Fall FP+ availability is awful!

[Missyrose]

If anyone believes October is busy show up in July, on Easter, Christmas or Thanksgiving. It's not even close. The prime stuff is going to be tough to get any time of the year. A&E (snore) TSMM (love it, but it's always there on FP+) Space (snore again) but if you're going in OCT then most likely F&W is the main reason so enjoy the party and we will see you there!

Yeah, but the difference between October and those holiday peak times of year is Disney runs its attractions at peak capacity at peak times. So when the hours are shorter and there are fewer cars on the track/rooms being used for M&Gs, the FP+ reservations can actually be harder to snag.

 

[phillymummer]

Man this sounds crazy... a 7 day trip should be on the long end of a vacation but it sounds like everything is booked 7+ by the time the window opens. Are that many people really going long enough to use the full +10?

Isnt it +14 or 15?

It seems that way after looking on the Dibbs site. They are showing availability through Nov 2.

Is Oct a popular time for ppl from the UK to travel? We have gone twice in Oct and both times our flights had many many british passengers (flying out of Philly). Maybe its all those brits taking up all the FP!!

 

[Kathryn777]

I think it's about to get even worse, I just got a killer discount in the mail for early october that is almost can't pass up. Running numbers really quick, it makes the room at a moderate for 6 nights practically free. It's a room/ticket combo. We're not going to jump on it since we're switching to AP next week when we arrive but it's really tempting as we do love halloween and the price is killer.

What dates is the discount for? Maybe I'll tweak my offsite stay

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

So it's VERY BUSY at MK tonight. We used the App smartly and watched Jungle Cruise go from 75 to 20 before the Elec Parade and got on it at night (a bit better at night.) Saw Splash at VERY long lines but got on right during Elec and only had less than 10 (basically walk thru the cue.) Space was high waits all night but FPs are easy to get for it, and we had it. Kicker was we didn't have an FP for 7D, but we did not need one. We watched Wishes right by the entrance and popped in line as the Finale went off. The official cue said 80 but no one was lined up outside, so we knew it wasn't even close. We cued and rode in under 30 min despite the line eventually cueing up behind us and it updating to 50 and then 40 min. If was very easy to tour tonight, very laid back. Just watched the app for what we didn't have FPs for and used Elec and Wishes to our advantage. We still got to see fireworks (I like Fantasyland best myself) and got all the big headliners. And we did it all after dinner and didn't even wait more than 20 (Jungle) or 30 (7D) for anything. FPs are good but if you don't get everything, you can still work the crowds and lines just fine..just keep your phone charged and update it often, use Wishes or closing for 7D..its a way better night time ride and a much shorter line than RD. We didn't have to bring out the elbows once.

Now, for this ferry line.....

 

[Accident]

What dates is the discount for? Maybe I'll tweak my offsite stay

First half of October, 7 day,6nights at a moderate required. This one has a pin code specific to us on it but warned it was extremely limited.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

My window opened last night as mentioned previously. I had no trouble getting anything.

Disclaimer: I was not looking to book A&E, but I did book a lot of other headliners without issue.

 

[tlmadden73]

I wonder how many A&E Fast Passes do we think are really available per day?

It is a M&G .. they only get through what? Maybe a family of 4 (on average) through every few minutes?
Compare that to Mine Train where dozens of people can load up in the same amount of time.

 

[pilferk]

This is just a vent. And I'll say first that i love fp+ . But man. I have watched the DIBB posting all summer helping friends plan last minute trips, and generally, at 60 days out you could get 7 dmt for a group, or A&E for at least one day of your trip. And Wishes and MSEP were there quite often!

I can only get 7dmt for singles, can't get a single one for the others. It is crazy how much worse it is. It is painful! I hate the heat, so i'll happily trade fp availability for Oct weather but it still sucks I was hoping this year would be a little better than last!!

