First 4-park trip - FP opinions wanted

[tlmadden73]

This is your typical .. what would you do type of post.

I'm familiar with FP+ . .I've used it for 3 years now for smaller (2-day trips). 2 day trips are easier to plan for .. less options.

This is my first big trip (6 nights, four park days) and just looking at what FPs you would target.

Traveling with: myself, wife, 2yo, 6yo and two of the grandparents.

Here is my schedule:

Saturday - Disney Springs
Sunday - Epcot
Monday - AK (EMH day - also Veteran's Day holiday)
Tuesday - MK (a party day - hoping lower crowds due to that)
Wednesday - day off (Hoop de Doo in the evening)
Thursday - DHS
Friday - departure day -- but may go to a park in the morning . .just because.

Some specific questions:
Epcot - is FEA still long wait times? Is that the preferred Tier 1 FP to grab (especially since we've never done it and my daughter is at that Frozen obsessed age). If so, which Tier 1 attraction to Rope Drop? Test Track because it is closer to FEA or Soarin'? Either one we'll have to rider swap the 2yo I guess or have grandparents sit out.

AK - I wanted to schedule AK later in my trip to help secure a FOP fast pass better, but that just won't seem to work out. What should my strategy be on an EMH day there? Just try and EMH FOP or hope to get a FOP FP and just EMH the other attractions? What attractions are even open during EMH?

MK - usually we FP SDMT for sure . but we've done it on every previous trip .. not sure if I should go for something we haven't done yet . .like BTMRR or Splash Mountain. I don't want to FP all coasters though, since we have a 2yo withus .. I think we should FP several "kid friendly" attractions . opinions there?

DHS - I planned DHS last day of the trip to maximize SDD availability. We are excited to see the new Toy Story land . .as the kids are the perfect age for that. The plan is to FP SDD as probably the most sought after FP there and just wait for the other Toy Story rides. With limited other attractions the family can do together we probably will FP Star Tours and waste another FP on a show (because I would be the only one to go on ToT or RnRc). What other ride/show should I FP?
How is "4th" fast availability for TSMM or Alien Swirling Saucers?

Thoughts .. opinions?

 

[YesterDark]

For reference, last year at Disney my kids were 2 and 4.

I haven't been to AK since before Pandora, but I'm not sure the EMH is a big deal at AK. Someone will have to comment on how the lines are at FoP during EMH. One thing to consider if it's extra hours at night your kids may not make it into that time anyway to take advantage of it. My kids are usually passed out by 8 after a day at the parks.

MK I used FP on the princess meet and greets since my daughter was 4 and was a typical princess fanatic. Also good candidates are Jungle Cruise and Pirates.

DHS I did fast passes for the Frozen show and a few others. I didn't really need FPs for the park. Star Tours is a good candidate though, but I used a 4th on that one.

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

This was my strategy last week- YMMV based on FP availability, crowd level, weather, and if Mercury is in retrograde or not (I kid . . . or do I?)

Epcot- of the Tier 1 attractions, Test Track has had the longest wait times. Frozen next, and Soarin' last (adding a theater has cut down on waits. Early in the morning I think the longest wait was 20 minutes). If your daughter is obsessed with Frozen, I'd FP that and then RD Test Track, and ride Soarin' standby. For Tier 2, I recommend Figment, the Seas with Nemo, or Spaceship Earth, or Land. Any of those can have a decent wait depending on crowd level/ time of day. For whichever 2 you do not get, you may be able to get as a 4th or 5th FP once you've used your others.

AK- I would really try to FP FoP and RD other attractions. Assuming that is possible, I'd choose Killimanjaro Safari and Everest as Tier 2. All other Tier 2 are shows or other attractions you really won't see long lines for depending on the time of day.

If you can not FP FoP then RD it but it is a stampede over to Pandora (we were there last week and mercifully we were headed in the other direction). If you can't get FP then RD is your best shot (BUT, you'd then want to be at the park roughly 1 hour before the park opens for EMH and that's an early day). Be prepared for a "traffic jam" getting into Pandora. Otherwise you could try to build a large chunk of wait time into the day (at least the line for that is well themed and air conditioned).

