Strategy help for the actual process of getting fastpasses, please!

[KEadler]

Next Tuesday is my 60 day FastPass Day! I haven't been to Disney in 11 years! My son always told me when he was little that he would take me when he grew up! I guess he's grown up, because he surprised me with a trip for Christmas! I always planned our past Disney trips (4 of them) and we always had the BEST time! Like, seriously, pixie dust was everywhere! My kids opened the park every trip! The hints and tips I got from this board back then was amazing! I'm hoping for a repeat!
My concerns are the fastpass windows ... What is the strategy that you use to get the ones you want? I've read a ton of TourPlans so I basically know what rides to get fastpasses for. But it's hard to decide what day you're going to the parks until you have the fastpasses! We're going the week before Easter ... so the crowds will be crazy at every park on every day.
What time zone is the system on, so I know what time to start trying for the FP's. Is it better to use a laptop or my phone app? Do you just have a list in front of you that you try to get? I'm so overwhelmed! lol Any hints for the actual process of getting fastpasses?? Thanks so much!

 

[CAS239]

It's eastern Time zone. 7am

Laptop or phone, it doesn't matter. I usually always book on my phone. Some prefer laptop instead.

It's pretty straightforward and easy. So don't worry about it all.

I look at the park hours and then pick what park(s) we're going to, then I fill in fast passes. We park hop daily so we rope drop the first park, break offsite, then hop to a second park with FP's set up for that park so we're using prime FP's when it's most crowded.

For harder to get FP's, start your FP's from your last day and work backwards. Or if you know you want to ride 7dmt on day 3, then book that first instead of easier to get FP's on day 1

 

[g-dad66]

I started with:
Flight of Passage for Day 3
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for Day 1
Flight of Passage for Day 6
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for Day 5

After that, it didn't matter what order I did the rest of the days/attractions because only those FoP and 7DMT are the tough ones to get.

If you can plan Animal Kingdom for Day 3 or later, it will greatly help for getting Flight of Passage FPs.

 

[cassie58]

Agree with PPs - we plan out our days based on park hours/EMH days(even though hours may change), and usually have made ADRs for meals first for which park we will be in on each day. Then figure out the three rides we want most - MK has the most, so if you have two days there you can split up the ones to FP each day. We usually make ours for late morning/early afternoon, and if you are Rope Drop/Early EMH people(if staying on property) as you mentioned from your last trip, you can get a lot done in the first few hours with shorter lines, then do FP, then try to make 4th, 5th, etc. for later, or 2nd park if hopping.

If you have been reading up, you probably know about Tiers at Epcot and HS, which make it trickier, but if you are there at opening, you can do a Tier 1 first thing that you didn't get to FP(or want to do twice!). As PP mentioned, you do not have to go in order of days, or make all 3 FP at once, so definitely do hardest first, then work backwards to fill in. If you can plan AK day for later in your week, that gives a better chance of getting FoP - get this one first! Then FEA at Epcot and 7DMT at MK. Next I would get TSM at HS, then go back for Mtns at MK, Safari at AK, and ToT at HS. Remember there is single rider at EE and TT as an option (also at RnRC, but that I'd often longer wait).

 

[KEadler]

Thank you all for your help!

 

[gap2368]

If you go online now you should ( if you have tickets ) be able to see 30 days out and get an idea of how things work ( you should unless you have a package) be able to book FP and then cancel them. This way you will know what to do and what ( phone or computer) works best for you. ( I believe you can do this),

 

[KEadler]

If you go online now you should ( if you have tickets ) be able to see 30 days out and get an idea of how things work ( you should unless you have a package) be able to book FP and then cancel them. This way you will know what to do and what ( phone or computer) works best for you. ( I believe you can do this),

When I try to go look at the Fastpass screen it tells me I don’t have any tickets? When I try to link my reservation, it says it belongs to me? Lol is there error because I’m more than 60 days before my reservation?

 

[gap2368]

When I try to go look at the Fastpass screen it tells me I don’t have any tickets? When I try to link my reservation, it says it belongs to me? Lol is there error because I’m more than 60 days before my reservation?

I think you have package booked. ( you got a deal for booking tickets and room together ) so it will not work for you.

 

[Bete]

Everybody somewhat has their own way of doing the parks. Some avoid the extra magic morning hours and some wouldn't miss them. We love extra magic morning hours. We plan park days with that in mind.

Anyway, based on doing extra magic morning hour we do not make our first fastpass before 10 am except for FOP. This is based on a 9 am general public opening time. We work our way to the back of the park before 9 am. This gives you a little more time without the bigger crowds in the back. When the park gets more crowded is when fastpasses are more important to use.

I would not use a fastpass for a show. You have to decide what the most important rides are for you and then those are the fastpasses you choose. We try to be logical about it; so, we don't have a lot of back tracking in the park. Be logistic about it.

I believe the most sought after fastpasses are FOP, SDMT, Frozen Ever After, and Toy Story Mania. Usually, you have a better chance with FOP if it's a later day in your trip.

Make sure you decide if you are doing table service meal or not. If you are doing table service give yourself enough time not to interfere with your fastpasses. Most people do their three fastpasses first and then do a meal. Then, you can try for a fourth fastpass. We were able to get a fourth fastpass almost every day.

Don't give up. Keep tweaking your plans. I was tweaking up to three weeks before our trip last December. It really made a difference. I was able to get better times.

