Way back in the dark ages, before fast pass

[Nola Girl]

Did you visit WDW? Do you remember your plan? DH and I did. We were "rope droppers". A different park every morning, two days for the MK because of we just could not hit all the rides we needed before the lines got too long. Then back to the resort for afternoon naps and a swim returning to the parks for dinner, parades, shopping etc. I guess we return to this plan and use our 3 FP+ In the late evening when the lines are out of control.
What is your "grand plan"?

 

[TDC Nala]

Get up in the AM (whenever I want to), decide which park to go to, get on the Ipad and see if any FP+ are available for anything I might want to do.

 

[baileybrad]

Did you visit WDW? Do you remember your plan? DH and I did. We were "rope droppers". A different park every morning, two days for the MK because of we just could not hit all the rides we needed before the lines got too long. Then back to the resort for afternoon naps and a swim returning to the parks for dinner, parades, shopping etc. I guess we return to this plan and use our 3 FP+ In the late evening when the lines are out of control.
What is your "grand plan"?

We second that. How you described your long ago touring was exactly how we did it even before FP.

We actually combined many of our naps with the swimming part....just in a lounge chair by the pool.

 

[karenklo]

That was how we did it! Leave when the lines got long! I am liking the fact that I already have FP+ to RnR, ToT, and TSM the day we arrive at WDW. I also didn't take any FP+ at AK because we are hopping over that evening to Ep so I saved the FP for there. So we will RD AK and go the old fashioned way!

 

[Son of Gadsden]

I don't think my plans will really change. We normally arrive at the park around 11am. Most of our FP+ are in the timeframe of 11pm, 2pm, 4pm. So the plan is we hit our first FP when we get there, get lunch, hit our next 2 fastpasses, then see what we can ride without FPs, get dinner, then stay until the park closes and ride whatever we want since the lines just about disappear after 9.

 

[agavegirl1]

OP ... did you mean before FP of any form? If so, get there at RD, tour till we can't stand the crowds, go back to the resort for awhile, return in the evening for fireworks and more rides. Oh! ...and never go during busy times.

 

[goofydad621]

Did you visit WDW? Do you remember your plan? DH and I did. We were "rope droppers". A different park every morning, two days for the MK because of we just could not hit all the rides we needed before the lines got too long. Then back to the resort for afternoon naps and a swim returning to the parks for dinner, parades, shopping etc. I guess we return to this plan and use our 3 FP+ In the late evening when the lines are out of control.
What is your "grand plan"?

Thats how we used to plan our trips and even with the FP- we kept to that allot of times depending on the heat, get there early ride what we could before the lines got bad head back to the pool, nap downtown disney and hthen back to the parks 4:30-5:30. Worked in the dark ages should work now and like somebody else said I am planning most of my FP+ for whatever park I plan on ending up at later

 

[Quin]

Yes, but....... 'back in the day' there were a WHOLE lot less people in the parks to begin with. Been there, done that; been coming intermittently since the 2nd year after the MK opened. I've noticed recent reports of non-FP wait times > 1 hour by 10 am. Your plan works well if lines are low from, say, 9 am to noon and again in the evening. If that no longer holds true you're not going to get as much done each day before you bail for lunch and a swim.

I still don't know what Disney was thinking. I get it that they are looking for ways to encourage me to spend more $ per trip. But if I'm spending longer waiting in lines (because I only have 3 FP+s and they're tiered) or leaving the parks earlier each day because the lines get too long too fast, well, I'm not spending money. Unless I'm spending it on a rental car and going off property in the afternoons. I think I'm more likely to stay the parks buying snacks and t-shirts and such if I'm able to get on rides quickly, so that I don't feel like I have such pressure to go stand in the next line and am comfortable with riding a ride and then poking through the shops as I take my time heading to the next ride. Gaps of 1 -2 hours between FPs are too long for me; I wouldn't hang in an overcrowded park with NOTHING to do but shop/snack for 2 hours waiting for 1 more FP ride. I'd bail.

And if the whole vacation goes like that, I'd look at other vacation destinations instead. If we wait 5+ years to come back, maybe they'll have blown up this system and be trying the next new thing, and it will work better for us.

 

[fla4fun]

I have been going to WDW since 1971. I remember the ticket books - a lot of time was spent between rides deciding what to use those precious tickets for (not unlike the time people are spending now deciding what to use their precious FP+ for). When Epcot opened, and Disney went to an all inclusive ticket, we would get in a line if it was less than 30 minutes only - and we managed to see everything we wanted to.

As more parks opened, and more people visited, it became more about the time of year we visited. I've been going in September and January for years, as well as other less crowded times. We made the mistake of booking a three day weekend over Christmas back in the late 80's, and didn't get in a single attraction all weekend because we refused to wait in long lines (still had a good time though - really enjoyed the resort that trip).

