FP+ Long Line - how long was your wait?

[JimmyV]

I stop-watch timed all of our waits including FP returns.

Day 1-AK (All FPs used in the afternoon)
Everest-Got in line across the bridge that goes to the Nemo theater. Our line pretty much bumped up against the Nemo line. A CM was holiding up a sign that said "FP+ Return Here" because people were having a hard time finding where to get in line. No one could believe that this long line was actually the FP line. Total wait was 23 minutes.

Kali-The line did not extend beyond the Mickey scanners. Total wait was 7 minutes.

Safari-Line was way outside the first Mickey Scanner and wound around several times through make-shift ropes. Total time was 19 minutes.

Day 2-DHS (All FPs used in the afternoon)
Tower of Terror-Pretty much a walk on.

Rock-N-Roller Coaster-No line outside the first Mickey, but a pretty dense one once we got past that point. Total time was 17 minutes.

Star Tours-Pretty much a walk on.

Day 3-Epcot (All FPs used in the afternoon)
Soarin'-No backup past the first Mickey. Total wait was 16 minutes.

Spaceship Earth-Wait was well beyond the first Mickey, parallel to the SB line outside the building. Total wait was 19 minutes.

Living With the Land-Our throwaway FP. Walk on.

Day 4-MK (All FPs used in the afternoon)

Space Mountain-Line backed up way outside the building. We entered the line with our backs pressed up agains the elevator for Astro Orbiter. Again, there was a CM with a sign guiding people to the entry of the line since no one believed that this could really be the FP line. Total wait was 23 minutes.

Buzz-Line backed up out of the building but moved fairly quickly. Total wait was 14 minutes.

BTMRR-Line was insane. Way outside the normal queue and wrapped around the ride exit over on the side of Tom Sawyer's Island. Total time was 23 minutes.

Day 5-Epcot-(Only used on FP because we had to be out of the park by noon. Used it at 10:30 a.m.)

Test Track-6 minutes.

Hope this helps.

 

[Andrea817]

We were there for a long weekend a couple weeks back and never waited more than 10 mins. Don't let the "long line" fool you, it moved constantly and once you get past the initial scanning point it's basically a continuous walk to the loading area. We had zero complaints or issues! Enjoy

 

[redrosesix]

I am looking for ACTUAL return wait times for these long FP+ lines in an effort to streamline planning (I do not want FP+ too close together if you are still waiting long times).

~Please no debating the Pros and Cons of FP+. It is what it is and I would just like to plan the best strategy within thee new rules/features~

Awesome thread

It's going to depend a lot on when you're going and what crowd levels will be, but for our trip in February we learned to budget half an hour for each FP ride, and of course much longer for shows. Our longest FP return line was 25 minutes total (BTMRR, twice) but the ride was less than 5 minutes. We found that it was really random with other attractions -- sometimes we'd be the only ones in line, and others it seemed like everybody had decided to book their FP for that hour. So the half hour rule worked for us, and sometimes we had extra time afterwards.

JimmyV's times are similar to what we experienced, but I have to add -- it's the queue before the return line that really slows you down. It moves much faster after that.

 

[White_Sox_Fan]

We were just there last week and I detailed it all here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3255085

The second post explains it but the short answer is with the exception of Kilimanjaro Safaris pretty much all out FP+ experiences were no different that with FP-. We were in the Buzz Lightyear SB line, however, when the FP line extended out of the building.

 

[mom2faith]

Just keep in mind that A & E are beyond anything Disney has experienced with wait times regarding characters. People have waited (continually and in the rain and in the heat and in the cold) 5 hours and even up to 7 hours to see these characters for a brief meet and greet. I don't think they've figured out yet how to get people through to see the girls without a massive wait (though FP+ is a step in the right direction.)

Just be prepared that you may have to wait 45 minutes in a FP+ line. Like I stated above, many people waited that long on Valentine's Day to see Flynn Rider and his popularity is not quite as frenzied as A & E. (See Kenny the Pirate's write up on Valentine's Day).

