Has anyone ever requested the "best seats" on Flight of Passage?

[JohnGAbraham]

I'll be going to Pandora with my friend (his first time) next week and would love to get a seat right in the center because when I rode it the first time I was off to the side and though still incredible, the warped, off-center view was a little distracting.

Is it worth asking for the best seat and would they even oblige me?

Also, we'll be in line without a fastpass tuesday morning at rope drop. Do they send the first riders through the fastpass line because I really want my friend to see the lab and avatar body.

 

[Demarke]

I'll be going to Pandora with my friend (his first time) next week and would love to get a seat right in the center because when I rode it the first time I was off to the side and though still incredible, the warped, off-center view was a little distracting.

Is it worth asking for the best seat and would they even oblige me?

Also, we'll be in line without a fastpass tuesday morning at rope drop. Do they send the first riders through the fastpass line because I really want my friend to see the lab and avatar body.

I don't know if they'll work with seat requests, but I can tell you from doing a few rope drops that I've never been through the lab for one. I've only ever seen the lab the one time I sat through the full line (about an hour and a half the afternoon I did it, which had a posted wait of about an hour and 45). You can kind of see the body through the window before the FP/standby merge, but it's obviously not a good view.

I know how it is with the angles, as a single rider, I tend to get stuck with seat 16, but every once in awhile will get a seat 8 right in the middle!

 

[JohnGAbraham]

I don't know if they'll work with seat requests, but I can tell you from doing a few rope drops that I've never been through the lab for one. I've only ever seen the lab the one time I sat through the full line (about an hour and a half the afternoon I did it, which had a posted wait of about an hour and 45). You can kind of see the body through the window before the FP/standby merge, but it's obviously not a good view.

I was worried about that. They even do that on mornings without extra magic hours?

 

[Dave B]

You will definitely be able to request the top row, it will be hard to get seats 6,7,8,9, we have never tried to request the actual seats, but we get the row every time, you might have to wait an extra round of loading, but its worth it to me, SAME AS ON SOARIN

 

[ColinDLR]

My last FOP rope drop, in the height of Spring Break, did take me through the lab. I stopped walking through on the up ramp in the cave/forest-like room just shy of the lab proper. From there, it was about 20 mins until I hit the preshow. Keep in mind I arrived at the park at around 8:30 (for a 9 am opening). If you don't mind waiting 20-40 mins, which really isn't that bad, you get to see these areas of the queue. So, in summary, try to be in the "2nd wave" of rope droppers. In my mind it is completely worth it.

 

[SirWillow]

Both times I rope dropped FoP (January and October of last year) I went through the lab and saw the floating avatar.

 

[Tom Morrow]

The only lesser experience I've noticed is if you get the bottom row. From what I can tell, if you get sent to the right down the downward ramp, you will be on the bottom row. If you get sent to the left on the upward ramp, you will either get the middle or top rows.

Even though the screen still fills your frontward field of vision, on the bottom rows you can somehow still sense that you're not very high up and it loses some of the feeling of flying high.

 

[JohnGAbraham]

My last FOP rope drop, in the height of Spring Break, did take me through the lab. I stopped walking through on the up ramp in the cave/forest-like room just shy of the lab proper. From there, it was about 20 mins until I hit the preshow. Keep in mind I arrived at the park at around 8:30 (for a 9 am opening). If you don't mind waiting 20-40 mins, which really isn't that bad, you get to see these areas of the queue. So, in summary, try to be in the "2nd wave" of rope droppers. In my mind it is completely worth it.

This is exactly what I was thinking I'd need to do. Thanks. I will try to arrive around 8:30 this coming Tuesday!

I just think the whole queue is a great part of the experience and it's a shame they make people bypass it just for getting there first.

 

[justintheharris]

I once requested seats 5 6 7 so I think if they can, they will. You just may need to wait an extra moment

 

[Demarke]

I was worried about that. They even do that on mornings without extra magic hours?

