FP+ matrix - many more things to consider

[helenb]

Therefore, it seems to me a good way to work Epcot (slower season) would be.
1) Get your FP+ for two worthless rides 9 AM and 10 AM, and Soarin' for 11 AM.
2) Ride Test Track and M:S at rope drop.
3) Ride Soarin' as close to 11 AM as possible.
4) Now use your additional FP+ to book Maelstrom or repeat one of the above later in the day.

You could use this method even if you don't show up at the park until 11 AM, "waste" those first few before you get to the park, use the Soarin' pass, and then get one for Test Track .

I really like this strategy, but is it even possible? I thought that if you missed a FP+ it would stay in the system and be there, waiting for you to rebook. If so, is it still subject to the tiering and park restrictions they had originally?

If not, this could change park hopping as well. Do as suggested, then after the 11 am FP, transfer to DHS and FP TSMM? That might now be a possibility?

 

[jade1]

"easy to learn, difficult to master"

The easy to learn part will be a huge improvement for the average guest-time of arrival alone will make this easier on a lot of folks and not a lot of expertise needed.

The mastering part is a nice benefit to those that are/have been/will be loyally visiting WDW year after year IMO.

 

[bcrook]

I agree with this, and I think that if you broke down what you had to do to really master paper FP to maximize its usage, the steps would be very similar. Sure, it was easy to walk up to a machine, put in a ticket, and get a paper FP. But, if you wanted to maximize the value of those FPs by getting ones with quick return times so you could get another one in less than 2 hours, or get them for rides for which the FP had the greatest value, or get them for times that you could actually use, you had to know a lot about how the park was laid out and how lines build up.

On the last statement, I disagree that it's a matter of "pick their 3 and be happy with their day" if what you mean by that is that they don't care if they do anything else other than use their 3 FPs. I think it's more a matter of picking 3 things that are at the top of their priority list and relaxing with the knowledge that they will be able to do those things with short waits, and then they go from there. I know that's how we look at it.

I could use the mine train as a perfect example of this. With paper FP, the only way you would be able to get a ride on the mine train without a wait of well over an hour would be to get to the park at opening and hustle right to the attraction hoping to (1) ride standby immediately, or (2) get in a line to get a FP and be happy with whatever time you got, even if it clashed with the lunch or dinner reservation that you made 6 moths earlier. Or you could hang around the park until it is getting ready to close and hope that the line will drop enough by then.

With FP+, once you select your time, you can relax in the days and weeks leading up to your trip knowing that you will be able to enjoy the ride (and at least 2 other favorites) without participating in the early morning dash. If they give out 10,000 FPs a day, that's 10,000 guests who have the opportunity for that advantage.

I wasn't really interested in debating which system is better or justifying FP+, but rather things to consider when using the current system. There is quite a bit to think about.

 

[bcrook]

A couple of things it might be beneficial to add:

After you schedule 60 days in advance, how often do you want/need to continue to check MDE for better times and/or rides?

If better rides and/or times do show up, is it worth it to change your plans, your times in-Park, or even the Park you had scheduled for the day?

If you have a party of mixed ages or ride priorities, do you schedule Tier Ones or hard to get FP's on all bands to share in order to double up for some in the party. Vice versa, for M&G's for the little ones in the party?

For getting more than 3 FP's, do you schedule throw-away rides to expire early while you ride stand-by at RD (as long as this still continues to work)?

​

Ah yes. Those will slide in nicely into the list above.

 

[bcrook]

To the OP things to think about. Another thing to consider, If you're planning on hopping and pulling FP+ from multiple parks is there an advantage of one direction over another.

Right now, I'm contemplating a 1 day 3 or 4 park adventure. If I do all 4 parks right now I think the plan would be:

RD AK No FP+
Hop to DHS for prebooked TSMM, ToT, and probably GMR.
Hop to EPCOT and try to book probably Maelstrom and/or Spaceship earth
Finally Hop to MK, FP+ non headliners until after the fireworks ride the headliners SB after fireworks (hopefully during evening EMH).

In this case for example, swapping DHS and EPCOT would give me Soarin, but I'd may lose both TSMM and TOT.

I typically visit three parks a day. So this is a great question and thing to consider.

 

[johde]

On the last statement, I disagree that it's a matter of "pick their 3 and be happy with their day" if what you mean by that is that they don't care if they do anything else other than use their 3 FPs. I think it's more a matter of picking 3 things that are at the top of their priority list and relaxing with the knowledge that they will be able to do those things with short waits, and then they go from there. I know that's how we look at it.

And your statement is for the most park what I meant "pick their 3 and be happy to move on with the rest of their day". In the case of the naive first time, it may become a rough outline for their day. I've got a 10:00 FP+ for Buzz light year so we'll start our day in Tomorrowland riding rides there until my FP+ comes up. I booked a 2:00 for ETWB so we'll move on to Fantasyland ride some rides, eat lunch and then hit ETWB. Finally, I booked a 7:00 for BTMRR so we'll finish the day in Frontierland and Adventureland.

