How to deal with new FastPass rules

[mesaboy2]

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.

You cracked the code.

Plus, if you get a FP for Soarin or TSM the likelihood that the return window is much later is high, so you have to get more than one at a time to make maximum use of the system.

 

[Senator Tressel]

Is anybody ever going to be allowed to actually post a new strategy without a bunch of self righteous blowhards interjecting their poorly informed opinions?

 

[CSI:Jude]

I fully admit to barely using FP system, I am too lazy to run in a park in the morning and we never ran out of time or waited more than 15 mins for anything. We go out of school holidays though

 

[NYDisneyKid]

all the hemming and hawing,,,think about this people,,, suppose just suppose Disney just up and did away with the fast pass system. be thankful that they only decided to "tweek" it a tad.

 

[edolee]

Well, I guess this thread is in danger of devolving into the other thread... I see no point in discussing the merits/morality of how people are using the existing system... as I said, currently Disney enforces one policy and prints a different one. Soon the printing and policy will be very close.

Here is a summary of the ideas so far that will help us to (sorry if I missed any):

Ride headliners at night during busy season while not staying in the park all day...

1) Ride during the Parades and/or fireworks... SB lines should be shorter then
2) Ride just before park closing (which might include arriving later in the evening)
3) Find a Fastpass hero that is willing to stay in the park all day and collect FP's with evening return times
4) Get a smartphone app the gives the current return windows at the FP machines so you don't run all over the park for no reason....

These all seem like constructive ideas for those of us not wanting to stand in endless lines during busy season... any others??

Ed

 

[FlightlessDuck]

My guess is that these strategies will work particularly well for POTC and Haunted Mansion, maybe it's a small world... maybe buzz.

We never have a problem riding these rides with any more than a 10 - 15 minute wait (in late June or early July). Pirates and Haunted Mansion we usually hit in the morning before lunch.

And Buzz is never crowded.

You do go to the park at rope drop, right? My family usually makes it through all of Fantasyland plus Jungle Cruise, Pirates, and Haunted Mansion, all before lunch.

 

[edolee]

We never have a problem riding these rides with any more than a 10 - 15 minute wait (in late June or early July). Pirates and Haunted Mansion we usually hit in the morning before lunch.

And Buzz is never crowded.

You do go to the park at rope drop, right? My family usually makes it through all of Fantasyland plus Jungle Cruise, Pirates, and Haunted Mansion, all before lunch.

Yes, I presume rope drop for sure, which is by far a more important strategy than what to do about fastpass.... but I still want to think about how to get on the headliners in the evening without standing for 1 hour+ in a line....

Another thing I was thinking of would be to stay on one side of the park (if you have 2 days there) to reduce backtracking.... this I suppose is a more traditional touring plan, that you can get from a book... but going to get a Buzz FP for the evening if I am at POTC sounds like a drag....

I will continue to summarize the constructive ideas as they come in.


Ed

 

[mattsdragon]

Here's what is going to start happening on March 7th and afterwards. It is going to be more important to start thinking about your tour day, not necessarily plan down to the minute, but map out what you are going to be doing.

FantaxyLand attractions need to be hit early, and if you do, then you'll be alright. Maybe you get a FP for PP immediatly, his a few of the other attractions, because that FP will be ready early, and you'll be able to get another FP quicker. Then head either to tomorrow land or Adventureland, grab a FP for one of the SM's and ride the otter attractgions in that area.

THis is all just a quick synopsis. Like I have said, we never used FP's late, (not because we were adhering to some perceived "LAW", it just was how we toured) we just grabbed one when we were in one particular area and then orked around it.

It is very possible to use FP's within the window and not miss headliners. We have done it numerous times and never had any problems.

 

[maxiesmom]

Well, I guess this thread is in danger of devolving into the other thread... I see no point in discussing the merits/morality of how people are using the existing system... as I said, currently Disney enforces one policy and prints a different one. Soon the printing and policy will be very close.

Here is a summary of the ideas so far that will help us to (sorry if I missed any):

Ride headliners at night during busy season while not staying in the park all day...

1) Ride during the Parades and/or fireworks... SB lines should be shorter then
2) Ride just before park closing (which might include arriving later in the evening)
3) Find a Fastpass hero that is willing to stay in the park all day and collect FP's with evening return times
4) Get a smartphone app the gives the current return windows at the FP machines so you don't run all over the park for no reason....

These all seem like constructive ideas for those of us not wanting to stand in endless lines during busy season... any others??

Ed

You can also subscribe to a touring plan service. I've used them during peak seasons, and they are well worth the low cost. You get on a lot of rides with short waits followng the touring plans. They even advise you when to pick up Fast Passes for which rides.