With the fall, you have two things going on that generally reduce MK FP availability:

A reduction in operating hours (going from 9 - 11 to 9 - 9 or 9-10) AND MNSSHP, which means the park is closing to regular guests at 7 PM, 4 days a week. And I think FP+ distribution stops around 5:30-ish (so your window is 5:30 to 6:30-ish).

That's all going to lead to less availability in MK, overall, so things get snapped up quicker in the times that ARE available.

It's also possible that, given their crowd projections and desire to reduce staffing, that they reduce capacity on some rides, and thus FP+ availability, too. I don't know about that part.

 

[Kathryn777]

Hooray! Got 3 overlapping a&e. That should be enough, most of my group couldn't care less about them . Only took 3 days trying every hour or so. Sigh

 

[Hopefully]

I was able to book everything I wanted for October 17 - 24th on Tuesday morning at 7 AM.
I was not interested in A & E, and they were gone. I think the FoF parade was gone on one day too.
But I had many choices for 7DMT, and Toy Story Midway Mania. I was very happy with the outcome.

 

[cath1979]

try to figure out what FP+ I want to take at Mk. Is the parade FP+ a great value? if we take Fp for the parade, how much time in advance do I have to go to the reserve area to be sure to get a spot right in front the parade? I really want feedback because the night parade screw all possibility to have 4 or more FP+

 

[mummabear]

Man this sounds crazy... a 7 day trip should be on the long end of a vacation but it sounds like everything is booked 7+ by the time the window opens. Are that many people really going long enough to use the full +10?

I know my ADR's were. Cali grill at 180+10 6am and I couldn't get a table, tried again at 7 by phone and still nothing

 

[KeroKero]

My booking window opened 12am this morning (Oct 19-26) and managed to get everything we wanted. TSMM for 3 of our HS days!! We met A&E last year, so we're ok not doing that this year, although I will note that there was no availability for that or for MSEP or FoF. Considering that 4 our of 7 days we're there are MNSSHP party days, I guess that makes sense.

7DMT I did manage to get 1 FP (my mother won't go, she thinks its way worse than it really is), but it's for a time that we probably won't even have gotten to MK yet ... so I'll keep checking. Already managed to get 2 hrs later than the one I originally booked, so it's just about clicking the update button at the right time. #FingersCrossed!

 

[DougEMG]

My 60 day window opened last night and other than A&E everything else was pretty much available at MK.

 

[Princess Sparkle]

I am going october 11th to 19th and got 7dmt and A&E twice for the week

 

[gem21]

Sorry you had so much trouble. I had no trouble with our FP+, getting A&E and 7DMT. Keep looking

 

[avic77]

thankfully Tuesday night i was able to book FP+ for my party of 13 for everything we wanted. of the 13 only 9 wanted 7DMT and we all got that as well (its on a day the large group is splitting up into smaller family units so maybe that made it easier).
We have teens and adults so no one was interested in A&E and the teens didnt wanna "waste" their FP+ on Parades or fireworks so maybe our touring style just fit easily with what was available.
Im really excited to have FP+ all set so i dont have to think about it anymore. I didnt really like the old system cause I was always worried about running for the next fastpass.

 

[smitch425]

Haven't read the whole thread, but I arrive 10/10, and had no trouble getting 7DMT for 5 of our days. Could have had A&E several days in, but we met them last year, so we don't need to do it again. Lol!

 

[mom2rtk]

I wonder how many A&E Fast Passes do we think are really available per day?

It is a M&G .. they only get through what? Maybe a family of 4 (on average) through every few minutes?
Compare that to Mine Train where dozens of people can load up in the same amount of time.

You'd be surprised. A family every few minutes would be a VERY slow moving M/G.

But I'd wager to say they move a lot less groups through when they only staff half as many rooms.

 

[phillymummer]

Why is up with the FoF parade? ? According to Dibbs, there no are FPs available in November! The whole last week of October is open, but not November! but yet there is availability for A&E and 7DMT.