Soarin has been a lot better now that the 3rd theater has been open.

It's really a toss up between them but my logic for doing the meet and greet first is that if you're among the first there you can bang the meet and greet out in no time. Then head towards Soarin or TT say 5-10 min after if you were to head to one of them first. So you knocked the meet and greet out before any major lines have built at TT or Soarin

 

[Delirium]

For those that constantly suggest 'single rider' lines, keep in mind that many, many posters will have young children, so single rider may not be a viable option.

 

[OB1]

If Joy & Sadness are your very first thing, then it will be 10-15 minutes unless you are really the first person. Baymax is not far behind. Soarin' will probably be a shorter wait than these 2, so I like the idea to hit these first if you have a FP to Frozen.

 

[Klayfish]

I've read this to but each of my 2 or 3 times for frozen right at rope drop the wait for the back of the pack has been 45+. Unless the crowd has changed drastically within 1-2 months, I'm not seeing how frozen would be under a 30 min wait anytime after 20 min after the park has been opened.

Each time I've went it's just hundreds of people power walking straight for Frozen like an episode of The Walking Dead

It is definitely possible to be under 20 minutes, in fact under 10. We were there from June 30 to July 16 and did FEA on 3 different mornings, all roughly between 9:30 and 10am (we don't rope drop). Never once waited more than 10 minutes...one time it was literally 3 minutes...including the time it took us to walk through the entire empty queue. It's all standby that early in the morning. We had the same experience in summer 2016 too, though we only tried it once, and the wait then was 25 minutes (the ride had it's grand opening only a week prior). Not saying you didn't have a long wait, but all of our experiences are that the line is quite short early in the morning.

OP, your wish list is quite easy. I'd do it like this...

Rope drop Test Track. Then head back to Frozen and do standby. Then FP+ Soarin' (it's Tier 1), then FP+ Spaceship. Standby for the characters...Baymax line is usually short. J&S isn't as short, but it is what it is. Alternative would be...but would require more walking...

Rope drop Soarin'. Standby Frozen. FP+ TT, FP+ Spaceship. Standby characters (you could do the characters between the FP+ for Spaceship and TT)

We have done Epcot from about 9:15am to 1pm and get on everything, some rides multiple times.

 

[jenhelgren]

Thanks to everyone with advice! I hadn't heard about Frozen lines being that short--so that is encouraging!!

I wonder how our Sunday will be crowd wise in the morning with EMH evening hours and F & W. Is it wishful thinking that it may be quiet in the morning because the masses will wait until late morning/early afternoon to stay through EMH?

If we have FP from 9-10, 10-11, and 11-12 what kind of chance would we have of pulling at 4th FP for Soarin or Frozen shortly after noon?

 

[REEREEG]

Thanks to everyone with advice! I hadn't heard about Frozen lines being that short--so that is encouraging!!

I wonder how our Sunday will be crowd wise in the morning with EMH evening hours and F & W. Is it wishful thinking that it may be quiet in the morning because the masses will wait until late morning/early afternoon to stay through EMH?

If we have FP from 9-10, 10-11, and 11-12 what kind of chance would we have of pulling at 4th FP for Soarin or Frozen shortly after noon?

We are going sunday August 20th with similar goals for the morning and I can let you know what we do and how it works.

 

[CAS239]

It is definitely possible to be under 20 minutes, in fact under 10. We were there from June 30 to July 16 and did FEA on 3 different mornings, all roughly between 9:30 and 10am (we don't rope drop). Never once waited more than 10 minutes...one time it was literally 3 minutes...including the time it took us to walk through the entire empty queue. It's all standby that early in the morning. We had the same experience in summer 2016 too, though we only tried it once, and the wait then was 25 minutes (the ride had it's grand opening only a week prior). Not saying you didn't have a long wait, but all of our experiences are that the line is quite short early in the morning.

OP, your wish list is quite easy. I'd do it like this...

Rope drop Test Track. Then head back to Frozen and do standby. Then FP+ Soarin' (it's Tier 1), then FP+ Spaceship. Standby for the characters...Baymax line is usually short. J&S isn't as short, but it is what it is. Alternative would be...but would require more walking...

Rope drop Soarin'. Standby Frozen. FP+ TT, FP+ Spaceship. Standby characters (you could do the characters between the FP+ for Spaceship and TT)

We have done Epcot from about 9:15am to 1pm and get on everything, some rides multiple times.

I'll have to check it out again soon. I've been 3 times this year during Feb-may.

All 3 times we got to the park at 8am for regular 9am opening. Two times got to the ride ahead of the crowd and just had about a 10-15 min wait, meanwhile the line behind us filled the rest of the queue within minutes and extended outside. Both times we got off and the line by 9:30 was a posted 45-60 min wait. Could've been slightly inflated but when the line fills the queue and reaches the door or outside, I know it's a lengthy wait.

3rd time we tried..8am for 9am opening. Power walked there to beat the crowd, arrived to frozen about the 15th person in line and we were being held outside. Ride down due to technical difficulties. After waiting in that line about 30 min a CM came out and said anyone can continue to wait but the ride would be down at least another hour or maybe even 2. So we left. So the ride not even working first thing in the morning is another thing to take into consideration

I'm not doubting anyone saying the ride is a short wait for the first hour or so.. But I'm wondering where all the crowds are going to that I've experienced when I've been there. Each of those 3 times this year it's hundreds of people just quickly walking to Norway. You could be passing spaceship earth and just see the trail of people go toward the showcase and turn left.

 

[jenhelgren]

We are going sunday August 20th with similar goals for the morning and I can let you know what we do and how it works.

Thanks! That would be amazing and still be before our FP date so I could make up my mind on which way to go first! We usually visit in October and have spent the morning at Epcot during F & W and it was very quiet until the booths started opening but we have not been since FEA!