How to get better at stacking

[xipotec]

The Plan:

7:35am Ressie at GF
MK opens 9
Hit the parks after
5pm Ressie Citricos GF

So we probably will not be there right at rope drop, but close.

We plan on hitting Adventureland first, and use standby for our favorites, Potc and HM, maybe wait a bit for BTMRR.

I want to stack the rest for later that day. Of O start stacking at 7, my next stack is 11am? Well, when I tired last time, the return times were way too early, is this where modifications come in?

Any suggestions on how to qork backward? Park closes at 11pm, but I would like to stack for after dinner, say at 7 and then do most of fantasyland and tomorrowland.

Realistic or not?

 

[DavidNYC]

That's exactly what you do - once you make the reservation you can change it as much as you want without it affecting anything. I'd say start with the ones you know go fastest then just modify as needed until they hit the time you want. 2nd stack is 2 hours after park open which may or may not be 11. Really should be fairly easy to do at MK. Assuming you don't use any before evening, you can easily have 6 ready to go when you're there (and at end of evening there are still a number of rides where you can get nearly immediate ones for. (We did a 3 park day this past Sunday and did 25 rides . . . the ability to modify was a game changer. . .

 

[xipotec]

So is my math right? 6 LL by 7pm 5 by 5pm?
9
11
1
3
5
7

If I do 6 as my start time for using them, would there be any left to get that late?

 

[TikiRob]

That's exactly what you do - once you make the reservation you can change it as much as you want without it affecting anything. I'd say start with the ones you know go fastest then just modify as needed until they hit the time you want. 2nd stack is 2 hours after park open which may or may not be 11. Really should be fairly easy to do at MK. Assuming you don't use any before evening, you can easily have 6 ready to go when you're there (and at end of evening there are still a number of rides where you can get nearly immediate ones for. (We did a 3 park day this past Sunday and did 25 rides . . . the ability to modify was a game changer. . .

I've used G+ to stack on several trips, but the OP's concern of times being too early was always the challenge. Hollywood Studios actually worked well if you had the right order since they run out quicker than MK, but haven't been since November when you couldn't modify. The ability to modify could make stacking way easier!

 

[TikiRob]

So is my math right? 6 LL by 7pm 5 by 5pm?
9
11
1
3
5
7

If I do 6 as my start time for using them, would there be any left to get that late?

Depends on park open. If the park opens at 9am, you can make your first at 7am and then again 2 hours after park opens at 11am (for a stacked LL). If you don't use any and just stack, yes you'd theoretically have 5 at 5p and 6 by 7p.
If you really want to get into the details, you can check Thrill-data.com for a day that is comparable in crowds to when you are there.

You can get a general idea of what return times are usually available for each ride at certain points of the day. Example: https://www.thrill-data.com/waits/park/wdw/magic-kingdom/2023/01/24

 

[DavidNYC]

So is my math right? 6 LL by 7pm 5 by 5pm?
9
11
1
3
5
7

If I do 6 as my start time for using them, would there be any left to get that late?

At Magic Kingdom if you're not talking about a major holiday week there will be plenty left at 6-7 pm. Rides like Small World, Dumbo, Pirates, etc. often have some available up until not long before closing time. Really - just go on the app one night at 7pm and you can see exactly what times they're distributing. I also recommend the Thrill Data website which has charts every day of what time LL ran out for every ride and what the return times were all day. Really good at getting a feel for what is likely to run out first and what is likely to be left really late.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

The Plan:

7:35am Ressie at GF
MK opens 9
Hit the parks after
5pm Ressie Citricos GF

So we probably will not be there right at rope drop, but close.

We plan on hitting Adventureland first, and use standby for our favorites, Potc and HM, maybe wait a bit for BTMRR.

I want to stack the rest for later that day. Of O start stacking at 7, my next stack is 11am? Well, when I tired last time, the return times were way too early, is this where modifications come in?

Any suggestions on how to qork backward? Park closes at 11pm, but I would like to stack for after dinner, say at 7 and then do most of fantasyland and tomorrowland.

Realistic or not?

I don't understand why you'd bother booking G+, then work all day modifying them, while enduring standby waits all day. That seems like an odd choice.

I am inclined to say if you want to ride BTMRR in the am, then get a pass for BTMRR and use it to bypass the wait.

The time to stack them is when you need to work around meals and park hopping.