 

[Canadian Disney Mom]

We have never used a Fast Pass outside of the return window on the ticket and have not had any issues getting on all of the rides we want. It doesn't look like the new rule will really affect our family.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

but I still want to think about how to get on the headliners in the evening

Why? Is it because you want the mid-day break? You think you can't hit enough of them in the morning?

 

[bookwormde]

The WDW fast pass technology is very old and crude. It would be a very simple technical matter to allow guests to select a time later than the earliest return time available, but it looks like WDW is going to run the current system until it dies from old age.

bookwormde

 

[Robo]

I'm a rule-follower.
I follow the rules.
Print me up a rule and I'll follow it.
I teach my kids to follow the rules.
We're a family of rule-followers.
Just tell me there's a rule, and I'm all about following it.
If you want to follow the rules, the rule is simple...
follow the rules.
That's the rule.

-Just following the rules.

 

[tanyaandallie]

Wow, as I suspected, a bunch of very annoying people have responded with answers that really help no one but make them feel so much better about their rule following.

We have always followed a similar plan as op, as recommended by many, and have had great success. Collect fp in the am, use them in the evening. Hitting rope drop we really didn't need them in the am because lines are short. So, the new policy will really just effect how we tour in the evening and really it will only effect us at MK because we don't really follow a similar pattern at the other parks. I will be interested to hear how things work out for others who followed a similar plan once the change goes into effect.

My guess is that if we plan to eat dinner at MK we will get a fp before dinner, eat dinner, get another fast pass, ride the 1st ride, then the 2nd? I just don't know for sure.

 

[tanyaandallie]

The WDW fast pass technology is very old and crude. It would be a very simple technical matter to allow guests to select a time later than the earliest return time available, but it looks like WDW is going to run the current system until it dies from old age.

bookwormde

I agree. It would be much easier if we could get a fp return time for later in the evening. I have not read much about the future system (xpass?) but am hoping it will be more like that.

 

[vacationclub]

The WDW fast pass technology is very old and crude. It would be a very simple technical matter to allow guests to select a time later than the earliest return time available, but it looks like WDW is going to run the current system until it dies from old age.

bookwormde

That "very old and crude" system works just fine. (it's actually not that old or crude...it's a great system). You're never going to completely eliminate long waits when you have a popular ride and a crowded park. FP still is a great way to get a jump on a line that you would other have to simply wait in....like people did before fast pass.

As far as a very simple technical matter....please explain. That would require some sort of screen or input device at each station so people could see what's available then tell the computer what they want, (thus taking much more time to print the ticket and causing long lines), and a database of already selected times to keep track of what people have already selected and printed. Sounds slightly more complicated than putting in your card and getting a ticket 2 seconds later.

As far running the system until it dies from old age, FP is one of the newer systems put in place by Disney, and has a long way to go before it dies.

 

[Jennasis]

I'm a rule-follower.
I follow the rules.
Print me up a rule and I'll follow it.
I teach my kids to follow the rules.
We're a family of rule-followers.
Just tell me there's a rule, and I'm all about following it.
If you want to follow the rules, the rule is simple...
follow the rules.
That's the rule.

-Just following the rules.

That's so beautiful. It inspired me to write this Haiku:

FastPass time is now
Must get in line for the ride
Can't come back later

 

[Robo]

That's so beautiful. It inspired me to write this Haiku:

FastPass time is now
Must get in line for the ride
Can't come back later

Roses are red
Violets are blue
I follow the rules
And that's my Haiku

-Burma Shave

 

[graceesmom]

To the OP --

We too used the same FP strategy as you for many trips -- RD afternoon Break, evening return. The family has been spoiled with returning in evening to ride all the headliners with little to no wait.

I am planning for our next trip to instead do mostly 3/4 park days then head back to the resort for swim, dinner, etc. So instead of leaving the park at noon or 1:00 and returning to park for dinner or after dinner, we are planning to stay in the park until around 3:00 or so to use our FP's in their window then do more dinners at the resort restaurants. If we return in the evening, it will be for parade, fireworks and to hit some of the low line attractions.

What will be interesting to watch is how the new rule affects FP return times. Maybe as a previous poster mentioned, the FP return will not get so far out on headliners like Soarin.

I am most concerned about my lunchtime ADR, specificially at CRT this trip. That ADR tends to run late, so we'll have to be careful about whether to grab a FP before we go to lunch.

 

[edolee]

I'm a rule-follower.
I follow the rules.
Print me up a rule and I'll follow it.
I teach my kids to follow the rules.
We're a family of rule-followers.
Just tell me there's a rule, and I'm all about following it.
If you want to follow the rules, the rule is simple...
follow the rules.
That's the rule.

-Just following the rules.

OK... I'll bite.

The rule for this thread is to come up with a creative idea for riding headliner rides at night during a busy week without having to wait long in line!

Ed