Will it be possible to plan in advance for DW Galaxy’s Edge?

[JakeAZ]

I’m in charge of planning our big family trip to DW in April. I am NOT a fan of having to plan everything out 180 / 60 days in advance, but that’s the system, so I’ll work with it.

My question is, how is Disney going to integrate visiting GE into their current system of months in advance scheduling? I know DL is going with day of boarding groups. That system should work fine there. Both parks are right next to each other. But DW is so spread out. If they use the same system at DW, that will basically trap you in HS until your boarding group is called (if it even is). And being trapped in HS with their new FP tiering doesn’t sound like my idea of fun. It sounds like a lot of standby lines while waiting for GE.

I hope DW realizes the (poor) system they created with everything needing to be planned out way in advance, won’t work well with their new flagship land being a daily crap shoot for admission.

Thoughts?

 

[yulilin3]

Well, you seem pretty dead set on your opinion but I am in the camp that thinks you don't have to plan everything to the T 180/60 days out. You can pretty much get a fp for almost everything day of. With the new tier system it will free up fp for the top attractions where you might be able to get day of fp for RnRC or ToT or TSM.
If I was planning a trip to WDW and was interested in visiting SWGE I would keep my DHS day pretty loose and arrive early. Depending on when you are coming you might be able to walk in SWGE first thing in the morning without having to worry about a VQ. You can still plan your fp and ADR at the park and even if you arrive later and need to get into a VQ they give you 2 hours from the moment they call your boarding group so it's not like you have to drop out of a line or leave mid lunch.
You are also not trapped at DHS while you wait to board, you can go to another park or back to your resort, again you have 2 hours to make it back so it's completely up to you if you want to leave or not.
So I think it will really depend how much you and your traveling party want to see SWGE, if it is a priority I would arrive an hour to an hour and a half before rope drop

 

[JakeAZ]

Thanks for the reply

Totally understand. Everyone tours in a different way. But we're not there every year or every two years. We like to do different things for vacation. So, for us to see / do as much as we can, we need to play by DW's rules for planning. We won't be back the following year to hit the stuff we missed. Also we have no choice due to the large group and school schedules, so we will be going at a very busy time. This, of course, influences my opinion.

I think you make a valid case for what HS could be like with their new tiered system, but now put in a much larger group of people as they wait for GE entry (yes I know you can leave the park and come back, but that's easier said than done with a large group that includes smaller kids). Those FPs will go at a faster rate now as more people are there to grab them.

Who knows though. I could be wrong and it could all work like clockwork. I just don't believe a spur of the day system works well with what they have currently installed...unless you are there frequently or at less busy times.

 

[yulilin3]

Planning with little ones is always tricky. I guess it comes to how important is SWGE to you and your group. I understand you don't visit often but the land will be there when you come back. So maybe skipping it is an option for peace of mind? When are you coming?

 

[JakeAZ]

Wait for it....Spring Break! haha

You offer valid suggestions, but skipping it isn't an option for us. It could be 10 years (or more) until we return. This is the age the kids in the group will enjoy it the most. As it gets closer, I'll see what options are available to help secure things:
1. EMH
2. Rope drop
3. Paid after / before hours
4. Possible new paid FastPass system?

Hopefully we can make it work.

 

[yulilin3]

You'll have so much data to work with. Thanksgiving, Christmas and new year's. Im sure you'll be able to plan accordingly with plenty of time

 

[JakeAZ]

That's a good point. By the time we go, we'll have an idea of whether or not the system they put into place can handle the most crowded times. Thanks

 

[sethschroeder]

won’t work well with their new flagship land being a daily crap shoot for admission.

Its not just show up early and you will get in. You will easily be able to see how "early" you need to get there by monitoring it the few days before you plan to attend.

The day of GE don't plan any ADRs and go with day of options that pop up after all you have a ton of places to eat all around WDW including a ton at Epcot if you have park hoppers.

Also if you are over 180 days from your trip things will likely be very well spelled out for you.