First trip at Easter, FP question

[Darth Insidious]

Our first (and likely only) trip is 4/13-4/23. I have read some horror stories about really long waits. I'm just happy we finally get to go but want to make the most of it. I have a list of things the kids really want to do. I doubt we will ever be able to go back.

Would you get fast passes to the things they really want to do (including meeting princesses, ETWB, haunted mansion, dumbo, buzz light year) or stick with the big rides? We will be spending at least part of 4 days at MK, so 12 fast passes. FP window opens this weekend and I'm torn between what I feel may be wasting a FP on Buzz, dumbo (daughter really wants this one) or haunted mansion and booking one for most of the things they want to do, so at least when we leave, likely never to return, they won't think "but I never got to meet Rapunzel".

I'm planning my MK FPs to include 7DMT, splash mountain, space mountain, BTMRR, meet Cinderella and Elena (daughter loves Elena and Rapunzel), pirates of the Caribbean (after son's pirates league), Ariel ride, Peter Pan, ETWB, and meet Rapunzel. I could then get a second FP for BTMRR and 7DMT, but haunted mansion, tomorrowland speedway, buzz lightyear, dumbo, and meet Ariel are also on their list. Would you book second FP for the big rides like splash and space mountain and leave off some others like Rapunzel and ETWB? Would you book everything you could once and just suck it up and wait in the lines if your kids wanted to ride splash, space mountain, BTMRR, or 7DMT again? If lines are awful would you still expect it to be more than an hour to ride dumbo or meet rapunzel?

Thank you for any suggestions.

 

[melanielll]

I wouldn't get any of my first three passes for a day at Dumbo, Speedway, Buzz or the Haunted Mansion. Those are generally available to get as 4th, 5th, 6th, etc on days when you have finished your first three.

I would never wait in Mine Train standby - that is sooo claustrophobic.

 

[melanielll]

This is a more detailed description of what we do (and we go around once a year with people with very particular tastes)

Get the three fast passes for the hard to get rides. Get them for 10am till noon. Then after riding the noon one, get a 4th fast pass and break for lunch. When we are finished eating - ride 4th fast pass. Get 5th fast pass. While waiting for that one to come due - shop, ride something without a line, photopass, whatever. Then ride 5th and repeat for 6th.

Also - some of the ones you are worrying about can be easily ridden at rope drop. You can get in there and do Buzz, Speedway, Dumbo and something else in the first hour. Then hop on Mine Train with a 10 am fast pass.

The only rides that we have never been able to consistently get 4th and higher passes for are the mine train, sometimes Peter Pan and Space mountain when it is in a constantly breaking mode. The question mark is Ariel's grotto. That is a miserable standby and can be oddly hard to get at times. I would probably get a fast pass for that.

Edited to add - a fast pass for the ariel ride is not necessary. I would switch that for the grotto. It is one of the ones that we ride waiting for fast passes to come due.

 

[Darth Insidious]

Thank you so much for your suggestions. Another thread about Easter week made me nervous. Unfortunately, we may only make rope drop once. One morning we have BBB at opening and two days are kind of messed up by the Star Wars Gallactic Nights thing. We are big Star Wars fans, but it's 7-midnight, so two of our MK days (the day of that and day after) will be later due to the late night. I will see if I can move a different park so we can rope drop twice. It's hard to switch ADRs though.