Tell us your FP strategy

[asmit4]

I know most DISers use FPs, and many of you are such experts at everything Disney that I thought I would ask what your strategy is....

I just found out recently that you can use your FPs anytime after the ticket says you can. Last time we were rushing to get back before our time was up...so now this opens up a whole new set of options for us. What is your FP strategy?

 

[vicki_c]

Use them, get the next one as soon as you can, use them when you want. Not too much of a strategy, but it works.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Use them, get the next one as soon as you can, use them when you want. Not too much of a strategy, but it works.

That's what we do. I didn't realize there was any other way either.

 

[KramerDSP]

I went to the Magic Kingdom on July 3'rd and was the runner for my group. At park opening, I went straight to Space Mountain, while my group went to Dumbo to start the day off. After getting the Space Mountain fastpasses, the next return time was 10:05 AM. I met my group and we did the fantasyland rides (virtually all of them), and then I showed them where the Princess line was and began the walk to Splash Mountain around 9:55, timing it so that I'd arrive at the FP machines just as I was eligible for new fastpasses.

Once you get the first two out of the way, keep your eyes on the time on the ticket where it says you can get a new fastpass, and keep accumulating them.

The late morning and afternoon is when the runner will be doing the most work getting the fastpasses, but theres' a big reward involved with this, and the evening was a godsend.

We got a spot for the fireworks, and then when that was over, we did Buzz fastpass, Space Mountain fastpass, Space Mountain fastpass, Splash Mountain fastpass, BTMR fastpass, BTMR fastpass. All of the lines had post times of at least 30-45 minutes, if not more, and we virtually walked onto every ride.

The park was open late on the 3'rd to non-resort guests (1 AM), and it was an EMH night there when I went, but by attacking the fastpass machines as soon as you're eligible to get them, while saving them and using standby to ride Splash and Thunder in late morning, you get to ride the top rides 3 or more times in the same visit if you have two or more fastpass return tickets for each member of your party.

I was thinking that on July 3'rd, the fastpass machines would run out quickly, but the plan worked to perfection.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

In morning hours we do the popular rides, accumulating FPs as we go. As it gets to be later in the morning and parks get more crowded we hit the smaller attractions, still accumulating FPs. By late afternoon/early evening we'll have several FP sets to use. That always works out nice.

 

[SnwflkCts]

I guess we don't have any strategy except for what poster #2 says. In MK, we get fast passes for Peter Pan, BTMR and Space Mountain. We always use them during the allotted time printed on the FP.

In HS - always for ToT but we never seem to have a problem getting on R&RC.

In Epcot - we have yet to get there early enough to even consider Soarin' but next time we will get FPs for that and Test Track.

In AK -- FP EE definately. Usually we FP Dinosaur & the Safari too. But the Safari line is long despite FPs -- we may either skip the FP next time or skip the attraction.

Have fun!

 

[Brooknwdw]

I know most DISers use FPs, and many of you are such experts at everything Disney that I thought I would ask what your strategy is....

I just found out recently that you can use your FPs anytime after the ticket says you can. Last time we were rushing to get back before our time was up...so now this opens up a whole new set of options for us. What is your FP strategy?

I have a question..what do you mean you can use the fast passes any time AFTER the time printed? Do you mean they are still good after the last time printed? WOW if so I didn't know that!

 

[asmit4]

YUP! ANY time after on that day!

IF your FP says btwn 11 and 12- you can use it ANY time after 11!!!

I had NOOOOO idea either and I've been an avid diser for awhile now! SO this means that now I can design a strategy of sorts! LOL! Yet another thing to plan!

Our strategy before was get an FP and HIGH TALE it to that ride in that hour for fear that at 12:01 we'd be SCREWED!

 

[Brooknwdw]

YUP! ANY time after on that day!

IF your FP says btwn 11 and 12- you can use it ANY time after 11!!!

I had NOOOOO idea either and I've been an avid diser for awhile now! SO this means that now I can design a strategy of sorts! LOL! Yet another thing to plan!

Our strategy before was get an FP and HIGH TALE it to that ride in that hour for fear that at 12:01 we'd be SCREWED!

Wow that is awesome!! You are right this opens up a whole new way to plan! Thanks for the info!

