Rookie mistake! Epcot tiered FP...

[Ellie Webbs]

I like to think I know my Disney, as I'm sure many of you feel! We aren't returning until next April and as I have a severe case of type A personality I already have an itinerary for the whole two weeks planned out including which parks to visit, restaurants to book, FP to book, suggested DDP meals and snacks, the list goes on. I have even researched uber prices in case we run late.
Then I realise I have made an error by planning FP for soarin, FEA and TT in one day.
Rookie mistake!!!!
Anyone else want to share your shameful 'I really should have known this' moment???

 

[goofyintoronto]

I like to think I know my Disney, as I'm sure many of you feel! We aren't returning until next April and as I have a severe case of type A personality I already have an itinerary for the whole two weeks planned out including which parks to visit, restaurants to book, FP to book, suggested DDP meals and snacks, the list goes on. I have even researched uber prices in case we run late.
Then I realise I have made an error by planning FP for soarin, FEA and TT in one day.
Rookie mistake!!!!
Anyone else want to share your shameful 'I really should have known this' moment???

I have a good one. Last year when i was making FP selections for SDD, i had it set for a specific day (start of my trip). Well the day of my FP selections there was NO SDD FP available. NONE. I was still groggy and sleepy that it didnt even occur to me to try getting a FP for SDD later in my trip. DUH! What a rookie move.

FWIW, I waited in the stand by queue....about 60 min. Not too bad I guess. 60 min is my max. I wouldnt wait for any ride longer than that.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Oh please! You can still do all the rides within the first hour of park open. Ready? This is how...rope drop one, FP your absolute first choice, then standby the last one. There ya go! Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

 

[SaintsManiac]

For some reason I keep walking into Ariel's Grotto instead of the queue for the Little Mermaid ride. I do this every trip.

 

[Truxi]

For some reason I keep walking into Ariel's Grotto instead of the queue for the Little Mermaid ride. I do this every trip.

HA! We did that too!

We're just trucking along, looking at the cute little hermit crab and talking about how the theming is so nice, and isn't it weird how there's no line... and then we turn the corner and see Ariel and are like... 0_0 whups sorry scuze us ma'am

 

[Truxi]

As for my mistake... I thought that maybe we could scurry back to Epcot to catch Illuminations after Fantasmic.

...wasn't counting on the crowd. And us being smooshed all the way to the end despite our fastpasses.

at least we'd gotten to see Illuminations before.

 

[monkyby87]

For some reason I keep walking into Ariel's Grotto instead of the queue for the Little Mermaid ride. I do this every trip.

Man, I'm glad someone else has done this too.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

We got to epcot super early to be in front of the line for our Akershus pop, to be among the first seated. We get there and no one's in line yet. We're are excited to be first in line.

So we all go with my mom to activate her military salute ticket. Everyone else had tickets already. No one held our place in line!

By the time she was done about 50 people were in line

 

[dominiondad]

Once booked a FP on Kali River immediately prior to our reservation and Yak & Yeti. Thought I was being efficient with the close proximity. Instead, we got soaked and then ate our entire meal shivering in the AC that felt like it was set at 54 degrees.

 

[mbcary]

For some reason I keep walking into Ariel's Grotto instead of the queue for the Little Mermaid ride. I do this every trip.

We did this 2 weeks ago and couldn't figure out why our FP wasn't working. A nice CM told us we were in the wrong place. I've been going to WDW for 35 years and ridden this ride so many times. Epic fail!!

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

In our first trip to WDW (so really WAS a "rookie" mistake), we were "suprised" with a bonus philharmagic FP. We were actually going to do philharmagic anyway, so the timing was perfect!

We go 3/4 through the queue, and see a slight backup before the FP merge, and realized we were in the stand by line instead of the FP line. So, we went back through the queue, struggling upstream like salmon with the incoming guests. Get out front, and go back into the FP line. We thought it would make a difference!

The CM who checked FPs at the front saw us do this, and gave us a weird smile. Didn't realize why until we got to the merge, and realized we walked all that way around for absolutely nothing.

 

[shocker]

Mine is resort related. I grabbed a Lyft ride from the airport. I had checked in online & had my room assignment already & had a MB already. I had no intention of stopping at the front desk. As I drug my luggage through the resort it hits me 'how dumb, I know which building my room is in, I don't need dropped off at the front entrance like I'm on DME, I could have been dropped right by my building, duh'. It only takes once, now I'll not forget.