Judging from the other comments, they may vary. I have rope dropped I think 7 times between four trips (March 2018, August 2018, Feb 2019, and April 2019) some were extra magic some weren’t. All but one of those however I was there at least 1.5 hours before opening and was in the first wave. They tend to let people enter the park as soon as they clear the breakfast line, then it’s a dash of sorts to the bridge where they stop you til about 15 minutes or so pre-park opening. The one time I ran a little late to rope drop, I was still probably in the first 3 or so runs of the show, but I have never been through the lab for any of them. I’m guessing they quickly adjust the route as the line forms (which it does rapidly), because of you were to just show up at regular park opening, there will already be an hour+ posted wait from the rope droppers.

My guess is that if you are in the group that gets to the park 20-40 minutes before “scheduled” opening you might be amongst the first group to take the longer route. But, the advantage to earlier is that, (at least every time I’ve been an hour+ before scheduled opening) you can be in the first 1-3 shows and go immediately to Navi River with a 10 min max wait, then Safari with nearly no wait and cross off all three before the park has officially been open 30-45 minutes. Then also beat the wave over to Kali, Everest, and Dinosaur.

In February I rope dropped and rode FoP, Navi, Safari, and then Everest single rider literally 16 times with almost no wait before my 11:40 Dinosaur FP.

 

[thomas998]

I'll be going to Pandora with my friend (his first time) next week and would love to get a seat right in the center because when I rode it the first time I was off to the side and though still incredible, the warped, off-center view was a little distracting.

Is it worth asking for the best seat and would they even oblige me?

Also, we'll be in line without a fastpass tuesday morning at rope drop. Do they send the first riders through the fastpass line because I really want my friend to see the lab and avatar body.

We've asked for specific seats on rides before and gotten them, but more often than not will have to wait for the next group on the ride. My guess is that would be what happens to you, and unless Disney sees a huge influx of people requesting seats they probably won't ever create some rule against it.

 

[The Mom]

We've asked for specific seats on rides before and gotten them, but more often than not will have to wait for the next group on the ride. My guess is that would be what happens to you, and unless Disney sees a huge influx of people requesting seats they probably won't ever create some rule against it.

This is the problem. Things WDW used to do/provide/allow as nice little gestures with no expectation turned into demands by too many guests, so they started making rules against certain activities - or started charging for them - due to a huge influx of people doing/requesting things after reading about it on the internet.

 

[Kevin_W]

One of the things that I think is great about FoP is that seat choice matters far less than it does on Soarin.

 

[JIMINYCR]

I think because the demand is so high, most guests are just so happy to be able to experience it, after waiting in line, they dont think about requesting a particular seat.

 

[JohnGAbraham]

One of the things that I think is great about FoP is that seat choice matters far less than it does on Soarin.

Yeah I think I might avoid asking for a better seat just because I don't want to take advantage of the system.

 

[Texas84]

I never see the lab at EMH rope drop. On the last trip we went right to Rivers then right to FoP and got to see most of the queue.

 

[JohnGAbraham]

I never see the lab at EMH rope drop. On the last trip we went right to Rivers then right to FoP and got to see most of the queue.

Oh I didn't think of going to Rivers first. That could be the play here. I'm assuming nobody does that so the line is close to non-existent.

 

[LittleBuford]

Yeah I think I might avoid asking for a better seat just because I don't want to take advantage of the system.

Why do see it as taking advantage?

 

[JohnGAbraham]

Why do see it as taking advantage?

Because if everyone were to do it they would shut it down.

 

[WondersOfLife]

People who request specific seats on attractions were some of my biggest pet peeves as a cast member. Like. Just enjoy the ride. It doesn’t seem like a big deal. But when you’re like the 7th group of the day to ask for special arrangements, it’s the cast members duty to have to run and call back “is there a party of __” before the ride boards. It’s stressful. God.

Just get on.