FP question

[dawnball]

At WDW the "you can get a new fastpass at:" times are sometimes overstated. The actual minimum time window for a second fetch varied based on the fetch interval for the second ride.

For example:

Lets say I get a Splash FP and the re-fetch interval printed on the pass is 2 hours (2 hours later that it tells me I can get a new FP).

Then I go to the BTMRR FP distribution and the re-fetch interval is 1 hour (based on the 1 hour difference between current time and current FP return). I can get a FP for BTMRR 1 hour after my original Splash FP was issued (and an hour before the printed "you can get another FP at:" time).

Does DisneyLand FP distribution work the same way?

 

[Albort]

At WDW the "you can get a new fastpass at:" times are sometimes overstated. The actual minimum time window for a second fetch varied based on the fetch interval for the second ride.

For example:

Lets say I get a Splash FP and the re-fetch interval printed on the pass is 2 hours (2 hours later that it tells me I can get a new FP).

Then I go to the BTMRR FP distribution and the re-fetch interval is 1 hour (based on the 1 hour difference between current time and current FP return). I can get a FP for BTMRR 1 hour after my original Splash FP was issued (and an hour before the printed "you can get another FP at:" time).

Does DisneyLand FP distribution work the same way?

I dont think so. im a bit confused. the 2 hour is a bit exaggerated. You can usually get a fastpass within an hour or what your time says you can get one on your ticket.

 

[got2travel]

I'm not quite sure I followed what you were saying either, but.....

You can get a new fastpass 5 min after your return time on your current fastpass. Or, if your return time is beyond 2 hours, then you'll be allowed to get a new fastpass at 2 hours.

Examples

At 11:15 am I get a FP for Space Mountain. My FP time is 11:50am - 12:50pm. I will be allowed to get a new FP at 11:55am.

So at 12:00pm I get a FP for Splash Mountain. My FP time is 3:30pm - 4:30pm. I will be able to get a new FP at 2:00pm (or maybe 2:05pm I can't remember if the 5 minutes applies here or not). But I won't have to wait until 3:30 to get one.

 

[HydroGuy]

At WDW the "you can get a new fastpass at:" times are sometimes overstated. The actual minimum time window for a second fetch varied based on the fetch interval for the second ride.

For example:

Lets say I get a Splash FP and the re-fetch interval printed on the pass is 2 hours (2 hours later that it tells me I can get a new FP).

Then I go to the BTMRR FP distribution and the re-fetch interval is 1 hour (based on the 1 hour difference between current time and current FP return). I can get a FP for BTMRR 1 hour after my original Splash FP was issued (and an hour before the printed "you can get another FP at:" time).

Does DisneyLand FP distribution work the same way?

I know the DLR FP system inside and out, and I know the WDW one pretty well too. But I am not sure I understand your question.

When you get a FP, there are four printed times. For example, see http://hydroguy.smugmug.com/gallery/1738293#85956190-L-LB

1. The distribution time - In the fine print at the bottom right is when the FP was distributed (11:01 in my screen cap above). That is unimportant

2. The FP window opening - 11:40AM in my screen cap above

3. The FP window closing - 12:40PM in my screen cap above (note that DLR does not pay attention to this time, only the window opening)

4. The next time you can get another FP - 11:40AM in my screen cap above, where it says "Another FASTPASS ticket will be available after 11:40AM".

I think you are calling #4 the "second fetch" time. I call it the "Next Available FASTPASS Time". In any case, similar to WDW the "Next Available FASTPASS Time" (#4) may be the same as the window opening time (#2), or it may be sooner than #2 if #2 is more than two hours away from the distribution time, #1. If the window opening time (#2) is less than two hours, then #4 will always be the same as #2.

I noticed at WDW in some cases that the above was not always true. In some cases they would artificially delay #2, especially first thing in the morning. So on one morning I got my first FP of the day at Expedition Everest at about 9:15AM, and the window opening (#2) was 11:15AM. EE was down that morning due to mechanical problems and did not open until 11AM. The next available FP time (#4) on my EE FP said 10AM, which was earlier than the #2 time of 11:15AM even though the #2 time was two hours away. DLR does not do this, and it confused me at first - but I just accepted it and it worked fine.

Also, WDW always seems to add 5 minutes to your next FP time (#4). Thus at WDW when the FP says you can get your next FP at 11:05AM, you can in fact get it five miniutes earlier at 11AM. DLR does not do this. If it says 11:05AM, it means 11:05AM.

MK always has their first FP return times (#2) one hour after the park opens, while the other WDW parks have theirs 40-45 minutes after. At DLR the first FP return time is always 40-45 minutes after the parks open.

So, I am not at all sure I answered your question. But I hope this helps.

FWIW, the DLR FP system has a number of tricks that do not exist at WDW. This link discusses them all:

"The Joy of FASTPASS - details and secrets"
www.micechat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5720

 

[amjt660]

I dont think so. im a bit confused. the 2 hour is a bit exaggerated. You can usually get a fastpass within an hour or what your time says you can get one on your ticket.

2 hours is not an exaggeration at some parks.
A run on Fastpass is quite common especially at Soarin in Epcot.