MK- definitely try to FP 7DMT. If you have your heart set on the coasters, FP them as well and ride the kid-friendly rides standby OR schedule your coaster FP early and get the kid-friendly attractions as additiona FP as you go. If you don't want to FP all coasters, Pirates of the Carribean, Jungle Cruise, Winnie the Pooh and Haunted Mansion (if your 2 yo will go- my 2yo LOVED it) are good choices. Any of them can have 20 minute waits but sometimes a 20 minute wait with a 2 yo is misery so either do those early and use your FP for the coasters later in the day OR FP the kid friendly rides for later in the day and ride the coasters early.

DHS- this one's tough. Toy Story land has one bench and no shade at all. I'd try to be there early in the morning or later in the evening and avoid the mid-day heat/ sun. That said, try to get Slinky Dog as FP. If you can't, then TSMM is my second choice for Tier 1 (had a 45 minute wait last week all week, all day but at least it's cute and air-conditioned). Alien Saucers hasn't had as much of a wait as the other 2. Depending on how early you use your first 3 FP, you may get one as a 4th FP but I would not count on that. Slinky Dog or bust would be my choice here and I'd take my chances with the other two.
For Tier 2 there's really only Star Tours, Rock N Rollercoaster, and Tower of Terror. RnR and ToT tend to have longer waits than ST and ST will be easier to get as an additional FP. The rest of what's available are shows and IMO there's no real benefit to using a FP for a show.

 

[graymendes]

For Epcot, I'd recommend rope-dropping FEA and FPing Soarin' for two reasons:

1) If you enter at the International Gateway entrance, you'll likely get in a little early (8:52-8:54 on average) and the walk over there will have you in line before 9:00 assuming you carry your kid.
2) Since you're swapping the kid anyway, you can do single-rider for TT and your wait time will probably be 15 minutes max.

 

[JessicaW1234]

Looking at your schedule, you have AK for day 3 of your trip which is also a holiday. If getting a FP for FOP is a priority, consider switching your Monday & Wednesday plans. Other threads discuss the likelihood of a FP for FOP and many say day 4 or later in your trip. I would not recommend trying to RD it, was there last week & the line is unbelievably long within minutes of opening.
If you are able to rope drop HS, toy story land is doable first thing in the morning, eliminating need for 4th FP for alien or TSM.
In Epcot, Frozen is another consideration for FP if you have fans of that. MK with your kids ages you could also think about PP as that line builds if you don’t RD it.

 

[tlmadden73]

Looking at your schedule, you have AK for day 3 of your trip which is also a holiday. If getting a FP for FOP is a priority, consider switching your Monday & Wednesday plans. Other threads discuss the likelihood of a FP for FOP and many say day 4 or later in your trip. I would not recommend trying to RD it, was there last week & the line is unbelievably long within minutes of opening.
If you are able to rope drop HS, toy story land is doable first thing in the morning, eliminating need for 4th FP for alien or TSM.
In Epcot, Frozen is another consideration for FP if you have fans of that. MK with your kids ages you could also think about PP as that line builds if you don’t RD it.

If I can get a Hoop de Doo reservation for Monday, i may consider that. My cousins family happens to be there Sat-Mon, so maybe we could use the Monday "day off" to meet with them more. They haven't really decided what they are doing that day. But having a day off later in the trip feels like it would be more helpful with the kids than just after 1 park day.

FoP isn't "critical" .. but really is the only thing worth doing for us there as it is the only thing that is new. We'll have fun with the rest of the park, but the wife and I definitely want to try this heavily hyped ride. Just not sure it is worth switching my days around at this point - hoping that 60+2 is enough of a buffer.

I guess I could always just try and grab a FoP for Wednesday AND Monday .. and see what works better.

I have been told (on another thread) .. that my cousin's family could get us Fast Passes for AK (as we are in their friends list) on that Monday a few days earlier (even if they are going elsewhere) .. but they would have to do that for us .. and that is just awkward to ask (and try explain how to do it).