Brock, another thing for the budding "super user" to consider. If in the course of using your original 3 prebooked FP+'s you come one of your FP+ attractions is a walkon, do you rebook that FP+ for use that one so you can get to your 4th FP+ quicker? The thing's to consider, is it a tiered park or not? If it's a tiered park, Tier 1 or Tier 2? If it's tier 2, is it a normally valuable tier 2 like ToT or a "throwaway" tier 2 like "Captain EO"? If it's a non-Tiered park, will you get a better selection by booking now vs. waiting to make a 4th FP+. If I move the FP+ is has to be after the 3rd FP+ window closes, but I can book a 4th FP+ for any time after I use my 3rd FP+.

 

[bcrook]

This is all very interesting. We won't be going until October though, and I wonder if further changes will occur.

It's a good point that the tiered parks should be treated differently from the non-tiered parks. I especially find Epcot an interesting selection, because any time we go (admittedly at slow times) the Tier 2 selections would never ever have a line.

Therefore, it seems to me a good way to work Epcot (slower season) would be.
1) Get your FP+ for two worthless rides 9 AM and 10 AM, and Soarin' for 11 AM.
2) Ride Test Track and M:S at rope drop.
3) Ride Soarin' as close to 11 AM as possible.
4) Now use your additional FP+ to book Maelstrom or repeat one of the above later in the day.

You could use this method even if you don't show up at the park until 11 AM, "waste" those first few before you get to the park, use the Soarin' pass, and then get one for Test Track later.

Here's my opinion: What we are talking about here is working the system to your best advantage. 90 % of parkgoers aren't going to sweat it, they'll book their three FP+ and use them and be happy if they can get a fourth. The average user probably rarely used more than 4 a day anyways.

It's those of us that want to take best advantage of the system, and the new system DEFINITELY makes it more complicated. It used to be "Get your as many FPs as you can, whenever you can." It was that simple. Now, if you want to take advantage, you really have to think about it.

This is pretty much what I was thinking. I like the Epcot plan.

I really like this strategy, but is it even possible? I thought that if you missed a FP+ it would stay in the system and be there, waiting for you to rebook. If so, is it still subject to the tiering and park restrictions they had originally?

If not, this could change park hopping as well. Do as suggested, then after the 11 am FP, transfer to DHS and FP TSMM? That might now be a possibility?

I don't know if it is possible, but someone will tell us soon.
I agree on the hopping. I doubt it will work on toy story during peak, but most other rides maybe.

We just don't know how far in advance the general public will start booking FP online yet. The mine train could nudge people into more online advanced bookings.

 

[jade1]

How about on EPCOT day

FP+ for 9AM Captain EO, 10AM SE, 11AM Soarin.

Char brunch at Cape May at 9AM

Arrive at EPCOT at 10:45AM

Skipping the first 2, grabbing a TT FP+ right after Soarin?

 

[wisblue]

I wasn't really interested in debating which system is better or justifying FP+, but rather things to consider when using the current system. There is quite a bit to think about.

Yes, that's fine and I will not do that any more on this thread. I was just responding to another poster who said that paper FP was less complicated.

 

[bcrook]

How about on EPCOT day

FP+ for 9AM Captain EO, 10AM SE, 11AM Soarin.

Char brunch at Cape May at 9AM

Arrive at EPCOT at 10:45AM

Skipping the first 2, grabbing a TT FP+ right after Soarin?

Sounds great to me. Then follow that up with

After test track, I might even grab a tier 1 preferred seating at illuminations if available. Three tier 1s in one day.

 

[jade1]

Sounds great to me. Then follow that up with

It'd be 12 o'clock somewhere.

 

[clsteve]

How about on EPCOT day

FP+ for 9AM Captain EO, 10AM SE, 11AM Soarin.

Char brunch at Cape May at 9AM

Arrive at EPCOT at 10:45AM

Skipping the first 2, grabbing a TT FP+ right after Soarin?

Exactly.

We'd do similar but from an RD perspective. We like staying in the EPCOT/DHS Hotels, hitting RD, Ride what we can, Leave by 1pm for pool time/kick back time, and return to the Park late afternoon or early evening.

If we could let our 9am/10am Figment and Captain EO FP's expire while we rode TT/Soarin' RD standby, Mission Space/etc., then TT/Soarin with the last already reserved FP to close out our 3, then grab either a TT or Soarin' FP ressie right before we left to use later in the evening (let's say 7pm or so) when we came back to the Park- that would work for us.

We could rinse and repeat the same strategy at DHS.

 

[jade1]

Exactly.

