Our 4th FP+ of the day...

[wisblue]

I would be skeptical too except I waited in it. I slacked off one morning and got to the park about 9:10 instead of before rope drop. I only had FP+ b/c I was at Pop and had scheduled FP+ in the afternoon. That line was all of 30 mins when I got there ~9:30.

OK, I believe you. Can I also assume that that was not an EMH day?

 

[wisblue]

THIS report, looks extremely promising for commando users.

They were essentially able to STACK FP+s. Using 2 within the same 1hour period.

This is something I will be trying to do in particular.

At this point, I am most interested in learning the rules and mechanics of the latest changes. For example, if you are able to get a FP with a return time of 2:00-3:00, are you able to get your next one at 2:00, whether or not you have actually used the first one? I think that's what you are referring to as stacking.If so, this would make it that much more like the paper FP system.

I would also like to know how difficult it is to see a variety of available FP options to help you decide what to pick. Obviously, it would be nice to be able to see a list of attractions with available times to speed up the selection process. If the system doesn't do that now, maybe that feature can still be added.

While the availability of specific attractions at certain times is always interesting, that information will, of course, always be fluid based on overall crowds and is likely to change as more and more guests become aware of how the system works. I would suspect that right now there is a pretty small percentage of park guests who even know about the availability of additional FPs.

I would also be interested in any observations you might have about waits at kiosks, apparent changes in posted standby wait times, how accurate those posted wait times are (if you are willing to wait in any standby lines), and how long the FP+ waits are both to get past the first scanner and to get to the boarding area.

Have a good trip. If she wasn't coming here for a visit for Mother's Day weekend, I think I would be going down to visit my daughter so I could try some of this out for myself.

BTW, if you want to let us know which days you will be in which parks, I could make a point of tracking posted wait times on MDE those days to layer that on to your observations about FP availability.

 

[mom2rtk]

Have a great trip!!!! And break it!!

We're counting on it!

Absolutely!

Have a great trip, Shaden!

 

[Planogirl]

I just checked the wait app and the parks look very quiet this week. I'm curious to see how these 4th and later fastpasses work when the parks are busy. I do like what I see so far though!

 

[mom2rtk]

The only thing that concerns me about that report Shaden, is the fact that they literally booked them 5 minutes before they could use them. That would lead me to believe they could have just rode standby with the same result. Had those selections been Space at 30 minutes out and Splash 30 minutes afterward I would be all over it.

Bingo. I still want to know what the standby waits were when they booked them 5 minutes out.

 

[jade1]

Bingo. I still want to know what the standby waits were when they booked them 5 minutes out.

Yea if they were 10 minutes pretty pointless.

Hoping Shaden can somehow grab some pics of the kiosk display. Not sure how much info is on one screen, but nice to see for example Space is 4 hours away but BTMRR is 2 hours away, and Pirates is 20 minutes away (and a 30 min current wait or something).

Do you grab Pirates (if you want it of course) and hope #5 is BTMRR in 2 hours again?

Or do you grab Space, and see if you can move it up to 45 min?

OR NO MATTER WHAT do you just grab the soonest "acceptable" and try to manipulate to anything you want/when on the app?

I'm thinking you just need to hit the kiosk-grab anything-which in effect "transfers" a 4th FP+ to your app.

Good Luck Shaden-it is nice to have an honest expert giving it a whirl, and willing to take away vacation time for the greater good.

Obviously the slow time will make it look as good as possible, but heck a lot of folks want to know how the slow times are working as well.

 

[poohj80]

Thanks to everyone posting about their FP+ experiences this week. One thing I haven't seen posted is where are the FP+ kiosks in each park? Are they shown on the park maps?

Thanks!

 

[jenninaustin]

Thanks to everyone posting about their FP+ experiences this week. One thing I haven't seen posted is where are the FP+ kiosks in each park? Are they shown on the park maps?

Thanks!

Josh just recently added those Kiosks to his great maps on his site - easywdw.com

 

[practicallyperfect77]

OK, I believe you. Can I also assume that that was not an EMH day?

It was not EMH. It was Sun after thanksgiving but I am almost certain Josh had this as a 4. MK was most recommended.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

It was not EMH. It was Sun after thanksgiving but I am almost certain Josh had this as a 4. MK was most recommended.

On Friday of last week I arrived at PP at 9:15 and rode SB with a wait of less that 10 minutes - MK was a 6 that day on TP and the parks were a 7 on easywdw. Each day is a little different. I have no idea how the push for early FP+ reservations so extra FP+ can be gathered will impact this. I will find out the week of 5/12, when I will be back down for a couple of days.

PP is always in my first few rides of the day so I don't have to use a FP for it. It is a must ride for me, so I just get in the SB line and take whatever comes, but the lines have generally been very reasonable for me so long as I got there within 30 minutes of park opening.

 

[poohj80]

Josh just recently added those Kiosks to his great maps on his site - easywdw.com

Thanks!

 

[Shaden]

Yea if they were 10 minutes pretty pointless.

Hoping Shaden can somehow grab some pics of the kiosk display. Not sure how much info is on one screen, but nice to see for example Space is 4 hours away but BTMRR is 2 hours away, and Pirates is 20 minutes away (and a 30 min current wait or something).

Do you grab Pirates (if you want it of course) and hope #5 is BTMRR in 2 hours again?

