Fastpass Strategy

[twinsdad2007]

I can't decide in the best way go use fastpasses. We will be gong in June when it is very busy. Should we get early fastpasses so that we can get our 3 done and then start getting more? Or, should we make them for mid-day and do standby in the morning when maybe the lines are a little shorter?

 

[MightyGitis]

I've been agonizing over the same thing. Right now we have them scheduled back to back the first three hours parks are open with the intention of picking up additionals once these are thru. But I'm not sure if I'm shooting myself in the foot or not.

 

[gorjus121]

I'm subscribing to this thread. This is a good question and I'm curious for myself for our Fall trip. We've not used FastPass+ before.

 

[LSUfan4444]

should we make them for mid-day and do standby in the morning when maybe the lines are a little shorter?

Yes. Arrive well before rope drop in a recommended park and spend your morning riding things via standby, then some time around lunch start using your FP+ and when they expire, see what is left that you need/want to do.

 

[LSUfan4444]

I've been agonizing over the same thing. Right now we have them scheduled back to back the first three hours parks are open with the intention of picking up additionals once these are thru. But I'm not sure if I'm shooting myself in the foot or not.

Those are some of the lowest crowds of the day, so if there are no FP+ you want for mid day or later you are increasing the time you wait in lines, not decrease it.

The accumulation of FP+ is not what you need here. It is much more important to pick the right FP+, in the right park, on the right day at the right time.

 

[twinsdad2007]

Right now, we have our FP's starting about 11 everyday. That a good time? We do try and go back to room on most days for a break .

 

[handicap18]

A lot of people are saying the best time to get your FP+'s is between the hours of 11a & 2p. Get to the park as early as you can. Ride standby for what you like and can get on or meet & greet characters, take your time wandering around.

Get your 3 initial FP+'s for the rides you know you want to do during peek hours (thats that 11-2 time I mentioned earlier). Its not a sprint. Its a vacation. Don't stress over it. Its not worth it.

 

[hbentleylll]

I am subscribing to this I have been trying to decide the best plan for us.

 

[KimK2006]

I stressed over this, because this "change" came after I already had my FP+ booked. After thinking about it, I think my same strategy was still the best move. Hit the park at RD and ride standby for the first couple of hours or so before the crowds come. Use FP+ in late morning/early afternoon. We usually go back to our room in the afternoon and head to a different park in the late afternoon/early evening.

It seems to me like a waste of a FP if you are using it when the rides aren't even crowded, yet.

 

[JimmyV]

A lot of this is park dependent. At the MK, if you blow through your FPs early, you will most certainly be able to pick up more FPs, but they will be for rides such as PoTC, HM, Laugh Factory, maybe Buzz. On a crowded day, those might be very valuable. If you wait too long at the MK, you might lose out on the ability to get some very valuable passes. But at Epcot, blowing through your FPs early on a crowded day will not necessarily help you. If you book for 9:00, 10:00 and 11:00 and use your third at 11:01, the odds of getting that extra Tier 1 FP for either TT or Soarin' is pretty slim. And even if you get one, it will likely be for a late time, thus ending your quest for FPs. It is probably better at Epcot to do RD for the Tier 1 ride that you cannot FP, and then hit up other rides from 9:20-11:00 while the crowds are concentrated at the "Big 2". Then, use your FPs between 11:00 and 3:00, or thereabouts. So there is no one "right" answer.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Right now, we have our FP's starting about 11 everyday. That a good time? We do try and go back to room on most days for a break .

Sure, that sounds good. That 11 am FP can be used for over an hours time, so just think about when is it best to use it...11 am or 11:59 am? If you use it at 11 am, can you move up your 12 pm FP to say 11:30? or do you want to move it back?

Meaning...let's say you have a 11 am FP for Splash and a 12 pm FP for Thunder it might be best to get in line for Splash at like 11:45 am, then as soon as you get off you get on Thunder then get lunch.

The new days of touring are going to put much more emphasis on execution like this rather than "how many fastpasses can I get".

 

[lilmama]

I have been wondering whether to use them for rides or meet & greets.

 

[MightyGitis]

Those are some of the lowest crowds of the day, so if there are no FP+ you want for mid day or later you are increasing the time you wait in lines, not decrease it. The accumulation of FP+ is not what you need here. It is much more important to pick the right FP+, in the right park, on the right day at the right time.

I doubt I will be increasing my wait in line as with the touring plans I've been using for two decades I never wait in a line over twenty minutes. This way I just don't have to run across a park for a pass and back again.

Midday is also when we switch parks. So while one of the three FP+ is a burner I need it scheduled early so when we reach the second park we aren't waiting for the time to expire on a pass in another park.

We are trying to use 4,5, and 6 FP+ in a day and to do that you have to get the first three done to do so.

Not a newb.

