Window-opening strategies?

[bab736]

4 days until our window opens (!) so I'm trying to get organized.

What is your preferred device for doing the initial FP+ booking? Desktop/Laptop, Tablet (MDE app) or mobile (MDE app) and why? Do you have multiple devices working at once? What browser do you use (I have all Apple devices)?

Is there any way around the "suggested times" that they give you once you choose the three that you want for a day? I want to just see all the times available, is that too much to ask?? I know you can do it after you book, but it seems counter-productive when every minute counts and you have to tab through the optional combinations that it gives you. I have an AP so I might play around with it to practice (don't worry, I'll cancel them as soon as I'm done).

What is your preferred site to look at wait time history or forecasts (I don't have a touring plans.com subscription)?

I'm going to be at my in-laws' house so they'd better have good WiFi!

 

[dogdoctor]

My wife and I had our laptops open and running. We had a running itinerary printed out of the rides we wanted and on what days and approximate times (especially given the ADRs we had). But then it becomes a what's available at what times they have. It makes sense that later in your trip you will have access to more times to make reservations given the way the system works. So some suggest booking your trip in reverse. We didn't, but I see the logic in that. That doesn't mean you can't get a high priority FP early in your trip at the preferred time, it's just not as guaranteed (or you take it at less ideal times). For example we wanted an A&E morning time early in the trip - nope it was 6/7p or later and that didn't work with our dinner plans. So we have now one for scheduled for later in the trip at a great time. Now if we get in at a rope drop day early in the trip - we'll modify the later plans.

So I took to acquiring the FPs and my wife would come behind on her laptop and work at rescheduling the times. Many suggest just take the time it gives you and then come back once you have all 3 booked and modify the times. It was very efficient...the ease at which you can see times and ride availability AFTER you make your FPs make it very worth while to blaze through and book them all and then start tweaking.

 

[wisblue]

My approach is to decide in advance which attractions I want and approximate times.

Usually we try to make FPs in the late afternoon or evening, using our FPs for the second park of the day. Because of that, I choose the option that has the return times in the morning and then change them one by one to times as close as possible to what I was shooting for. This takes a few extra clicks, but I can usually complete each day in less than 5 minutes.

I have always used my desktop PC for this exercise. But, I am going to be away from home when my window opens up for this year's Easter trip so I am going to have to rely on my iPad and hotel wifi for that one. I'm expecting that that might be a little slower.

 

[TheSpooph]

Interesting... Bump!

 

[dogdoctor]

bab736 - are you ready?

 

[pens4821]

I booked on Sunday using a laptop. Had the rough times I wanted on paper beside me. Got everything I wanted when I wanted. Out of curiosity I looked at A&E (didn't need it) and it was available at all times the couple days I looked at midnight. The next morning I looked and it was available from noon on the day I glanced at it (I was just curious). Although, we are going during a slow time.

 

[juliekzp]

This website is super helpful for deciding whether you even need to stress about any of the FPs that you want - http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=835236. If not, then just take your time!

 

[SnipsNSnails]

I did mine last night. I has a list of the date, park, FP+ I wanted and approx. times. I then prioritized the days on my list by which were most important and hardest to get, so I didn't go in order. In the end, I'm not sure that it was necessary as everything I wanted was easy to get with lots of times available. I know that we aren't going at a very busy time so I'm sure that helped with availability, and we didn't want A&E though I'm sure that I saw availability if I had wanted it. I modified as I went along for the most part. I made some further adjustments when I was all done, changing some initial picks and fine tuning due to some show times etc. Then today after consulting with my dad about a preference I was able to swap out his Star Tours FP+ for a ToT FP+ easily for the time we wanted. All in all it wasn't nearly as crazy as I thought it could be.