IMO, stacking all your passes for PM is not a great strategy. A lot can happen between 9am and 6pm, like: weather, ride closures, and just feeling tired. You run a very real risk of not being able to use the PM passes.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

At Magic Kingdom if you're not talking about a major holiday week there will be plenty left at 6-7 pm. Rides like Small World, Dumbo, Pirates, etc. often have some available up until not long before closing time. Really - just go on the app one night at 7pm and you can see exactly what times they're distributing. I also recommend the Thrill Data website which has charts every day of what time LL ran out for every ride and what the return times were all day. Really good at getting a feel for what is likely to run out first and what is likely to be left really late.

While there are passes available, the G+ passes are not always much of a benefit come 8pm. It depends on the weather how, crowded the park is, and other factors. In late December, a peak week, a number of our PM passes only saved us like 5min over the standby, but....

We also had to factor the amount of time it took us to walk between attractions. Later at night, it is sometimes (often) more efficient just to walk from attraction to attraction using the standbys rather than crisscrossing the park to use low-tier G+ passes.

Even over the last week of December, it wasn't always worthwhile to obtain some of the G+ passes that were offered.

The times posted in MDE are often inflated. If MDE says Dumbo is 20minutes at 9pm, it is probably walk-on. One night we got in line for 7DMT posted at 70, and it was only about 15-20min, and that is just one example of many. Watching MDE is only semi-helpful. In both the morning and PM MDE waits are often inflated. Mid-day waits tend to be more accurate.

Some G+ are worthwhile for any time. Space Mtn and Jungle Cruise G+ are almost always worthwhile. Pooh is usually worthwhile. LM is rarely worthwhile unless it happens to be storming.

When using G+, just as with FP, it isn't just quantity that matters, but also quality.

Keeping track of booking G+ at the prescribed times + making a small effort to modify the assigned times is time laborious enough.

 

[DavidNYC]

While there are passes available, the G+ passes are not always much of a benefit come 8pm. It depends on the weather how, crowded the park is, and other factors. In late December, a peak week, a number of our PM passes only saved us like 5min over the standby, but....

We also had to factor the amount of time it took us to walk between attractions. Later at night, it is sometimes (often) more efficient just to walk from attraction to attraction using the standbys rather than crisscrossing the park to use low-tier G+ passes.

Even over the last week of December, it wasn't always worthwhile to obtain some of the G+ passes that were offered.

The times posted in MDE are often inflated. If MDE says Dumbo is 20minutes at 9pm, it is probably walk-on. One night we got in line for 7DMT posted at 70, and it was only about 15-20min, and that is just one example of many. Watching MDE is only semi-helpful. In both the morning and PM MDE waits are often inflated. Mid-day waits tend to be more accurate.

Some G+ are worthwhile for any time. Space Mtn and Jungle Cruise G+ are almost always worthwhile. Pooh is usually worthwhile. LM is rarely worthwhile unless it happens to be storming.

When using G+, just as with FP, it isn't just quantity that matters, but also quality.

Keeping track of booking G+ at the prescribed times + making a small effort to modify the assigned times is time laborious enough.

Yes -but my point still stands that there is availability. And while sometimes it won't save you any time as standby lines go right to the merge point - we also had a number that did have 10-30 minute standby waits and if you save even 10-20 minutes a few times it adds up (and sometimes you can even with a little refreshing still find a FP for one of the more popular rides although presumably if OP stacks 5-6 before arriving those will already have been taken care of). MK was open until 11pm when we were there this past Sunday and from 6-10 pm we definitely saved ourselves over an hour using a few near immediate LL for rides which still had 10-30 minute waits.

 

[DavidNYC]

I don't understand why you'd bother booking G+, then work all day modifying them, while enduring standby waits all day. That seems like an odd choice.

I am inclined to say if you want to ride BTMRR in the am, then get a pass for BTMRR and use it to bypass the wait.

The time to stack them is when you need to work around meals and park hopping.

IMO, stacking all your passes for PM is not a great strategy. A lot can happen between 9am and 6pm, like: weather, ride closures, and just feeling tired. You run a very real risk of not being able to use the PM passes.

The way I read the post was that they were going to the park early - doing a few rides - and then going back after dinner. But if OP meant they'd be there all day - then I do agree that no reason to stack. You'd be better off using them mid-day to by-pass longer lines rather than stack after dinner when lines will be shorter in MK. OK to save some for later times for some of the rides that still have long waits at end of day - but definitely would use things like HM, Pirates, Buzz mid day when waits are long as end of evening you can walk on or have minimal waits. If you're in MK all day and try to just stack for evening, you're going to find that you're standing on a lot of long lines mid-day.

