My FP+ success story ..

[MrInfinity]

Take HS for example since that is where you said you were able to accomplish a lot in May.

But I spent several days in HS over the course of Thanksgiving week and the week after. I'm no novice when it comes to touring, but there is not much you can do when the posted waits at all attractions in the park you are at are no less than 30 minutes.

30 MINUTES? REALLY? That bothers you? So on one of the busiest weeks of the year at the busiest theme park in the world you're saying you were finding 30 min waits and that bothers you? Man. A) if that bothers you stop going on the busiest week of the year. If that is not feasible, then deal w it, it's a busy-as-heck week. B) 30 min is dang awesome for such a day. When I go to Six Flags, there is no ride I'll wait for less than 30 min for. C) even at 30 min, in a 14 hour day, you could ride 28 rides! Where the heck is 3 and done when you could ride 28 rides? Even at an hour per you could ride probly 15.

We would park hop out of there but that isn't an option for everyone.

Ok, maybe stop park hopping. Park hopping wastes a lot of time. Easily 2 hours. 4 rides at 30 min or 2 rides at 60 min.

Should we have arrived at rope drop?

If getting on headliners multiple times is important to you, then yes, this is something to consider.

So if they take advantage of RD at HS for an hour or so of advantage, what are they then faced with? What do they do for the rest of the day? My point was they will be standing in lines.

What are you expecting. Thanksgiving week at the busiest park in the world in the middle of the day you think you're going to find walk-ons to the headliners? Really?

This site is all about finding ways to beat the crowds not be there on the worst day at the worst time and use none of the tips out here.

Maybe this is just your expectations. If you want to go on such a week, you should prioritize your goals. What is important to you? Is it rides? Relaxing? Is it worth it to you to get up earlier to get on more? Are you willing to just do a few but go from 10-2 and then hop out? I mean seriously if you sleep in, and then hop out by afternoon, what time are you actually there?

10-2 only? That is barely enough time to use your 3 FP+'s and do a few other things. What else are you hoping to get done given you're arriving late and leaving early on a super busy day. Read some of the advice. If you want to get on lots, there are ways. If you want to do more between 10 and 2 and hop out, then pink better weeks like Feb, or become a movie star, or buy Disney World.

 

[Laketravis]

Fuzzy, my reference to 30 minutes was the minimum. As in "no less than", like I said - "no less than 30 minutes". Like TGMR. Obviously the headliners were much more like 60-90-120. But I certainly didn't want to be accused of exaggerating.

30 MINUTES? REALLY? That bothers you?

 

[Laketravis]

What are you expecting. Thanksgiving week at the busiest park in the world in the middle of the day you think you're going to find walk-ons to the headliners? Really?

So let me get this straight - are you telling me that once I used up my three FP's, I should have known that all that was left were long lines?

 

[MrInfinity]

Sounds like I need to hook you up with DisneyKidds, who claims to have breezed thru all the SB lines last week during NYE week at the busiest parks in the world. Because I believe now you are saying that simply isn't possible:

Why do you put words in my mouth? I agree with DK that it totally is possible. I went on a SWW day... not as busy as NYE, but pretty darn close. And I got a boatload of rides in, plus a big breakfast, both shows, and so on.

However, I don't understand your game plan. You said you don't hit rope drop, and you hop out to a second park. So if you're there from 10-2 on such a busy day what are you seriously expecting?

Yes you can breeze thru the parks. Yes it takes utilizing FP+ plus all other resources... the busier the week, the more thought you'll have to give to assessing just what you want to get done. On a holiday week, you can go from 10-2, use your 3 FPs, have lunch, ride a 4th ride and hop out (which isn't a bad 4 hours all things considered!) but if you want to ride more, you have to give more time than just the 4 mid-morning busiest hours.

Maybe you use rope drop. Or maybe you stay late. Or maybe you head to rides when everyone else heads to the Osborne Lights. Or something. You're basically saying you want to put in no effort at all, show up at 10, leave by 2, and get on rides via walk-on on a holiday week, mid-day. You would *not* have been able to do this under FP-. Period. This is not a system fault, it is all about touring smart.

 

[wisblue]

There are long lines in the middle of the day at WDW on New Year's Eve Day?

I am floored.

 

[MrInfinity]

So let me get this straight - are you telling me that once I used up my three FP's, I should have known that all that was left were long lines?

