Help with fast pass plus

[Mr dinosaur]

havent been to wdw since 2013 so we haven't used the new fast pass system. Last night I tried to read as much as I could to try and get my head round it. I think I've got it but would like it to know if I'm on the right track or not. So here goes

1. We are staying off site so we won't be able to make selections until 30 days before travelling?
We are getting a 21 day ticket so is it a case of making your selection 30 days before travel for the whole stay or do we have to make selections daily?

2. We will have cards issued so we have to make sure ride photos etc have been loaded onto card? In the water parks would we still need to collect plastic cards off photo cast member?

3. To make new fast pass selections (once in a park) we have to wait for the first fpp to have been activated then we can make further selections but only in the park we are in (let's say we are in DAK but going onto DMK) we can't make selections for the 2 nd park in DAK?

Is it just me or do you really have to know what days you want to enter a park? This won't be too bad for us because our tickets are the entire length of our stay but for the friends we are travelling with who are going for 14 days and looking a 5 to 7 day ticket they need to be super organised?

4. The very last thing! Am I able to make different selections for the family ( Like going to the different locations for the old style fast pass?) for instance our 17 y.o will want to make roller coaster choices but our 4 y.o will want characters and disney princess type choices.
Please any help with this would be great.

 

[jon18uk]

1. Yes as you are off-site you can only make FastPasses 30 days from each day at the park. So if you want them on the 30 day mark for every day of your tickets you need to log-in to the website daily for 21 days.

2. If you have memory maker (photo downloads, free with UK 2016 tickets) then you will get a card scanned, for ride photos you need to scan the card to add them too. Unless you pay the $12.95 for a magicband, then ride photos are added automatically, in water parks you either take a new card wristband and then add that to the account later, or just get the first card scanned or again get the magicband scanned. Otherwise Photopass works as before, cards are scanned, either same card or new and you enter the card numbers in the photopass website and buy whatever prints or downloads you want.

3. You make three fastpasses in advance, you can make a fourth once all three are used. 4th and further FPs can only be made at kiosks, not on the app. If you use all three (or they go past their times) and you hop to another park, you can make a 4th FP at a kiosk, but if you still have any live FPs at the first park you cannot make a 4th until the time for the third expires.
If you want to make your fastpass selections in advance then of course you do need to decide which park you are visiting on which day, check out the park hours and showtimes and decide what works best. Otherwise you could just turn up and see what FPs are available on the day, I think a small number are held back for on the day, but you may need to get in quick to get three good ones.

4. You could select different rides for all four of you if you like, but you can't put the 4yr old in a queue on their own! So if you like Mum & 4yr old could get one FP while Dad and 17yr old get a different FP.

 

[chmurf]

1. We are staying off site so we won't be able to make selections until 30 days before travelling?

correct

We are getting a 21 day ticket so is it a case of making your selection 30 days before travel for the whole stay or do we have to make selections daily?

since you don't stay onsite, each day opens at 30 days out. So my guess will be a day at a time.
if you had stayed onsite, that would have been another ball game, since there is a loophole allowing to book FP+ for the length of the tickets even past the checkout date.
But as you stay offsite, I think it's 30 days, daily.

2. We will have cards issued so we have to make sure ride photos etc have been loaded onto card?
In the water parks would we still need to collect plastic cards off photo cast member?

you will need photopass cards, or a memory maker card. (IDK if the pictures can be added to ... tickets .. ???)
but you could also purchase magic bands for $12.95 a piece, and link them to your MDX profile

3. To make new fast pass selections (once in a park) we have to wait for the first fpp to have been activated then we can make further selections but only in the park we are in (let's say we are in DAK but going onto DMK) we can't make selections for the 2 nd park in DAK?

in your example, you must have used up your 3 initial FP+ at DAK (or exceeded the return time window) then wait until you're inside MK to get an additional FP+ for MK (at FP+ kiosks inside MK)

you cant make additionnal selections at a park you're not in.

Is it just me or do you really have to know what days you want to enter a park?

yes you do.

4. The very last thing! Am I able to make different selections for the family ( Like going to the different locations for the old style fast pass?) for instance our 17 y.o will want to make roller coaster choices but our 4 y.o will want characters and disney princess type choices.
Please any help with this would be great.

you can select FP+ for each party member individually if you so choose.

But be aware that if the 4y.o. wants a FP+ to see the characters, he/she will need to be accompanied by at least one adult who MUST also have a FP+ for the character meet&greet.

every guest who enters the FP+ line MUST have a FP+ for the attraction.

so you'll need to choose or split up. But you can't choose 3 FP+ for rides for adults, and 3 kiddy FP+ for the little one. The little one will only be able to use FP+ when accompanied by an adult who also has the same FP+.

 

[Mr dinosaur]

Thank you for your replies the penny is staring to drop! this holiday is to celebrate my b.day. As a treat we are thinking of booking 3 nights onsite in the middle of our holiday. If we went ahead and did this would it alter my time window? And would I be able to block book the days I want or would I only be able to do this for the 3 nights onsite?
Any suggestions as to which deluxe hotel. Would love the poly but the children would like ak. What is the wilderness lodge like?