FP+ tips and tricks

[durangojim]

So I'm one of the folks who really liked FP+ and found it worked better for me than the old system. Maybe as a way to help all the people with upcoming trips who are completely stressed out and afraid their trips will be ruined we could post some helpful advice. Mine is this:
Use the MDE app on your smartphone and become familiar with it before you go on vacation.
Utilize it as best as possible to make and change your plans while at WDW.
You can change your FP+s the same day for different rides and times including character meet and greats and fireworks.
Don't set up FPs for times first thing in the morning because chances are the lines won't be long anyway.
If you get to a ride that you have a FP for and the line is short, change the FP to a different ride! Don't waste an FP on a ride that it isn't needed.

What other suggestions are there?

 

[epcotisbest]

Never had a smartphone...no plans on getting one. We don't even carry a dumb phone to the parks. Guess I'm going to miss out on the FP+ fun. Sorry, I'm no help at all. I'll be the one still having a great time.

 

[durangojim]

Never had a smartphone...no plans on getting one. We don't even carry a dumb phone to the parks. Guess I'm going to miss out on the FP+ fun. Sorry, I'm no help at all. I'll be the one still having a great time.

Glad you'll have a great time, and thanks for the tips!

 

[epcotisbest]

Glad you'll have a great time, and thanks for the tips!

Well honestly, we do enjoy the disconnect from the rest of the world while there. If anyone back home needs to get in touch, they know to leave a message. We usually go at slower times and rarely need fastpasses anyway. I can see how people like to plan well in advance, but the freedom of not even knowing which park you are going to go to until you get there, combined with no ADRs makes for more spontaneous fun. Having been many, many times, it took us a while to learn what works for us. Slowing down and enjoying the little things beats the heck out of hurrying to make a FP return time or ADR.

 

[disney4life2008]

Never had a smartphone...no plans on getting one. We don't even carry a dumb phone to the parks. Guess I'm going to miss out on the FP+ fun. Sorry, I'm no help at all. I'll be the one still having a great time.

You can still use the kiosks

 

[rct247]

• Don't pick shows, parades, or spectaculars. These usually don't save you time or reserve you a spot. In some cases, you get equal viewing elsewhere.
  
• If you miss a time, reschedule.
• If you get to attraction you have FP for but the wait is short, use the standby line and change your FP pick.
• Pick attractions that are known for long lines or at least ones that might remember if the line is boring or not. (Soarin' vs. Test Track for an example)
• Use the kiosks in the back of the park at the beginning of the day.
  
• If you aren't too worried about securing specific times, use the first hour of the day (that many people are using to make FP selections) to get in as many attractions as possible.
• Always pick 3 choices, don't try to only pick 2 for example. Even if you don't use them all, you at least have them.
  
• Even if you are an off-site guest, take the time during a meal or in line for something to sync your tickets to your MyDisneyExperience account/app. By doing this, you may not be able to make changes to FP, but you should be able to view your times at least which may be helpful in remembering. Otherwise, write them down.
• Space your FP selections out unless you are only in a park for a limited period of time. Far too many, book all their times early in the day and then don't have any left for the rest of the day.
• Only pick FP times between the hours of 11am and 5pm if possible. This is a general rule that may not apply to all attractions or parks. This time frame is the busiest time of the day when having a FP is helpful. The first and last hours of the day are especially "worthless" for FP times.
• It's also easy to say "only pick popular attractions", but FP is really more about which attractions you really want to make sure you get a chance to visit during your day.

 

[Redhawk]

Never had a smartphone...no plans on getting one. We don't even carry a dumb phone to the parks. Guess I'm going to miss out on the FP+ fun.

You don't have to use a smart or even dumb phone to use FP+, you just use the kiosks.

 

[Karenb64]

• Always pick 3 choices, don't try to only pick 2 for example. Even if you don't use them all, you at least have them.