If you don't get perfect times, just go with the flow and be happy you get your three fastpasses.

 

[JessicaW1234]

When I try to go look at the Fastpass screen it tells me I don’t have any tickets? When I try to link my reservation, it says it belongs to me? Lol is there error because I’m more than 60 days before my reservation?

Yes, that's why

 

[mesaboy2]

When I try to go look at the Fastpass screen it tells me I don’t have any tickets? When I try to link my reservation, it says it belongs to me? Lol is there error because I’m more than 60 days before my reservation?

You may find the FP FAQ helpful, answers to many of the questions you’ve asked are already there on the first page.

 

[KittyKitty]

Most people do their three fastpasses first and then do a meal. Then, you can try for a fourth fastpass. We were able to get a fourth fastpass almost every day.

You can start booking your 4th FP after you have scanned your 3rd FP at the ride. You can actually move times on your 2nd and 3rd FP after you scan the 1st FP.

 

[MainMom]

When I try to go look at the Fastpass screen it tells me I don’t have any tickets? When I try to link my reservation, it says it belongs to me? Lol is there error because I’m more than 60 days before my reservation?

Just FYI-My FP day was yesterday. I was online, signed in and ready to go 5 minutes before the window opened. I went to book my FP’s right when it opened and it still said My family had no tickets. I quickly called Disney IT only to be told that I needed to sign out and sign back in in order for the system to recognize my package tickets when the window opened up. I don’t usually book a package so this was all news to me!

 

[ashleyann31]

I find the MDE app to be a lot easier and faster for booking FP than a laptop.

 

[disneyfan128]

I just booked my Fastpasses today for our trip 19 Mar - 25 Mar. I had no problems what so ever getting all the Fastpasses I wanted. I was able to book FOP for our second day and I had numerous time choices; I also was able to get Na'vi with no problems on our last day. I do think it is very important to know what parks you are going to be at that day before you book your Fastpasses. Also, if you have any dinning reservations make sure to work around those too. The opening time is 7:00 AM Eastern, and do not log on until exactly that time or you will need to log off and back on.

 

[10CJ]

I would just be prepared to use a computer or the app. Sometimes one works and the other does not.

 

[Northernlites]

Following the posts

 

[nat8199]

I recently all the FPs for our trip in March and I got everything EXACTLY how I was hoping to.

The process is definitely quirky, though. To get the times I wanted I often had to book times that were a bit off and then modify. By going to either the drop down time selection or the details for more times, I was able to find all the times I wanted. The times in these two methods rarely matched, so I had to do both!

 

[KEadler]

Thank you all for your help! I have certainly read a lot about the fastpass system! Does this plan make sense and seem logical?

I think my strategy will be to try for fop on our 60+4. If I can't get it I will try for 60+5 first thing in the morning and then hop to MK since that is our last day. My next priority will be SDMT on 60+1 - our MK day! Then I will try to get Soarin on Day 62. Next I want to book TSMania on Day 63. That is mostly an "off" day of rest for us, but we'll probably end up doing about a half day in a park. This will be our 2nd day at HS so we'll just get TSMania and maybe some characters and the fireworks. Our first day is HS. We won't arrive until about 3:00, so I'm hoping I won't have a problem getting RnR and Tower of Terror for my first day! After getting the "main" fp at each park .... I'll go back in and fill the rest of the fps: Day 60+1 at MK I hope to add Splash Mountain and probably Space Mountain, Day 60+2 will be Mission Space and Spaceship Earth(?), Day 60+3 I'll probably just add either Fantasmic or the Fireworks ... whichever one we don't watch on Day 1, Day 60+4 I hope to add the Safari and either Dinosaur or Everest (?). Our last day at MK will probably include Buzz Lightyear and Haunted Mansion (or anything we didn't get done on our first day at MK).

so .... if you read and understood all of this ... what do you think?

 

[g-dad66]

Thank you all for your help! I have certainly read a lot about the fastpass system! Does this plan make sense and seem logical?

I think my strategy will be to try for fop on our 60+4. If I can't get it I will try for 60+5 first thing in the morning and then hop to MK since that is our last day. My next priority will be SDMT on 60+1 - our MK day! Then I will try to get Soarin on Day 62. Next I want to book TSMania on Day 63. That is mostly an "off" day of rest for us, but we'll probably end up doing about a half day in a park. This will be our 2nd day at HS so we'll just get TSMania and maybe some characters and the fireworks. Our first day is HS. We won't arrive until about 3:00, so I'm hoping I won't have a problem getting RnR and Tower of Terror for my first day! After getting the "main" fp at each park .... I'll go back in and fill the rest of the fps: Day 60+1 at MK I hope to add Splash Mountain and probably Space Mountain, Day 60+2 will be Mission Space and Spaceship Earth(?), Day 60+3 I'll probably just add either Fantasmic or the Fireworks ... whichever one we don't watch on Day 1, Day 60+4 I hope to add the Safari and either Dinosaur or Everest (?). Our last day at MK will probably include Buzz Lightyear and Haunted Mansion (or anything we didn't get done on our first day at MK).

so .... if you read and understood all of this ... what do you think?

Sounds like a plan.

I think I would do the other two MK attractions after you do SDMT for 60+1 before moving on to Soarin on Day 62. But I don't think you'll have any trouble getting all of what you want, since you're not doing FoP until 60+4.