FP+ Return Time - Better to wait for end of window?

[BraveCruiser]

I've been reading about the lines that are forming at the FP+ returns. Since the FP+ ticket is for an hour window instead of the previous FP 10 minute window, it would seem to me that in order to get on the ride the quickest, you should wait until 5-10 minutes before the hour. Has anyone tried this?

 

[kaybird]

That would make sense, except it is always going to be the end or the start of somebody's window. Don't think you will find it makes that much difference, if you get there at the start and it looks to long, do something else until later in the window.

 

[JimmyV]

Not really. If you get a 1:00-2:00 time slot and come back at 1:50, you will run into the people who have 1:45-2:45 time slots who come back at 1:50. Times are doled out on a rolling basis. That said, we did notice an uptick at the top of the hour. Very few of our return times were "on the hour".

 

[2Tiggies]

In theory, perhaps, but as the PP says, I don't think in reality it's going to work as they have designed this system to keep a steady flow of guests going through the line and distribution limits are fixed accordingly. If anything, I am not planning to get there near the end of any of my return windows if I can help it, based on reports of FP line queues of late. I'm concerned that if I arrive there 10 minutes before my window and get to the CM to scan my band to enter 11 minutes later having waited in line, my window will be gone

 

[mum2four]

We did find that there was typically a little crowd gathered outside the FP+ return area at the top of every hour. It didn't seem to make a significant difference in our wait time, but occassionally we got stuck behind some people whose card/band didn't work.

 

[JimmyV]

In theory, perhaps, but as the PP says, I don't think in reality it's going to work as they have designed this system to keep a steady flow of guests going through the line and distribution limits are fixed accordingly. If anything, I am not planning to get there near the end of any of my return windows if I can help it, based on reports of FP line queues of late. I'm concerned that if I arrive there 10 minutes before my window and get to the CM to scan my band to enter 11 minutes later having waited in line, my window will be gone

It was typically taking us 10-15 minutes to go from the back of the return line to the first Mickey. So I wouldn't cut it too close for the reason stated above.

 

[BraveCruiser]

Not really. If you get a 1:00-2:00 time slot and come back at 1:50, you will run into the people who have 1:45-2:45 time slots who come back at 1:50. Times are doled out on a rolling basis. That said, we did notice an uptick at the top of the hour. Very few of our return times were "on the hour".

Ah, my original assumption was wrong. All of my times start on the hour so I didn't realize there were FP+ times that started as 1:45 for example. Does anyone know if they are giving out times that start each minute (like previous paper FP)?

 

[2Tiggies]

Ah, my original assumption was wrong. All of my times start on the hour so I didn't realize there were FP+ times that started as 1:45 for example. Does anyone know if they are giving out times that start each minute (like previous paper FP)?

I don't know as I've not been able to book mine yet, but the old system did them in 5 minute intervals, not on the minute, IIRC

 

[BraveCruiser]

I don't know as I've not been able to book mine yet, but the old system did them in 5 minute intervals, not on the minute, IIRC

Right you are. Old FP were 5 minutes.

 

[JimmyV]

Ah, my original assumption was wrong. All of my times start on the hour so I didn't realize there were FP+ times that started as 1:45 for example. Does anyone know if they are giving out times that start each minute (like previous paper FP)?

It could be that on site people who pre-book get "on the hour" times. Or it could be that only the super-planners who book 60 days out get on the hour times. We stayed at the Dolphin and had to book "day of". Rarely were we offered an on the hour time. But they were always in 5 minute intervals. Actually, they may have been in 10 minute intervals (x:10, x:20, x:30...) I can't recall and we deleted the screen shot photos that we took.

 

[DebbieB]

For the fun of it (ok I'm bored), I put in for fastpass for today (and deleted it). It gave me:

TSM 12:10
Star Tours 3:50
TOT 6:50

I think it's amazing that at 10:50am, I could get a FP+ for TSM 12:10. Could never have got that with the old system. ToT was the hard one, they could not give me another option with it and replaced it with Indiana Jones or LMA.

I played with other dates, I got times on the :05.

 

[MandiC]

I didn't notice any difference in when we showed up vs when we got on the ride. Wait times for FP+ were pretty short on most rides though. I will say, when you scan your MagicBand for the FP+ if you are there more than 5 minutes before your scheduled time it will turn 'no-go blue', some CMs let you through, some won't. 5 minutes before is the earliest I have had it go green right away.

