Lines: what to reasonably expect?

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

I'm hearing so many things about the long fastpass lines and long standby waits on formerly walk-on rides. What should I reasonably expect when I go? Every ride to have a wait over 30 minutes? Headliners impossible without FP? Or possible also at rope drop?

I know things change all the time, but any advice from those of you have been there, done that with the new changes would be appreciated.

We are going end of April, beg of May, average crowds (5). I have toured very well in average crowds in the past, but I don't really know how things are going to pan out this time, and I'm freaking out!

Thanks!

 

[JeremysDisney]

You can download My Disney Experience App and see for yourself. I have been observing the wait times everyday to help plan for our trip in a few weeks. Wait times vary a lot, but the popular attractions consistently have long wait times.

 

[redsbe]

I'm hearing so many things about the long fastpass lines and long standby waits on formerly walk-on rides. What should I reasonably expect when I go? Every ride to have a wait over 30 minutes? Headliners impossible without FP? Or possible also at rope drop?

I know things change all the time, but any advice from those of you have been there, done that with the new changes would be appreciated.

We are going end of April, beg of May, average crowds (5). I have toured very well in average crowds in the past, but I don't really know how things are going to pan out this time, and I'm freaking out!

Thanks!

I know there have been plenty of photos and discussions regarding long lines for FP+ entry but I have yet to see any postings or real data regarding FP+ wait times - I doubt they are much of an issue. I think crowds are from large number of people gathering at both the SB and FP+ entrances, confusion over SB versus FP+ and slower times for people to move through FP+ to get their MBs scanned.

But clearly using RD and then having 3 FP+ for major attractions for later in day is turning out to be a standard and effective park visiting strategy, even with lower crowds but essential for peak crowds. With that approach you be able to enjoy the headlines, perhaps even a few times for some of them, which appears to be increasingly difficult due to longer times later in the day, even with moderate crowd sizes.

 

[sethschroeder]

I know there have been plenty of photos and discussions regarding long lines for FP+ entry but I have yet to see any postings or real data regarding FP+ wait times - I doubt they are much of an issue. I think crowds are from large number of people gathering at both the SB and FP+ entrances, confusion over SB versus FP+ and slower times for people to move through FP+ to get their MBs scanned.

But clearly using RD and then having 3 FP+ for major attractions for later in day is turning out to be a standard and effective park visiting strategy, even with lower crowds but essential for peak crowds. With that approach you be able to enjoy the headlines, perhaps even a few times for some of them, which appears to be increasingly difficult due to longer times later in the day, even with moderate crowd sizes.

Gotta remember very soon you might start getting more FP+ after your first three are used....

 

[jen2207]

We just got home and I watched the wait times like a hawk before we went too. I managed my FP+ as best I could but knew we would have some line time. Now, I'm not going to profess myself as an expert, and maybe we just got lucky, but I found the posted wait times to be deceiving. For example:

Rockin Rollercoaster - posted 45min wait - actual wait - 15mins. This was at 9ish on Saturday morning 3/29 after EMH morning
Splash Mountain - posted 75min wait - actual wait - 35mins. This was about 2:45 on Sunday 3/30
BTMRR - posted 60min wait - actual wait 25mins. This was at 3:30 on Sunday 3/30
Laugh Factory - posted 20min wait - actual wait 5mins, just for the next show to start. This was yesterday at noon.
Ariel Grotto - posted 20mins, actual 8 - yesterday at 9:30a

We were there during two weekends of spring break. Yikes. But we're able to do everything we wanted. The longest wait we had was for our lunches at Crystal Palace and Coral Reef. Both times we waiting nearly 45mins to be seated and yes we had ADRs.

 

[jen2207]

Oh and we never waited when we used our FP. I'm not even sure what this complaint is. I understand it to be that once people were in the fast pass line then they had to wait??? We never had that. In fact, my 'NOT-educated-in-all-things-Disney' husband even commented that the fast pass line seemed faster this trip than previous. Just our casual observations.

As a side note though, we do tend to be early morning to 5-6p park goers. Not late night. So maybe that's when people have encountered fast pass lines??

 

[staceyrhood]

We were at MK last Thursday, it was packed! 75 min for Peter Pan at 10am, we walked right on with our fp+, same with the Pooh ride. We went to Epcot this Monday and had no wait with fp+, and Ride wait times were anywhere between 5-10 minutes for standby at 10am. By the time we left at about 2pm, it was much busier. If you go early, I imagine you will be just fine during that week have a fun and safe trip!

