FP+ matrix - many more things to consider

[clsteve]

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).

For the Tiered Parks, that is what we would try- especially in the shoulder seasons we like: Oct-early Dec, Jan-Spring Break (not holiday weekends) when there's still a chance late Tier Ones are available as we leave for our break. We'd RD it, get as much done as possible, perhaps letting throwaway FP's expire while we rode the big ones Standby, then try and grab a good one for the evening. If others were available after that evening one for FP's 5 and/or 6, we'd grab those.

We'll have to see how it continues to play out as more and more people reserve in advance, but I would hope to be able to grab a Tier One ride for late afternoon early evening as we leave for our later return. Going back to DHS after dinner with a late TSMM or RnRC- or EPCOT with a TT or Soarin' is something we could handle. But, that might be tough to impossibleduring busier times or tough overall if more and more guests continue to reserve in advance...

 

[bcrook]

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...

Tower of terror for us. But I like buzz too. I really like it if I can skip the line.

 

[Rebekkap]

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.

If you're showing up at rope drop though, I'd do this slightly differently (I've been here at WDW for six days now so I'm getting a fairly good feel for how it works in slower season anyway).

1. Schedule your soarin FP for 9am-10am, and your two worthless ones for as soon after as possible
2. Ride test track at rope drop
3. Ride soarin straight away, and as soon as you're through the second check point try to move your worthless fastpasses up to sooner times.
4. As soon as you get off soarin ride the first worthless ride, and again move the third up to as soon a time as possible (in my experience, you can get the worthless rides for fairly immediate times, no more than 20 minutes wait, and that means 15 as you can show up five minutes before your scheduled start time.
5. Ride the third FP ride then hot foot it to a kiosk to shedule your four FP either a repeat for soarin or test track or a FP for maelstrom (although to be honest I think maelstrom is highly hokey and I don't bother with it).

Rinse and repeat. Or spend the afternoon walking around world showcase and use your fifth FP for illuminations.

 

[crazymomof4]

Even if you want to get more FPs later in the day, it does not make sense to schedule your first 3 as early in the day as possible, at least at MK or AK when all options are open to you on the front end.

Your first three FPs are more valuable that any other FPs you can get later. Burning them when you do not need them, such as early morning when crowds are lighter, is giving away two dollars to buy one.

With HS and Epcot, burning them early makes sense because (a) the gates to certain FPs are locked on the front end and you want those gates opened ASAP and (b) the second-tier FP selections aren't as desirable at these parks anyway.

What are "gates at the front end" that are "locked"?
As someone who has not been to WDW since FP+ and whose trip is currently too far off to actually navigate the online process of attaining FP+'s I'm finding an increasing amount of new terminology being used in posts by persons who obviously have a FP+ trip or two under their belt.
Please, to everyone who has experience with using FP+ remember that the MOST desperate (and least knowledgeable) readers trying to learn the in's and outs of this new system are those of us who have not yet had the opportunity to experience it, but DO have a trip planned in the near future. If you can, please "dummy down" your language so we can understand and gain the most benefit from your informative posts!

 

[practicallyperfect77]

If you're showing up at rope drop though, I'd do this slightly differently (I've been here at WDW for six days now so I'm getting a fairly good feel for how it works in slower season anyway).

1. Schedule your soarin FP for 9am-10am, and your two worthless ones for as soon after as possible
2. Ride test track at rope drop
3. Ride soarin straight away, and as soon as you're through the second check point try to move your worthless fastpasses up to sooner times.
4. As soon as you get off soarin ride the first worthless ride, and again move the third up to as soon a time as possible (in my experience, you can get the worthless rides for fairly immediate times, no more than 20 minutes wait, and that means 15 as you can show up five minutes before your scheduled start time.
5. Ride the third FP ride then hot foot it to a kiosk to shedule your four FP either a repeat for soarin or test track or a FP for maelstrom (although to be honest I think maelstrom is highly hokey and I don't bother with it).

Rinse and repeat. Or spend the afternoon walking around world showcase and use your fifth FP for illuminations.

That will be my.plan too. I think I should easily be able to get my 4th FP before 11.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

What are "gates at the front end" that are "locked"?
As someone who has not been to WDW since FP+ and whose trip is currently too far off to actually navigate the online process of attaining FP+'s I'm finding an increasing amount of new terminology being used in posts by persons who obviously have a FP+ trip or two under their belt.
Please, to everyone who has experience with using FP+ remember that the MOST desperate (and least knowledgeable) readers trying to learn the in's and outs of this new system are those of us who have not yet had the opportunity to experience it, but DO have a trip planned in the near future. If you can, please "dummy down" your language so we can understand and gain the most benefit from your informative posts!

I believe the poster you quoted was referring to the fact in HS and Epcot there are tiers so you aren't able to prebook Soarin' and TT. So it makes sense in the tiered parks to book your FP+ early so you can then pick another Tier 1 ride as your 4th FP. I can see the logic of the earlier the better with tiered parks.

