Need Advice on FP Usage at Epcot

[matt1979]

Will be at Epcot on Friday 2/10 with wife and 3 sons (5, 8, 11). Having second thoughts about our strategy that day, as it has us burning a couple FPs early in the day when may not really be needed just so we can earn the extra FP earlier in the afternoon to use on Soarin'. Does that make sense for a strategy? Or am I potentially unnecessarily burning FPs? Soarin' is the top pick for my wife and I...but we were going to put it off until the afternoon so we could be sure to get in our sons' top picks (Mission Space, TT, & Nemo & Friends). Below is what I was originally planning...note we are pretty much locked into that Frozen FP in the afternoon (and our lunch reservation). But wondering if the rest of the strategy should be reworked to make better use of the other FPs.

9:00 - Test Track, Mission Space (Green)
9:45-10:00 - Nemo & Friends (FP)
10:00-10:30 - Spaceship Earth (FP)
10:45-11:30 - Disney/Pixar Short Films
12:00 - Lunch Reservation (Tappan Edo in Japan)
2:00 - Frozen Ever After (FP)
3:00 - Turtle Talk w/ Crush, Journey into the Imagination
4:00 - Soarin' (w/ Extra FP), Living with the Land
5:00 - Innoventions, Circle of Life, Dinner

 

[Robo]

9:00 - Test Track, Mission Space (Green)
A. 9:45-10:00 - Nemo & Friends (FP)
B. 10:00-10:30 - Spaceship Earth (FP)
10:45-11:30 - Disney/Pixar Short Films
12:00 - Lunch Reservation (Tappan Edo in Japan)
C. 2:00 - Frozen Ever After (FP)
3:00 - Turtle Talk w/ Crush, Journey into the Imagination
D. 4:00 - Soarin' (w/ Extra FP), Living with the Land
5:00 - Innoventions, Circle of Life, Dinner

A. No FP needed. Period.
B. No FP needed. (If it happens to be busy, ride in the afternoon.)
C. FP, necessary.
D. Good luck getting that as a 4th FP.

 

[hiroMYhero]

If you book Tier 2s at 9:00a and 10:00 and book FEA at 11:00a, you'll be able to try for another Tier 1 as soon as you pass FEA's FP touchpoint.

 

[matt1979]

This wasn't helpful...as I alluded to the fact that I realize we likely using FPs where they may not be needed just to be sure we earn an additional one for Soarin'. I've also read booking an afternoon Soarin FP that day shouldn't be an issue as long as we are flexible on time...which we are. So you are suggesting same day FPs for Soarin' are hard to come by? Do you have any suggestions for how to improve my current plan?

 

[matt1979]

If you book Tier 2s at 9:00a and 10:00 and book FEA at 11:00a, you'll be able to try for another Tier 1 as soon as you pass FEA's FP touchpoint.

That's what I've tried to do, but unless I get lucky that 1:25-2:25 FP for Frozen is set in stone. If we don't earn that extra FP until 2 or so, is it going to be difficult to book Soarin that afternoon/eve? I had read that shouldn't be be an issue, but first response in the thread is suggesting otherwise.

 

[Wish Upon A Starbucks]

I would keep the FEA Fastpass as is. Get to Epcot at least half hour before opening. Ride test track then immediately head to soarin. Ride those without Fastpass as early as you can. Then you can switch the nemo FP to a later mission space FP. I would also keep the SSE FP. Sometimes that does get a line. I wouldn't take a chance of trying to get the fourth FP for soarin. Seems risky and if you don't get it you will then have a long wait. I've not had great luck with getting soarin as a fourth FP and the soarin line doesn't usually build too quickly in the morning. That's my two cents.

 

[hiroMYhero]

A lot of posters recommend:
Rope drop Soarin
Single Rider Test Track

Is your 5 year old tall enough for TT?

And, I have tickets that sit in my MDE and for tonight, FPs are still available for Soarin' at 7:30p. There's always the possibility of cancellations day of.

 

[Wish Upon A Starbucks]

A lot of posters recommend:
Rope drop Soarin
Single Rider Test Track

Is your 5 year old tall enough for TT?

And, I have tickets that sit in my MDE and for tonight, FPs are still available for Soarin' at 7:30p. There's always the possibility of cancellations day of.

