Help needed for morning EMH fast pass strategy

[Wakey]

Hello

I'd be really grateful for some help. Im coming to Disney (OKW) from UK 18 August for a week. Fastpass booking is Sunday (BTW does this start 7am Eastern? I'm away in Liverpool Sunday in a hotel aargh!). After much research and deliberation, on most days we will be going to morning EMH as due to time difference we are normally up very early, especially week 1 when we come to States (every year), normally 5am! I am also with a couple of people who are take or leave the parks and won't want 10 hours a day there so strategy is to get in for rope drop EMH and leave early afternoon. Saving night shows for couple of days we are at water parks.
Sorry to go on, here is my question. What Fast passes should I be booking for the 4 main parks and for what time? Assuming I am only bothered about going on each ride once, will I be able to get on most open rides with minimal wait first thing and say maybe to 10am and should I be scheduling FP for later in the day. Or should I book them at 9am and get more (or would that be a waste?) I want to ride the big ticket attractions in each park. So for example on 8/19 I am at MK. Do I go on Space Mountain and Mine Train first thing and not get fast passes or do I do other stuff in EMH and have FP for these must do attractions for later? How long roughly are you queuing if you use a FP? Using Touring Plans but very confused over FP strategies in this scenario. Thanks all.

 

[pens4821]

We did AM EMH, then scheduled FP for afternoon at another park. If you don't have hoppers, I'd still schedule FP for late morning, I'd say starting around 11.

At MK, i'd probably use FP for mine train, peter pan, and another long wait attraction. While you could get on them early with little wait, since you're only interested in riding things once, I'd think this is the best way. You'd be able to ride more while everyone was rushing to mine train and peter pan.

 

[g-dad66]

Hello

I'd be really grateful for some help. Im coming to Disney (OKW) from UK 18 August for a week. Fastpass booking is Sunday (BTW does this start 7am Eastern? I'm away in Liverpool Sunday in a hotel aargh!). After much research and deliberation, on most days we will be going to morning EMH as due to time difference we are normally up very early, especially week 1 when we come to States (every year), normally 5am! I am also with a couple of people who are take or leave the parks and won't want 10 hours a day there so strategy is to get in for rope drop EMH and leave early afternoon. Saving night shows for couple of days we are at water parks.
Sorry to go on, here is my question. What Fast passes should I be booking for the 4 main parks and for what time? Assuming I am only bothered about going on each ride once, will I be able to get on most open rides with minimal wait first thing and say maybe to 10am and should I be scheduling FP for later in the day. Or should I book them at 9am and get more (or would that be a waste?) I want to ride the big ticket attractions in each park. So for example on 8/19 I am at MK. Do I go on Space Mountain and Mine Train first thing and not get fast passes or do I do other stuff in EMH and have FP for these must do attractions for later? How long roughly are you queuing if you use a FP? Using Touring Plans but very confused over FP strategies in this scenario. Thanks all.

I wouldn't waste a FP+ on a 9-10 slot, as almost nothing will need a FP at that point.

One exception to that is the Mine Train, because 75% of the people at Rope Drop will be heading to it, and the wait will build very fast if you're not at the front of the Rope Drop crowd. (You would need to be at the park 45-60 minutes before park opening to be at the very front of the Rope Drop crowd, and we never enjoy having to wait that long).

Also, Magic Kingdom is the one park where a 4th, 5th etc. FP+ might well be worth it. Still, I would do something like Peter Pan and Belle at Rope Drop, and then start my FP+ no earlier than 10 (with Mine Train as one of my FP+ choices).

 

[Shanti]

Hello

I'd be really grateful for some help. Im coming to Disney (OKW) from UK 18 August for a week. Fastpass booking is Sunday (BTW does this start 7am Eastern? I'm away in Liverpool Sunday in a hotel aargh!). After much research and deliberation, on most days we will be going to morning EMH as due to time difference we are normally up very early, especially week 1 when we come to States (every year), normally 5am! I am also with a couple of people who are take or leave the parks and won't want 10 hours a day there so strategy is to get in for rope drop EMH and leave early afternoon. Saving night shows for couple of days we are at water parks.
Sorry to go on, here is my question. What Fast passes should I be booking for the 4 main parks and for what time? Assuming I am only bothered about going on each ride once, will I be able to get on most open rides with minimal wait first thing and say maybe to 10am and should I be scheduling FP for later in the day. Or should I book them at 9am and get more (or would that be a waste?) I want to ride the big ticket attractions in each park. So for example on 8/19 I am at MK. Do I go on Space Mountain and Mine Train first thing and not get fast passes or do I do other stuff in EMH and have FP for these must do attractions for later? How long roughly are you queuing if you use a FP? Using Touring Plans but very confused over FP strategies in this scenario. Thanks all.

