Tusker House + Pandora: is it possible? Help!

[Cesar A Collacciani]

Hello everyone!
I´m form Argentina and we´re back to Disney on July 2019. This time I´m travelling with my daughter (12) and my mom (72). Assuming I won´t get FP+ for FOP I decided to book breakfast in Tusker House at 8 AM that day (Park opens 9 AM).
Do you guys think that after taking breakfast quickly enough to leave Tusker House at 8:30 we will be able to head to Pandora? Or CM will "block" us until RD? This is the only way I figured out to be ahead of masses. But I dont know if it will work!
Thank you for your help!!

Cesar

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Hello everyone!
I´m form Argentina and we´re back to Disney on July 2019. This time I´m travelling with my daughter (12) and my mom (72). Assuming I won´t get FP+ for FOP I decided to book breakfast in Tusker House at 8 AM that day (Park opens 9 AM).
Do you guys think that after taking breakfast quickly enough to leave Tusker House at 8:30 we will be able to head to Pandora? Or CM will "block" us until RD? This is the only way I figured out to be ahead of masses. But I dont know if it will work!
Thank you for your help!!

Cesar

If Pandora is a priority, book Tusker House for 10:30.
People will be entering the Pandora area by 8:30am. You definitely won’t be done eating by then.

If you want to be in the front of the crowd, be to the front gate of AK no later than 7:30am for a 9am opening.

 

[Cesar A Collacciani]

Ok. I get it. What if we do "no show" (will cost 10 each) at Tusker House and go straight to Pandora? My mom is old and she won´t be able to keep the pace even being at the very front before RD. That´s why I´m thinking this option. We´ve been in Tusker House before and it´s not a priority for us. I prefer paying 30 than being there that early and deal with my mom´s pace at RD. What do you think?
Thank you for your time!!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I highly doubt they will let you just hang out near the Pandora rope to wait until the crowds come in from the front gate.

Are you staying on site? The best option to avoid a fast paced swell of crowds (which is putting it as politely as I can) is to secure a FP.

 

[monkyby87]

I don't think you'll be able to "no show" for your reservation and wait by Pandora. You can really only go to breakfast, you can't mingle about anywhere else, especially Pandora. They'll likely make you go back to the entrance and wait with everyone else. Unless you can get a FP+, there really isn't going to be anyway for you to get an advantage and be at the head of the pack. I know it's frustrating given your situation and limitations, but I just don't see a way. If there was a way, people would have been doing it by now. It will be hard to get out of Tusker House quickly, so I would move your reservation to later in the day like the other poster said.

 

[Lydia S]

Moving your reservation to 10:30 allows you to experience both breakfast AND lunch options, since they start switching out to lunch at around 10:45. Don't lose hope on getting fastpasses either. I was checking multiple times a day prior to my trip and was able to get fastpasses. Then the day of, we used our initial 3, and late in the afternoon, got a second set of FoP fastpasses for 7:30. This was over a year ago, but I believe they still do "day of" fast pass releases at set times.

 

[sharonabe]

Ok. I get it. What if we do "no show" (will cost 10 each) at Tusker House and go straight to Pandora? My mom is old and she won´t be able to keep the pace even being at the very front before RD. That´s why I´m thinking this option. We´ve been in Tusker House before and it´s not a priority for us. I prefer paying 30 than being there that early and deal with my mom´s pace at RD. What do you think?
Thank you for your time!!

Even if you finished eating by 8:30, you'd still be behind the crowd because they would already be lined up either at the bridge leading into or in the line itself. The back way into Pandora from Tusker isn't open until much later, so you have to go back toward the entrance and enter from there.

As others have said, it's highly unlikely they will let you wander from Tusker back to where they lead everyone into Pandora. And even if they did, you'd still be in the mad rush once they started letting everyone else in the park. They definitely will NOT let you into Pandora.

Sounds like your best bet for riding this is in the evening right before closing. There's no mad rush and the line moves fairly quickly once the FP line is gone.

 

[cgattis]

I’m a rope drop person, but if your mom moves a little slow, doing it at close might be a safer option. Or would she consider a scooter for just that day? The rope drop for Pandora was very crowded and aggressive; I was very glad my kids are strong, athletic teens and I wasn’t attempting that with little ones. I saw lots of opportunities for folks to get hurt.

 

[gharter]

I wouldn't no-show Tusker House. I also would not try to do an 8am ADR and rush through breakfast to try and make FoP. Peopl will have been in line ahead of you for at least 15 minutes. You cannot walk in through the bridge by Lion King, so must walk back to the entrance by the Oasis.
If your mom moves slowly, do RD for FoP will not work well. Even if you are there early and near the front of the line waiting to get into Pandora, you will have a huge number of people push infront of you. Most likely end up with at least a 60 minute wait.
I would agree that getting into line 10 minutes before park close is a much better option.
If you want to RD FoP, then I would put the Tusker House ADR closer to 10:30.

 

[Lesley Wake]

Like PP said, your thoughts won't work. I know people who've been in the throng of Pandora RDers and others around them needed to get up to Tusker House but were caught up in the crowds. Best option is doing it right before park close. Otherwise you could also watch out for any After Hours events at AK to see if they will be during your trip. Also, it will be July, so HOT. the interior of the queue has A/C, so even waiting in the longer line isn't a horrible idea if it's not too long in the outdoor portion.