FastPass+ Question from a Newbie

DryerLintFan

DryerLintFan

Premium Member
Original Poster
I'm planning our first trip to WDW and have learned so much from these forums and the resources they provide (thank you all!!), and I feel confident that I can navigate the pre-planning for our trip. The one hold up I'm having is that I'm unsure when the first fast passes become available (during the park day, not for reservations).

I'm assuming they don't offer fast passes during EMH? Do the first fast pass time slots start when the park opens? So if the park opens at 8:00, would the first fast pass window also start at 8:00?
 
JillC LI

JillC LI

Well-Known Member
You wouldn't want to book FP+s during early EMH anyway. They are uncrowded and you can get a lot done without them. Save your FP+s til the crowds start to arrive.
 
DryerLintFan

DryerLintFan

Premium Member
Original Poster
JillC LI said:
You wouldn't want to book FP+s during early EMH anyway. They are uncrowded and you can get a lot done without them. Save your FP+s til the crowds start to arrive.
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We don't plan on being around once the crowds really hit. Our daughter will be almost 3, so our general touring plan is to hit the parks in the morning, back to the hotel to nap, then pool the rest of the day. Except the last day where we'll come back for the castle shows and dinner.

And I'm hoping to be able to get FP+ for the first couple of hours so we don't have to worry about being there at EMH rope drop. Right now it looks like with EMH the park will open at 7 am, and while that's fine for my daughter and myself, my husband isn't that early of a riser LOL
 
Cosmic Commando

Cosmic Commando

Well-Known Member
DisneyBound2017 said:
We don't plan on being around once the crowds really hit. Our daughter will be almost 3, so our general touring plan is to hit the parks in the morning, back to the hotel to nap, then pool the rest of the day. Except the last day where we'll come back for the castle shows and dinner.

And I'm hoping to be able to get FP+ for the first couple of hours so we don't have to worry about being there at EMH rope drop. Right now it looks like with EMH the park will open at 7 am, and while that's fine for my daughter and myself, my husband isn't that early of a riser LOL
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If you're not going to be there for the vast majority of the EMH hour, you may want to consider just starting at the normal hour at a non-EMH park. The crowds tend to flock to the EMH.
 
DryerLintFan

DryerLintFan

Premium Member
Original Poster
CaptainAmerica said:
No.

Magic Kingdom opens early, that doesn't mean it's an EMH day.
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Every time I've entered anything into the TP website it's come up with MK predicting to have EMH that day - Early park opening at 8 am and EMH for 7-8. If we can hit a park with no EMH that would be ideal, but it's my understanding that EMH and early openings every day for the week between Christmas and New Years is not atypical. This is our first trip, so definitely a likelihood that I read wrong on this one. And I'm hopeful that when the hours are released for December, it's not EMH every day!!
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Well-Known Member
DisneyBound2017 said:
Every time I've entered anything into the TP website it's come up with MK predicting to have EMH that day - Early park opening at 8 am and EMH for 7-8. If we can hit a park with no EMH that would be ideal, but it's my understanding that EMH and early openings every day for the week between Christmas and New Years is not atypical. This is our first trip, so definitely a likelihood that I read wrong on this one. And I'm hopeful that when the hours are released for December, it's not EMH every day!!
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My mistake. I thought you were seeing the 8:00 opening and assuming that meant EMH.
 
Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Premium Member
DisneyBound2017 said:
This is great, thank you! If EMH starts at 8:00 am this year as well, that would be amazing!
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This site had MK opening at 8 am from Dec 17-31 with 7 am EMH Dec 18-31 in 2016.
http://www.wdwmagic.com/calendar.htm
Trip reports from guests who were there during that time confirm the 7 am EMH. You probably should expect the same. I have had friends who traveled Christmas week a couple years ago and it was 7 am as well.
 
Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Premium Member
DisneyBound2017 said:
Way to burst my bubble, @Tuvalu :rolleyes:

Just kidding, I'd rather be prepared. Thank you!!
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Sorry. :oops: I am a firm believer in keeping expectations low so as not to be disappointed....especially in terms of crowd size. I expect the parks to be crazy busy when I visit in a couple weeks....if they aren't, bonus and I am incredibly happy....but if I think "it can't be that bad" and the parks are slammed, I end up frustrated and mad.
 
DryerLintFan

DryerLintFan

Premium Member
Original Poster
I'm the same way. We're expecting level 10 crowds, but hoping we can at least ride Dumbo and WTP before the masses arrive. So the planning aspect of this, to me, is trying to figure out how late in the day we can risk arriving in order to do that without making my husband hate the trip :rolleyes:

In my head, we can arrive at 7:45 during the last few minutes of EMH, and make it over to WTP just before official park opening, then hike over to Dumbo, then relax a bit and just enjoy the atmosphere and hit our fast pass windows. That way I'm the only one waking up before 6 am (and I'm normally up at 5 so no biggie).

Obviously it would be the most ideal if EMH started at 8 and we could take advantage of the full hour. But this is our first trip and we'll have an almost 3 year old so I'm just trying to find the right balance.

Thank you for your help!
 
Tuvalu

Tuvalu

Premium Member
DisneyBound2017 said:
I'm the same way. We're expecting level 10 crowds, but hoping we can at least ride Dumbo and WTP before the masses arrive. So the planning aspect of this, to me, is trying to figure out how late in the day we can risk arriving in order to do that without making my husband hate the trip :rolleyes:

In my head, we can arrive at 7:45 during the last few minutes of EMH, and make it over to WTP just before official park opening, then hike over to Dumbo, then relax a bit and just enjoy the atmosphere and hit our fast pass windows. That way I'm the only one waking up before 6 am (and I'm normally up at 5 so no biggie).

Obviously it would be the most ideal if EMH started at 8 and we could take advantage of the full hour. But this is our first trip and we'll have an almost 3 year old so I'm just trying to find the right balance.

Thank you for your help!
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We've done 7 am EMH during Easter week. Very few people were there first thing. I think if you are through the gates by 7:45 you should have minimal waiting for Pooh and Dumbo. FYI ~ Dumbo's "waiting area" is actually a playground for little kids. You are given a pager and when it buzzes you get in a very short line. Makes waiting go by much faster for the little ones, since they are having fun!
 
ratherbeinwdw

ratherbeinwdw

Well-Known Member
DisneyBound2017 said:
I'm the same way. We're expecting level 10 crowds, but hoping we can at least ride Dumbo and WTP before the masses arrive. So the planning aspect of this, to me, is trying to figure out how late in the day we can risk arriving in order to do that without making my husband hate the trip :rolleyes:

In my head, we can arrive at 7:45 during the last few minutes of EMH, and make it over to WTP just before official park opening, then hike over to Dumbo, then relax a bit and just enjoy the atmosphere and hit our fast pass windows. That way I'm the only one waking up before 6 am (and I'm normally up at 5 so no biggie).

Obviously it would be the most ideal if EMH started at 8 and we could take advantage of the full hour. But this is our first trip and we'll have an almost 3 year old so I'm just trying to find the right balance.

Thank you for your help!
Click to expand...
Your husband will probably hate the crowds more than getting there early. Maybe, getting up just on MK days would be a compromise and not make him too unhappy.
 

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