 

[teacher31]

Haven't we heard about people trying to use it outside of the window and being turned away? I find it hard to believe that you can use them afterwards. Would be nice, but hard to believe.

 

[DeblovesPoohbear]

Haven't we heard about people trying to use it outside of the window and being turned away? I find it hard to believe that you can use them afterwards. Would be nice, but hard to believe.

It's true, we were there last Nov and had FP's for RNR and we were lunching
at the Sci Fi restaurant and forgot all about it
Well, we showed up at the ride about an hour late and they let us right on
I even told the CM the time was wrong and they said no biggie, just go

 

[AmberLuvsWDW]

Wow that is awesome!! You are right this opens up a whole new way to plan! Thanks for the info!

I think Soarin' is one where they DO check the time. I've never had a problem with any of the others.

 

[asmit4]

There was a huge post on this recently and everyone was basically in agreement that it IS allowed. Even CMs came on and said so themselves. Also, Robo, a DISer saint IMO, said so, and in my book what Robo says is gold! LOL!

 

[KidAtHeart1]

Shhhhhh......don't let the whole "you can really use fastpasses anytime after the return window" secret out of the bag. We did that so much last year that I almost felt bad watching people freak out, back-track across an entire park just to make sure the were able to use their passes "during the right time" mwa haha haha!!! Also what we did was to get there at rope drop (duh!) go to the most popular ride(s) such as Soarin', immediately ride it, then as soon as we got off we would get a fastpass for it that we would come back to use to ride a second time whenever we felt like it. Seriously though, keep it on the DL (down low).

 

[2infinityandbeyond]

Sp what happens when a CM does not allow you to use your FP's after the printed time? How do explain to your kids, "Well, some guy/gal on the internet told me I could use them whenever we wanted, but the CM is not permitting this, so we can't ride your favorite ride. Maybe next trip..."???

 

[jlatina32]

If I knew what i know right now, we could have done Test Track on our last day. We had a time window of 1:30 to 2:30 and we thought we lost out cuz we got to the attraction 10 minutes after the time window.

Now that I know............. I will definately take advantage. Thank you Disers. I love u guyz!!

 

[Lawshark]

Sp what happens when a CM does not allow you to use your FP's after the printed time? How do explain to your kids, "Well, some guy/gal on the internet told me I could use them whenever we wanted, but the CM is not permitting this, so we can't ride your favorite ride. Maybe next trip..."???

Very simple...feel free to disregard the advice. No one will force you to use the FP late.

I doubt that I've ever used a FP within the time frame stated on the front...including Soarin'...and was turned away a grand total of...zero times...over the course of 4 trips in the last 5 years.

I plan on continuing to do so until Disney changes the policy...

 

[autumnpalm]

This may be a silly question, but I have a bit of FP confusion. How many FP are you allowed to have at a time? I thought you were only allowed to have one at a time, and you couldn't get a new one until the time for an older one had passed.

If that's the case, how are you guys accumulating multiple passes to use later in the day? Do you just wait past the time printed on the FP for all of them and use them in the evening?

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Sp what happens when a CM does not allow you to use your FP's after the printed time? How do explain to your kids, "Well, some guy/gal on the internet told me I could use them whenever we wanted, but the CM is not permitting this, so we can't ride your favorite ride. Maybe next trip..."???

I've been doing this for years and have never yet been turned away for a single ride -including Soarin'. As for getting turned away, I'd wait a few minutes and go back wehn another CM is on duty. The reason for this is chances are that the CM that turned you away is not aware of the policy. As far as explaining to kids with high hopes, well let's just say I never put all my eggs in one basket. Seriously, it is perfectly OK to use those late FPs.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

This may be a silly question, but I have a bit of FP confusion. How many FP are you allowed to have at a time? I thought you were only allowed to have one at a time, and you couldn't get a new one until the time for an older one had passed.

If that's the case, how are you guys accumulating multiple passes to use later in the day? Do you just wait past the time printed on the FP for all of them and use them in the evening?

That's pretty much what we do. We start accumulating FPs at rope drop and hardly ever use one until late afternoon. Most often the pattern is that we take a afternoon break, and then come back to the same park for the evening and ride using all our FPs. Can't beat that feeling.