Fast pass question

Dakota731

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 8, 2014
Messages
3,401
my time is soon approaching and since I'm a first timer I wondered how you plan them around your ADRs. How much time do you plan for table and quick service? I wound hate to miss a fast pass while eating!
 
This is kind of tough because each place is different and it depends on if you are eating in the same park as your FPs. I would leave at least an hour of space for table service, if not more. Sometimes it can take just an hour to eat at a table service and even with an ADR you can still wait to be seated. As far as quick service, we've always been able to eat pretty quickly at these restaurants except for BOG. Just make sure you aren't going at a prime time (12 pm lunch or 5 pm dinner). Try to eat early or late and ride things when everyone else is eating! I hope this helps.
 
I always allow an hour and a half window for my table service, and I never regret it.

Do keep this in mind though, if you have a FP for a ride that isn't super popular (say Journey into Imagination) from say 11:00 - 12:00, you can use that FP at the beginning of it's window, and be done and out of there by 11:30.

ADR's they suggest you be there about 20 minutes early, so in the above situation, allow 10 minutes to walk to your ADR, and you could have it scheduled right at 12:00, and you would have no problem using your FP, and making it to your ADR 20 minutes early. I would then not schedule my next one until after 1:30 though.

For counter service, I find that one hour leaves plenty enough time.

We do tend to take our time at meals. We stay in the parks from opening until closing, so meals are kind of our idea of a mid-day break.
 

Well you'll have a blast for your very first visit. I would say the amount of time you need for your dining reservation will vary based on the locations. Additionally, some dining reservations are not as quick as others. For example, you may have a 9am breakfast but won't be seated until 9:30am. You need to allow ample time to get to your FP+. If your FP+ are inside the same park as your dining reservation you will need less time than if you are heading out of a park to eat. I say leave yourself 90 min or more to eat. While WDW does a great job with transport, it still can take a good bit of time to get around the resort. Also keep in mind if your FP is for a popular ride or not. You may still have to wait some for a FP ride, it's not always as quick as others. If you keep that in mind, you should be fine.
 
It greatly depends on the locations.

Most TS meals take about 90 minutes- ONCE you are seated. With QS, it depends how long the lines are, and how long you like to linger. We stopped for fried rice at 11:30am and ate while walking. It took about 10minutes to get our food.

At another Disney QS, we waited almost 30minutes just to order. Staff wasn't quick about fulfilling orders, and the patrons in line ahead of us were terribly disorganized. Many hadn't even read the menu BEFORE they got to the cashier. Goodness.

Keep in mind, ADR's aren't reservations. There's absolutely no promise you will be seated on time. Just last month, we were seated 40minutes late (despite arriving 15min early), with a group of 4. Another 20+ minutes passed before we had anything to eat or drink, and that was at 'Ohana, which is a preset menu. If your group has over 4 people, expect delays at popular spots.

It is also very important to note that the logistics of getting around WDW can be very time consuming. Via bus, it often takes 60+ mins to go from inside MK to many hotels. The hotels are divided into areas. It only takes a few minutes to go between the Epcot deluxe hotels, and the 3 monorail hotels. More often though, there is no direct transportation between hotels. Your best bet between hotels is often to hire transportation (new Minnie service, taxi, uber). We heard a number of families upset last month because they were (going to be) late for an ADR.

We do no more than one ADR per day. Favor ADR's in this order: 1.) at your hotel, 2.) at the park you plan to visit that day, 3.) at a hotel close to yours/close to the park you'll visit that day.

When it comes to FP and the attractions side of timing, in most cases you'll be on the ride in less than 15minutes with a FP. Most rides are less than 5minutes long. We tend to book our 3 preplanned FP 9am-1pm, and ADR's for dinner.
 
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You could also be like us, where dinner is the finale of the night, so you get your FP done in time to get there
 


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