 

[BraveCruiser]

For the fun of it (ok I'm bored), I put in for fastpass for today (and deleted it). It gave me:

TSM 12:10
Star Tours 3:50
TOT 6:50

I think it's amazing that at 10:50am, I could get a FP+ for TSM 12:10. Could never have got that with the old system. ToT was the hard one, they could not give me another option with it and replaced it with Indiana Jones or LMA.

I played with other dates, I got times on the :05.

Wow! Very interesting info!

 

[redrosesix]

For the fun of it (ok I'm bored), I put in for fastpass for today (and deleted it). It gave me:

TSM 12:10
Star Tours 3:50
TOT 6:50

I think it's amazing that at 10:50am, I could get a FP+ for TSM 12:10. Could never have got that with the old system. ToT was the hard one, they could not give me another option with it and replaced it with Indiana Jones or LMA.

I played with other dates, I got times on the :05.

Interesting.

When we were there all of the windows were 1 hour, starting on the hour or 5 minutes after. The wait in the first FP queue was very long at the beginning of the hour. But with times being staggered now, and half hour windows available it won't make as much difference when you show up. Happy they made this change But there could be more to come. I think touring strategies are going to have to keep changing every time they tweak the system.

It was typically taking us 10-15 minutes to go from the back of the return line to the first Mickey. So I wouldn't cut it too close for the reason stated above.

This was true for us too. They would probably let you go through if you didn't make it to the second checkpoint before your window ended but there is no guarantee it will work if you don't make it to the first checkpoint in time.

 

[MickeyChix]

We are going next February and I'm finding all this very interesting. Please keep posting what times you are being given and how the lines were. I wonder too if Disney will continue to alter the times even more for heavier crowd days. It will be interesting to hear from those that are going for Spring Break to see if these times are being staggered even more. I have to wonder too, if you are going when it's high attendance and 60 days out you go to make your FP+ selections do you think towards the beginning of your trip you might be really limited on your selections? Kinda like now with the ADRs and booking 180 days out for your length of stay---I have better luck getting meals and times I want towards middle to end of our trip vs those first couple of days. It's curious to see how Disney limits those FP because I have to think they are going to allow only so many so that those that enter the parks that day (ones who could not do it prior to visiting) have opportunity to make get some as well.

 

[subtchr]

Since the FP+ ticket is for an hour window instead of the previous FP 10 minute window...

This is from the OP. I'm confused, FP windows have always been an hour. What is the 10 minute window referring to?

But with times being staggered now, and half hour windows available...

Confused by this, too. Times have always been staggered, and windows are still an hour, aren't they?

 

[LaurenT]

Just looked at the photos I took of my FP+ s ... I was offsite so had to book them the day of.
They are all in 5 minute increments. Everything ends in a five or a zero (ie: 12:05 - 1:05, or 2:00 - 3:00, none of them are 12:04 - 1:04). And I have five days worth of those, so....

 

[redrosesix]

This is from the OP. I'm confused, FP windows have always been an hour. What is the 10 minute window referring to?



Confused by this, too. Times have always been staggered, and windows are still an hour, aren't they?

idk about the 10 minute window either...

Half hour windows were made available at the end of last week. all of our times ended in a zero or a five (same with everyone we talked to during our trip) but DebbieB is getting something completely different. When we were there everyone was near the beginning of their window at 5 after, so that's when the longest lines were. I don't think that's going to be the case now.

 

[JimmyV]

idk about the 10 minute window either...

The OP worded it poorly. The span of the return window is and always has been 60 minutes. The OP was referring to the start time of that window. So the "10 minute window" ws intended to refer to a return time of 1:10-2:10 as opposed to an "on the hour" start window such as 1:00-2:00.

 

[KatieCharlotte]

It could be that on site people who pre-book get "on the hour" times. Or it could be that only the super-planners who book 60 days out get on the hour times. We stayed at the Dolphin and had to book "day of". Rarely were we offered an on the hour time. But they were always in 5 minute intervals. Actually, they may have been in 10 minute intervals (x:10, x:20, x:30...) I can't recall and we deleted the screen shot photos that we took.

To add our experience to the data: We're staying onsite one Thursday night in early April and going to MK on a Friday. I booked our FP+ eight hours after our midnight window opened; however, people whose trips started earlier in the week had a jump start.

The "best match" times I was offered started at :45 after the hour. I immediately changed the times for two FP+. I was offered times at :45 after the hour for the afternoon and times on the hour for the evening.