Just Back--Critical Planning When Parks Are Packed!

[jstehman]

FastPass planning is critical. If you want to see as many of the FP rides as possible, you need to have a "runner". The runner takes all the passes of your group and gets FPs for everyone (the earlier in the day the better). There is a misconception that you may have only one FP at a time --NOT TRUE. On the bottom of the FP ticket it tells you when you can get your next FP. Sometimes this is 2 hours... other times it can be immediately!

If your FP says return between 4:30 and 5:30, it doesn't mean you have to. You can go any time after 4:30... even 10:00 or 11:00.

So if you plan it correctly, you can see 6 or more FP attractions in one day.

Be careful of park hopping! If you get to a park too late in the day... all the FPs may have already been distributed.

Also, for late extra magic hours, they use FP for the extra hours.

The Wishes fireworks at the MK is a must-see.

3/27 thru 3/31 were the largest crowds I have ever seen. However, on 4/1 MK in the PM was very empty.

 

[jenjersnap]

Thanx for the info. I have a question about FP since FP machines have generally been unavailable during my low season trips - I know you can see your return time before you get the FP, but you will have no idea if the time until you can get another FP is 2 hours or immediately or whatever increment is being used at that time? Is that correct? Is 2 hours the longest time I can expect to see? TIA!

 

[rabyoga]

I totally agree with the "Park Runner". It helps with waiting in lines. (Even if the lines aren't too long.) I was our family's "Runner" last year. It was great. My daughter and hubby would wait in line for one ride and I got our FP for another. And/or when they were waiting for shows to start, I got some snacks..
I did so much Running, I actually lost a few pounds during our vacation.

 

[seashoreCM]

- I know you can see your return time before you get the FP, but you will have no idea if the time until you can get another FP is 2 hours or immediately or whatever increment is being used at that time? Is that correct? Is 2 hours the longest time I can expect to see?

Two hours and five minutes has been the longest time between fast passes.

If the return time is sooner, the next fast pass time will be sooner, five minutes after the return time to be exact.

Occasionally if a particular ride has a return time not too far off, you may succeed in getting a fast pass for that ride before the time for doing so printed on a previously obtained fast pass for a different ride. Success is not predictable. Also in this case the time for getting the third fast pass as printed on the second fast pass will not be sooner than the time for doing so shown on the first fast pass.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/fastpass.htm

 

[TimothyG]

Have the FP's changed at all in the past 5 years? It has been so long since I've seen one in my hand (apart in 2002 or 2003 when I went to DL), but those aren't WDW FPs (almost the same though). I don't remember that feature about telling when another can be retrieved. I know that the machine tells you but other than that, thats it. I guess because the FP system was being "tested." Only the biggest E-ticket rides had them.

 

[Schmeck]

You cannot always use a FP after the time has expired - it's up to the CM at the ride, the number of people waiting in the FP line, etc.

 

[nluvwithmickey]

Will be our 3rd simmer trip in JUly and me and my DBIL have always been assigned as FP runners,and this has always worked very well for us. We get to the park early and make a dash for a fp then as soo as the time comes for another fp we dash again.... We even had 3 at a time last summer...(while getting a FP for an Epcot attraction, it gave out a "SURPRISE" FP for honey I shrunk the audience....

I will be the runner again this year...I'm a little TOO organised to let someone else except DBIL do this, plus we know our way around the park pretty well. It makes a big difference when the parks are busy...That and getting there early.

 

[moopdog]

My question is... if all of the FP are used for the day by a certain time of day, then doesn't that mean that soooo many people are using the FP system that THAT is also crowded/long waits. What do the lines look like for FP. The one time I did it (in early 2000) I walked up to the machine and got the ticket immediately - no line. Has that changed or what?

 

[Gymbomom]

My experience was the CM WOULD NOT let people use expired fast pass tickets if they were busy. For reasons stated above. I would not rely on this at all.

