Park Hopping and Fast Passes

[hburke01]

I am going to be at Disney December 28-Jan 5 and am planning on sticking to a more strict touring style my first 3 park days and then only plan one park a day (our AM or PM park based on ADRs) Jan 2-4 and decide what parks we want to do the other half of the day as we go. My question is should I book my fast passes for my AM park in hopes of hopping and picking up additional fast passes at the second park, or book fast passes for the park we hop to in the PM?

 

[StageTek]

I say book your fast passes for your AM park in hopes of hopping and picking up additional fast passes at the second park.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I tend to agree with @StageTek, with the caveat that 12/28-12/31 is going to be very busy and 4th+ FPs are going to be at a premium. Still doable, just be prepared to keep refreshing and maybe making compromises in what you want to ride if FP availability isn't working in your favor.

 

[Alesia]

I think it depends on what parks you're doing and what your priorities are. There's no one-size-fits-all answer.

 

[Spunky946]

We book fast passes for the first park so we can be more flexible at the second.

 

[CAS239]

I park hop everyday I'm at Disney. We usually set up our FP's to begin at the second park around 1/2pm. I would rather have 3 good FP's set up for when it's busy and the top priority FP's aren't as readily available. I go for quality over quantity. I also find it's usually pointless to have a FP prior to around 11am. So for us, we rope drop a park until about noon. So if a FP isn't needed prior to 11, it's pointless for me to make a FP for the first park.

However some set up FP's to begin right at park opening and just go for however many fps they can get regardless what they are. Bunch of different strategies

 

[JETSDAD]

I'd go with the first park. With refreshing and starting early you can go for both quantity and quality FP's.

 

[Gehrig1B]

We will rope drop, FP+ first park 10:00-1:00 modifying to be done earlier, break, then get rolling FP+ in the second park. Park #1 is a focus on rides and park #2 we focus on shows/dining/fireworks and a more leisurely "accept whatever FP+ come along" focus.