I'm still holding out for changes that will allow you to book in 2 different parks and having a rolling 3rd instead of using all 3 before you get the 4th. A girl can dream right?

 

[Daddy Mack]

What are "gates at the front end" that are "locked"?
As someone who has not been to WDW since FP+ and whose trip is currently too far off to actually navigate the online process of attaining FP+'s I'm finding an increasing amount of new terminology being used in posts by persons who obviously have a FP+ trip or two under their belt.
Please, to everyone who has experience with using FP+ remember that the MOST desperate (and least knowledgeable) readers trying to learn the in's and outs of this new system are those of us who have not yet had the opportunity to experience it, but DO have a trip planned in the near future. If you can, please "dummy down" your language so we can understand and gain the most benefit from your informative posts!

I was using gates figuratively, not literally. All I mean is that because of the tiers, you are locked out of using the FPs on the rides you want to use them on the most as HS and Epcot. At Epcot, most people would choose Soarin and Test Track, but we cannot do that on the front end. Thus, it makes sense to burn through FPs early at Epcot in order to open up the gate to using the 4th FP on anything you want. It also makes sense to burn FPs early at Epcot because the 2nd tier rides do not have long waits there anyway.

At MK and AK, the strategy is different because you have complete liberty of picking the FPs you want on the front end. You do not want to use your FPs too early because the waits in the morning are not that long anyway. Instead, you want to schedule those FPs during busier times like 11 am - 2pm, which gives you good bang for your FP buck but also allows you the opportunity to schedule your 4th FP and so on for the busy afternoon, too.

 

[Laketravis]

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?

Throwaway FP's. Awesome!


.

 

[Bruce in PA]

Throwaway FP's. Awesome!

If I don't do this, someone else will. My nominations for FPs that will not harm others if you let them expire before 11A, on all but the busiest days:

MK:
PhilharMagic
Monsters Inc.

Epcot:
Captain EO
Journey into Imagination with Figment
Living with the Land
Spaceship Earth
The Seas with Nemo & Friends

HS:
Great Movie Ride
MuppetVision 3D

AK:
It’s Tough to be a Bug

Anything that should be added or deleted? Criteria should be that letting one of these FPs expire unused will not keep another park-goer from experiencing the attraction, or would cause them to wait in line. In other words, these attractions should be walk-ons, or nearly so, in the morning.

 

[jade1]

Throwaway FP's. Awesome!


.

Missed the point. The thread is for current comments/suggestions, it may make no sense to do this.

Have no desire to RD EPCOT and would rather do a char brunch, fish, golf whatever.

During that event we will let our "undesirable" FP+'s expire so SB can move faster or they can be returned to the pool (not wasted) as we cancel them.

The system is currently forcing 3 choices-it's the rules.

Our EPCOT day will start off with our "3rd FP+" being our 1st FP+ and begin it's count then.

As others have mentioned there will be other changes/strategies after feedback in the coming weeks, months and years.

 

[norybell]

This is a great thread. I hope that eventually, someone (Josh? Touring Plans?) will come up with good FP+ strategies for lots of different touring types: groups with toddlers, thrill ride junkies, groups who want to experience everything, etc. Preferably before our upcoming September trip!

Rebekka, did you have any troubles with wifi or cell service in the Soarin' building after the second checkpoint?

If you're showing up at rope drop though, I'd do this slightly differently (I've been here at WDW for six days now so I'm getting a fairly good feel for how it works in slower season anyway).

1. Schedule your soarin FP for 9am-10am, and your two worthless ones for as soon after as possible
2. Ride test track at rope drop
3. Ride soarin straight away, and as soon as you're through the second check point try to move your worthless fastpasses up to sooner times.
4. As soon as you get off soarin ride the first worthless ride, and again move the third up to as soon a time as possible (in my experience, you can get the worthless rides for fairly immediate times, no more than 20 minutes wait, and that means 15 as you can show up five minutes before your scheduled start time.
5. Ride the third FP ride then hot foot it to a kiosk to shedule your four FP either a repeat for soarin or test track or a FP for maelstrom (although to be honest I think maelstrom is highly hokey and I don't bother with it).

Rinse and repeat. Or spend the afternoon walking around world showcase and use your fifth FP for illuminations.

 

[Laketravis]

Missed the point.

Not at all.

The system forces you to choose three but will allow you to get more once you've used them.

Duh. Okay then, the strategy you suggested would be to reserve two of those three in the early AM for non-headliners. Maybe even for times you don't intend to be in the park. They expire, you use your one headliner FP and immediately head to a kiosk to (hopefully?) get your next headliner FP.

Undesirable FP's with no intention to use = throwaway FP's.

I'm not taking any moral high or low ground here, I'm calling it what it is as part of an overall strategy.

Works for me.

 

[clsteve]

Throwaway FP's. Awesome!

.

During that event we will let our "undesirable" FP+'s expire so SB can move faster or they can be returned to the pool (not wasted) as we cancel them.

The system is currently forcing 3 choices-it's the rules.