I have a FP for 9:15am on 4/20 and the following Saturday as well and will report with times and pictures of what the PFTH situation on those days. But I really don't believe anyone with a FP+ for Anna and Elsa will get into the room in 10 minutes or less...

I totally agree with everything you are saying! I planned my A & E with an hour before my next FP+ so essentially that gives me 3 hours if I enter the line right at 12:10 (12:10 to 1:10 is FP time and 2:15 to 3:15 was the next FP time, giving me from 12:10 to 3:15 to see the girls.) I know that is a lot of time, but I would rather that than miss the FP+ time. There are always things to do while waiting.

I stop-watch timed all of our waits including FP returns.

Day 1-AK (All FPs used in the afternoon)
Everest-Got in line across the bridge that goes to the Nemo theater. Our line pretty much bumped up against the Nemo line. A CM was holiding up a sign that said "FP+ Return Here" because people were having a hard time finding where to get in line. No one could believe that this long line was actually the FP line. Total wait was 23 minutes.

Kali-The line did not extend beyond the Mickey scanners. Total wait was 7 minutes.

Safari-Line was way outside the first Mickey Scanner and wound around several times through make-shift ropes. Total time was 19 minutes.

Day 2-DHS (All FPs used in the afternoon)
Tower of Terror-Pretty much a walk on.

Rock-N-Roller Coaster-No line outside the first Mickey, but a pretty dense one once we got past that point. Total time was 17 minutes.

Star Tours-Pretty much a walk on.

Day 3-Epcot (All FPs used in the afternoon)
Soarin'-No backup past the first Mickey. Total wait was 16 minutes.

Spaceship Earth-Wait was well beyond the first Mickey, parallel to the SB line outside the building. Total wait was 19 minutes.

Living With the Land-Our throwaway FP. Walk on.

Day 4-MK (All FPs used in the afternoon)

Space Mountain-Line backed up way outside the building. We entered the line with our backs pressed up agains the elevator for Astro Orbiter. Again, there was a CM with a sign guiding people to the entry of the line since no one believed that this could really be the FP line. Total wait was 23 minutes.

Buzz-Line backed up out of the building but moved fairly quickly. Total wait was 14 minutes.

BTMRR-Line was insane. Way outside the normal queue and wrapped around the ride exit over on the side of Tom Sawyer's Island. Total time was 23 minutes.

Day 5-Epcot-(Only used on FP because we had to be out of the park by noon. Used it at 10:30 a.m.)

Test Track-6 minutes.

Hope this helps.

THANK YOU!!!

Awesome thread

It's going to depend a lot on when you're going and what crowd levels will be, but for our trip in February we learned to budget half an hour for each FP ride, and of course much longer for shows. Our longest FP return line was 25 minutes total (BTMRR, twice) but the ride was less than 5 minutes. We found that it was really random with other attractions -- sometimes we'd be the only ones in line, and others it seemed like everybody had decided to book their FP for that hour. So the half hour rule worked for us, and sometimes we had extra time afterwards.

JimmyV's times are similar to what we experienced, but I have to add -- it's the queue before the return line that really slows you down. It moves much faster after that.

Thank you. We are going May 18 to 26, so right before/during Memorial Day. We are Canadian and the 19th is our holiday so I predict a few Canadians will be taking advantage of the 4 day week as well as Americans preparing for Memorial Day. I know it will be busier than what we are used to (Sept/Oct) but it is a "bonus" trip as plans for a completely different vacation fell through and we already had the savings and the time off work - where else would we go


I appreciate all the answers. I am glad it moves quick!

 

[MVC1225]

We were there February 21-27. Outside the first scanner the only line we had to make was Safari and it was about 5 minutes although as others have said it was a back and forth roped line. It moved very fast. Once past the first scanner, the longest wait was Soarin which was about 10 minutes more or less.

We used FP on (different days of course):

Soarin
Test Track
Mission Space (green and orange)
Spaceship Earth
Safari
Everest
Dinosaur
Toy Story
Tower of Terror
Nothing in MK - we had to leave due to illness


In DHS we also used on Little Mermaid and in Epcot we used on Turtle Talk. I am not counting the wait in these two rides since they are shows so you have to wait until previous show finishes. The FP+ group are let in to the holding area first.

