Rope Drop AK without using FP

[jwolfpack]

Has anyone had recent experience with this strategy?

Planning our October trip, and our arrival day is Sunday of Columbus weekend. I am considering rope dropping AK and saving our FPs for afternoon at MK.

We ALWAYS start our trips at MK, but with the very high crowds projected, I'm concerned that it wouldn't be the most magical way to start our trip as we'd likely use our FP's there by lunch and be stuck refreshing the app for slim pickings on 4th FPs or waiting in long lines.

We are traveling with 2 adults, 2 kids over 44", and 1 kid under 44", so rider switch will come in to play. We are OK with skipping the safari this time.

Here's my tentative plan:

• Rope drop FOP (we are fully on board with arriving WELL before rope drop to be at front of the pack). Request rider swap ticket. Adult not riding FOP will take little one on Navi.
• Everest. Request rider swap ticket.
• Dinosaur
• Primeval Whirl. Request rider swap ticket. Adult not riding PW will take little one on Triceratop Spin.
• Play in boneyard area if the kids want to while 2nd group rides PW.
• Return to Everest to use rider swap.
• Lunch at Yak and Yeti
• Return to Pandora to use FOP rider swap

After that, we could walk trails, catch a show if we feel like it, etc. until we've had our fill and are ready to head to resort to check-in. This would allow us to schedule our 3 FP for late afternoon / early evening in MK.

Seem reasonable? Or am I underestimating standby times on a busy weekend?

 

[KittyKitty]

Rope drop FOP (we are fully on board with arriving WELL before rope drop to be at front of the pack). Request rider swap ticket. Adult not riding FOP will take little one on Navi.

Since Toy Story land will be open, there might not be such a huge crowd at opening at AK. Will watch to see how the crowds are in summer.

If AK still busy.
It's important to be at the gate at AK an hour before the park opens for FoP. They will probably let guests in around 40-45 minutes before opening. Then hold up the crowd at the bridge till about 15 minutes before opening.

PS. Dinosaur is scary! I'm still working on keeping my eyes open thru the whole ride.

Have a great time.

 

[jwolfpack]

Since Toy Story land will be open, there might not be such a huge crowd at opening at AK. Will watch to see how the crowds are in summer.

Great point. Might make AK simpler, but it certainly adds a layer of complexity to strategizing our DHS days...

 

[sharonabe]

After that, we could walk trails, catch a show if we feel like it, etc. until we've had our fill and are ready to head to resort to check-in. This would allow us to schedule our 3 FP for late afternoon / early evening in MK.

Depending on how much time you're going to spend at the resort, I wouldn't make an MK FP for any sooner than 6 p.m.

 

[Robo]

our arrival day is Sunday of Columbus weekend.

We ALWAYS start our trips at MK, but with the very high crowds projected, I'm concerned that it wouldn't be the most magical way to start our trip as we'd likely use our FP's there by lunch and be stuck refreshing the app for slim pickings on 4th FPs or waiting in long lines.

I don 't see how that would really be any different if you go to DAK in the morning without FP and then just get 3 FP at MK in the evening.
You'd be just "turning things around" by not having any FP and waiting in lines at DAK (instead of that happening at MK in the afternoon.

The problem in this situation is more related to your trip being at a busy time, than at which park you book FP.

 

[jwolfpack]

I don 't see how that would really be any different if you go to DAK in the morning without FP and then just get 3 FP at MK in the evening.
You'd be just "turning things around" by not having any FP and waiting in lines at DAK (instead of that happening at MK in the afternoon.

The problem in this situation is more related to your trip being at a busy time, than at which park you book FP.

I guess my logic there was that crowd calendars (for what they're worth) predict MK to be more crowded than AK. It's a holiday weekend without MNSSHP scheduled (based on previous years) which means very busy no matter how you look at it. I'm just thinking (hoping?) our standby waits at AK in the morning with a strategic plan might be better than those we'd have in the afternoon at MK.

 

[Robo]

That's still trading one set of unknown issues for another.
Your stated plan still puts you in MK that day (at likely the busiest part of the day.)
Rather than disrupt your normal pattern, I'd just do what you "ALWAYS" do (MK first with pre-booked FP) and not sweat the possible details.

No matter what actually happens, you'd never know if doing the opposite would have been "better."

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We used to do this. Always did AK without FP and used FP at MK in the evening. Now with being able to get additional FP+ on our phones next trip I plan on doing all mid morning FP+. MK has the highest chance of getting additional FP's. I would do AK with FP+, especially for FOP, and once in the 3rd line start getting additional ones.

 

[MirandaB]

We recently did this. We were at rope drop for DAK by 6:15 for EMH (certainly not at the front of the pack, but we could see it). We rode FoP and River by 7:40 by being early. To have any chance of doing FoP without a FP, you have to be at the ride first thing. The wait time was over two hours by the time we were off the ride. You'll spend less time waiting to get into DAK than you will getting on FoP if you don't go first thing.

 

[Average Joes]

This is their first day and getting a FP for FOP would be tough. Getting there really early doesn't bother them. They are skipping Safari and Navi (except the little one). They appear to want to do Everest, Dinosaur and PW. Would a FP on those rides, plus a 4th at MK outweigh 3 possibly decent FP at MK? Will the FP gods line up and they get AM FP at AK (9-10, 10-11, 11-12) or will those FP enter into the mid-afternoon when they want to be gone? I usually like 3 FP in the AM if possible and a 4th at another park if a 4th at the current park is too far away. But for the OP I would do 3 FP at MK.