Or do you grab Space, and see if you can move it up to 45 min?

OR NO MATTER WHAT do you just grab the soonest "acceptable" and try to manipulate to anything you want/when on the app?

I'm thinking you just need to hit the kiosk-grab anything-which in effect "transfers" a 4th FP+ to your app.

Good Luck Shaden-it is nice to have an honest expert giving it a whirl, and willing to take away vacation time for the greater good.

Obviously the slow time will make it look as good as possible, but heck a lot of folks want to know how the slow times are working as well.

Great Idea on those pics Jade, I will do so !

 

[jade1]

PP is always in my first few rides of the day so I don't have to use a FP for it. It is a must ride for me, so I just get in the SB line and take whatever comes, but the lines have generally been very reasonable for me so long as I got there within 30 minutes of park opening.

It's a good early am ride-not too hard on the stomach, gets over quickly, yet gets busy fast.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

Great Idea on those pics Jade, I will do so !

You Rock Shaden! Will you be posting here in the strategy board or somewhere else. I'm also very interested in seeing your experience.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

On Friday of last week I arrived at PP at 9:15 and rode SB with a wait of less that 10 minutes - MK was a 6 that day on TP and the parks were a 7 on easywdw. Each day is a little different. I have no idea how the push for early FP+ reservations so extra FP+ can be gathered will impact this. I will find out the week of 5/12, when I will be back down for a couple of days.

PP is always in my first few rides of the day so I don't have to use a FP for it. It is a must ride for me, so I just get in the SB line and take whatever comes, but the lines have generally been very reasonable for me so long as I got there within 30 minutes of park opening.

ITA it will depend on the day. Wisblue had asked for 3 rides that it might be worth burning FP+ early on and I can see PP being one. Yes you can ride right at RD with minimal wait but if there is a chance you'll miss RD by half an hour I would use FP+ and not wait in a 30 min line.

 

[jade1]

Great Idea on those pics Jade, I will do so !

You are becoming the new Josh.

 

[Shaden]

You are becoming the new Josh.

Not even close, but I will do my best to add some data into the fray.

 

[famy27]

One reason people might get in a standby line even though FP return time is not far out is that they are already holding a FP for something else and aren't eligible to get another one.

True. And this is why I am really thinking that I will move most of my FP+s up. I don't care how much time I "save," I only care how much time I spend.

Those individuals in line at PotC at 2:15 when SB is 30 minutes (all made up) can't get another FP+, even though one is available right now, because they have FP+s for BTMRR at 3:00. So, they spend 30 minutes at PotC so they can save 60 minutes at BTMRR. I'd prefer to skip both of those SB lines entirely.

Now, I do RD once per trip (if even). We are normally in the parks within an hour of open. I actually dislike waiting in line to get into a park to wait in more lines, so even if I am awake, I'm not at RD.

So, my goal is to ride these rides in one day with minimal wait: Space, Splash, BTMRR, PP, WtP, Barnstormer, Buzz, Speedway, PotC, JC, and maybe HM. I'm sure there are others we'll throw in.

If I use Space, BTMRR, and PP at 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00, I might be able go get Buzz for 11:15. Then, as soon as I ride that, I'm onto the next one. I'll likely save Splash for later in the day or, if it happens to pop up with an early return time, I'll grab it. So I am minimizing my time spent in line if I'm not waiting in any SB lines (other than for the carousel and People Mover and such). Even if I only "saved" 25 minutes when I could have saved 90, I was never going to wait in a 90 minute line, so that's not super-relevant to me. I would have moved on to another lower-wait attraction or come back to ride at park close.

I think both are good and valid strategies. It will be interesting to see how the extra FPs work when it's busier. I'll be there in 30 days, and much like Shaden, I'll be testing the heck out of this.

I'm already thinking about cancelling all my FPs in EPCOT in advance other than Soarin' to see if it will treat me as having no valid FPs and eligible for another Tier 1 and/or hopping, or if you actually have to use three per day before you can grab another. Very interested to try it all out.

 

[wisblue]

ITA it will depend on the day. Wisblue had asked for 3 rides that it might be worth burning FP+ early on and I can see PP being one. Yes you can ride right at RD with minimal wait but if there is a chance you'll miss RD by half an hour I would use FP+ and not wait in a 30 min line.

The 3 you mentioned would be good ones if you were going to make 3 to use right away. The simple rule of thumb for me is to get FPs for things at which the lines build up fastest. The question (for which there is no sure answer right now) is whether the best approach is to make those FP reservations as early as possible or push them back an hour or two or three. Josh at easywdw seems to be recommending FPs starting more in the 10-11 slot than the 9-10 slot when lines are lowest. That only pushes back your ability to get a 4th FP by an hour.

Of course, by the time everyone figures this out it could be academic if the system changes to the "rolling 3" that is discussed in another thread. If that happens there would be more incentive to schedule one FP early to activate the rolling FP, and when you schedule your other 2 would be irrelevant.

 

[johde]

Bingo. I still want to know what the standby waits were when they booked them 5 minutes out.

While not completely scientific, Here's what Touring plan's is reporting the wait times for Yesterday were at Buzz Light Year.

http://touringplans.com/magic-kingd...-space-ranger-spin/wait-times/date/2014-04-30

Reported Wait Times seem to be about 25 minutes at that time with use reports varying between 15 and 35 minutes.