On an earlier trip, we had to wait about 10 minutes before the first scan on Toy Story but once past the first scan and about an additional 10 minutes until second scanner.

We have noticed that a lot of issues on the first scanner is that either people don't do the Mickey head to Mickey head correctly or just try to access the line when they do not have a FP+. We have seen people on Peter Pan try to use FP when they never scheduled one for Peter Pan at all. We have also seen a group at Soarin come back an hour earlier than their FP+ time. In both instances, the FP+ line came to a complete stop.

 

[wuzzy6]

We were at WDW 3/14-17, and the longest wait we had in any FP+ line was less than 10 minutes. No exaggeration. We did see a lot of what appeared to be "long lines" outside of the FP+ entrance, but it was actually crowds that had gathered waiting for their FP+ window to open. It was my experience that these "long lines" moved extremely quickly.

Additionally, I would like to add that it was my experience that the CMs were NOT allowing people into the FP+ queues earlier than their scheduled FP+ window - not even by a few minutes.

 

[kaybird]

Our experiences were similar. Even the lines that looked crazy long all took less than 10 minutes, then the walk through the line. When I first saw the line for KS, I figured it would be 30-45 minutes. We scanned thru in less than 10, then walked straight through to the trucks.

Star Tours always looks long, especially if the queue is forming during Jedi Training. Again, less than 10 minutes, and it went back nearly to the former "sounds dangerous" theater.

This was the norm during our trip. I will also say that part of the queing up time seems to be people's learning curve on the scanners, or standing about waiting for the time to arrive. This is not so different from when FP- started, and people shuffled trying to dig them out.

We did not do any character meet and greets, I would guess them to be longer because of the nature of the visits.

 

[ariel326]

we waited for about 15 minutes for Soarin, but considering the standby line was over 90 minutes at the time, we didn't mind waiting 15 minutes

 

[JennyMP03]

Just keep in mind that A & E are beyond anything Disney has experienced with wait times regarding characters. People have waited (continually and in the rain and in the heat and in the cold) 5 hours and even up to 7 hours to see these characters for a brief meet and greet. I don't think they've figured out yet how to get people through to see the girls without a massive wait (though FP+ is a step in the right direction.)

Just be prepared that you may have to wait 45 minutes in a FP+ line. Like I stated above, many people waited that long on Valentine's Day to see Flynn Rider and his popularity is not quite as frenzied as A & E. (See Kenny the Pirate's write up on Valentine's Day).

I have a FP for 9:15am on 4/20 and the following Saturday as well and will report with times and pictures of what the PFTH situation on those days. But I really don't believe anyone with a FP+ for Anna and Elsa will get into the room in 10 minutes or less...

Wow! I love Frozen too, but there's no way I could wait so long for one attraction, no matter how spectacular it is. Seven hours is nearly a full workday for me. I would never have guessed the lines were this long to meet Anna and Elsa, even having seen several threads about them posted on the forums (but not having clicked to read them).

I genuinely admire the dedication, though! Even if I went in with good intentions, my patience would be lost after the first full hour and I'd jump ship.

 

[SciTeach713]

Here this week with heavy crowds. Many of the FP+ lines LOOKED really backed up (EE, Kilimanjaro, and Peter Pan were especially bad), but they moved quickly. Longest wait was Kilimanjaro - probably around 20 min.

 

[Bullseye]

We were there for a long weekend a couple weeks back and never waited more than 10 mins. Don't let the "long line" fool you, it moved constantly and once you get past the initial scanning point it's basically a continuous walk to the loading area. We had zero complaints or issues! Enjoy

Here this week with heavy crowds. Many of the FP+ lines LOOKED really backed up (EE, Kilimanjaro, and Peter Pan were especially bad), but they moved quickly. Longest wait was Kilimanjaro - probably around 20 min.

Thanks, this is what I was hoping to hear after seeing pic's of the FP+ lines.