choosing fastpasses - these decisions are tough!!!!

[crazgurl]

My birthday trip!  

First time user of this new system, our 60 day mark is July 29 (I think), so Im starting to think about which passes we want for each park. We will be there for the anniversary on October 1st, any idea what crowds will be like historically? What rides require fastpass vs rides that at some point during the day should hit a 20 minute or so wait? These decisions are tricky!!! I know Soarin requires one, but that's about the only one I'm feeling sure about!!

A bit about us: we are 2 adults traveling without children, so the meet and greets and frozen stuff are off our radar. We are looking at things like Star tours, kali river rapids, Space mountain, Splash Mountain (thunder will be closed when we go), 7dmt, little mermaid since its new... things like that! Its my boyfriends first trip to the world and my 4th. We will be skipping everest, tower of terror, rockin roller coaster, and mission: SPACE as my boyfriend is a self-proclaimed chicken.

In my guide book it talks about the Studios and Epcot having 2 categories of attractions where you can take 1 from category A and 2 from B. It also warns that these lists could change, have they been known to? With muppets and indiana jones maybe closing in the fall (vague!!) Im assuming the lists for studios will change?

Final question for now. How do fastpasses work for fireworks and other shows? How far in advance do we need to show up? Is it guaranteed seating or viewing area? Is it worth it?

 

[WondersOfLife]

Unless ya'll skip Mission: Space from EPCOT's tier 1 attractions list, then your best option for Epcot would be Soarin' over the World as everything else in the park doesn't have a wait time.

Star Tours is HS is a good option, as well as The Great Movie Ride (depending on the time of day, otherwise it could be a walk on)... I also would recommend Toy Story Mania.

You do NOT I repeat do NOT need fastpasses for little mermaid. The longest wait even if the line is full is only about 10/15 minutes. Get fastpasses for Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and Thunder Mountain. If you think he'll be too chicken for Space Mountain, then I'd suggest choosing between Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise. Personally of the two, I'd choose Jungle Cruise mainly because the line is just a basic criss-cross back and forth, while the pirate's queue line is insanely cool and themed.

AK... The only things worthy of a FP+ are Expedition Everest and Primeval Whirl.. Dinosaur is normally a walk on unless it's in the afternoon. And even if it's not a walk on, the queue line itself has a lot to look at. So I'd use that third one for Kilimanjaro Safaris because that is where your fastpass will be most needed at AK.

 

[crazgurl]

Unless ya'll skip Mission: Space from EPCOT's tier 1 attractions list, then your best option for Epcot would be Soarin' over the World as everything else in the park doesn't have a wait time.

Star Tours is HS is a good option, as well as The Great Movie Ride (depending on the time of day, otherwise it could be a walk on)... I also would recommend Toy Story Mania.

You do NOT I repeat do NOT need fastpasses for little mermaid. The longest wait even if the line is full is only about 10/15 minutes. Get fastpasses for Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and Thunder Mountain. If you think he'll be too chicken for Space Mountain, then I'd suggest choosing between Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise. Personally of the two, I'd choose Jungle Cruise mainly because the line is just a basic criss-cross back and forth, while the pirate's queue line is insanely cool and themed.

AK... The only things worthy of a FP+ are Expedition Everest and Primeval Whirl.. Dinosaur is normally a walk on unless it's in the afternoon. And even if it's not a walk on, the queue line itself has a lot to look at. So I'd use that third one for Kilimanjaro Safaris because that is where your fastpass will be most needed at AK.

Thanks!!! That's REALLY helpful!! What about seven dwarfs mine train? While we are in MK, thunder mountain will be closed, so if we take space mountain and splash mountain, we will have 1 left.

Any idea what fastpasses for shows and fireworks are like? Is that something we are likely to be able to book later in the day? Does it reserve a spot somewhere?

 

[AndrewsJ]

Thanks!!! That's REALLY helpful!! What about seven dwarfs mine train? While we are in MK, thunder mountain will be closed, so if we take space mountain and splash mountain, we will have 1 left.

Any idea what fastpasses for shows and fireworks are like? Is that something we are likely to be able to book later in the day? Does it reserve a spot somewhere?

Definitely FP+ 7DMT. That line can get very long. Soarin' is usually a longer Test Track, but it can get very very long as well.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Thanks!!! That's REALLY helpful!! What about seven dwarfs mine train? While we are in MK, thunder mountain will be closed, so if we take space mountain and splash mountain, we will have 1 left.

Any idea what fastpasses for shows and fireworks are like? Is that something we are likely to be able to book later in the day? Does it reserve a spot somewhere?

Oh yes, 7DMT is DEFINITELY worth a fastpass. Because honestly that ride isn't worth more than a 30 minute wait despite it always having like.. An hour wait..

I always thought shows and fireworks fastpasses to be very, very pointless. I mean... If you show up on time, it's not like you won't be able to get into a show or watch Fantasmic. They GIANT people eaters. And there's hardly a "bad spot" unless you're sitting in behind a pole for Fantasmic. But even that isn't awful... So no. Fastpasses for shows/fireworks/parades are a major throwaway... In my opinion. Some people may like the "priority seating" but I prefer to use my first 3 fastpasses on rides that'll have a long wait throughout the day.. If there IS a fastpass available for fireworks/shows after you've used all of your fastpasses, and you want to add it, then by all means go for it. Cuz why not?

 

[WondersOfLife]

I used my 3rd fastpass at epcot for Epcot Character Spot... Because nothing else needed a fastpass from Tier 2... And the character spot always has a long line, plus I want pictures with mickey and the gang.

 

[RMichael21]

Mission Space is actually now a Tier 2 attraction. I used my Tier 2 FP+s for Spaceship Earth and Journey into Imagination.

Also, here's a tip. Get them as early in the day as possible. While they can't overlap, you can make more once you've used all three. I'll use a 9am opening as an example, as that's what time the park opens when I'm there. Try to do this:

FP+ 1: 9:00-10:00am
FP+ 2: 10:00-11:00am
FP+ 3: 11:00am-12:00pm

Use the first two towards the end of their windows and then use the third right at the beginning. Then, at around 11:00am, you can make more from the MDE app or at an in park kiosk.

 

[crazgurl]

Ya I was leaning that way!! Epcot for example my thought was 9am run to the seas yo hopefully catch a feeding time (my guide book says this is likely between 9 and 9:30)... finish up there and hit a fastpass around 10, then 11 and 12.... my big debate is soarin vs test track for epcot however we have 6 and a half days so 2 per park.... just need to decide which to do the first day and which the 2nd

 

[LadyBelle]

I used my 3rd fastpass at epcot for Epcot Character Spot... Because nothing else needed a fastpass from Tier 2... And the character spot always has a long line, plus I want pictures with mickey and the gang.

That's a good idea. I think I have one more FP for my EPCOT day to go ahead and reserve.

 

[WondersOfLife]

That's a good idea. I think I have one more FP for my EPCOT day to go ahead and reserve.

Yea whenever I'm left with basically useless FP+ options, I usually use it on a meet n' greet. Why not? Ya know?