Park Hopping with Lightning Lane?

[DisneyStarWisher]

I'm just starting to plan a possible February trip to WDW. I'm so frustrated. I LOVED being able to book FPs 60 days out. Plans could be done before I ever stepped foot on Disney property. Now, I can't for the life of me figure out how to plan park hopping with the new changes that have happened. For example, how can I book an ADR in another park if I have to wait until 7:00 a.m. before booking a LL pass at my reserved park? I just don't see how it's possible since you won't know what time you get until the morning of. Can anyone give me any advice on how to park hop now? We have APs but don't want to activate them until things are more normal and we know we will be visiting several times in one year. We were wanting to purchase 2-day PHs for our short February trip. Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[starry_solo]

I'm just starting to plan a possible February trip to WDW. I'm so frustrated. I LOVED being able to book FPs 60 days out. Plans could be done before I ever stepped foot on Disney property. Now, I can't for the life of me figure out how to plan park hopping with the new changes that have happened. For example, how can I book an ADR in another park if I have to wait until 7:00 a.m. before booking a LL pass at my reserved park? I just don't see how it's possible since you won't know what time you get until the morning of. Can anyone give me any advice on how to park hop now? We have APs but don't want to activate them until things are more normal and we know we will be visiting several times in one year. We were wanting to purchase 2-day PHs for our short February trip. Any advice would be appreciated!

You can't park hop until after 2 p.m. anyhow, so make a reservation for after that time. If you stay on property, make sure you are ready to book the individual lightning lane pass right at 7 am and you should be able to get an earlier return time (reports are those that do it shortly before 9 am get the late times)

 

[DisneyKidds]

If meals are something that is important to you book your ADRs for when you generally want them. When the trip comes you just have to work Genie until suitable LL return times for what you want to do and accommodate your ADR appear.

Via what has come to be known as Stacking I’m hopeful that useful park hopping strategy can be achieved, possibly one that’s even better than we had with FP+. However, all LL planning has to be done morning of, and every two hours through at least 1:00, and it all depends on crowds and next available LL return times during your trip.

My hope goes something like this, for a rope drop Studios to Epcot hop.

At 7am book G+LL with return window that extends past 1:00, for either RnR or SDD. Call this Stack 1.

Early Entry rope drop as many rides in Studios as possible.

At Studios (or Epcot?) opening start working on additional Stacks for Epcot. Seems you’ll need to populate the free Genie itinerary to identify Epcot as your hop to park, then it will show you return times after 2pm. Book G+LL return for TT. Call this Stack 2.

Continue standby tour of Studios.

At 11am book G+LL for Soarin. Call this Stack 3.

Finish up at Studios by using Stack 1 LL booked earlier. Upon tap in work Stack 1 to add a Spaceship Earth LL in Epcot.

Arrive Epcot with 3 good rides in hand, work the Stacks from there if more LL rides are available.

This whole plan assumes a few things. First, that a suitable LL return window starting after 12:00 (so you can use it after 1:00) in the Studios can be secured. Second, if the goal is to take a midday break at the hotel (what we usually like to do), it assumes the Epcot LL returns for TT, Soarin, and anything else you book through 1:00 (Stacks 2, 3) are late enough to allow time at the hotel. Lastly, I’m not sure how this could be impacted by Epcot park opening. If Epcot opens at 9am no worries. If Epcot opens at 10am can I book Stack 2 in Epcot at Studios park opening, or do I have to wait for Epcot park openingEither way the plan should still work.

So, there’s potential there, but many variables to juggle to achieve the result. If it works it could be better than an Epcot hop than under FP+, because you’d have 3 LLs in hand (FP+ limited to 2) AND you’d have TT and Soarin (which FP+ tiering wouldn’t allow)….so at least there’s that for the added G+ cost.

Time will tell!

 

[mab2012]

At Studios (or Epcot?) opening start working on additional Stacks for Epcot. Seems you’ll need to populate the free Genie itinerary to identify Epcot as your hop to park, then it will show you return times after 2pm. Book G+LL return for TT. Call this Stack 2.

....

Lastly, I’m not sure how this could be impacted by Epcot park opening. If Epcot opens at 9am no worries. If Epcot opens at 10am can I book Stack 2 in Epcot at Studios park opening, or do I have to wait for Epcot park openingEither way the plan should still work.

It's been confirmed that your 120 minute G+ timer is based on the park your first G+ pass is booked in, not the first park you enter. So in your example, the opening time of Epcot is irrelevant, as long as your first G+ pass is booked at HS.

But unfortunately, your "Stack 2" is dead on arrival. You can't book your second G+ pass until 120 minutes after park opening, so 11 am for a 9 am HS start. So your 11 G+ selection is "stack 2", not "stack 3".