 

[2Tiggies]

We just got home and I watched the wait times like a hawk before we went too. I managed my FP+ as best I could but knew we would have some line time. Now, I'm not going to profess myself as an expert, and maybe we just got lucky, but I found the posted wait times to be deceiving. For example:

Rockin Rollercoaster - posted 45min wait - actual wait - 15mins. This was at 9ish on Saturday morning 3/29 after EMH morning
Splash Mountain - posted 75min wait - actual wait - 35mins. This was about 2:45 on Sunday 3/30
BTMRR - posted 60min wait - actual wait 25mins. This was at 3:30 on Sunday 3/30
Laugh Factory - posted 20min wait - actual wait 5mins, just for the next show to start. This was yesterday at noon.
Ariel Grotto - posted 20mins, actual 8 - yesterday at 9:30a

Yeah, I've been eagle-eyeing the wait times this week too and noticed that they seem to be posting longer waits than actual. This is quite normal from our pre PF+ experience but there were definitely some major issues for a while. I wonder if they are getting a handle on updating the times more regularly and/or more effectively now? I did notice when checking the Lines app earlier this month that actual and posted times had much longer waits for actual than posted and this was backed up by the times sent in by subscribers. Hopefully this is the light at the end of the tunnel. I have never put as much work into planning a trip as I have for this one and yet I feel less prepared than I did the first time we went

 

[JeremyGNJ]

I have never put as much work into planning a trip as I have for this one and yet I feel less prepared than I did the first time we went

...let it go...let it go

 

[2Tiggies]

...let it go...let it go

Wait, I hear music

 

[3Gsandme]

I would advise watching MDE, especially on days at parks that will be as crowded as your park day is predicted to be. It gave me a good idea of what the stated lines were so I was prepared.

We didn't experience any FP+ waits beyond the time it took to scan the bands. Oh, that's not true. We did for Space Mountain. I don't know what the issue was. It was really busy and we moved much more quickly than standby, but I think we did wait around 20 minutes to get on. Standby line was more than an hour long. Otherwise, it was quick and easy.

 

[KYDisneyDad]

Right now. , and it appears going forward in the immediate future, no amount of experience in the parks, touring strategy. , or research will help any of us . Disney is changing the rules of the game so rapidly and so often that what works one day will not work well at all a few weeks or even a week later. All this while expecting us to schedule our entire days plans and activities months in advance.
How much more of this does Disney think people will put up with before saying that it's just not worth the hassle and the value they end up getting from it??

 

[lizabu]

We went March 6-12 and the longest we waited was 20 minutes. By afternoon some headliners had 90 minute waits but we had already ridden them in the morning.

 

[KYDisneyDad]

We went March 6-12 and the longest we waited was 20 minutes. By afternoon some headliners had 90 minute waits but we had already ridden them in the morning.

This was our game plan for the fall, but sadly if what was announced today becomes a reality , then an early morning or rope drop strategy will be meaningless.

 

[2Tiggies]

This was our game plan for the fall, but sadly if what was announced today becomes a reality , then an early morning or rope drop strategy will be meaningless.

On the up side, you still have time to monitor the reports and see what works best for you.

Just to add: I am in no way dismissing your concern about rope drop as invalid. I have the same concern and really don't want to re-do my plans for our summer trip yet again but subject to upcoming feedback if this falls into place fairly soon, I might be left with no option.

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

This was our game plan for the fall, but sadly if what was announced today becomes a reality , then an early morning or rope drop strategy will be meaningless.

I'm not sure what you are referring to here? Offsite guests getting FP? Are you saying there will be people using FP at rope drop and upping wait times? Something else?

Thanks.

 

[jenninaustin]

I'm not sure what you are referring to here? Offsite guests getting FP? Are you saying there will be people using FP at rope drop and upping wait times? Something else?

Thanks.

I think the concern is that now that people might be able to book more FP+ after using their first three, they might stop trying to get afternoon FP+ and get earlier ones (so that they can start on their 4th, 5th(?) FP+ earlier in the day).

If that happens, the early morning SB lines will slow down b/c of more people getting 9 a.m. FP+ spots.

Am I accurately stating the concern?

 

[minmate]

We did RD yesterday (4/2) at DSH, hopped to Epcot around 11-6, then back to DSH through the 10 pm Fantasmic!

We spent less time in lines yesterday than many other Disney Days! At DSH, we did sacrifice going on TSM for 2 rides in RNR and 2 rides on TOT at RD bc our youngest was finally tall enough to ride RNR.

We picked FPs for Epcot between 1:30-5. The only one that ended up really benefiting us was Soarin' as pretty much the rest of the rides there had a 20 minute or less wait.

It was a crowd level 6 or 7, I believe. So, I don't think you'll have to worry too much. I think rope drop is always going to be advantageous to some degree bc some people just can't or don't want to make early mornings as part of their vacations, regardless of the incentive. Likewise for later evenings.

Idk how people will behave with the new changes. Personally, I wouldn't use FPs for morning even if you get more afterward (depending on what we learn about selection availability) because I would fear wasting my FPs during walk on time and getting stuck with nothing later in the day. Have to wait and see how that plays out.

 

[BrianL]

Idk how people will behave with the new changes. Personally, I wouldn't use FPs for morning even if you get more afterward (depending on what we learn about selection availability) because I would fear wasting my FPs during walk on time and getting stuck with nothing later in the day. Have to wait and see how that plays out.

I agree. Why get FP's for times when you don't need them? I've always been a Rope Dropper, and really I never used but 3 or 4 FPs a day on the old system. I don't see the volume of morning FP users going up THAT much. It'll still be better than any time in the afternoon/evening.

 

[lizabu]

I don't think the FP change will change anything about RD. People either want to get up early or not. If they are not early risers they aren't going to suddenly schedule early morning FP