How to deal with new FastPass rules

[edolee]

Hello everyone,

There is a huge thread where people are sticking their tongues out at each other over the "morality/impact/wisdom" of the current system and their relative like/dislike of the upcoming changes to Fastpass policy...

FACT (at least as I see it): Disney's current printed fastpass return times and established policies for Cast Members conflict with each other. Disney's new policy (March 7 apparently) will bring the allowable return time for a fastpass MUCH closer to what is printed on its face...

I hope we can keep the debate on the new/old fastpass policy in the other thread. I am far more interested in ideas on how to ride the premium attractions in the evenings without having to stand in long lines.

We have used the current return time policy to great advantage over the years... and will always have FP for Peter Pan, Space Mountain, BTMRR, and perhaps Buzz in hand when we return to the parks in the evening after arriving early in the morning and then taking a mid-day break.

Seems like this will now be difficult to impossible... fortunately, our kids are older now, so they might be happier settling for some dinner, shows/parades, and riding the fast loading, if perhaps less desirable attractions.

So here is the test for all us DIZ wizards... If we are there for ropedrop in the morning, and want to leave between 1pm and 2pm for a few hours, how do we get on Peter Pan without waiting in line for 90-120 minutes (which we would not do in any case...) Also, our kids are in school so going at off-peak times is really hard...

Any thoughts? Or are we just doomed to ride the great attractions in the morning?

Ed

 

[Jennasis]

I've never had any trouble riding the headliners at any time of day using FP within the printed window. A big tip I can give? Go at slower times of year. Of course that isn't always practical or possible for some as you pointed out. Also, hit headliners during parades and fireworks shows. The lines get much shorter then. Or hit the rides Juuuuuust before park closing.

Remember, people were successfully navigating WDW for a very very LONG time before FP was even a twinkle in some execs eye. You'll do fine!

 

[WilsonFlyer]

1) Come back in the time window allowed.

2) Use SB.

Questions? Seriously.

 

[vacationclub]

how do we get on Peter Pan without waiting in line for 90-120 minutes (which we would not do in any case...) Also, our kids are in school so going at off-peak times is really hard...

Any thoughts? Or are we just doomed to ride the great attractions in the morning?

Ed

I guess you're doomed. Just like with the dining reservations, Disney is now closing loopholes that allowed for guests to work and abuse ther system. Night time lines should be slower anyway, especially late in the evening. Just use the FP during the return window.
I'm curious how you were able to leave a park in the afternoon with 3 different Fastpasses. I thought you could only have one at a time.

 

[mesaboy2]

I guess you're doomed. Just like with the dining reservations, Disney is now closing loopholes that allowed for guests to work and abuse ther system. Night time lines should be slower anyway, especially late in the evening. Just use the FP during the return window.
I'm curious how you were able to leave a park in the afternoon with 3 different Fastpasses. I thought you could only have one at a time.

Common misconception. You can get another no more than 2 hours after the previous in every case, sometimes sooner.

 

[larryz]

I guess you're doomed. Just like with the dining reservations, Disney is now changing policies that allowed for guests to conveniently use their system. Night time lines should be slower anyway, especially late in the evening. Just use the FP during the return window.

Fixed it for you.

I'm curious how you were able to leave a park in the afternoon with 3 different Fastpasses. I thought you could only have one at a time.

It's a secret technique only we "abusers" understand...

 

[disneykittin]

This new rule makes me sad because I know we've had to come later in the past than what our time said. We'll see how it works out though...

 

[leebee]

I think that there will be more fast passes available later in the day, simply because people won't be able to grab them asap and bank them for later. (remember that there are only X number of fast passes per day, and once they are gone, that's it.) Now that you have to use them during their return time, it doesn't make sense to get passes asap and stockpile them for later. I think more people will use their fast passes while they are in the area of the attraction where they GET the fast pass, normalizing both standby and fast pass lines throughout the day. I am optimistic that fast pass return times will actually go back to being within an hour or so of when you first get the fast pass, as they were when Disney originally instituted fast pass.

You do realize, of course, that many, many people have always used their fast pass during the stated return time window. It's pretty easy to do without running all over the place, and should be easier now that there will hopefully be passes available later in the day.

 

[mickey916]

I had read about the "return after your window" unofficial policy before our last trip and had told my kids about it. However, I've raised them to follow the "rules" and even though I told them it was an unofficial policy that allowed us to come back after our time window, they were so nervous that we'd be stopped from entering and embarassed that they didn't want to even attempt it...so, we always used our FPs at the "correct time"...no problems. Got to ride everything we wanted and we were there during April school break for Mass, Ohio, CT and a variety of others....we were just very careful to be there for rope drop and always got our next FP as soon as we were able....

