June 13, 2015: FP+ and the 25 ride day...

[ziravan]

Using the FP+ System, recommended touring strategies, and our own secrets, my daughter rode the following rides this past Saturday, June 13 (all of these rides followed the rules as currently implemented):

1. RnR 9:31
2. RnR 9:50
3. ToT 10:10
4. Tot 10:40
5. Star Tours 11:10
6. Star Tours 11:35
7. Spaceship Earth 1:00
8. Test Track 1:50
9. Mission Space Orange 2:15
10. Soarin' 3:55
11. Dinosaur 5:10
12. Expedition Everest 5:30

Break - Tusker House for Dinner, Swim at Poly Volcano Pool, Dole Whip, Poly Pearl @ Trader Sam's, and Wishes from 3rd floor Poly Lakeview Balcony.....

13. 7DMT 22:55
14. 7DMT 23:15
15. 7DMT 23:25
16. SM 23:45
17. SM 00:01
18. SM 00:20
19. Buzz Lightyear Star Command 00:30
20. Tomorrowland Speedway 00:51
21. Mad Tea Party 01:00
22. Carousel 01:12
23. HM 01:23
24. BTMRR 01:43
25. BTMRR 01:55

Do we like FP+?

Yes, we do.

 

[ziravan]

Our actual FPs for that day were 7DMT 10-11 PM and SM 11-12PM. We didn't use the 3rd FP issued that day, which was HM 9-10PM.

 

[Angel Ariel]

I'm confused...were the 10-11 SDMT and the SM 11-12p the only FP+ used that day?

 

[ziravan]

I used more, but within the rules of the system. We have a 2 yr old, so we collected ride swaps throughout the week, and used several of them on our 4 park day. Also, the rideswaps allowed my DD7 to ride twice when the adults rode once, each.

But, we also more or less rope dropped DHS and closed Magic Kingdom.

And we did stand in a few lines. Over an hour for Soarin', for example.

My point is that there are ways to take advantage of the new system just as there were with the old. I like the new system because I've learned many of its weak points and I don't have to run around the park to take advantage.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Ah, OK, thanks for clarifying Yeah, if we'd had that kind of day with the new system we'd feel similarly

 

[Lucius Best]

And we did stand in a few lines. Over an hour for Soarin', for example.

My point is that there are ways to take advantage of the new system just as there were with the old. I like the new system because I've learned many of its weak points and I don't have to run around the park to take advantage.

An impressive number of rides, but achieved with child swap? So you only used FP+ at MK? Given how short the lines appear to be late in the evening at MK, you might have been better off using your 3 FP+ at Epcot. Personally I'd rather run around the park all day to FP kiosks (old or new) than spend over an hour in line for Soarin'.

 

[AllieBoo]

I love Fastpass + too!

 

[ziravan]

An impressive number of rides, but achieved with child swap? So you only used FP+ at MK? Given how short the lines appear to be late in the evening at MK, you might have been better off using your 3 FP+ at Epcot. Personally I'd rather run around the park all day to FP kiosks (old or new) than spend over an hour in line for Soarin'.

Rideswap is part of the current FP+ system. Plus we worked on hitting the right parks in order. I did get delayed at DHS gate because the resort CM deactivated my band and that delayed our rope drop. Still, RnR was only a 20 min wait because of time of day. Several of the MK EMH rides were walk on.

Soarin' was a mistake. We shouldn't have waited in that line. We were trying to hit most of the marquee rides. We missed TSMM and Splash Mountain as well, although we only missed Splash by 2 minutes.

So. We were over invested on hitting the signature ride when we should have been pushing on.

In retrospect, we could have missed Soarin' as well and had more time at DAK.

 

[subtchr]

Sounds like a fun day, but to me it seems it is not FP+ you like, but rider swap. So someone without a baby or toddler could not have done what you did.

Not complaining -- as you say, you used the system as intended -- but I think it is worth pointing that out.

Could you go back to your original list and let us know which rides you used rider swap? Thanks.

 

[ziravan]

Sounds like a fun day, but to me it seems it is not FP+ you like, but rider swap. So someone without a baby or toddler could not have done what you did.

Not complaining -- as you say, you used the system as intended -- but I think it is worth pointing that out.

Could you go back to your original list and let us know which rides you used rider swap? Thanks.

Ride swap helped but we also had 4 hours of downtime that could have been devoted to rides.

