Which FPs to get first at each park?

[ArchOwl]

I need more information on the “Runner” concept. If we start the morning at DL, can my family stay in that park while I run over to DCA with their tickets to get FastPasses? Will I need to scan their tickets at the DCA gate? Will they let me scan their ticket at the DCA gate w/o the guest they are assigned to? Or will the fact that they have been scanned at the DLP gate allow me to get Fast Passes inside of DCA?

As long as the tickets have been scanned at either park, they can be used to get FPs at both parks. So yes, as long as everyone enters one park, you can run over to the other park with the tickets and obtain FPs for everyone.

Have fun!

 

[SueTGGR]

Also, plan to be inside DCA for it's opening at least one day to hit Toy Story Mania as your first ride. There have been many mornings we have done this and been able to go on the ride twice before the line gets super long. And we will typically grab a FP for Soarin' as we pass by. It has been about a year since we have been there but they let you inside before the official opening and you head back past GRR (fast passes for World of Coler lines start here, too.) and head towards the pier area. They will have it roped off and you can wait to rush (walk don't run ) over to TSM for the faily short line.
Enjoy!

 

[milan15]

Also, please please please don't limit yourself to just one park per day. Make sure you hop between the two as they are just 90 seconds apart.

You can hold FP's at BOTH parks simultaneously and bounce back between the two - their FP systems are not connected, and remember, YOU CAN USE YOUR FP LATER THAN YOUR WINDOW if you'd like to collect them and come back at a later time to use them.

Hold up, this is news to me
If you have a fast pass at say Indy that is good from 2-3pm you can get a fast pass to say Soarin before it says on the fp that you have to wait (in this example 2)?

 

[SueTGGR]

Hold up, this is news to me
If you have a fast pass at say Indy that is good from 2-3pm you can get a fast pass to say Soarin before it says on the fp that you have to wait (in this example 2)?

If I am reading your question correctly, Yes, you can have a FP from each park. They are not connected. Sometimes we will go into DL to get a FP before we head over to DCA because we know we want to hit Space Mountain before our day is done. Also, I don't remember which ones but it used to be that there were some FP's that were completely separate from the main ones in the park. So you could have 2 for rides in the same park.
We have it down to a science as our son is not a fan of the faster rides. We would collect FP's throughout the day, drop him off @ Pinocchio's Workshop and head back to the parks for a couple of hours of fast rides! Indy, Thunder Mtn, Space Mtn...one after another.

 

[milan15]

If I am reading your question correctly, Yes, you can have a FP from each park. They are not connected. Sometimes we will go into DL to get a FP before we head over to DCA because we know we want to hit Space Mountain before our day is done. Also, I don't remember which ones but it used to be that there were some FP's that were completely separate from the main ones in the park. So you could have 2 for rides in the same park.
We have it down to a science as our son is not a fan of the faster rides. We would collect FP's throughout the day, drop him off @ Pinocchio's Workshop and head back to the parks for a couple of hours of fast rides! Indy, Thunder Mtn, Space Mtn...one after another.

my question was terribly written and I was going to fix it...
then you read through my stupidity and still got me the answer I was looking for.

Thanks a ton

 

[rramstad]

Hold up, this is news to me
If you have a fast pass at say Indy that is good from 2-3pm you can get a fast pass to say Soarin before it says on the fp that you have to wait (in this example 2)?

Yes, absolutely correct. DL and DCA have totally separate FP systems.

You can walk into DL, grab an FP for Star Tours (for example), turn around, walk into DCA, and grab an FP for Soarin', all within the span of 15 minutes, and it's no problem at all.

In fact, with WoC FP disconnected, you could even grab Star Tours, Soarin' and WoC FP, with no issue, even in a very short time period... and if CA Screamin' is disconnected, you could grab that one too...

 

[sweethannah]

On my first trip we didn't do much Park Hopping... however the Parks are really close together. While as a group you might not want to run between the Parks too much you might want to designate one person who will go from one park to the other and collect FPs for your group. This can be done during rest stops so you don't get separated, then later on in the evening you can head over to the park where you didn't spend much time and still use your FPs for the 'big' rides.

 

[rramstad]

I need more information on the “Runner” concept. If we start the morning at DL, can my family stay in that park while I run over to DCA with their tickets to get FastPasses? Will I need to scan their tickets at the DCA gate? Will they let me scan their ticket at the DCA gate w/o the guest they are assigned to? Or will the fact that they have been scanned at the DLP gate allow me to get Fast Passes inside of DCA?

Once the tickets are scanned and the people belonging to the tickets have entered either park, the tickets are activated and can be used to get FP.

Note that you CANNOT enter a park with just a hand stamp, you must have ticket in hand. This is important if they are joining you later.

Example:

Group enters DL.

"Runner" heads over to Star Tours, Space Mountain, or similar, with all the entry tickets and grabs FP for the group.

"Runner" exits DL, gets hand stamp, enters DCA.

"Runner" grabs Soarin' FP, WoC FP (it's disconnected), CA Screamin' FP (if it's still disconnected).

If the group wants to go to DCA to meet "Runner", the "Runner" MUST exit DCA and meet them in the plaza or at DL, so the group has tickets so they can enter DCA. The group MUST also get a hand stamp upon exit of DL.

Conversely, most of the time most folks would simply have the "Runner" meet the group in DL, and go from there, using the DCA FP later in the day.

Hope that helps.

 

[rramstad]

Dis in the AM then DCA midday then Dis in the evening does make sense though. Is that what you are talking about?

Yes, that's exactly what folks are suggesting.

Up through June 15th, and in the past, DL opens earlier than DCA. It therefore makes a LOT of sense to start the day in DL, collecting FP there as best as possible, while riding rides, and then exiting at some point fairly early in the day to go to DCA and do the same thing, collecting FP as best as possible, while riding rides.

(My family likes to take a pool break and lunch break after all of that.)

When you head back into DL, you can still get FP immediately, as you've spent enough time in DCA that your window is back open, and of course you have the morning FP to spend as well, if you run into long lines.

I've definitely gotten into some nice cycles where I ended up holding two FP for one ride, having rode it once early in the day, still riding it standby in the late morning with little or no line... and then late in the evening, when Indy has ridiculous lines, it's great to cash those FP in.

 

[LV Disney Fan(atic)]

Are Big Thunder Mtn and Roger Rabbit still disconnected from the FP system? My daughter is going to DL this Thursday and I'm trying to help her plan her FPs.

 

[HydroGuy]

Are Big Thunder Mtn and Roger Rabbit still disconnected from the FP system? My daughter is going to DL this Thursday and I'm trying to help her plan her FPs.

No. RR is disconnected. BTMRR is connected. And apparently California Screamin is disconnected for the time being.

 

[nannyz]

OK so if we all go into DL as a group, then our runner leaves with all of our tickets, does he have to show all the tickets to get into DCA and get FP or just his own ticket?

 

[HydroGuy]

OK so if we all go into DL as a group, then our runner leaves with all of our tickets, does he have to show all the tickets to get into DCA and get FP or just his own ticket?

Just his own.

 

[LV Disney Fan(atic)]

No. RR is disconnected. BTMRR is connected. And apparently California Screamin is disconnected for the time being.

Bummer - but thanks for the quick answer!