What you *can* do, subject to availability, is book your second Epcot G+ ("stack 3") at 1 pm, before tapping into your original HS pass. Then, as soon as you do tap into the HS pass, you can immediately book a replacement at Epcot. So, in theory, you can still arrive at Epcot with one G+ used at HS and three booked at Epcot, but two of the three would have to be booked after 1 pm.

 

[DisneyKidds]

But unfortunately, your "Stack 2" is dead on arrival. You can't book your second G+ pass until 120 minutes after park opening……What you *can* do, subject to availability, is book your second Epcot G+ ("stack 3") at 1 pm, before tapping into your original HS pass. Then, as soon as you do tap into the HS pass, you can immediately book a replacement at Epcot.

Agreed, my mistake. Still trying to get it sorted out! Book Stack 1 at 7am, book Stack 2 at 11am (not 9am), book Stack 3 at 1pm (not 11am) just before using Stack 1 and then booking an additional Epcot LL under Stack 1. I think that’s what I wanted to get at, but I muffed the 120 minute AFTER OPENING rule. Like you said, theoretically it can work, assuming suitable LL reservations are available at those time. It’s all pretty confusing, but I’ll get it right eventually!!! Thanks again.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

You can't park hop until after 2 p.m. anyhow, so make a reservation for after that time. If you stay on property, make sure you are ready to book the individual lightning lane pass right at 7 am and you should be able to get an earlier return time (reports are those that do it shortly before 9 am get the late times)

This is good to know! Thanks!!!

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

If meals are something that is important to you book your ADRs for when you generally want them. When the trip comes you just have to work Genie until suitable LL return times for what you want to do and accommodate your ADR appear.

Via what has come to be known as Stacking I’m hopeful that useful park hopping strategy can be achieved, possibly one that’s even better than we had with FP+. However, all LL planning has to be done morning of, and every two hours through at least 1:00, and it all depends on crowds and next available LL return times during your trip.

My hope goes something like this, for a rope drop Studios to Epcot hop.

At 7am book G+LL with return window that extends past 1:00, for either RnR or SDD. Call this Stack 1.

Early Entry rope drop as many rides in Studios as possible.

At Studios (or Epcot?) opening start working on additional Stacks for Epcot. Seems you’ll need to populate the free Genie itinerary to identify Epcot as your hop to park, then it will show you return times after 2pm. Book G+LL return for TT. Call this Stack 2.

Continue standby tour of Studios.

At 11am book G+LL for Soarin. Call this Stack 3.

Finish up at Studios by using Stack 1 LL booked earlier. Upon tap in work Stack 1 to add a Spaceship Earth LL in Epcot.

Arrive Epcot with 3 good rides in hand, work the Stacks from there if more LL rides are available.

This whole plan assumes a few things. First, that a suitable LL return window starting after 12:00 (so you can use it after 1:00) in the Studios can be secured. Second, if the goal is to take a midday break at the hotel (what we usually like to do), it assumes the Epcot LL returns for TT, Soarin, and anything else you book through 1:00 (Stacks 2, 3) are late enough to allow time at the hotel. Lastly, I’m not sure how this could be impacted by Epcot park opening. If Epcot opens at 9am no worries. If Epcot opens at 10am can I book Stack 2 in Epcot at Studios park opening, or do I have to wait for Epcot park openingEither way the plan should still work.

So, there’s potential there, but many variables to juggle to achieve the result. If it works it could be better than an Epcot hop than under FP+, because you’d have 3 LLs in hand (FP+ limited to 2) AND you’d have TT and Soarin (which FP+ tiering wouldn’t allow)….so at least there’s that for the added G+ cost.

Time will tell!

It's been confirmed that your 120 minute G+ timer is based on the park your first G+ pass is booked in, not the first park you enter. So in your example, the opening time of Epcot is irrelevant, as long as your first G+ pass is booked at HS.

But unfortunately, your "Stack 2" is dead on arrival. You can't book your second G+ pass until 120 minutes after park opening, so 11 am for a 9 am HS start. So your 11 G+ selection is "stack 2", not "stack 3".

What you *can* do, subject to availability, is book your second Epcot G+ ("stack 3") at 1 pm, before tapping into your original HS pass. Then, as soon as you do tap into the HS pass, you can immediately book a replacement at Epcot. So, in theory, you can still arrive at Epcot with one G+ used at HS and three booked at Epcot, but two of the three would have to be booked after 1 pm.

I will need to reread all of this to understand. Why does going to Disney have to be so hard now??? To clarify, I don't think I will be purchasing Genie+, but I am toying with the idea of purchasing two individual LL selections. I'm just seriously afraid that I will try for RotR at 7:00 a.m. and it will give me a time for evening when I'm already in another park. I guess I'm just thinking of how fast FP would fill up and assuming it will be the same. I don't think we want to do enough rides to justify buying Genie+, but there are some new rides that I really want to do.

 

[wiggy500]

I think all you can do is assume things will work out perfectly and plan that way. And be ready right at 7.