In the middle of summer, we had a pretty amazing ride day. Thread after thread says that you can't do that with FP+.

I disagree.

 

[Kebby]

Ride swap has no time limit? Hi can use it anytime later on in a week? Or any time that day?

 

[mom2rtk]

So glad you had an amazing ride day. We would have enjoyed that.

I used more, but within the rules of the system. We have a 2 yr old, so we collected ride swaps throughout the week, and used several of them on our 4 park day. Also, the rideswaps allowed my DD7 to ride twice when the adults rode once, each.

But, we also more or less rope dropped DHS and closed Magic Kingdom.

And we did stand in a few lines. Over an hour for Soarin', for example.

My point is that there are ways to take advantage of the new system just as there were with the old. I like the new system because I've learned many of its weak points and I don't have to run around the park to take advantage.

But I didn't need a small child (eligible for rider swap) to maximize rides under the old system.

And you mention "weak points" (plural) but only mention one. I'm curious what else were you referring to?

Ride swap helped but we also had 4 hours of downtime that could have been devoted to rides.

In the middle of summer, we had a pretty amazing ride day. Thread after thread says that you can't do that with FP+.

I disagree.

Honestly though, if you had continued touring through the heat of that 4 hour afternoon, would you have been able to maximize late hours in the MK like you did?

Still, I'm glad you had a great time.

 

[ArwenMarie]

You can't do what you did with FP+ unless you have a small child who can't ride. Maybe you should change your title to "Rider Swap and the 25 Ride Day."

 

[ziravan]

Ride swap has no time limit? Hi can use it anytime later on in a week? Or any time that day?

Typically the ride swaps tickets are good for up to three people through the end of the month.

The rideswaps we collected all had Jun 30 expirations on them.

 

[mom2rtk]

I've talked for a long time about starting a baby rental business in Orlando. I need to get cracking on it.

OP, I'm glad rider swap worked so well to help you have a great day. I'm not sure why you chose to put "FP+" in your title though instead of "rider swap".

 

[Lucius Best]

You can't do what you did with FP+ unless you have a small child who can't ride. Maybe you should change your title to "Rider Swap and the 25 Ride Day."

Either way, I'm definitely going to have to find a 2yo somewhere (craigslist, ebay?) to bring along on our next trip. But now that I think about it, if you stockpile rider swap tickets, and save them for one monster day where you hit 4 parks, that means you are getting fewer rides on the other days earlier in the week.

 

[Mickey&Mouse]

We used to love using rider swap for the older kids to repeat some rides, but now our youngest (DS6) is tall enough to ride everything. Sounds like you got a lot out of rider swap as well!

 

[mom2rtk]

Either way, I'm definitely going to have to find a 2yo somewhere (craigslist, ebay?) to bring along on our next trip. But now that I think about it, if you stockpile rider swap tickets, and save them for one monster day where you hit 4 parks, that means you are getting fewer rides on the other days earlier in the week.

Just make sure the 2 year old comes with a return policy. That's the beauty of the rental business I'm putting together.

 

[PEC]

I may be wrong but I think you are saying you can still do tons of stuff with FP+. I myself (though only MK) did over 25 attractions in one day hitting all the major ones including 7DMT and BTMR twice. I think I enjoyed FP+ a little more than FP- but that is a personal opinion and definitely not worth blog fighting over. And no there was no child swap. It was DW, DDs14 (twins) and DGD7. DW and DGD didn't do as much but they got a nap, left early and relaxed a little more. 14 year old can push hard through the park to the point that you better be in decent shape to keep up with them.

 

[ziravan]

Ride swap is a feature of FP+. They didn't accumulate from thin air, but from the FPs we had booked each day of the week.

We always used FP in conjunction with a park strategy (rope drop, close the park) and so we rode 7-8 rides each day with almost no waits.

We waited 70 minutes for Soarin' (and we had FP'd that earlier in the week). After that, our longest wait was 20 min. In June.

We also took my DW's family. I booked and organized FPs for 17 people and they all got to ride each headliner at least once.

I've never been in June before. We homeschool and go off season. With 9 kids going, we had to go when school was out. I was very worried about crowds and lines.

The crowds were certainly there. With FP+ and by going at strategic times, the lines were inconsequential.

Rideswap might have been part of that, but it's the FP+ system that made it possible.

I'm a fan.