 

[Love Tink]

1) Come back in the time window allowed.

2) Use SB.

Questions? Seriously.

Why does someone like you even come to a message board? Honestly? You can't find anywhere in your "real life" to spread your sunshine?

People are trying to figure out theme park strategies here. Maybe you should find something else to do.

 

[2DisPrincesses]

Not gonna lie- I'm sad about this change, as we were one of "those" families that saved our fast passes for when we returned in the evening. Guess we'll have to get used to touring differently

 

[Art 1]

I'm all for the enforcement of the FP time. I just don't see what the big deal is to ride the ride on your correct time slot.

 

[vacationclub]

Fixed it for you.

Semantics....whatever makes you feel better. They didn't change the policy, they decided to enforce it...It's a printed policy.

Guests were "conveniently" abusing the system. Thus their reason for enforcement...same with dining.

It's a secret technique only we "abusers" understand...

What is it?

Common misconception. You can get another no more than 2 hours after the previous in every case, sometimes sooner.

But, that still means one at a time for the most part, and doesn't explain how the OP could leave in the afternoon with multiple FP's in hand. If you go to one FP machine then walk directly to another you can't get another...each printout must be spaced a couple hours apart. Unless they were in the park for 6 hours and got one every 2 hours after arriving.

 

[Jennasis]

Why does someone like you even come to a message board? Honestly? You can't find anywhere in your "real life" to spread your sunshine?

People are trying to figure out theme park strategies here. Maybe you should find something else to do.

To be fair, of the responses so far ONLY mine and his actually address the question posed by the OP. How to manage touring with the enforcement policy. How to see the headliners in the evening et etc.

While his answer may be not to your liking, at least he addressed the question.

 

[vacationclub]

Why does someone like you even come to a message board? Honestly? You can't find anywhere in your "real life" to spread your sunshine?

The same could be asked of you.

People are trying to figure out theme park strategies here. Maybe you should find something else to do.

I think the post your responded to did exactly that....told them the best strategy....which would be to return at the time printed.

 

[edolee]

1) Come back in the time window allowed.

2) Use SB.

Questions? Seriously.

Well, ok, but not terribly helpful. As I mentioned, we generally have to go at busier times of year so Standby in the evening (particularly for the headliner rides) more or less takes the whole evening for just one or two rides... Obviously will need to come back in the time window allowed from now on....

Previous response had some good ideas:

1) ride during parade and fireworks....
2) ride just before park closing.....

My guess is that these strategies will work particularly well for POTC and Haunted Mansion, maybe it's a small world... maybe buzz. So I appreciate those ideas. As I mentioned, my kids are a little older... so missing the parade is probably not that big a deal.

I was also thinking that one person might stay in the park through the break that we generally (and many others take) and collect FP for the headliner rides that hopefully have later return times, while the rest of the family is cooling their heels at the hotel/villa... That person would exit the park when the rest arrive so that they can re-enter using their tickets. It is a drag for the person that has to stay behind, but I would guess this would be just about bullet proof...

Any other ideas?

Ed

 

[larryz]

I think the post your responded to did exactly that....told them the best strategy....which would be to return at the time printed.

Or 5 minutes before... or 15 minutes after... a policy Disney apparently plans to allow leniency with...

 

[FlightlessDuck]

So, your issue with riding in your time slot is that you don't like being in the parks in the mid afternoon?

In that case, I think what you need to do is take advantage of smartphone apps that list return times, and chose which FastPasses to get based on their return times. You should be able to get some FastPasses in the morning that are still in the early hours, then before you leave after lunch, find some rides that have evening FastPass return times. Or, wait to get your FastPasses after you come back after your break.

If you arrive at rope drop, you can avoid needing FastPasses all together for some rides (example: Peter Pan. Ride it first).

 

[larryz]

Any other ideas?

Ed

If you're not rich enough to hire a VIP tour guide, but rich enough to buy everyone two tickets, you could have everyone go thru the gates twice in the morning, and then leave the multiple tickets with your designated, breakless FP-goat, who could then get TWO FPs for everyone else.

Other than that, arrive at rope drop and be prepared to stay until Kiss Good-night.

 

[KellyNY]

Extra hours is one of the ways if you do not want to be restricted by time frame.