The Reality of FP Strategies

[StraightToDumbo]

I've heard people say they front-load their 3 FP's in order to get more earlier. This sounds all well and good, but I've NEVER seemed to even need a FP until about 11:30, which at that point we're sitting down for a TS lunch.

My strategy seems to make afternoon (1-5 P.M.) FP's as premium over earlier ones. Am I really risking anything by RDing several attractions and saving FP's for the afternoon with a risk of not getting a 4th later on?

 

[Klayfish]

I don't think you're risking anything really, but may be standing in some lines later in the morning. Depends on the park, the time of year, etc...but there are plenty of rides that will get pretty long lines well before 11:30am...FEA, Soarin', TT, 7DMT, the two new Pandora rides, Kali (in summer), Pan, Space, Splash (in summer), etc... they often will have 45+ minute lines well before 11:30am. I agree that in the first hour to 90 minutes, you can often do without FP+, even for the top tier rides. But by late morning, not so much.

 

[maltdizzy]

Strategies have to take into play heavy or light less heavy crowds; park hopping etc.; time in park; etc.

We travel at a lighter time (week before labor day), park hop, and spend a solid 12-16 hours in the parks everyday so I book FP+ for the late afternoon at the 2nd park. We can rope drop and usually ride what we want to until lunch. Then when we get to the second park we have FP if the lines are bad or can blow them off if the lines are manageable or we want to do something else.

If the park is busy enough not to get a 4th FP+ later on, you might not have much choice early afternoon either.

 

[ldymcbth]

I also do afternoon FP. That way we aren't "scheduled" in the mornings and the kids can sort of pick what they want to do. It gives them the illusion of choice even though I've actually already planned the day hahaha!

 

[elle101me]

I front load them in the morning. We still do rides and shows in between FP's. As soon as I scan the 3rd FP I make one for evening and we head back to the hotel during the afternoon hours. I'm not sure when you're going but it's way too hot in August for us to stay all day at a park.

 

[DisMommyTX]

We tend to travel at peak times like the week of July 4th. We arrive early afternoon, have our 3 FP in the 2-5pm range, then usually get FP for 4th and 5th rides in the evening. The headliners are gone, but we always find things like Great Movie Ride, Buzz, Tomorrowland Speedway, IASW--usually things with 25-40 min waits. We break up the afternoon with AC time in M&G or shows. By the time the sun sets, the park is clearing out and lines drop quickly as the evening cools. We have never had a problem getting FP, but we are just as happy on the less popular attractions. The frequent afternoon thunder showers also help to clear the parks for more pleasant evening touring!

 

[LSUfan4444]

I've heard people say they front-load their 3 FP's in order to get more earlier

For the most part, outside of Magic Kingdom, I disagree with this approach. I think more success can be had focusing on maximizing the benefit of the three FP+ you know you have rather than using them earlier in the day when you don't need them.

 

[philbrody]

for me 10 am is the perfect time for the first FP. If I get the kids up and out for rope drop that gives us 1-2 hours of riding short line no FP rides. If it's busy we do the first FP at 10, and if it's not busy we do the first at 10:55.

On the other hand if the kids sleep in we dont need to rush out. Can stroll in the park at 1030 or so and do our FP's, whatever else has a short line, get lunch, and then back to the boardwalk to swim

 

[Sarcazm]

I have found while planning my Disney vacation, that it's difficult (for me) to do all the FPs in the morning. Part of the reason is because the rides/attractions that are really popular are on opposite sides of the park.

Frozen, Test Track, Soarin'
7DMT, Splash Mtn, Space Mtn
Pandora, Kilimanjaro, Expedition Everest
Toy Story Mania, Rock n Roller Coaster

So, for instance, if I wanted to rope drop Frozen, then FP Test Track, I would be kickin' it into high gear with 2 young kids across the park.

Ideally, I would want to ride Test Track, Soarin, and then other rides near each other in Future World, and then save a FP for Frozen for the afternoon. Walking/fast-walking around Disney to opposite sides of the park all day long doesn't sound like my idea of fun.

 

[maltdizzy]

then other rides near each other in Future World

Nothing is near each other in Future World.

 

[Delirium]

We park hop, which increases the value of having afternoon/evening fastpasses in order to ride headliners in the 2nd park. For example, we can hit MK at rope drop and ride Jungle Cruise, Splash, and Big Thunder before the crowds build and after hopping to Hollywood Studios, ride RNR, TOT and Star Tours using FP. If we switched the fastpasses to the morning park, we would be waiting much, much, longer to ride at HS.

Plus, there are several headliners that are simply better at night. Everest, Tower of Terror, Test Track, Mine Train, Big Thunder, and Jungle Cruise. All of those would be difficult, if not impossible, to get as 4th fastpasses.