If you use your FP's 10-11, 11-12, and 12-1, on the busiest week of the year, yes, the parks will be busy and Rockin Roller Coster will have a posted wait of 60, 75, 90, or more. This is no surprise. If your point is this, then great! If your reason for being out here is to find ways to not find hour waits at 1pm on the busiest day of the year, then go that route and look for what you can improve in how you tour to skate around those 90-min wait times.

Isn't the whole point of being out here on the Dis in the TP Rides & Strategy to figure out ways to beat these crowds? If you deliberately wish to script a scenario in which you use no such tools and be there midday on the busiest day of the year, yes you will be among some of the biggest, longest lines of any park anywhere.

I don't do that. I improvise. I come out here, and pull from the awesome breadth of information available, and using basic common sense strategies that apply to (your local park) (your local museum) (your school when you pick up kids at schools-out time) and so on, you figure out ways to avoid the crowds.

So what is your point. If you go at 1pm on Thanksgiving lines will be long?

 

[Laketravis]

So what is your point. If you go at 1pm on Thanksgiving lines will be long?

Fuzzy, my point was that this entire debate ensued because I previously made a comment that once the 3 FP's were used, all that was left were long lines. And I was beaten up for making a "false and inaccurate" statement.

Now, several posts later you are telling me that after using my FP's, I should have known all that would be left were long lines.

I thought you'd catch the irony. Apparently Wis didn't either.

 

[Laketravis]

Wis, following your logic you should own up and apologize for this inaccurate and misleading statement:

So, anyone who wants to see both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley and ride the Hogwarts Express now has to either buy a one day 2 park ticket at a price of over $130 or a multiple day 2 park ticket.

 

[MrInfinity]

Fuzzy, my point was that this entire debate ensued because I previously made a comment that once the 3 FP's were used, all that was left were long lines. And I was beaten up for making a "false and inaccurate" statement.

Now, several posts later you are telling me that after using my FP's, I should have known all that would be left were long lines.

Travis I do not beat you up. However I know that every park in America will have long lines on the TG holiday weekend. I pick holiday weeks to visit family cuz the last thing I want to do on these weeks is be at (Disney World) (Six Flags) (Local Childrens Museum) -- NONE of them appeal to me on a holiday weekend. So I stay away.

Yes. On a holiday weekend between 10 and 2, once you use your 3 FP+'s, you will find nothing but long lines. BUT... this is purely per the choice of week, choice of times, and touring strategy and has nothing to do with FP+, for you would have had the same non-success under FP- using the same strategy... and the things you describe have nothing to do with FP+ and everything to do with choosing to visit a park on a day when you are destined to not enjoy it because you expect low crowds but visit on the busiest days of the year, then state you will not go early, or late, and you want to come in mid morning and expect to have short lines.

That is all on you man. I don't know what else to say. I put a lot of thought into our vacations and I make them successful by picking days in Sep or May, which are mid-crowd weeks, (I don't want to go on a holiday or in the summer, but I don't want to do Feb either)... but then I make some tough calls like pulling the fam out of bed early to get to the parks, or we'll stay later, or something.

All I've gotten from you in this thread is you want to go 10-2 and have walk-ons to rides at WDW on a holiday week while utilizing none of the strategies people are chomping at the bit to share with you out here on the Dis.

 

[wisblue]

Wis, following your logic you should own up and apologize for this inaccurate and misleading statement:

I will own up and apologize if you can point out what is inaccurate about it.

When I visited US in August, you could not ride the Hogwarts Express without showing that you had a 2 park ticket. And, since Hogsmeade is in IOA and Diagon Alley is in US you can't see both in one day without a 2 park ticket. A 1 day 2 park ticket at US at that time cost over $130.

 

[Laketravis]

All I've gotten from you in this thread is you want to go 10-2 and have walk-ons to rides at WDW on a holiday week while utilizing none of the strategies people are chomping at the bit to share with you out here on the Dis.

Entirely not true and rather insulting to suggest that I have naive expectations of going to a park for 4 hours mid day and walk on everything on a holiday week without utilizing any strategy.

I've been going to WDW since it opened. I've been suggesting viable strategies to first timers for years. I know when to go and when not to go, what to ride and when to ride it. I DON'T expect to be able to walk into any of the parks at any time of any day and be able to walk onto anything, much less the headliner attractions. And that is exactly what my posts have been about, that such expectations ARE NOT reasonable.