Our EPCOT day will start off with our "3rd FP+" being our 1st FP+ and begin it's count then.

I view letting some FP ressies expire as a Public Service:

Just doing our part to help some poor, unsuspecting, first-timer family from starting their very first FP+ EPCOT experience with Captain EO at 9am. They will thank us later....

 

[jade1]

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.

If you're showing up at rope drop though, I'd do this slightly differently (I've been here at WDW for six days now so I'm getting a fairly good feel for how it works in slower season anyway).

1. Schedule your soarin FP for 9am-10am, and your two worthless ones for as soon after as possible
2. Ride test track at rope drop
3. Ride soarin straight away, and as soon as you're through the second check point try to move your worthless fastpasses up to sooner times.
4. As soon as you get off soarin ride the first worthless ride, and again move the third up to as soon a time as possible (in my experience, you can get the worthless rides for fairly immediate times, no more than 20 minutes wait, and that means 15 as you can show up five minutes before your scheduled start time.
5. Ride the third FP ride then hot foot it to a kiosk to shedule your four FP either a repeat for soarin or test track or a FP for maelstrom (although to be honest I think maelstrom is highly hokey and I don't bother with it).

Rinse and repeat. Or spend the afternoon walking around world showcase and use your fifth FP for illuminations.

Not at all.

The system forces you to choose three but will allow you to get more once you've used them.

Duh. Okay then, the strategy you suggested would be to reserve two of those three in the early AM for non-headliners. Maybe even for times you don't intend to be in the park. They expire, you use your one headliner FP and immediately head to a kiosk to (hopefully?) get your next headliner FP.

Undesirable FP's with no intention to use = throwaway FP's.

I'm not taking any moral high or low ground here, I'm calling it what it is as part of an overall strategy.

Works for me.

These are all variations of the same thing.

Planning to change any FP+ to a different attraction at any time would equate to a "throw away". That's the system.

Reserving TT or Soarin first, then letting 2 others expire after, and then attempting a 4th works as well, just not something I am planning/recommending.

Many guests let FP- expire as well, some gave them away (usually because what they got was for much later) you can decide if either was immoral.

Not matter what, IMO not using a FP+, or cancelling a FP+ or not showing up at an attraction of any kind, is better for the other guests than using it or showing up.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Not at all.

The system forces you to choose three but will allow you to get more once you've used them.

Duh. Okay then, the strategy you suggested would be to reserve two of those three in the early AM for non-headliners. Maybe even for times you don't intend to be in the park. They expire, you use your one headliner FP and immediately head to a kiosk to (hopefully?) get your next headliner FP.

Undesirable FP's with no intention to use = throwaway FP's.

I'm not taking any moral high or low ground here, I'm calling it what it is as part of an overall strategy.

Works for me.

If you cancel them ahead of time, they aren't throwaways and then other people can use them.

 

[crazymomof4]

I was using gates figuratively, not literally. All I mean is that because of the tiers, you are locked out of using the FPs on the rides you want to use them on the most as HS and Epcot. At Epcot, most people would choose Soarin and Test Track, but we cannot do that on the front end. Thus, it makes sense to burn through FPs early at Epcot in order to open up the gate to using the 4th FP on anything you want. It also makes sense to burn FPs early at Epcot because the 2nd tier rides do not have long waits there anyway.

At MK and AK, the strategy is different because you have complete liberty of picking the FPs you want on the front end. You do not want to use your FPs too early because the waits in the morning are not that long anyway. Instead, you want to schedule those FPs during busier times like 11 am - 2pm, which gives you good bang for your FP buck but also allows you the opportunity to schedule your 4th FP and so on for the busy afternoon, too.

Gotcha!
So "With HS and Epcot, burning them early makes sense because (a) the gates to certain FPs are locked on the front end and you want those gates opened ASAP"
Translates to: "In HS and Epcot, due to tiering, it makes sense to use up your 1st three FP+ as early in the day as possible, in order to open availability to the 4th FP+ (and those after the 4th) as there are less restrictions (aka: tiering)on those."

 

[Bruce in PA]

If you cancel them ahead of time, they aren't throwaways and then other people can use them.

And I haven't seen anyone confirm that this works. Seems to me that if you cancel them ahead of time, you haven't used them. So in Epcot and HS you'd still be stuck with having to choose two 2nd-tier FPs.

 

[Laketravis]

I think the reality is that the failure to use any FP is simply a one for one donation to the SB line.

 

[jade1]

Not matter what, IMO not using a FP+, or cancelling a FP+ or not showing up at an attraction of any kind, is better for the other guests than using it or showing up.

I think the reality is that the failure to use any FP is simply a one for one donation to the SB line.

 

[arthropodtodd]

Quick question on FP+. We have a ETWB at 7:50, followed by Mermaid at 8:50. Say we get to Belle at 7:45 and hit the second Mickey head allowing use to try to move up Mermaid to maybe 8:30 can I do that on the app? I know the 4th FP comes from the kiosks, but can we still adjust times of e 1st 3 FP' while in park from the app or website?