 

[xipotec]

The way I read the post was that they were going to the park early - doing a few rides - and then going back after dinner. But if OP meant they'd be there all day - then I do agree that no reason to stack. You'd be better off using them mid-day to by-pass longer lines rather than stack after dinner when lines will be shorter in MK. OK to save some for later times for some of the rides that still have long waits at end of day - but definitely would use things like HM, Pirates, Buzz mid day when waits are long as end of evening you can walk on or have minimal waits. If you're in MK all day and try to just stack for evening, you're going to find that you're standing on a lot of long lines mid-day.

Well, the general plan was, hit parks early very close to actual rope drop and ride some of our favorites in standby.

HM
POTC
BTMRR
Splash Mountain ( just kidding)
JC

Basically most of Adventure, Frontierland and Liberty Square (hence called “left side”)

Then we really wanted to do something we never do, enjoy Main Street, see some of the performers like Dapper Dans, do some chill shopping and snacking, with a few quick service light snacks…just till we get to dinner at Citricos at 5:00 (Probably need to tbink of leaving the park around 4:30.

Figure 2 hours for dinner to return to the park at 8pm. At this point , waiting on lines will be the last thing I want to do.

Wanted to get Space, Buzz land Seven dwarves lined up for that time. Maybe PP. The rest will probably have very low waits that time of day. We will probably skip the Parades and Fireworks, at least from the traditional veiwpoints.

The end the night back left side of the park, for another round at HM, BTMRR and POTC.

So hence the idea of later stacking. Not aure if this is plausible at all, or of indeed it is wise?

 

[DavidNYC]

Well, the general plan was, hit parks early very close to actual rope drop and ride some of our favorites in standby.

HM
POTC
BTMRR
Splash Mountain ( just kidding)
JC

Basically most of Adventure, Frontierland and Liberty Square (hence called “left side”)

Then we really wanted to do something we never do, enjoy Main Street, see some of the performers like Dapper Dans, do some chill shopping and snacking, with a few quick service light snacks…just till we get to dinner at Citricos at 5:00 (Probably need to tbink of leaving the park around 4:30.

Figure 2 hours for dinner to return to the park at 8pm. At this point , waiting on lines will be the last thing I want to do.

Wanted to get Space, Buzz land Seven dwarves lined up for that time. Maybe PP. The rest will probably have very low waits that time of day. We will probably skip the Parades and Fireworks, at least from the traditional veiwpoints.

The end the night back left side of the park, for another round at HM, BTMRR and POTC.

So hence the idea of later stacking. Not aure if this is plausible at all, or of indeed it is wise?

In that case - yeah go for it. 7DMT is a paid pass so you can get that at start of day but it doesn't count as a booking for Genie+ so you can get that and your first Genie+ at once. I'd say PP, Space and Jungle (and Big Thunder to do it again in evening) should be your priorities for early ones to book and then adjust as day goes on. (Buzz is actually fairly easy to get much later in the day.) After those 4, you should easily be able to get a couple more (HM/Pirates) a second time before you start and everything else you'll be able to get almost immediate return times for if they're not already walk ons at that point. When you get to the park - ideally you'll find a couple of those immediate ones you can use when you'll be in that area of the park already so you can then pull the last few of the LL over those last couple hours. We easily pull 4-5 LL in just the last couple hours. Biggest challenge is minimizing the walking!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Well, the general plan was, hit parks early very close to actual rope drop and ride some of our favorites in standby.

HM
POTC
BTMRR
Splash Mountain ( just kidding)
JC

Basically most of Adventure, Frontierland and Liberty Square (hence called “left side”)

Then we really wanted to do something we never do, enjoy Main Street, see some of the performers like Dapper Dans, do some chill shopping and snacking, with a few quick service light snacks…just till we get to dinner at Citricos at 5:00 (Probably need to tbink of leaving the park around 4:30.

Figure 2 hours for dinner to return to the park at 8pm. At this point , waiting on lines will be the last thing I want to do.

Wanted to get Space, Buzz land Seven dwarves lined up for that time. Maybe PP. The rest will probably have very low waits that time of day. We will probably skip the Parades and Fireworks, at least from the traditional veiwpoints.

The end the night back left side of the park, for another round at HM, BTMRR and POTC.

So hence the idea of later stacking. Not aure if this is plausible at all, or of indeed it is wise?

