I'm guilty of using the "Bad Fastpass strategy" according to Mousehacking

[Nick6300]

Mousehacking came out with this long article on FP strategies: https://www.mousehacking.com/blog/disney-world-fastpass-strategy. And we do this:


The reasons we do this is that we always RD, and tap 1st FP close to 10:15am. This avoids having to move up 2nd FP, because it already started. We attempt to move 3rd after tapping at 2nd, but typically can't. For most of the premium attractions like FoP, SDD, 7D, it's busy at 10:15. Usually, I spend time debating whether to stick with this when park hopping. Mousehacking, and everyone else usually recommends picking 3 in the 2nd park. For us, it depends on the parks involved. If we're going to EP first, and we try not to, we're likely going to pick 3 in 2nd park. And until Feb, it's tempting to put HS in the same bucket as EP, with their crappy tier 2's. But if we're going to AK 1st, it's difficult to pass up a FoP FP.

Mousehacking recommends that you pick FPs from 10-4, and gave an example of booking 10am, 11:15 and 12:15. When using the 1st at 10, move your (3rd FP) 12:15 to 10:05, which is still ahead of your 11:15 (originally your 2nd FP).

It seems like that wouldn't readily work during the busy seasons and depending on certain attractions. For instance, say you were able to have 7D at 10am, Pan at 11:15, and Space at 12:15. You'd try to place your most movable FP in the back, if trying to move it up. Unless it was in the value season, and even then, I don't see how you'd easily move 12:15 Space to 10:05-10:15 without a lot of luck.

Has anyone adopted this strategy with success?

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

As a party of six, we had ZERO luck trying to move FPs or pick up fourth FPs Jan 1-8. The only one we got was the completely silly useless one of Philharmagic. (Actually, I did enjoy sitting third row center for that.) So, those of you with parties of 5+ might want to keep that in mind when reading people's strategies and recs for dealing with FPs day of.
Before we cancelled a FP at Epcot because we had to get back to DHS for RotR (which then broke down three times, so we cancelled for nothing), we asked if we could just use our FP "now," 90 minutes early. CM gave a firm no and told us to change it in MDE, which of course I had already tried. So, I showed her right there on my phone how there were no FPs at all available that day for anything at Epcot except Turtle Talk. Anyone who gets on a real ride by snagging a day of FP (whether by adjusting a FP they already have or getting a 4+ FP) has hit a minor jackpot.

So book what you can when you can. These strategy tips seem to assume a lot more availability than I saw 60+8 days out right at 7am. (And frankly, seem to be written by single travelers or couples, not people looking for a group.) I did my best to just get the rides we really wanted. If you get that, consider your plan a success.

 

[skippytx]

Do whatever works for you. We have our own system. We shoot for FP+ at roughly 11, 12 and 1PM, when the parks are busiest. We take a mid day break from around 2ish to 5ish, then hit another park at night.

 

[Nick6300]

As a party of six, we had ZERO luck trying to move FPs or pick up fourth FPs Jan 1-8. The only one we got was the completely silly useless one of Philharmagic. (Actually, I did enjoy sitting third row center for that.) So, those of you with parties of 5+ might want to keep that in mind when reading people's strategies and recs for dealing with FPs day of.
Before we cancelled a FP at Epcot because we had to get back to DHS for RotR (which then broke down three times, so we cancelled for nothing), we asked if we could just use our FP "now," 90 minutes early. CM gave a firm no and told us to change it in MDE, which of course I had already tried. So, I showed her right there on my phone how there were no FPs at all available that day for anything at Epcot except Turtle Talk. Anyone who gets on a real ride by snagging a day of FP (whether by adjusting a FP they already have or getting a 4+ FP) has hit a minor jackpot.

So book what you can when you can. These strategy tips seem to assume a lot more availability than I saw 60+8 days out right at 7am. (And frankly, seem to be written by single travelers or couples, not people looking for a group.) I did my best to just get the rides we really wanted. If you get that, consider your plan a success.

Thanks for your post. Yes, I'd think many of the bloggers are single or 2 riders, in developing these recommendations, but would hope they would keep all of their readers in mind. Group size definitely factors. One of the recs from Mousehacking in that article was to divide a group of 7 into 4 and 3 and of course don't pick FPs for grandma who won't want to ride Space Mt. to help with availability. We're typically 2-4, and able to get good same day FPs on non busy days but not in a desired window of 15-30min, in the am, in order to justify the gap strategy for your first set of 3.

 

[loves to dive]

Yep, stick with whatever works for you. No right way or wrong way. We don't even book them until day of, usually while riding the bus to the park or standing in line for our first ride and we only book one at that time and only within a hour of the current time. We don't like to be tied down. This doesn't work for most people but does for us.

 

[Nick6300]

Do whatever works for you. We have our own system. We shoot for FP+ at roughly 11, 12 and 1PM, when the parks are busiest. We take a mid day break from around 2ish to 5ish, then hit another park at night.

good pt. especially if you're intending on taking a break mid-day, instead of aiming for the quickest path to 4th FP like us, that makes sense.

 

[CastAStone]

The reasons we do this is that we always RD, and tap 1st FP close to 10:15am. This avoids having to move up 2nd FP, because it already started. We attempt to move 3rd after tapping at 2nd, but typically can't. For most of the premium attractions like FoP, SDD, 7D, it's busy at 10:15.