The most unbelievable case I witnessed was last Sept at Toyko Disney Sea

TOT had just opened on Sept 4. (I was there on Sept 30)
I was at the gate for opening and ran with everyone else to TOT (real running - no such thing as a steady walk being guided bya CM)

I went into the standby line and waited for 45 min to ride. I got back out around 9:10 am.

The standby line was at 90min and they were distributing Fast passes for 7:30PM!!!!!. All fastpasses for the day were distributed by 9:30 am.

And everyone who picked up one of those passes had to wait 2 hours before be eligible for another.

Drew

 

[Teyedoubleguhrrrr]

Have you booked eveything yet? One trick I found last year when we were booking our July trip was to ask about FP at CRO.

When we went in '04, since we book through Disney Travel - we were able to have "unlimited" FP's - in other words, I could take our tickets, run around the park and get FP's for ALL the FP attractions (not that I did, but I could if we wanted to).

In '06, this offer was only available through AAA bookings - if you book your hotel & tix through them. It may have changed again for '07, but it never hurts to ask.

Quite honestly - it was a lot simpler to do than to juggle all of that stuff (plus I could get a couple "extra" FP's to use in scrapbooks..)

 

[HydroGuy]

In '06, this offer was only available through AAA bookings - if you book your hotel & tix through them. It may have changed again for '07, but it never hurts to ask.

This perk was stopped in January,

 

[dawnball]

Ok, apparently I'm really lousy at explanations, because no one understood what I was trying to say. I learned about this trick from http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/fastnext.htm (which has a lot of explanations and examples). Perhaps that site will be clearer than I am.

A couple of pastes from there:
Sometimes you can fetch FastPasses for some rides more frequently than for other rides.

The next fetch time stamped on a Fast Pass is the worst case time. You can sometimes get a Fast Pass for a different less busy ride sooner if you try.

Each ride can have a different re-fetch interval. If another ride has a shorter re-fetch interval than the ride you last got a Fast Pass for, you can fetch a Fast Pass for the former before the time for doing so stamped on the Fast Pass you already have.

Note that the next-fetch time as stamped on your latest Fast Pass will not be earlier than the next-fetch time on any Fast Pass you already have. Therefore you might find that the next-fetch time shown on your second (or third) Fast Pass is long after that Fast Pass matures if an earlier Fast Pass has not matured yet.

Where the re-fetch interval is the difference between the time a FP is issued and the printed "Another FASTPASS ticket will be available after ..." on the pass.

Oddly enough, my obsession with Fastpasses is mostly academic. My pre-schooler prefers non-fastpass rides, but I keep thinking that I'll manage to slip away and ride something. Alas, most of the FP end up given away or found expired in my pocket the next morning.

 

[HydroGuy]

No, you cannot get FPs at DLR before the printed time. And I do not think you can at WDW either. I do not know what the link is talking about.

 

[lulubelle]

Just to add another fact I learned on my last DL trip...
On Friday, I was in the park at opening and DH was driving to Anaheim after work and meeting me in the afternoon. I know how busy Fridays are and thought I would get two FP's for both of us for that night and just ride myself thru the stand by cue while the lines are short in the am. Well, I got a FP for Space at noonish and the FP said I could get my next FP like an hour later. So, I rode Buzz, Star Tours, ate a salad at Pizza Port and tried to get another FP an hour later and it wouldn't give me one, kept saying "Not a valid FP". I asked a CM for assistance since my first FP clearly stated I was eligible for another FP now and he told me you have to wait THE ENTIRE TWO HOURS for another FP on the SAME RIDE. Man, was I bummed! So, I meandered around the park some more and came back another hour later to get a second FP for Space so DH & I could ride after dinner when the park is really crowded (and it was). I did the same thing at Indy and we rode that one with a FP around 8 pm. I wonder why they do that? I was not trying to cheat or anything, just trying to obtain two FP tickets for us for later. Anyway, just an FYI for those who want to get FP's for others in your party arriving later in the day.

 

[HydroGuy]

Just to add another fact I learned on my last DL trip...
On Friday, I was in the park at opening and DH was driving to Anaheim after work and meeting me in the afternoon. I know how busy Fridays are and thought I would get two FP's for both of us for that night and just ride myself thru the stand by cue while the lines are short in the am. Well, I got a FP for Space at noonish and the FP said I could get my next FP like an hour later. So, I rode Buzz, Star Tours, ate a salad at Pizza Port and tried to get another FP an hour later and it wouldn't give me one, kept saying "Not a valid FP". I asked a CM for assistance since my first FP clearly stated I was eligible for another FP now and he told me you have to wait THE ENTIRE TWO HOURS for another FP on the SAME RIDE. Man, was I bummed! So, I meandered around the park some more and came back another hour later to get a second FP for Space so DH & I could ride after dinner when the park is really crowded (and it was). I did the same thing at Indy and we rode that one with a FP around 8 pm. I wonder why they do that? I was not trying to cheat or anything, just trying to obtain two FP tickets for us for later. Anyway, just an FYI for those who want to get FP's for others in your party arriving later in the day.

Yah, it is hard for them to get all of the relevant info onto one FP ticket. There is a different delay built into "same ride" FPs than different ride FPs. This link does discuss this: "The Joy of FASTPASS - details and secrets" www.micechat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5720