Depending how crowded it is, by the time you reach BTMRR, it could well be 40-60minutes. It tends to peak from mid-morning into evening, but after dark it goes down. People tend to not want to walk to the back corner of the park late at night.

Towards the end of the night, the wait tends to dwindle again. If it is cold, it will dwindle. There is a small rush of people that head to it just after the fireworks end, again depends how crowded MK is that day.

Keep in mind, posted PM wait times tend to be highly inaccurate and inflated.

PotC will probably also be a short wait late at night.

Just last month, late at night we walked on BTMRR. I would have ridden it multiples times in a row, but we decided to do 7DMT instead. (7DMT had about a 15min wait.) I am SO glad we did not pay $17 each to ride 7DMT, or whatever they were charging that day. Oh, and before BTMRR we also walked on pirates. And that was late December!

Dapper Dans is fun, but it can be a bit challenging to actually get to the front of the park in time to see them. Definitely worthwhile though!

We have been to pull a few somewhat worthwhile G+ into the evening at MK, like Pooh. but we tend to do attractions like Philamagic later in the day. A fun thing is they keep running Hall of Presidents right up until park close. One night we saw it just before park close and had the place to ourselves, or almost, two other people saw it with us. It was a bit of joke, because we had our pick of just about everything that night, and we chose HoP. Tomorrowland is the one area that tends to stay fairly busy until park close.

Passes for the teacups, Dumbo, Philarmagic and LM don't usually do anything, nor does Muppets.

I'd appreciate if you would post when you get back when you get back with an update of what happened.

 

[xipotec]

I'd appreciate if you would post when you get back when you get back with an update of what happened.

Yeah Will do! I am eager to see what can be done. Our waiting patience is very high in the AM and obviously tapers off as tge day progresses.

We are definetly taking the afternoon off from ride waits.

We still are looking for things to do in the afternoon thou? Probably will visit Mickey for sure!

 

[flipflopmom]

Depending on what “afternoon” time specifically, Main Street will get crowded at parade times. I've not enjoyed being in the masses on main st at that time, not as bad as fireworks but the sidewalks were crowded. May be a good time to be in the emporium and catch glimpses through the windows! Although, I find the shops across the street interesting and have unique offerings. If I were trying to avoid that, I’d probably try to take a trip around on the train-it’s been so long since it was in operation I’m very excited for this! I may be wrong, but I think I read Mickey is one of the earliest G+ to book out and can have fairly long waits, something to keep in mind.

If gets too crowded for you, I’d consider leaving earlier than anticipated and get on the monorail and do your shopping and snacking in the three resorts before dinner.

 

[slickpoetry]

I have a basic question about stacking (excuse me for hijacking the thread, as I am a novice to the system).

My question is, do you have to be checked into the park to do stacking? Or can you show up to the park at like 3 PM and have 4 LL reservations ready to go? (Booked at 7 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM from the comfort of my pool)

 

[Smugpugmug]

I have a basic question about stacking (excuse me for hijacking the thread, as I am a novice to the system).

My question is, do you have to be checked into the park to do stacking? Or can you show up to the park at like 3 PM and have 4 LL reservations ready to go? (Booked at 7 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM from the comfort of my pool)

You don't have to be in the park/have scanned into a park. You can stack LLs from anywhere. I did stacking for HS in May and I did it from the Kidani pool.

 

[slickpoetry]

thanks!

 

[xipotec]

Depending on what “afternoon” time specifically, Main Street will get crowded at parade times. I've not enjoyed being in the masses on main st at that time, not as bad as fireworks but the sidewalks were crowded. May be a good time to be in the emporium and catch glimpses through the windows! Although, I find the shops across the street interesting and have unique offerings. If I were trying to avoid that, I’d probably try to take a trip around on the train-it’s been so long since it was in operation I’m very excited for this! I may be wrong, but I think I read Mickey is one of the earliest G+ to book out and can have fairly long waits, something to keep in mind.

If gets too crowded for you, I’d consider leaving earlier than anticipated and get on the monorail and do your shopping and snacking in the three resorts before dinner.

Ah what a great thing to do during parade or firework…..The train!

We are definetly doing this.

 

[CarolynFH]

Ah what a great thing to do during parade or firework…..The train!

We are definetly doing this.

Riding during the parade is great! Unfortunately, the train usually closes before fireworks, because some fireworks shoot off behind the tracks. When we were there a couple of weeks ago, the train stopped running at 6 PM.