Your strategy is unarguably smarter than Mousehackers for 3 of the 4 parks. Getting to 4th FP availability early is make-or-break at DHS at this moment, and is usually the difference between getting a 2nd Tier 1 at Epcot and not getting one. At MK you can often start rolling FPs after you run our your first 3, especially with a smaller party. Only at Animal Kingdom would I hear their advice as something useful, and I would still disagree.

 

[Nick6300]

Yep, stick with whatever works for you. No right way or wrong way. We don't even book them until day of, usually while riding the bus to the park or standing in line for our first ride and we only book one at that time and only within a hour of the current time. We don't like to be tied down. This doesn't work for most people but does for us.

local APs? I was helping a co-worker on her 1st ever trip, and they didn't have any FP picked the month of, staying onsite. Probably not the most common way, but it wasn't a big priority

 

[gharter]

Agree, do what works for you and your group. FPs for 2 is much easier than FP for 6 or more.
We try and get the first FP about 90 minutes after the park opens and then hourly after that

 

[loves to dive]

local APs? I was helping a co-worker on her 1st ever trip, and they didn't have any FP picked the month of, staying onsite. Probably not the most common way, but it wasn't a big priority

Nope, we just go at least once a year and don't like being tied down to plans. Frankly, I rarely book a room further out than 60 days, most of the time 30 days. I usually don't buy tickets until close to time to go either unless there is a huge discount being offered, I usually buy them from Parksavers or Undercover Tourist.

 

[skippytx]

good pt. especially if you're intending on taking a break mid-day, instead of aiming for the quickest path to 4th FP like us, that makes sense.

We tend to visit at busier times, so the 4th FP+ for us is always something like Buzz, Star Tours, stuff like that so we don't stress about it too much. It's rare to grab a top attraction FP+ same day for us. It happens, but we don't plan for it.

 

[Nick6300]

Nope, we just go at least once a year and don't like being tied down to plans. Frankly, I rarely book a room further out than 60 days, most of the time 30 days. I usually don't buy tickets until close to time to go either unless there is a huge discount being offered, I usually buy them from Parksavers or Undercover Tourist.

So for our Sept trip, I compared undercover tourist with Disney's 4 day, 1 park per day (with the add on option), and also the newer Sams Club travel site. And the Sams Club was a little over $20 savings at every ticket length vs. UT. And while we don't normally book rooms from 3rd party sites. Many of the Orbitz Travelocity variety are doing the same sales as Disney's discounted offers, but had some availability that Disney was out of, and also has 15% off codes with app. They had $129+tax, before 15% off for peferred for Allstars and $145+tax, before discount for Pop. $187 for Swan/Dolphin but resort fees too. I think with the corona virus and the plummeting oil prices, I'm going to wait a while on airfare. But the hotel can be canceled for free.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

I don't agree. I've seen this 'pick a later time for your 3rd and move it before your 2nd' advice around the interwebs for a couple years and can't figure out any way in which that would help you. If you can move up your 3rd, you can move up your second instead and it's easier to move them if you don't have another FP blocking out certain earlier times. If you can't move up your third, you're stuck with something much later and might have to pick a lesser ride. If you pre=book them, stacked as early as possible, and work on moving them up (which never works for us other than the throw away Tier 2s at Epcot, for what it's worth), you'll be better off.

 

[Gussie Granger 1969]

Sometimes I use this strategy (booking fastpasses early). I have a child with ASD and we need to get in and out of the park as quickly as possible. Also, I avoid zigzagging, that to me, is more wasted time. I try to stay in one area of the park at a time, hitting all the rides my family wants to do, using a fastpass is sometimes necessary at the end of the first hour of park opening.

 

[Unca’ Donald]

Back in May, I tried his strategy of moving my 3rd FP up ahead of my 2nd after tapping in for the 1st. The 3rd FP was Space Mountain and I was unsuccessful in getting a better time.

I tried again in June with Haunted Mansion as my 3rd and had no trouble moving it up ahead of my 2nd. I definitely would not attempt this strategy again with anything that isn’t relatively easy to acquire as a 4th FP.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I make FPs 9-11 so I can roll them. I’m sure that’s “bad strategy” but whatevs. I like refreshing

 

[Gehrig1B]

We book 10, 11, 12... Rope Drop headliners from opening until 11... Ride FP1 at 11:10, FP2 immediately after, and FP3 at 11:55. All 3 done in 45-50 minutes and no need to modify anything. Go for more after that then get out of Dodge while the park is getting crowded. Head back to a park at about 5:00. Average 8+ FPs a day that way.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

I sleep till 9. Get 10,11,12 fast passes and just fast pass every single ride after that. Never wait on normal lines

Granted this is super easy with 2 people. Families is the issue where it gets tough. Or more then that amount

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Some days I do an AM park, midday break at the pool and then a PM park with FP+. It’s probably FP blasphemy but it works for us. Quality over quantity.

When we pick FP+ depends on which parks we’re doing that day. If I’m RDing MK but going to DHS in the evening I’m using FP+ at DHS.

If I’m doing AK at RD and hopping to MK later I’ll do FP+ at AK since MK has many more rides that’ll have availability in the evening.

 

[Thecouch]

You don't have to chase a 4th fastpass early a lot of the time if you rope drop. Besides the best ride in the park the first couple hours wait times are like fastpass wait times. That's why they say don't put the fastpasses at Park opening