Magic Kingdom FastPasses:
1. Space Mountain
2. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
3rd FP is more open to personal choice: Buzz Lightyear, Pirates of the Caribbean or Peter Pan are all possibilities.
*Ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain at park opening. They're not open during morning EMH, but they don't have long lines at regular park opening.


Epcot FastPasses:
1. Soarin'
2. Spaceship Earth
3. Epcot Character Spot
Ride Test Track and Living with the Land during EMH.


Hollywood Studios FastPasses:
1. Toy Story Midway Mania
2. Tower of Terror
3. Star Tours
Ride Rockin' Roller Coaster during EMH or at rope drop (its line moves quickly).


Animal Kingdom FastPasses:
1. Kilimanjaro Safari
2. Expedition Everest
3. Kali River Rapids
Ride Dinosaur and Primeval Whirl during EMH or at rope drop.

In general, I recommend not using any FastPasses until at least 10am, as lines tend to be reasonable during the first hour of park opening.

 

[Wakey]

Thanks for replies. Very helpful, booked all FP yesterday. Used Touring Plans then moved rides around a bit to cut down walking and to utilise your suggested FP strategy of get on rides early and use FP a bit later.

Here is what I ended up with (bear in mind I have scheduled EMH nearly every park visit save Epcot on last day which is expected to be quiet anyway). Intention to leave about 2- 2.30 ish each day. We prefer some downtime before going out to eat and are early risers. 2 years ago I was at Universal at 7am and just walked in at 7.30 despite not staying on site

8/19 - Magic Kingdom- intend to go in EMH rope drop on buzz lightyear, space mountain, speedway etc. Little waiting predicted.
10.30 fastpass pirates caribbean. Appreciate may not really be needed but ride I must go on.
11.30 FP Splash mountain.
1.30 (after BOG lunch) - Minetrain.

All other attractions decent wait times where I have them on Touring Plans.

Raglan Road dinner.

8/19- off to Typhoon Lagoon and T Rex dinner 5pm. Booked FP for Minetrain, Space Mountain and Peter Pan for evening in case have energy to go back to MK for fireworks.

8/20 Hollywood Studios for EMH rope drop. Intend to ride Rock n Roll, Tower of Terror, Launch Bay. FP for Toystory 10.30, Star Tours and Frozen sing a long (struggling on that last one). Wait times on rest looking good on TP schedule. Ohana for dinner. May go back to MK evening if didn't make it night before and see what extra FPs I can get for that.

8/21 Going to Blizzard Beach at Rope Drop- back just after lunch. Biergarten at Epcot for evening meal at 6 so have booked Spaceship Earth FP for 5 in case we arrive a bit early, and Frozen ever after for 7 which we will go on before fireworks.

8/22 Rope drop at EMH Animal Kingdom. Touring Plans is telling me if we get on the Safari first and then Everest (twice on my plan) and Primeaval Whirl (Dinosaur closed) we'll have very little wait in the day here. Aim to be leaving just after lunch. Due at Hollywood and Vine at HWS at 5 for Fantasmic dinner package so saved today's FPs so we could ride Toy Story and Tower Terror again before Fantasmic preferred seating.

8/23 Epcot - not EMH for a change! Only 3 out of 10 on crowd calender. Will do the Test Track at rope drop. FP for Spaceship Earth (in case we didn't manage it evening when we go to Epcot) and Mission Space. I'm looking forward to giving that Orange a go. Will spend until early afternoon looking at World Showcase.

8/24 Off to Naples for a week's rest.

I hope it all works out. What with planning where we will be each day, then planning meals, optimising and messing with Tourist Plans, and booking these Fast Passes to try and coincide, as well as tweaking them when some Fastpass times were not available, this has had more planning than a military operation.
Getting some push back from my wife saying when we've been before we just turned up and could it be too regimented, but we haven't been for a few years and I'm trying to explain you now have to get it booked given the advance booking- particularly with dining as well which we have never done.