I know I'm late to the game...

[JimmyV]

Other times we were able to arrive well after RD, and still manage to see almost everything - or at least we used to do that.

I'm not really sure I am seeing your point. You used to be able to see everything, but now you can't. That would seem to support my earlier post. But your counteracting strategy is not to arrive at RD, but is to stay until the dark hours instead, such as 2:00 a.m.. OK. I'll concede that 10:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. can certainly be a viable alternative to getting a lot done at RD. But that isn't really a viable strategy for most people posting here. And there is a RD 365 days a year. How many times does the MK stay open until midnight or later? And there is a RD at Epcot, DHS and AK every day. How many days a year do those three parks stay open until "the dark hours"? It would seem that the 10:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. strategy is self-limiting at the MK, and almost impossible at any other park. But I agree, that if available, it works.

 

[powbob]

I don't get the whole spontaneity thing. What was so spontaneous about showing up at a random park, then going to a fastpass machine and having it spit out a predetermined time for you to return? You had to schedule everything around that hour window. At least now, if you plan early enough, you can pick the 3 things you really want, space them out, bunch them up, whatever you want. You can still be spontaneous with the rest of your time. On a quick day trip last year, I got the 3 of us fastpasses at 30 days out. We arrived at 6 pm after an afternoon at Blizzard Beach, used fastpasses for Splash Mtn, BTMRR, and 7DMT. We spontaneously went on the carpet ride, PotC, Haunted Mansion, IASW, Carousel, VotLM, Dumbo, Barnstormer, Teacups, speedway, People Mover, and Space Ranger Spin. On the way out, we caught the MSEP that started at park closing. If we had to wait in line for the rides we got passes for, we'd maybe been able to do half of what we did. There is no way under the old system that we would have gotten any passes at all arriving as late in the day as we did.

I don't think spontaneous means what you think it does.

 

[JimmyV]

I don't think spontaneous means what you think it does.

 

[Cormoran]

Sounds like a great title for a thread. Our expectations are generally lower, for our style of touring. To be fair though(can you tell I'm all about fair today )I can understand why for others it may be different .

Agreed, everyone has their own experience. That's why I only speak for myself, but that doesn't stop people from telling me I'm wrong, does it?

 

[Planogirl]

My point was to allow people to make up their own mind without throwing out a statement like, "you had better lower your expectations". That, in itself, has a negative connotation when someone has spent thousands of dollars on a vacation and in fact, does not apply to everyone. There are plenty of people that were concerned before making their trip but came back with a positive opinion of FP.

I am not saying that Disney, FP or anything else is above reproach but I think the best thing to do is to supply people with facts and let them make up their own mind based on their own experience.

I think that that concern did cause them to lower their expectations or at the very least be aware that there could be a few snags. I'm grateful to be forewarned because I know what could happen and if it doesn't then so much the better.

I still believe that the longer lines are likely due to FP+ and larger crowds and fewer attractions and who knows what else. It all makes sense IMO.

 

[Cyrano]

Debate away

 

[Cormoran]

Debate away

Okey dokey. Do you want to bet on the brown horse of the grey horse?

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I'm not really sure I am seeing your point. You used to be able to see everything, but now you can't. That would seem to support my earlier post. But your counteracting strategy is not to arrive at RD, but is to stay until the dark hours instead, such as 2:00 a.m.. OK. I'll concede that 10:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. can certainly be a viable alternative to getting a lot done at RD. But that isn't really a viable strategy for most people posting here. And there is a RD 365 days a year. How many times does the MK stay open until midnight or later? And there is a RD at Epcot, DHS and AK every day. How many days a year do those three parks stay open until "the dark hours"? It would seem that the 10:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. strategy is self-limiting at the MK, and almost impossible at any other park. But I agree, that if available, it works.

JimmyV, mostly I DO wholeheartedly agree with almost everything you've said in this thread. I was merely pointing out that the RD hour is useful, but not essential to effective tour plans.

Last park hours are an option for almost everyone. Naps and coffee work wonders. I've helped many friends see the light (er, dark) when they thought they could not manage to stay late. I say that part in jest, but just as every park has a RD, every park also has a last hour of the day. When I compare the two, the last hour is usually the less crowded of the two especially since the advent of FP+.

Epcot is open until 9pm every night, plus a PM EMH one night almost every week. Even June 20, the sun sets before 9pm. Otherwise they would push back Illuminations.

Most weeks, HS is open until 10pm at least one night. Though for us, HS is not a full day park. Our HS day is usually our swim afternoon, or we park hop.

The latest park hour (+EMH) option is not always midnight, but is nearly always a great hour to tour.