 

[HydroGuy]

I've heard people say they front-load their 3 FP's in order to get more earlier. This sounds all well and good, but I've NEVER seemed to even need a FP until about 11:30, which at that point we're sitting down for a TS lunch.

My strategy seems to make afternoon (1-5 P.M.) FP's as premium over earlier ones. Am I really risking anything by RDing several attractions and saving FP's for the afternoon with a risk of not getting a 4th later on?

Let's go with your observation of 11:30AM when FPs are needed (although I saw much different 2 weeks ago over Memorial Day weekend with 60-90 minute lines at all four parks by 10-10:30AM).

Consider
FP #1 9:30-10:30AM
FP #2 10:30-11:30AM
FP #3 11:30AM-12:30PM

You have 2 FPs at 11:30AM when you yourself say you need them. The first FP you can use at 10:30AM (or up to 10:45AM) and may not be a huge time saver but sure can be if it is for something like SDMT.

As soon as you scan FP#3 and before you get on the ride, look for FP#4 on MDE and head to lunch . Extra FPs for quality rides are easier to get when your group is smaller, but you can still get them.

For me, I like the morning FP approach all around as it gives me the best shot at extra FPs. Plus by the time I get to FP #4 I know what our afternoon may look like. DW usually can't go for 14 hour days, so if we arrive at 9AM we are probably leaving by 6 or 7PM. Unless we take an afternoon break. By 11:30 I know which path she is on - i.e., break or power through. If I made afternoon FPs they could get wasted in a case where she prefers to take a break.

I tend to only make afternoon or evening FPs when we have a planned late arrival at a park.

 

[mamamelody2]

I certainly don't make FPs for first thing, but first one at 10 or 10:30 is good. Depending on how it's going, we an use it at the beginning or end of the FP window. The only one I will try to do for 9 AM is FOP. We will rope drop the river ride, then head over and use FP on FOP.
Of course, this trip is only DH and I, so we will have an easier time getting 4th+ FPs.

 

[Robo]

Epcot attractions are spread out.

 

[Cruisin Spartan]

Right now, for us, the afternoon FP strategy makes the most sense. Our kids are young, and limited by choice/height on many of the big headliners. DW doesn't really enjoy riding by herself, so most of the time, we skip them. We start out our days either rope dropping or sleeping in and hitting the pool. If we rope drop, we start out with one of the longer wait time rides or a headliner, do a few more things, then we're heading back by 12 or 1:00 for an afternoon break. Then, for the one or two remaining Headliners/longer wait rides that we do still end up doing, we book FP for during the afternoon. The others we'll use for rides that still build moderate waits. This gives us maximum flexibility in the morning and works ok based on our needs. As the kids get older and braver, I can see us shifting to a strategy like @HydroGuy laid out though.

 

[Davey Jones II]

Do they still have the FP kiosks, and CMs with tablets who can book FPs for you? Yes we are luddites who don't have a smartphone. We have a tablet but found it difficult to book FPs on that using the wifi at WDW.

 

[Cruisin Spartan]

Do they still have the FP kiosks, and CMs with tablets who can book FPs for you? Yes we are luddites who don't have a smartphone. We have a tablet but found it difficult to book FPs on that using the wifi at WDW.

They do.

 

[dreiwhit]

We try to front load our FPs at Epcot to get them done in the morning. That's because after lunch we head for the World Showcase, and really don't want to walk back and forth. We also try to "cut the park in half" and do half of the World Showcase and the same half of Future World in one day.

At MK, we pick FPs for the lands we will be visiting on that day. Typically, we spend two days in MK and cut the park in half like we do at Epcot.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I've been looking at wait times lately in the morning and they are not pretty. This morning before 11 there were posted 45+ minute waits at many attractions, Including Haunted Mansion, POTC, Under the Sea, EE, Kali, and even Dinosaur.

It is looking to be a terribly crowded summer. If I were going to be in the park in the morning, I'd probably go for my first FP at a major attraction by 10:30 am or so. If the line is not long, you can always just get in line and switch out for a different FP later in the day.

 

[PrincessV]

I'll throw another strategy into the mix...

During our peak-summer trips, we prefer to sleep in and/or hit pools or water parks in the mornings and don't get to the other parks until around dinner time. So I book evening FPs for our "must-do" rides at the times we specifically want to hit certain things (like, we like to ride BTMRR in the dark, so I make sure its FP is for a time after sunset, while AC is a must before sunset, so I'll aim for a 4-5pm FP for Soarin'.) At MK, with its late operating hours, I can almost always still snag 4th, 5th, 6th FPs for everything but 7DMT. At the other parks, we'll wait standby in a couple lines between FPd attractions and we'll be done about when the park closes, so no need to even worry about getting more FPs.