I'm surprised. I just checked for a party of four and there is no soarin left today and even for tomorrow the earliest is 8pm. I guess cancellations are always possible but I wouldn't risk it.

 

[hiroMYhero]

I'm surprised. I just checked for a party of four and there is no soarin left today and even for tomorrow the earliest is 8pm. I guess cancellations are always possible but I wouldn't risk it.

I agree. I think your strategy is best if they can't do Single Rider because of the 5 year old.

 

[Wish Upon A Starbucks]

One more recommendation, you should plan to do Pixar shorts and journey into imagination at the same time. And do nemo and crush together. Epcot is huge so this will cut out some unnecessary walking.

 

[ISUamanda]

I'll be there the same day with my husband and 3 sons (5, 7, 10)! We're needing to do 2 Tier 1 FPs as well - but we need Test Track & Soarin' and will likely not be there for Rope Drop, so we'll be gambling on getting the 4th FP (Soarin' - TT was a bigger priority for our boys, so we decided to guarantee that for them).

I found this helpful when thinking about 4th+ FP: http://blog.touringplans.com/2015/05/06/fastpass-plus-availability/

Touring Plans has 2/10 as a Crowd Level 5, so they estimate same day FPs for Soarin' will be gone by noon.

 

[matt1979]

So more likely to secure late day TT FPs than Soarin'? If so then we'll plan on doing Soarin first then use the extra FP for TT. Will also consider swapping a couple other things to cut back on walking. should I worry about burning those 2 FPs early or using them on something else? Thanks for the input!

 

[hiroMYhero]

For tomorrow for a Party of 5, TT is still available for the 7:00p range of times. It's hard to say if you'll be able to get TT as your 4th FP.

You may want to plan for Soarin and TT at rope drop. It doesn't matter if you burn your Tier 2 FPs especially because you're hoping for a 2nd Tier 1 as soon as you can possibly book your 4th FP.

 

[recmouse]

We're going in March and I had to pick my FP's on January 1st. I picked Soarin over FEA. It's just my husband and I but we haven't experienced the new Soarin' or FEA. Our last FP ends at 11:50am. Am I silly to think there will be a FEA FP available after that? Should we run to Soarin' and just get a FP for FEA?

TIA

 

[hiroMYhero]

We're going in March and I had to pick my FP's on January 1st. I picked Soarin over FEA. It's just my husband and I but we haven't experienced the new Soarin' or FEA. Our last FP ends at 11:50am. Am I silly to think there will be a FEA FP available after that? Should we run to Soarin' and just get a FP for FEA?

TIA

If you can switch and pick up FEA now, Soarin' at rope drop is a better strategy rather than FEA at rope drop.

Soarin' has 3 screens so the line moves a little faster.

 

[ISUamanda]

We're going in March and I had to pick my FP's on January 1st. I picked Soarin over FEA. It's just my husband and I but we haven't experienced the new Soarin' or FEA. Our last FP ends at 11:50am. Am I silly to think there will be a FEA FP available after that? Should we run to Soarin' and just get a FP for FEA?

TIA

Get the FEA FP if you can - it doesn't usually have day-of FP, where Soarin' does (although RD is better plan)

 

[recmouse]

If you can switch and pick up FEA now, Soarin' at rope drop is a better strategy rather than FEA at rope drop.

Soarin' has 3 screens so the line moves a little faster.

Ok - I was able to change it. Glad I did as the first FEA FP available was 2:50pm. Thanks for the help!

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

I'll be there the same day with my husband and 3 sons (5, 7, 10)! We're needing to do 2 Tier 1 FPs as well - but we need Test Track & Soarin' and will likely not be there for Rope Drop, so we'll be gambling on getting the 4th FP (Soarin' - TT was a bigger priority for our boys, so we decided to guarantee that for them).

I found this helpful when thinking about 4th+ FP: http://blog.touringplans.com/2015/05/06/fastpass-plus-availability/

Touring Plans has 2/10 as a Crowd Level 5, so they estimate same day FPs for Soarin' will be gone by noon.

Just beware that the page you linked was posted in May of 2015 when you had to go to a kiosk to get a 4th. The use of phones to get an additional FP has likely changed these numbers quite a bit.