FastPass+ Basic Info, Suggested Priorities, And Strategies--Part II

[jlundeen]

So if I am understanding all the previous posts correctly, if someone were to make a split stay reservation including 3 days for one resort, and 7 days at the second resort, FP+ would open on the 60 day mark for the first reservation for the whole 10 days?

Seems to me this could be similar to a throwaway reservation in that the person could make FP+ resv at that 60 day mark, for only the second resv's 7 days, and then cancel the first 3 day part without any penalty (within the cancelation guidelines) and have a leg up on those who's 60 day window would start with the second resv....

Am I understanding this correctly...maybe I'm just a bit slow on this, but it seems to be a big advantage for that person. Certainly not judging, condoning or accusing...just trying to see if my understanding is correct.

 

[hiroMYhero]

So if I am understanding all the previous posts correctly, if someone were to make a split stay reservation including 3 days for one resort, and 7 days at the second resort, FP+ would open on the 60 day mark for the first reservation for the whole 10 days?

Seems to me this could be similar to a throwaway reservation in that the person could make FP+ resv at that 60 day mark, for only the second resv's 7 days, and then cancel the first 3 day part without any penalty (within the cancelation guidelines) and have a leg up on those who's 60 day window would start with the second resv....

Am I understanding this correctly...maybe I'm just a bit slow on this, but it seems to be a big advantage for that person. Certainly not judging, condoning or accusing...just trying to see if my understanding is correct.

Onsite > onsite has always kept the FP booking window open and your revelation has previously been noted a number of times - I know mesa would like that it be discussed on threads other than this one.

 

[jlundeen]

Onsite > onsite has always kept the FP booking window open and your revelation has previously been noted a number of times - I know mesa would like that it be discussed on threads other than this one.

no problem...sorry if I opened a sore spot...this just hadn't occurred to me before...I must be REALLY slow! Dropping it now.

 

[epalm]

It should open based on your Saturday onsite stay. Disney updated this a couple of weeks ago. Even with the package on the 2nd onsite stay, Disney now opens the booking window with the first onsite stay.

mesaboy2 is working on updating info regarding FPs booked with split stays, so, if you notice anything new or different, please post!

As a heads up, I was on the phone with a CM linking my family member's accounts and she was very certain that if our tickets are only with the package portion of our split stay, then our 60 day window will not open for the earlier room only reservation portion. I'm still going to try on the 60 day of my room only and will report back here.

Also, a quick tip for anyone traveling with large group - Disney has a great new team of CMs who will help ensure everyone is linked correctly so that one person can make FP reservations for the entire group. It's a complimentary service and the number is 407-939-7771 (it's posted on the MDE site as well). Hope that's ok to post here! They were really helpful just now with our complicated group of extended families.

 

[hiroMYhero]

As a heads up, I was on the phone with a CM linking my family member's accounts and she was very certain that if our tickets are only with the package portion of our split stay, then our 60 day window will not open for the earlier room only reservation portion. I'm still going to try on the 60 day of my room only and will report back here.

Also, a quick tip for anyone traveling with large group - Disney has a great new team of CMs who will help ensure everyone is linked correctly so that one person can make FP reservations for the entire group. It's a complimentary service and the number is 407-939-7771 (it's posted on the MDE site as well). Hope that's ok to post here! They were really helpful just now with our complicated group of extended families.

Also check your email. Disney sent out emails to split stay guests to inform them they could begin booking with their first onsite stay even with the package attached to the second stay. Maybe they forgot to tell their CMs.

 

[epalm]

Thanks @hiroMYhero ! Good to know. Poor Disney CMs... don't get me started on the disaster that was BOG breakfast reservations. Poor CM was insisting on the phone that reservations did not open until the following morning meanwhile everyone online was already booking them. It's not their fault they don't always get the most up to date info... Appreciate all the help on this forum getting things straight!

 

[ANforever1030]

So if I am understanding all the previous posts correctly, if someone were to make a split stay reservation including 3 days for one resort, and 7 days at the second resort, FP+ would open on the 60 day mark for the first reservation for the whole 10 days?

Seems to me this could be similar to a throwaway reservation in that the person could make FP+ resv at that 60 day mark, for only the second resv's 7 days, and then cancel the first 3 day part without any penalty (within the cancelation guidelines) and have a leg up on those who's 60 day window would start with the second resv....