I have never been a huge user of FP, just because I couldn't see running all over the park. Occasionally I would pull a Soarin FP, but then I'd find myself just hanging out in the Land pavilion waiting for the time to arrive. So FP wasn't a big part of my Disney day. As an AP holder who doesn't have to see every thing every trip, I would still just go by wait time, and if it was less than 30 minutes, I'd give it a go.

Now with FP+, I like that I can get that Soarin FP+ ahead of time and I don't feel like I'm backtracking or waiting around for my ride window. Since I didn't use FP much before, I think three is enough for me personally (understanding that others feel differently about that). In fact, I wish they let you book them individually with a limit of three instead of making you book three as a group, because I've ended up with FP+ I know I won't use, and no way to cancel them. Hopefully that will change in the future.

I am still not booking FP+ for every day of the trip - right now, I'm booking at around 50% - because I still like to have spontaneous days where I can sleep in and just see where the day takes me. However, due to having to celebrate Christmas with the family the weekend before the actual holiday, I decided to spend Christmas day at Epcot this year. Unlike that fateful trip in the 80's, I have three FP+ booked for the morning, a late lunch booked as a CP package, so I'll be seeing the 5pm show with a reserved seat. I feel like I will be just busy enough, without being over scheduled, with some time to enjoy the shops and holiday atmosphere between my FP+, ADR, and show. So I feel FP+ is a positive for me - even though a lot of people don't feel the same.

 

[Nola Girl]

Yes, back before FP of any kind and yes it was much less crowded, I agree!

 

[Sandy Fisher]

Our first trip to Disney (as a family) was May of 1982. There was only MK as far as parks and of course River Country. Epcot wasn't finished til that fall so we didn't get there that trip.
We loved it. Never envisioned anything like fast pass. Never seemed to stand in lines long if at all. It was MARVY. And groovy. And cool. And we loved it so much. We went back regularly with and without our guys. Until things got crazy a few years ago with crowds so much of the year, we enjoyed it. We had to really change our style of doing the parks.
Not just days, but months and weather and crowds and more crowds. Rarely used the fast pass system for anything. Not our style. We moved at a comfortable pace and did the things we liked best at each park.
Never felt a need for Disney to make it easier for us to spend money.............or for them to bend our way of doing things -- intentionally or not.
Not sure how much more Disney visiting we'll do now that we're back to the frozen north and not able to drop in at the parks each day WHEN we chose to.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Oh yes...back in the days when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, I visited Walt Disney World. 3 times with no such thing as FP. We always planned what park to go to on what day, and that was it. You stands in lines and takes yer chances.


At Epcot, if you wanted a meal in one of the restaurants, you went up to a kiosk and spoke to a real person who would try and find you a reservation. There was no making of ADRs.

 

[redsbe]

Visited off season (even if it meant taking kids out of school), always took advantage of RD (do not believe we ever left for park later then 9am any morning during any WDW visit when park day was planned) and also used EMH or variations when those began to be offered. We always understood, even when kids were young, that going to WDW meant early start which everyone knew would let us avoid long lines and waiting ride after ride. Also we focused on an entire park experience based on more than riding a top attraction 3-4 times in same day (unless there were no lines!).

 

[Escape Artist]

There was also barely any internet back then, so very little sharing of tips from people who'd been there before, unless it was from your real-life relatives, friends or co-workers. We went to Dis-MGM Studios in 1989 on my first trip to WDW, and didn't even realize it was a brand-new park! We stayed in a condo off-property, and I don't remember even thinking about getting an on-site hotel.

I miss e-ticket nights. This was probably around 2000? The park was open 'til like, 2AM, only for the headliners, and we rode them all. It was great! That would sure help people get their top-tier rides in!

 

[Figment_Fan]

Yes. I remember when the Birnbaum guide was the most of what any of us had. Before the internet, before cell phones. We went early - rarely at rope drop - skipped the long lines and moved on to the next ride. Sometimes actually waited in the long line just to get that ride in.

Back to the room as the park got crowded. Went back out in the evening to whichever park and closed it down.

We'll just go back to the original methods (not that we changed much due to fast pass). I still just like to be there. I love the feeling of walking around and soaking it all in. And, that is part of the cost of admission. I want to do more of the Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom.

I have walked on Pirates of the Carr. without a fast pass on a crowded day, but it was during a parade. The crowd was otherwise occupied. I have done that on other rides as well. (all except for Space Mountain)

Still a magical place and vacation. The food has improved, the atmosphere has improved. I do remember trying to figure out which ride to use for which ticket. I thought the general admission was the greatest idea. Just go in and ride. That was a concept.

I love to refresh at the pool in the afternoon. It still has atmosphere depending on where you stay. I love the pop as much as the volcano pool at the Poly.

I will just roll with it. I have some trepidation, but until a bad experience happens, and happens more the a chance amount of times, I intend to enjoy my vacation. When that time comes, and I sincerely hope it doesn't, I intend to continue planning on vacationing with the mouse, and his sidekicks.