FEA via standby before 11am - still a thumbs up!

[Klayfish]

Just a quick report. I've mentioned several times before that we've had great success getting on FEA without a FP+ early in the morning, since FP+ doesn't start until 11am. During the summer, we literally wait between 3 and 12 minutes, and that's without rope drop...we usually show up between 9:30 and 10:00am.

Well, we decided to give it a try today since we didn't have a FP+ for FEA. Yes, it's Thanksgiving week, one of the busiest of the year. We arrived at Epcot around 9:15am. By time we parked the car and got through security (the line was long but moved VERY quick, they do a great job), it was 9:35am. We had a 9:00am FP+ for SE, so we hopped on. Got off around 9:50am, roughly. Made a quickly paced walk to FEA and got in line right around 10:00am sharp. MDE said 85 minute wait, and the line was well past Akershus, starting to curve down the walkway. I timed our wait and it was exactly 46 minutes from the time we stepped in line to the time we stepped on the ride. With no FP+ coming through, the line is non-stop slow and steady movement. So even on one of the busiest weeks of the year, without rope dropping, you can get on FEA in well under an hour. However, you do need to be in line before about 10:15am during super busy holiday seasons. Otherwise, you're still in line at 11am when FP+ starts. At that point, I'd presume the standby line slows significantly.

 

[txcorey]

Good to know. We're hoping to ride it in early January without a fastpass before 11am. Thanks for the update.

 

[KEW]

Thank you for the update. Hoping to ride this right after rope dropping Test Track the week after Christmas...both with no fastpasses (FP+ booked for park we are hopping to after lunch - AK...yes...we got FOP)

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

Just a quick report. I've mentioned several times before that we've had great success getting on FEA without a FP+ early in the morning, since FP+ doesn't start until 11am. During the summer, we literally wait between 3 and 12 minutes, and that's without rope drop...we usually show up between 9:30 and 10:00am.

Well, we decided to give it a try today since we didn't have a FP+ for FEA. Yes, it's Thanksgiving week, one of the busiest of the year. We arrived at Epcot around 9:15am. By time we parked the car and got through security (the line was long but moved VERY quick, they do a great job), it was 9:35am. We had a 9:00am FP+ for SE, so we hopped on. Got off around 9:50am, roughly. Made a quickly paced walk to FEA and got in line right around 10:00am sharp. MDE said 85 minute wait, and the line was well past Akershus, starting to curve down the walkway. I timed our wait and it was exactly 46 minutes from the time we stepped in line to the time we stepped on the ride. With no FP+ coming through, the line is non-stop slow and steady movement. So even on one of the busiest weeks of the year, without rope dropping, you can get on FEA in well under an hour. However, you do need to be in line before about 10:15am during super busy holiday seasons. Otherwise, you're still in line at 11am when FP+ starts. At that point, I'd presume the standby line slows significantly.

That's great advice.

How crowded did it end up getting today?

 

[SnowChaser]

Interesting, thanks for sharing your experiences!

We're looking at trying to hit FEA and Soarin without FP at rope drop. Thinking we'll hit FEA first, then Soarin. Anyone tried this or have suggestions?

 

[dlavender]

Thanks for the report. We will be giving this a try tomorrow morning!

 

[jodie3134]

Yay! Good to know. We are going to give this a go tomorrow. It will be our first ride followed by Test Track.

 

[BriLovesDisney]

Thanks for this! We are going over Christmas and only have 1 FEA FP. Hoping to ride it more than once

 

[Babs1975]

Interesting. Thank you for the tip! We skipped FEA last trip as we couldn't get a fp and didn't want to wait in the long line. I guess I didn't realize there were no fp's until 11. Our strategy has been to do TT then Soarin, both without fp, then a fp for Soarin again later. I'm wondering how we should work FEA in? Should we do TT first, then go to FEA, then back to Soarin? Or TT, Soarin, then FEA? Those that are trying one of these options, please report back!

 

[Jchoma]

Thanks for the tip! We are planning to rope drop test track Wednesday morning then do frozen standby right after. This gives me hope we won’t be waiting an eternity!

 

[dlavender]

We did rope drop yesterday for this. Arrived in the parking lot at 8:30. Through the gates by 8:45. We leisurely walked to the ride at 9. Arrived at 9:08. Posted wait was 35. We waited 30. Our first time on the ride, and we enjoyed it.

 

[Klayfish]

Interesting. Thank you for the tip! We skipped FEA last trip as we couldn't get a fp and didn't want to wait in the long line. I guess I didn't realize there were no fp's until 11. Our strategy has been to do TT then Soarin, both without fp, then a fp for Soarin again later. I'm wondering how we should work FEA in? Should we do TT first, then go to FEA, then back to Soarin? Or TT, Soarin, then FEA? Those that are trying one of these options, please report back!

The way we've always hit the "big 3" in Epcot, especially in summer, is as follows...

"Rope drop" Soarin' - we don't actually show up before park close, rather around 9:15

Walk quickly to FEA and do it standby

FP+ for TT last

In summer, we can do all 3 by 10:15am pretty easy. With a super busy holiday week like Christmas or Thanksgiving, I'd think you need to be at the gate right at 9am to head very fast to Soarin'. We didn't try to hit all 3 at once this trip, just wasn't part of our plans. We did 2 each time we were in Epcot.

 

[buyerbrad]

We did rope drop yesterday for this. Arrived in the parking lot at 8:30. Through the gates by 8:45. We leisurely walked to the ride at 9. Arrived at 9:08. Posted wait was 35. We waited 30. Our first time on the ride, and we enjoyed it.

Do they heard everybody toward the promenade or are people able to cut through the smaller paths near Test Track and Agent P?

 

[dlavender]

Do they heard everybody toward the promenade or are people able to cut through the smaller paths near Test Track and Agent P?

It was a free for all once the clock struck 9. Everyone was held outside spaceship earth. Then they released the herd at 9.

 

[jodie3134]

We did FEA this morning first thing. At the park at 8:40. Rope Drop at 8:55. We headed straight to FEA and had maybe a 15 minute wait.

 

[Spanky]

Now that there are 3 screens showing Soarin that line seems to move faster.