So, I Wasn't Doomed at Walt Disney World :)

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Hey guys,

I am going to be in WDW in the middle of March and haven't made any Fastpass reservations. Am I doomed to have a miserable vacation?

 

[jcb]

I think you'll have a great time. I changed FP+ several times shortly before we arrived.

 

[jcb]

Of course, you could get stuck for 45 minutes on pirates like we did and get a magical paper fast pass.

 

[Shanti]

You're going to Disney World- you're going to have fun.

 

[SorcererHeidi]

Hey guys,

I am going to be in WDW in the middle of March and haven't made any Fastpass reservations. Am I doomed to have a miserable vacation?

Don't have any useful advice (what else is new? ) but wanted to say I hope you have a magical trip!!

 

[beastlyprince]

Have a great time at WDW.

 

[maryandthemouse]

I am sure you will have a wonderful time, your in Disney after all! I think the biggest advantage any time of year is to get to your park at rope drop. You can get more done in the first 2 hours than in the rest of the day, unless it is right before a park closing. Have fun

 

[pjweaver]

You're going to Disney World- you're going to have fun.

whether you want to or not.

 

[Princess Jes]

whether you want to or not.

In the words of Teresa: "have fun, dammit!!"

 

[NC Belle]

You will be fine. Keep checking for the fastpasses. Periscope often. I was crazy enough to do Christmas morning in 2010 before the latest fastpass system. DH and I did a half of day at MK (only left because we had to go to Tampa to meet up with MIL and DH's brothers/their families for Christmas dinner/pre-cruise).

I think that you are going to pretty flexible enough for most parks as a party of one. Spring break plus the week prior to Easter---big crowds so have fun. I'm not sure on my old tricks since its been 2.5 years for me. Animal Kingdom and Epcot for you to go for the trip.

Did I mention to Periscope often?

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I think it all really depends on what you want to do and how heavy the spring break crowds are while you are there. I haven't been during spring break since pre-FP of any kind days, but I have friends who go during spring break and the crowd reports are mixed. I've seen them show everything from an hour and twenty-five minute wait for IASW and 55 min for the carousel to Space Mountain or BTMRR at only 45 min. I'm a planner and like having stuff done in advance, so my advice would be to book FPs now with whatever may still be available, but if you are taking a more casual approach to this and don't mind the lines...maybe you could just wing it.

I was looking at a crowd calendar and it looks like only Easter week and the following week are going to be super ugly. So, if you're going the 13th-19th (or some time in there), it may not be as bad. The crowd calendar I'm looking at is projecting 6s and 7s for that mid-March week...but I also know that's when much of our area is on spring break...so who knows.

 

[GAN]

Hey guys,

I am going to be in WDW in the middle of March and haven't made any Fastpass reservations. Am I doomed to have a miserable vacation?

With 23,000 some odd posts, I have confidence in you.....

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Download the app and do it, it literally will take you 5 mins tops MJ

 

[disneysteve]

Hey guys,

I am going to be in WDW in the middle of March and haven't made any Fastpass reservations. Am I doomed to have a miserable vacation?

Yes, Mary Jo. Sorry to say but you are, in fact, doomed. You will be unable to do anything but observe millions of others having the time of their lives while you sit sadly on the curb, unable to partake in any of the fun. Rides, shows, and parades simply can't be enjoyed without intensive pre-planning precisely 60 days in advance at 12:00:01 am EST.

Well, that's not entirely true, of course. Believe it or not, not every attraction has a fastpass option. So you can spend your week circling Tomorrowland on the PeopleMover with an occasional break to rest in Carousel of Progress. So don't despair. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow and tomorrow's just a dream away.

Seriously, Mary Jo, were you just really bored when you posted this or were you counting on nobody knowing who you were?

 

[AndyPok1]

Yesterday I woke up at about 8am, and got 3 FP for Tower of Terror, Toy Story, and Star Tours, all before 2PM. I truly believe FP+ is great.