We'd do similar but from an RD perspective. We like staying in the EPCOT/DHS Hotels, hitting RD, Ride what we can, Leave by 1pm for pool time/kick back time, and return to the Park late afternoon or early evening.

If we could let our 9am/10am Figment and Captain EO FP's expire while we rode TT/Soarin' RD standby, Mission Space/etc., then TT/Soarin with the last already reserved FP to close out our 3, then grab either a TT or Soarin' FP ressie right before we left to use later in the evening (let's say 7pm or so) when we came back to the Park- that would work for us.

We could rinse and repeat the same strategy at DHS.

Yep or knock out TT/Soarin and continue FP+ over at DHS.

 

[4Parksoneworld]

We have been debating strategy for a while. Have 2 young kids and try to leave parks by 1 each day; after getting there for RD.

Does it make sense to get FP+ for 10-12; and then grab a 4th on way out for evening return time?

Or

Do RD commando style and save FPs for evening when we return.

We typically hit the headliners in the AM and save the rest for the evening (eg buzz, pirates, mansion, etc).

 

[ArwenMarie]

What about canceling two (lets say in Epcot or DHS) so you can jump right to pulling your 4th and on for more tier 1s? I read somewhere that this worked for someone, but I can't figure out when you would cancel them.

Does that work? Wicked. That actually would be the most interesting thing I have read in a long time.

Ok figured it out. Apparently you can book 3, then cancel 1 or 2 at home in advance (important part is that you need to do this part on a web browser not the app) so you are only going in with the one(s) you actually want to ride. Use what you prebooked, then go to a kiosk and start the hunt for the 4th FP and beyond. Obviously best for the tiered parks or if you are really into repeats at MK/AK. Lets you start the 4th FP chase earlier, with possible repeats and more Tier Ones. I haven't done this myself, so try at your own risk

 

[TNDisneyNut]

Following. Love this! Thank you!

 

[decoy7375]

Well duh! I am reading all of this and had not thought of repeats...thank you for mentioning that. My ds is more of a repeat rider and while there in March I gave him my band to repeat his favorites. This rolling fourth could allow him to just keep pulling Buzz and he would be a happy camper...

 

[wisblue]

Ok figured it out. Apparently you can book 3, then cancel 1 or 2 at home in advance (important part is that you need to do this part on a web browser not the app) so you are only going in with the one(s) you actually want to ride. Use what you prebooked, then go to a kiosk and start the hunt for the 4th FP and beyond. Obviously best for the tiered parks or if you are really into repeats at MK/AK. Lets you start the 4th FP chase earlier, with possible repeats and more Tier Ones. I haven't done this myself, so try at your own risk

I know that you can make your original 3 and then cancel 2 to leave you with just one. So, say, for example, that you made one for Soarin for 9-10 AM and cancelled the other 2. Then you ride Soarin immediately at 9 and go to a kiosk.

The open question is whether the system would be offering you a 4th or make you pick your second and third first. Anyone know?

Even if this did work, I would probably still go right to TT and ride instead of going right to Soarin and burning that FP. Who knows what your options for a FP for TT would be (and how long the kiosk lines might be) even as early as 9:30. Because of the time it takes to get through the whole boarding process at Soarin, and because it often takes a few minutes for them to let the first riders in, it's hard to get in and out of there in less than 20 minutes.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I know that you can make your original 3 and then cancel 2 to leave you with just one. So, say, for example, that you made one for Soarin for 9-10 AM and cancelled the other 2. Then you ride Soarin immediately at 9 and go to a kiosk.

The open question is whether the system would be offering you a 4th or make you pick your second and third first. Anyone know?

Even if this did work, I would probably still go right to TT and ride instead of going right to Soarin and burning that FP. Who knows what your options for a FP for TT would be (and how long the kiosk lines might be) even as early as 9:30. Because of the time it takes to get through the whole boarding process at Soarin, and because it often takes a few minutes for them to let the first riders in, it's hard to get in and out of there in less than 20 minutes.

From what I read, the person was able to get another Tier 1 after using only Tier 1 prebooked FP and canceling the other 2 Tier 2s at home prior to coming. And then was able to keep going to the kiosk and getting new ones. So, at least from that account, it was indeed the 4th rolling FP.

Now, I didn't do this myself, so I can't say for sure if it's 100% true.

As far as when/where someone would want to do this, that depends on the person.

 

[WillAustin]

From what I read, the person was able to get another Tier 1 after using only Tier 1 prebooked FP and canceling the other 2 Tier 2s at home prior to coming. And then was able to keep going to the kiosk and getting new ones. So, at least from that account, it was indeed the 4th rolling FP.

Now, I didn't do this myself, so I can't say for sure if it's 100% true.

As far as when/where someone would want to do this, that depends on the person.

I'll definitely be willing to try this at Epcot in early June. Hopefully someone else will have reported back before then though.