Am I understanding this correctly...maybe I'm just a bit slow on this, but it seems to be a big advantage for that person. Certainly not judging, condoning or accusing...just trying to see if my understanding is correct.

That is correct. My DW2B and I have our honemoon scheduled from Nov 3 until Nov 14. Our first three nights are at Poly, the next two are at POFQ, and the remaining six nights are at AKV. However, 60 days from our first night at Poly we were able to book FP+ for the entire trip.

There might be unscrupulous people who would do what you suggested, but to me that would be too much trouble for such a little reward.

 

[luvallprincesses]

I'm in a holding pattern for the Tech team CM's to get my Swan reservations hooked correctly for FP's. I went back and forth all week last week between the Swan and CM techs. Ever since the Swan had to give me 2 separate reservations for a split point/cash 10 night stay, everything in MDE is screwed up and the names are not connecting, the dates on the reservations are wrong, it says 4 adults instead of 2 adults/2 children. It was fine before that. Finally talked with a helpful CM tech on Thursday who apologized for the problem, said they would be calling Swan directly to take care of it, and I should have an email from Bernie at Tech support within 48 hours to let me know that they have taken care of it. I have not received said email yet and am waiting until after the holiday weekend to call them back. In the process, it has been reinforced that (1) the CMs have inaccurate information, as they told me I would have to call twice, 5 days apart, to make fastpasses since I have two separate reservations and hiroMYhero says otherwise. (2) The name linking from Swan/Dolphin is supposed to be easy, but that's not always the case. The agents there constantly say the reservation only needs to have the correct number of adults/children for MDE while CMs insist names of everyone must be on the reservation. Has anyone else had these problems with Swolphin and/or had Tech support follow through with an email to fix an issue?

 

[hiroMYhero]

I'm in a holding pattern for the Tech team CM's to get my Swan reservations hooked correctly for FP's. I went back and forth all week last week between the Swan and CM techs. Ever since the Swan had to give me 2 separate reservations for a split point/cash 10 night stay, everything in MDE is screwed up and the names are not connecting, the dates on the reservations are wrong, it says 4 adults instead of 2 adults/2 children. It was fine before that. Finally talked with a helpful CM tech on Thursday who apologized for the problem, said they would be calling Swan directly to take care of it, and I should have an email from Bernie at Tech support within 48 hours to let me know that they have taken care of it. I have not received said email yet and am waiting until after the holiday weekend to call them back. In the process, it has been reinforced that (1) the CMs have inaccurate information, as they told me I would have to call twice, 5 days apart, to make fastpasses since I have two separate reservations and hiroMYhero says otherwise. (2) The name linking from Swan/Dolphin is supposed to be easy, but that's not always the case. The agents there constantly say the reservation only needs to have the correct number of adults/children for MDE while CMs insist names of everyone must be on the reservation. Has anyone else had these problems with Swolphin and/or had Tech support follow through with an email to fix an issue?

Yikes! Because Disney deems Swan an onsite resort and onsite to onsite keeps the FP booking window open, if for some reason that doesn't work for you, can you please post your outcome? mesa's attempting to nail down all the split stay scenarios and if the general booking rule doesn't apply to Swolphin, he'll note it in his OP.

 

[gracielou]

I followed every reply on the thread religiously until life (and non-Disney vacations) got in the way in July. I saw some questions about and problems with FP+ bookings with APs and split stays, but never any definitive answers, especially for my situation with a longer stay. Thought I would share what I learned for FWIW.

I'm going for a total of 17 park days and 18 nights. We originally booked 16 nights at CBR (10/24 - 11/9) through ExpediaUK. As we drive down from NC the day before our "vacation" begins we usually book an offsite room for that night before checking in to CBR bright and early on our first morning. Given the great onsite deals available, we booked ASMu for 10/23. We later decided to book an additional night and stay at CBR on 11/9 as well so we ended up with 3 separate reservations.

Given the earlier dilemmas I had read about split stays and APs, I wasn't going to stay up late and try and book FP+ at the 60-day mark from our 10/23 booking. However, I decided to take a look later that morning and saw that my window was open for the first 14 days of the trip. I was able to book FP+ for all 14 days from the 60-day point for my initial one night reservation. Days 10-14 were so easy to book (I had my pick of any time and booked back-to-back FP on the hour with no gaps between times - including A&E and 7DMT) that I didn't bother to stay up at night for my last 3 days. I was able to book them one day at a time the next 3 mornings.