 

[TomD]

My experience was the CM WOULD NOT let people use expired fast pass tickets if they were busy. For reasons stated above. I would not rely on this at all.

during the week of Xmas I never was at the FP line on time. Usually 3-5hrs later and we never had a problem using our FP. Maybe we got lucky

 

[jstehman]

You cannot always use a FP after the time has expired - it's up to the CM at the ride, the number of people waiting in the FP line, etc.

I did it all week in all parks...

 

[jstehman]

You're on most rides within 5 min.

 

[FromVatoDisney]

What happens when you are the runner and the rest of your family is in line for a ride? What is the etiquette... can you get in line with them, or have you missed your chance for that ride because you were the runner?

Thanks!

 

[jswalker1981]

What happens when you are the runner and the rest of your family is in line for a ride? What is the etiquette... can you get in line with them, or have you missed your chance for that ride because you were the runner?

Thanks!

I was wondering the same thing. The key to FP is to figure out what to do during the two hours you have to wait till your next fast pass. Like if you are in frontierland, nab a FP for either Splash or Thunder Mountain, check out Tom Sawyer Island, jump on POTC, and if the wait is short, hit Haunted Mansion.

 

[msudawgs30]

My touring plans for each park/day incorporate a mix of FP for this... kill time by riding this, this and that... then using FP's and getting FP's for another then killing more time the same way. I guess it's mixing FP's (big ticket rides) with several not so "hot" rides in between.

My last few visits we killed ALOT of time just standing around overwhelmed and in standby lines. I'm determined not to do this again .

 

[Princess Wannabe]

What happens when you are the runner and the rest of your family is in line for a ride? What is the etiquette... can you get in line with them, or have you missed your chance for that ride because you were the runner?

Thanks!

LOL...I was wondering this myself. There had been a previous thread (about 6-8 weeks ago) on this same board, addressing whether it was okay to have someone in your family "hold" your place in line...whatever the reason...and the consensus seemed to be that it was NOT okay to do this.... So, I'm curious to know how people feel about holding a place in one line while your DH, DW, or whomever, "ran" over and got FP's at another machine....

 

[tjmw2727]

My experience was the CM WOULD NOT let people use expired fast pass tickets if they were busy. For reasons stated above. I would not rely on this at all.

This was my experience as well, if you happen to miss your window then no harm in trying to ride. I would not use this as a strategy however, especially if its a "must ride" for you or your family, you may be dissapointed.

TJ

 

[EEyorelover22]

FP running at AK is a lot of running!! It's a long haul from Bug's Life to Dino. It was our second to last day though...maybe I was just tired!!

 

[ScottOKW2K]

Two hours and five minutes has been the longest time between fast passes.

If the return time is sooner, the next fast pass time will be sooner, five minutes after the return time to be exact.

Occasionally if a particular ride has a return time not too far off, you may succeed in getting a fast pass for that ride before the time for doing so printed on a previously obtained fast pass for a different ride. Success is not predictable. Also in this case the time for getting the third fast pass as printed on the second fast pass will not be sooner than the time for doing so shown on the first fast pass.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/fastpass.htm

Actually it's two hours, not two hours and 5 minutes. Even though the FP states that you have to wait for 5 minutes after the present FP becomes active (unless a sooner time is printed on the FP ) I have always found that you could get a new FP as soon as the FP return time on the FP was active. I did this numerous times on our last trip (last Christmas). This matches what the FP system has always done, and not what the present FP states.

 

[ScottOKW2K]

You cannot always use a FP after the time has expired - it's up to the CM at the ride, the number of people waiting in the FP line, etc.

I have used Fastpasses after the time has expired, many times. You are correct in stating that it is up to the CM. Once we got FP's for Pooh that were about 4+ hours out. What did we do ? Went to Blizzard Beach ! We swam for a few hours and then came back to the parks , cool and refreshed. We arrived just after the hour window, and the CM was nice enough to let us ride.

BTW , I can tell you from experience that the CM's look at the times on the FP's, but not the dates. I have used FPs from previous trips that were months old. The times are printed in LARGE letters, the dates in small. Keep those old fastpasses.