More for Less: A Theme Park Planning Strategy

[Hokie2000]

I'm curious as well. While the plan is to make maximum use of time in the park with three FP's and anything in proximity that might have short SB lines, I might swing by a kiosk each day just to see what's still available. On the days were we are hitting USO in the mornings and WDW in the evenings, it will be interesting to see what's left at the kiosks.

That will be interesting. When we went to the kiosk at night at MK we were determined to get the Barnstormer for my daughter - so we didn't pay any attention to what else was available!

 

[grimley1968]

I don't recommend the following as a way to save money, but thought it was funny nonetheless:

A couple nights ago I had a dream we were at WDW. I was upset at how much we had spent and was frustrated at FP+, Maelstrom being gone, etc. We were in a gift shop and I saw something that intrigued me. It was a package of bacon with Walt's photo on it, with a label declaring the bacon to be from before Walt's death. The best part of it was that it looked like enough food to feed my whole family and it was dirt cheap (and pretty much dirt as well). I was so desirous of saving money on food that I asked my wife if 49 year old bacon would hurt us.

That is one weird dream, but I think it exaggeratedly illustrates my anxiety about out October trip to WDW. LT: stay away from 49 year old bacon.

 

[Laketravis]

LT: stay away from 49 year old bacon.

LOL! I'll certainly heed your advice.

 

[Laketravis]

I originally had an FP for 7DMT our first night because I wanted to test availability at the 30 day mark. But since we're really not interested in 7DMT and wanted to free it up for someone else since those FP's are no longer available, I just tried to change our FP's around for the first night.

So instead of:

Haunted Mansion: 8p-9p (this is our sacrificial FP if we don't get to it in time)
7DMT: 9p-10p
Space Mountain: 10p-11p

I managed to change it around to:

BTMR: 8p-9P (this is our sacrificial FP if we don't get to it in time)
HM: 9P - 10P
SM: 10p-11p

It took several iterations to get the times like that but eventually it started to give me options at the top of the hour. I wanted to keep them in that order to preserve the clockwise park rotation.

Just checked and our flight has been update with a later arrival time (8:03p versus the original 7:50p) so even heading straight to MK and getting to BTMR by 9p doesn't look like it's possible now. But we should be good for the other two, Wishes and the 11p parade.


.

 

[soniam]

It took several iterations to get the times like that but eventually it started to give me options at the top of the hour. I wanted to keep them in that order to preserve the clockwise park rotation.

I know what mean about trying to get a time. I didn't realize that the Frozen Sing-Along was still going on this month, and DS developed and obsession with it around Xmas. So, I had TSMM, ST, and LMA FP+ for our DHS morning. ST and LMA really aren't very necessary, so I decided to replace one of those. I knew that there was a 12:35 show for Frozen, and at one point it actually let me get it. But I started dorking around with stuff trying to an LMA too, not realizing that maybe I need reading glasses and they overlap by 5 minutes. Well I lost the 12:35 show and couldn't get it back. I don't remember what magic incantation I did, but I finally was able to get it back. I have never had so many problems getting an specific FP+ time. I think the shows really mess the system up.

 

[jade1]

The hours get much later next week, so hoping it doesn't get too crazy for you.

Had the AM off so I grabbed TSM at 1AM this am for 10AM, had 2 others but mostly wanted to see about a 4th-got RNR at 11:30 but TSM was SB, so did get both TSM and RNR FP+ today. TOT was under scheduled maintenance but 1/2 open.

Hit MK tonight and everything was available as a 5th except 7DMT at 7PM. No wait for most things though-just crazy how quiet it is compared to when we normally go.

Oh and when I entered DHS at a bit after 9AM-a couple asked for help so they followed me to RNR Kiosks and selected TSM and TOT-could have selected RNR as well. So same day avail for TSM at least first thing today.

Good luck.

 

[jade1]

Oh and did SB this AM for Frozen sing a long-that is actually very entertaining and well worth waiting for the first show anyway, just a hoot the actors-not sure it even filled, but she said it would the rest of the day.

 

[Cyrano]

Somebody sent for housekeeping.