 

[TGM]

Of course you'll have fun! You can still make fastpasses now though, right? And when you are at the park too! Disney is better than no Disney, and some fastpasses are better that no fastpasses!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Thanks, guys, for the helpful and fun responses! Maybe I was a little dramatic with my title.

I am really going to WDW, and have never used Magic Bands or Fastpass Plus, and really just want to wing it in the parks, so I'm thinking I'll have to stand hours in line. I forgot all about Spring Break crowds! To tell you the truth, though, going on Carousel of Progress, Peoplemover, and Country Bear sounds wonderful! ha ha

It's not so much that I'm overwhelmed, but I know Disneyland like the back of my hand, and have been to Walt Disney World probably a handful of times, and only once as a full family vacation. It's usually a "stopover" for one of the Podcast cruises or Disapalooza, so I'm really unprepared for the work that goes into planning for fastpasses, etc., for a trip there. I have a 4-day hopper pass through my work, and it's an E-ticket - no Magic Band (I don't even know how to convert it to Magic Band). I think my last visit to the park was 2012, and that was only World Showcase at Epcot. I'll be there for partial day on Friday (the day I fly in on a redeye), all day Saturday, most of Sunday, and Monday morning to early afternoon. Animal Kingdom is a must for me, as is Epcot, & Magic Kingdom (in that order). Not even going to Hollywood Studios, I think. I would like to try the Dwarves Mine Train ride, but at this late date I think I'm out of luck for fastpasses. I've never been on the Florida Peter Pan, and a couple of the minor attractions there that are similar in Disneyland.

 

[disneysteve]

I am really going to WDW, and have never used Magic Bands or Fastpass Plus, and really just want to wing it

I would like to try the Dwarves Mine Train ride, but at this late date I think I'm out of luck for fastpasses. I've never been on the Florida Peter Pan, and a couple of the minor attractions there that are similar in Disneyland.

My apologies for not realizing you were being serious.

We are a "wing it" kind of family. We do not book FPs in advance. I will go on the app the night before and book 3 for the next day but that's as "in advance" as we get. Of course, that does mean that we can't always get on the most in-demand attractions but we're okay with that.

For Mine Train, I'd suggest doing rope drop on your MK day. No FP needed. We've done that and it was no problem at all. Peter Pan might be a little more challenging but if you go there straight from Mine Train, the standby line might still be reasonable. In general, we find that we can knock out several Fantasyland attractions in short order if we are in at rope drop. That first hour after the park opens can be golden.

Don't forget to check which parks have EMH if you are staying onsite. If you are not staying onsite, be sure to avoid the park that has EMH each day.

 

[Princess Jes]

My apologies for not realizing you were being serious.

We are a "wing it" kind of family. We do not book FPs in advance. I will go on the app the night before and book 3 for the next day but that's as "in advance" as we get. Of course, that does mean that we can't always get on the most in-demand attractions but we're okay with that.

For Mine Train, I'd suggest doing rope drop on your MK day. No FP needed. We've done that and it was no problem at all. Peter Pan might be a little more challenging but if you go there straight from Mine Train, the standby line might still be reasonable. In general, we find that we can knock out several Fantasyland attractions in short order if we are in at rope drop. That first hour after the park opens can be golden.

Don't forget to check which parks have EMH if you are staying onsite. If you are not staying onsite, be sure to avoid the park that has EMH each day.

I might also suggest a super early (8am) add for crystal palace?
Eat and then head over as close as you can get to the mine train before rope drop.

 

[Accident]

final payments are due 30 or 45 days before the date of trip. I find near these marks are when some hard to get ones reappear pre-trip so make sure you check daily, especially when you first wake up after everyone who didn't final pay has their fastpasses released for someone else to get.

I've also kiosk found hard rides, especially for 1 rider while there in the middle of the afternoon. It's always worth checking the kiosks if your passing by them. soon you can get more from your mobile app so I think this "trick" will be going away and you'll be watching all the teens constantly on the phone trying to get more.