So........... I take it you agree?

 

[Laketravis]

So, anyone who wants to see both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley and ride the Hogwarts Express now has to either buy a one day 2 park ticket at a price of over $130 or a multiple day 2 park ticket.

An AP can be had for as little as $215 and provides a year's worth of access to both parks as well as the Hogwarts Express.

 

[SmithSmith]

An AP can be had for as little as $215 and provides a year's worth of access to both parks as well as the Hogwarts Express.

Because $215 is less than $130?

 

[wisblue]

Fuzzy, my point was that this entire debate ensued because I previously made a comment that once the 3 FP's were used, all that was left were long lines. And I was beaten up for making a "false and inaccurate" statement.

Now, several posts later you are telling me that after using my FP's, I should have known all that would be left were long lines.

I thought you'd catch the irony. Apparently Wis didn't either.

You really should have quit while you were behind.

Your original statement was:

"If you are okay with three attractions per day and having to wait in long lines for everything else, then you'll probably see value in it."

You did not say anything about "after your FPs were used".

But, if what you really meant to say was "If you arrive at a park at 11 AM on New Year's Eve Day (or any of the busiest days of the year) and use your 3 FP's you will have to wait in long lines for everything else" then I would have no argument with you.

 

[MrInfinity]

Entirely not true and rather insulting to suggest that I have naive expectations of going to a park for 4 hours mid day and walk on everything on a holiday week without utilizing any strategy.

I've been going to WDW since it opened. I've been suggesting viable strategies to first timers for years. I know when to go and when not to go, what to ride and when to ride it. I DON'T expect to be able to walk into any of the parks at any time of any day and be able to walk onto anything, much less the headliner attractions. And that is exactly what my posts have been about, that such expectations ARE NOT reasonable.

So........... I take it you agree?

I agree that if you go 10-2 on a holiday weekend, lines will be long!

However I strongly disagree with your assertions about "3 and done" as in one can expect to get on 3 things via FP+ and wait an hour at all other times, thus there is no point in going for other than your 3 FP+ rides. For while that may be the case during these ultra-busy times if you go from 10-2, with a little forethought, minimal planning, and some common sense, one can get a WAY WAY WAY more than that done. People talk about it all the time. I can get my family on way more than that, on a busy weekend specialty day. I can ride the headliners multiple times, each time with shorter than the stated 90-min waits.

expect to be able to walk into any of the parks at any time of any day and be able to walk onto anything, much less the headliner attractions

Sorry, but I haven't seen anyone "expect" this, but you.

You said yourself the parks are 3-and-done. You self-proclaim that you don't rope drop. You said yourself that you hop to another park later. Using your rather ineffective strategies, I would expect you to get on very little other than your 3 FP+, and that's more than you'd get on than if you were subject to FP- doing the same plan.

 

[wisblue]

An AP can be had for as little as $215 and provides a year's worth of access to both parks as well as the Hogwarts Express.

An AP IS a form of multi day ticket AND it costs more than $130. I also think that the AP that can be had for as little as $215 is for Florida residents only and has blockout dates.

 

[SmithSmith]

An AP IS a form of multi day ticket AND it costs more than $130. I also think that the AP that can be had for as little as $215 is for Florida residents only and has blockout dates.

It has blackout dates, but the Florida resident is cheaper.

But you're right about everything else!

 

[wisblue]

It has blackout dates, but the Florida resident is cheaper.

But you're right about everything else!

I just checked the US site, and the Florida resident AP has a regular price of $214.99 plus tax, but they currently have a special that offers it for $189.99 plus tax. But, still more than $130.

 

[Laketravis]

An AP IS a form of multi day ticket AND it costs more than $130. I also think that the AP that can be had for as little as $215 is for Florida residents only and has blockout dates.

Details, Wis. Details.

You accused me of making a misleading statement because I neglected to include a specific word or two. My point is you were attempting to negatively portray a business strategy by indicating it required one of two seemingly limited and expensive choices.

Had you added the words "or an annual pass for a full year of access to both", to include what may be deemed by others as an attractive option, your statement would have been correct.

As you pointed out to me, a poorly worded comment can constitute inaccurate and misleading information.

 

[Laketravis]

For what it's worth, if you click on "Non-Florida Resident Annual Passes" in the upper right, it shows $214.99 for out of state annual power pass as well.