 

[agavegirl1]

Hello, I’m Weny and I am obsessed vacation planner. On my last trip we had a dinner reservation at Shula’s. PPWe stayed at Pop Century. I pushed and prodded DH to get ready so we could make the bus to....Epcot.

Dropped at the main entrance, walked all the way to International Gateway an halfway around the lake. For some reason the location of the DHS entrance never crossed my mind. We barely made the ADR.


However, we were seated late anyway due to an “Exterminator Convention”. Members were given bags with a graphic of a mouse with the red circle and bar sinister through it....the “not allowed symbol” shall we say. The irony was not lost on us.

 

[Robo]

Hello, I’m Weny and I am obsessed vacation planner. On my last trip we had a dinner reservation at Shula’s. PPWe stayed at Pop Century. I pushed and prodded DH to get ready so we could make the bus to....Epcot.

Dropped at the main entrance, walked all the way to International Gateway an halfway around the lake. For some reason the location of the DHS entrance never crossed my mind. We barely made the ADR.


However, we were seated late anyway due to an “Exterminator Convention”. Members were given bags with a graphic of a mouse with the red circle and bar sinister through it....the “not allowed symbol” shall we say. The irony was not lost on us.

You would have been better off taking a bus from Pop to DAK (about 5 min. once boarded and underway.)
Then, the bus from DAK to the Dolphin (about 9 min. once boarded and underway.)

Or, the "direct route" of an Uber.

 

[Ellie Webbs]

Once booked a FP on Kali River immediately prior to our reservation and Yak & Yeti. Thought I was being efficient with the close proximity. Instead, we got soaked and then ate our entire meal shivering in the AC that felt like it was set at 54 degrees.

I've done this with splash mountain!

 

[Ellie Webbs]

As for my mistake... I thought that maybe we could scurry back to Epcot to catch Illuminations after Fantasmic.

...wasn't counting on the crowd. And us being smooshed all the way to the end despite our fastpasses.

at least we'd gotten to see Illuminations before.

Just the walk back from Fantasmic takes about 3 1/2 years lol

 

[Patches Lee]

Biggest rookie mistake was underestimating energy levels for DD8. Planned midday breaks for naps, which turned into swimming and trying to keep her quiet so DH could nap before heading back to the parks at night. Now I'm going to make sure I get a nap even if it means DD10 is just watching a 90 minute movie while I sleep.
We also had a regular size backpack we were supposed to take turns carrying. Only had ponchos, wallets, phones, sunblock, hand wipes, and DDs autograph book, so bigger than we needed. It was the most uncomfortable thing in the world, no padding and rubbed my shoulders raw because it was summer+tank tops. I've scaled down and not carrying that big thing no matter what DH "thinks" is a good idea. (He's using it as his carryon for the flight)
Had FP for TT 1pm and didn't account for midday thunderstorms both Epcot days, of course it was closed during our FP times, and when it finally came back up at 7pm the FP line was backed up past the ride entrance. CM said about a 90 minute wait for the FP side so we skipped it and went on Soarin again so we could catch Illuminations. Lesson learned: ride TT early because it may not be available later.

 

[beesly]

I made SO many mistakes on my first trip! The first one that comes to mind is that twice in one week we had breakfast at CP during the first hour after park opening instead of PPO. I had no idea how useful that time could have been otherwise, especially during the week leading up to Easter.

 

[MJ6987]

I like to think I know my Disney, as I'm sure many of you feel! We aren't returning until next April and as I have a severe case of type A personality I already have an itinerary for the whole two weeks planned out including which parks to visit, restaurants to book, FP to book, suggested DDP meals and snacks, the list goes on. I have even researched uber prices in case we run late.
Then I realise I have made an error by planning FP for soarin, FEA and TT in one day.
Rookie mistake!!!!
Anyone else want to share your shameful 'I really should have known this' moment???

Why is that a mistake?

 

[toonaspie]

Why is that a mistake?

He was probably not aware of the tier setup at Epcot, which I personally think is the worst out of all four parks. Of those rides you would only be allowed to get a FP for one since those are all tier 1 attractions. Tier 2 FPs are pretty pointless most times of the year when the lines are going to be short anyway. And don't get me started on the Pixar Short Film Festival having a FP queue.