Bottom line, it seems like Disney has worked the kinks out of longer split stays with APs. I was concerned because I had a very difficult time with my ADRs. I could only book for exactly 180 days out online without the +10. I had to call to book beyond 180 because of the split stay. It really didn't help that my 180-day mark was also the day free dining was released!

 

[mburstein]

Here's a weird one. I'm managing FP+ for myself and two others for the 3:30-6:30 pre-MNSSHP window, trying to get us on the same attractions at roughly the same times. For our first pick of the afternoon (PoTC), I've got 3:10-4:10, 3:30-4:30, and 3:35-4:35. I've been checking periodically in the hope of moving the 3:10-4:10 to 3:25-4:25 so that we don't have to sprint there from the gate (that person has a 4:25-5:25 for another attraction). Today, MDE shows 3:25 as available if I try to change the time on the other two (i.e. the 3:30 and 3:35), but it is not listed as an option for changing the 3:10. Any ideas about whether or how I can change the 3:10 to the apparently-available-but-not-showing-up 3:25? Thanks in advance!

 

[MudBud]

I'm going to try to book A&E and 7DMT FPs for our trip - for E&A I will try our last day first but what about 7DMT? Would looking for availability for both rides on the same day be more difficult than A&E the last day and 7DMT the second last day?
I don't have a preference on which days I have them, just wanting to increase my chances. TIA

 

[Cluelyss]

I'm going to try to book A&E and 7DMT FPs for our trip - for E&A I will try our last day first but what about 7DMT? Would looking for availability for both rides on the same day be more difficult than A&E the last day and 7DMT the second last day?
I don't have a preference on which days I have them, just wanting to increase my chances. TIA

If booking right at midnight at your 60 day mark (which I'm assuming you are if you are looking for A&E), you should have no trouble getting SDMT for any day of your trip.

 

[Cluelyss]

Here's a weird one. I'm managing FP+ for myself and two others for the 3:30-6:30 pre-MNSSHP window, trying to get us on the same attractions at roughly the same times. For our first pick of the afternoon (PoTC), I've got 3:10-4:10, 3:30-4:30, and 3:35-4:35. I've been checking periodically in the hope of moving the 3:10-4:10 to 3:25-4:25 so that we don't have to sprint there from the gate (that person has a 4:25-5:25 for another attraction). Today, MDE shows 3:25 as available if I try to change the time on the other two (i.e. the 3:30 and 3:35), but it is not listed as an option for changing the 3:10. Any ideas about whether or how I can change the 3:10 to the apparently-available-but-not-showing-up 3:25? Thanks in advance!

I have definitely noticed that different times will show for different members of my party when trying to modify, and I have no idea why. I'd suggest trying on the website if you are using the app, as it seems to be more consistent for some reason.

 

[Robo]

If booking right at midnight at your 60 day mark (which I'm assuming you are if you are looking for A&E), you should have no trouble getting SDMT for any day of your trip.

There have been many reports to the contrary.

 

[mesaboy2]

Yeah, 7DMT can be one that's tough to predict. Sometimes it seems to be fairly wide open, other times not. I would err on the side of caution with that one if it's important. Earlier booking would at the least improve the selection of times available.

 

[Cluelyss]

There have been many reports to the contrary.

I didn't mean to suggest that this one isn't a priority, or is "easy" to get; however, if OP is booking as soon as their window opens, SDMT should not be an issue. Even at 3 pm today there is availability for 14 out of the next 15 days (for those who's windows opened last night), and this is during party season with several early MK closures. Obviously booking later in the trip ups your chances of getting anything, but I've not heard reports of this one being completely filled when the 60-day window opens like A&E can be.

 

[MudBud]

Thank you everyone!

 

[jacksgirl]

This may already have been discussed, but what happens if we have an FP scheduled and we get tired before that time and don't make to the FP?

 

[Cluelyss]

This may already have been discussed, but what happens if we have an FP scheduled and we get tired before that time and don't make to the FP?

You would forfeit that FP selection. However, if you plan to leave the park to rest, and return later that same day, you could always try to reschedule for another time or attraction (subject to availability).