Fastpass Strategy?

[SteveInOmaha]

It's a testimony to the success of this forum that the fastpass section has 334 pages of posts! But that's kinda daunting to read thru, so I'll ask here.

Next Tuesday is my day to book fastpasses. I know I can book them for my entire trip on that day.
I've read about the tiers. I know I should get the toughest ones (Flight of Passage, Slinky, Mine Train, Frozen) first, on whatever day I can get them.
Our park days are Dec. 2 - 7, and I want fastpasses for late morning to early afternoon. I just don't understand the sequence of the steps in the process.

1) Is my first step to look for a Flight of Passage fastpass on the day I've planned to go there?
2) If there isn't one available, do I then look for a day later in the week and take the first one I find?
>> I realize I can get another Tier 1 at a different park later that day, but let's not go there for purposes of this discussion. <<
3) Once I have a fastpass for Flight of Passage, do I then move to my planned Studios day and take what's available for Slinky? And if it's not available on that day, I search on another day?
4) And then move to my planned Epcot day and follow the same process for Frozen?
5) Finally, once I've selected a Tier 1 for each day, do I go back to my Flight of Passage day and fill in Tier 2's for AK? And repeat that process for the other parks on the other days?

I realize time is of the essence starting at the 7am window. I don't want to waste time searching different days if that's not what I should be doing.

Thanks for your help!

 

[g-dad66]

I think you have the right plan.

Except the third one I would go for would be Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at MK. Frozen is not nearly so hard to get as it used to be.

 

[seggerman]

wow same question I would be asking - only I'm going Dec 4 to 7

 

[seggerman]

and I'm doing Frozen extra hours as my BF is not interested - so we're doing Soarin

 

[emmabelle]

I found when I did mine a month ago, Slinky had less availability then FOP. I got FOP for 60+2, had to take Slinky at 60+3. Both rides only had night slots left, we have a party of 3. It's a quick 4 night trip so I had to take night FP's, would much rather have morning ones.

 

[mamamelody2]

Make sure you put your HS and AK days as late as possible in your trip. Go for SDD first, then FoP, then 7DMT. Frozen shouldn't be a problem. After those, go in and fill in the rest.

You realize if you want a second tier 1 at a different park on the same day, you can't get that until you're actually at the first park and have used the first FP, right?

 

[SteveInOmaha]

Make sure you put your HS and AK days as late as possible in your trip. Go for SDD first, then FoP, then 7DMT. Frozen shouldn't be a problem. After those, go in and fill in the rest.

You realize if you want a second tier 1 at a different park on the same day, you can't get that until you're actually at the first park and have used the first FP, right?

Thanks! And yes, about getting a second 2nd Tier 1.

 

[chris benton]

I normally figure out my perfect order of park days.
If you want a slinky FP, it would be great to have HS towards the back end, but sometimes it doesn't work out that well, but I take that into consideration. FOP shouldn't be as bad as slinky. I base my selection of park days on:
1. AM EMH patterns - we ALWAYS do AM Emh, then hop to a diff park
2. Rope Dropping and hopping
3. Where I'm staying
4. Adr's play NO PART in my game. Outside of CRT, I can't think of anyplace worth worrying about. Let a Res Finder do the work for you if you can't score a reservation you want. I don't play into the 180 farce. None of the food is good enough to worry about AT ALL until you get your park days in order, imo.

So, once the perfect park order is set, then, if I'm not able to get hard to get FP that I require, I have a backup park day plan to move the hard to get fp later in the trip, and re-arrange the park days that need to be re-arranged. I don't let the FP's dictate my park day plan. I can work the FP system once I'm in the park. Slinky's really tough for same day, FOP is tough but do-able. FEA isn't too tough anymore.

You'll be fine, just be prepared for having to switch things up if you need to. Walk away from the app at 7:30 happy with what you did, and then go have pancakes.

 

[buzznina]

Just did my FP's this morning for our Thanksgiving trip. We like to plan out our days prior to getting FP's because we like to spread out the parks throughout the week.
SDD was unavailable at 60+1 but did get it at 60+4.
FOP was unavailable at 60+2 but did get it at 60+6
No issues with 7DMT at 60 days or later.

I hit the hard to get rides first and then go back to that day to fill in the other FPs

I totally agree with Chris in regards to ADRs, we have not found any TS that I would base our schedule on.

1) Is my first step to look for a Flight of Passage fastpass on the day I've planned to go there? YES
2) If there isn't one available, do I then look for a day later in the week and take the first one I find? Yes if it's important to ride it
>> I realize I can get another Tier 1 at a different park later that day, but let's not go there for purposes of this discussion. <<
3) Once I have a fastpass for Flight of Passage, do I then move to my planned Studios day and take what's available for Slinky? And if it's not available on that day, I search on another day? Yes and Yes
4) And then move to my planned Epcot day and follow the same process for Frozen? Yes, If that is a "must" ride
5) Finally, once I've selected a Tier 1 for each day, do I go back to my Flight of Passage day and fill in Tier 2's for AK? And repeat that process for the other parks on the other days? Yes

I realize time is of the essence starting at the 7am window. I don't want to waste time searching different days if that's not what I should be doing.

Thanks for your help!

 

[wdw&sonny]

Take whatever time FP you can get for FOP and Slinky, But, IF you get your FOP and Slinky, but times are later than you want, I would spend a few minutes, right then, trying to move them earlier. You're more likely to bump them earlier right then. But, just try for a few minutes, then move on to the other lower priority FPs,. By the time you finish scheduling your entire trip of FPs, the times for FOP and Slinky will have drifted much later in the day.

 

[SteveInOmaha]

sorry. drive-by clicking here!