Thanks for all the great tips and thank you to the OP for starting a post to help us all figure out how to make the best of FP+. So with this tip I've quoted here, does this mean that if you don't select three to begin with, can you not go back and add that third one in?

 

[Zummi Gummi]

I'm pretty sure MDX will automatically assign you a third selection, whether you want one or not.

 

[Betsyboo]

Thanks for all the great tips and thank you to the OP for starting a post to help us all figure out how to make the best of FP+. So with this tip I've quoted here, does this mean that if you don't select three to begin with, can you not go back and add that third one in?

I tried picking only one (it's a long story) on MDE and it still gave me three. The computer just picked two additional ones.

 

[rct247]

Thanks for all the great tips and thank you to the OP for starting a post to help us all figure out how to make the best of FP+. So with this tip I've quoted here, does this mean that if you don't select three to begin with, can you not go back and add that third one in?

I'm not sure how it is today, but a couple months ago, there were Guests using the app on their smartphones who would only pick one selection and the system would not let them pick any more. Obviously this was something that should never have happened. So many people are used to getting one Fastpass at a time and with the new system, some were not comprehending you book all of them at once. So, it was then highly encouraged to tell guests to always pick 3 to ensure they had 3 entitlements and never get short-changed. This "bug" may have now been fixed or may not even be duplicated with a kiosk, but just in case, I always stress this point.

 

[bdb23]

New to the forum but here's my situation. We're staying off-site in March but have 8:15a Royal Table reservations on a day MK opens at 9am. Does anyone know if the FP+ kiosks will be available before our breakfast? This would obviously give us a jump on the crowds after RD.

 

[durangojim]

New to the forum but here's my situation. We're staying off-site in March but have 8:15a Royal Table reservations on a day MK opens at 9am. Does anyone know if the FP+ kiosks will be available before our breakfast? This would obviously give us a jump on the crowds after RD.

They will not be available until 9.

 

[stevehousse]

New to the forum but here's my situation. We're staying off-site in March but have 8:15a Royal Table reservations on a day MK opens at 9am. Does anyone know if the FP+ kiosks will be available before our breakfast? This would obviously give us a jump on the crowds after RD.

As long as your wife and kids r ok with it, you can always "step out" and go to the nearest FP kiosk and do your rides once the park opens and just head right back inside!

We did this at DHS. However, it wasn't for FP. We were eating at Hollywood and vine and the park opened up in the middle of our breakfast. Me and my son ran over to sign him up for Jedi training really quickly and the went right back to eating( total time gone was 15 minutes). My wife and younger son stayed at the restaurant and kept eating. He did miss out on our round for Jake, but I just told our server about our situation an he made sure Jake came back to see us!

 

[Hot Lava]

If you get to attraction you have FP for but the wait is short, use the standby line and change your FP pick.

I have it in mind to do early ones, b/c we would go first thing and then leave in the afternoons for naps. Afternoons would be when those FPs would be the most handy. So it does feel like "wasting" FPs when it is early and potentially little or no lines anyway. But assuming times are open, keeping in mind changing those reservations is good.

If you are a open to close, or late start, kind of person, certainly the FPs will be a godsend.

 

[Karenb64]

Can someone tell me what happens if you miss a Fastpass return time? Can you reschedule another time for that attraction or choose something different?

 

[Tuvalu]

Can someone tell me what happens if you miss a Fastpass return time? Can you reschedule another time for that attraction or choose something different?

If you do not reschedule a new time or attraction before your FP+ time expires, you have lost that FP+.

 

[Hot Lava]

If you do not reschedule a new time or attraction before your FP+ time expires, you have lost that FP+.

Do the FPs still have the time window, like the paper ones did?

 

[Betsyboo]

Do the FPs still have the time window, like the paper ones did?

Yes. There's a one hour window.

 

[MrNonacho]

If you do not reschedule a new time or attraction before your FP+ time expires, you have lost that FP+.

You can actually still change that FP for something else, even if you didn't use it. You only lose the ability to modify a selection once you check in at the first set of touch points for it.