 

[LSUfan4444]

A lot of this is park dependent. At the MK, if you blow through your FPs early, you will most certainly be able to pick up more FPs, but they will be for rides such as PoTC, HM, Laugh Factory, maybe Buzz. On a crowded day, those might be very valuable. If you wait too long at the MK, you might lose out on the ability to get some very valuable passes. But at Epcot, blowing through your FPs early on a crowded day will not necessarily help you. If you book for 9:00, 10:00 and 11:00 and use your third at 11:01, the odds of getting that extra Tier 1 FP for either TT or Soarin' is pretty slim. And even if you get one, it will likely be for a late time, thus ending your quest for FPs. It is probably better at Epcot to do RD for the Tier 1 ride that you cannot FP, and then hit up other rides from 9:20-11:00 while the crowds are concentrated at the "Big 2". Then, use your FPs between 11:00 and 3:00, or thereabouts. So there is no one "right" answer.

Agreed....but I don't think it's park dependent as much as it is family dependent. If you want to see A&E or want a FP for MSEP or you want to ensure you can do Enchanted Tales as soon as your little princess steps out of the BBB, then the the time savings will be based on each family.

 

[JimmyV]

I doubt I will be increasing my wait in line as with the touring plans I've been using for two decades I never wait in a line over twenty minutes. This way I don't have to run across a park for a pass and back again.

We are trying to use 4,5, and 6 FP+ in a day and to do that you have to get the first three done to do so.

Not a newb.

You have to throw your old Touring Plan out the window. FP+ changed the game. You used to wait less than 20 minutes to ride PoTC in the middle of the day. Those days are over.

 

[LSUfan4444]

I doubt I will be increasing my wait in line as with the touring plans I've been using for two decades I never wait in a line over twenty minutes. This way I just don't have to run across a park for a pass and back again.

Midday is also when we switch parks. So while one of the three FP+ is a burner I need it scheduled early so when we reach the second park we aren't waiting for the time to expire on a pass in another park.

We are trying to use 4,5, and 6 FP+ in a day and to do that you have to get the first three done to do so.

Not a newb.

It has nothing to do with being a newb. The first three hours a park is open offers some of the shortest wait times of the day, lunch and early afternoon offer some of the longest. If you are using FP+ during the lowest wait times and riding standby during the longest, you will be increasing your wait time.

If you are only willing to ride those attractions that you secure additional FP+ for then you will be running around the park every time you have to go to a kiosk and schedule a new FP+.

If you schedule your FP+ in your first park of the day, you will not be able to schedule another FP+ in your second park of the day, and even then you won't know what is available until you try to schedule. If nothing you want is available, now you are riding standby during the longer waits when you used FP+ in the shorter waits.

 

[MightyGitis]

You have to throw your old Touring Plan out the window. FP+ changed the game. You used to wait less than 20 minutes to ride PoTC in the middle of the day. Those days are over.

It has nothing to do with being a newb. The first three hours a park is open offers some of the shortest wait times of the day, lunch and early afternoon offer some of the longest. If you are using FP+ during the lowest wait times and riding standby during the longest, you will be increasing your wait time. If you are only willing to ride those attractions that you secure additional FP+ for then you will be running around the park every time you have to go to a kiosk and schedule a new FP+. If you schedule your FP+ in your first park of the day, you will not be able to schedule another FP+ in your second park of the day, and even then you won't know what is available until you try to schedule. If nothing you want is available, now you are riding standby during the longer waits when you used FP+ in the shorter waits.

I've been twice with bands and saw some differences. Not major. The statistics are showing standby length of lines are not affected by the new system. Some lines have gotten on average one minute longer. Some have gotten on average a few minutes shorter. But I'm feeling talked down to right now so I think I will remove myself from the discussion.

 

[LSUfan4444]

You won't respond, but I would like to reply so others reading the thread can be updated

I've been twice with bands and saw some differences. Not major.

April is when Magic Bands and the ability to pre-book FP+ has been open to all guests? Since that time, alot of the secondary attractions that used to bring consistent 5-20 min waits have been seeing much longer waits (Haunted Mansion, Pirates etc)

Take a look at this PDF. This will show you the wait times of every attraction throughout the day. MK was a recommended day and Pirates had a 45 minute wait at 1:45 pm.

http://easywdw.com/reports11/april25waits.pdf

 

[Dan Murphy]

We were there two weeks ago, listed as a slow time after Easter and spring break crowds. And it was ot very crowded. We noticed that the stanbys on typically short standby rides were longer than usual. As for FP+, those made any ride almost an instant walkon.

 

[JimmyV]

I've been twice with bands and saw some differences. Not major. The statistics are showing standby length of lines are not affected by the new system.

You are going at the end of June, beginning of July. Your past experiences under FP+ won't be repeated. And the "statistics" are indeed showing longer lines especially at secondary attractions. Just look at the TP Lines reports. Unless all the people reporting in their wait times to TP are lying, there are changes taking place.