What's your strategy?

[DfromATX]

I'm at work. It's a ghost town around here, so what am I doing? I'm sitting here thinking of my fast pass strategy for our trip in JULY.

This will be our first trip since they've implemented the new system. So my understanding is you can only book 3 at a time. Once you use up your 3 selections, then you can book others - that is, IF you can get one, right?

My thinking right now is we'd make a beeline to Fantasyland with a fast pass for Seven Dwarfs around 10-ish, with plans to ride Peter Pan and Pooh first thing (getting them out of the way). And then a fast pass for Splash around 2:00 with riding other things in between, with the 3rd fast pass in the early evening for Space Mountain. But then I thought, there are so many other things I want to ride (and don't want to wait forever for). I'm checking my phone and the wait times are crazy! Haunted Mansion is 70 minutes, Jungle Cruise 80... too long!

So do most of you stagger your fast passes throughout the day or do you do them all at once? How hard is it to get more fast passes late in the day for another set of rides, or is that even possible? Any thoughts?

 

[Dwarful]

we were at wdw Dec. 18 - 28th. Our craziest day was Christmas Eve in MK. We arrived at 620 AM for 7 AM emh (we got ALOT done in those first two hours)! Our first fastpass was 8 -9, then 9:05- 10:05 and then 10:05 - 11:05. We hit the first FP at 8:55 and then hit some more attractions until 10 and rode FP's 2 & 3 as they were close to each other. then as soon as we were off the ride I went and grabbed FP's for Jingle Cruise. I was able to grab a few more fp's throughout the day. We did this last summer and were able to go through about 12 - 14 fps in MK. the other parks not so much.

 

[DfromATX]

we were at wdw Dec. 18 - 28th. Our craziest day was Christmas Eve in MK. We arrived at 620 AM for 7 AM emh (we got ALOT done in those first two hours)! Our first fastpass was 8 -9, then 9:05- 10:05 and then 10:05 - 11:05. We hit the first FP at 8:55 and then hit some more attractions until 10 and rode FP's 2 & 3 as they were close to each other. then as soon as we were off the ride I went and grabbed FP's for Jingle Cruise. I was able to grab a few more fp's throughout the day. We did this last summer and were able to go through about 12 - 14 fps in MK. the other parks not so much.

So you did all yours in the morning and then were able to book more on that day?

 

[DfromATX]

I guess I'm getting worried because I'm reading about people who are not even able to get fast passes at all for Seven Dwarfs. And, I've been checking the wait times and they are so long!

 

[Dwarful]

So you did all yours in the morning and then were able to book more on that day?

Yes. exactly...even on Dec. 24th in MK which was crazy. We also did this in Epcot on the 25th. We were able to add a few things with no waiting after using the first three early in the morning.

 

[Dwarful]

I guess I'm getting worried because I'm reading about people who are not even able to get fast passes at all for Seven Dwarfs. And, I've been checking the wait times and they are so long!

July won't be as bad as it is right now. We were able to get FPs for 7DMT for our whole group of 10 on three different days at MK. We also went straight to 7dmt on one day and jumped in line because we had never walked through the line and the kids wanted to see it. We were able to ride 7DMT, Peter Pan, Pooh, Dumbo and Barnstormers before using our first FP.

 

[DfromATX]

Yes. exactly...even on Dec. 24th in MK which was crazy. We also did this in Epcot on the 25th. We were able to add a few things with no waiting after using the first three early in the morning.

Thank you, that's encouraging lol. And I'm going on just an ordinary July day (not the 4th) so maybe it won't be so bad. I think I will change my strategy and try to knock 3 out in the AM.

 

[DfromATX]

I have another question... might be a dumb one... how did you book your second round of passes? Did you do it on your phone? No more having to go to the kiosks, right?

 

[Dwarful]

no, we had to go to the kiosks. The ones by Philharmagic were a nightmare...so we hit the ones by Jungle Cruise and near Buzz. They seemed to have the shortest wait times. Sometimes the one by the restrooms in Frontierland were short, other times line out to the street area.

 

[DfromATX]

Thank you for the info!

 

[wdisneyw2000]

Also another tip to you. After you do pick your fast passes you can go back in & adjust your times to the closest time you want. We also did ours in the morning . Some say better to do them in the evening because the morning wait times aren't so bad but if you wait til evening then that little time that you might not get to get other FP then. My suggestion is to also ask the family & pick what you know you definitely want to ride & try to get those FP first. We rode 7 new rides that we wanted to do in October when we was down. Have fun planning & have a great trip. Remember to plan around the parade times, as well as plan around your lunch & supper breaks

 

[DfromATX]

Also another tip to you. After you do pick your fast passes you can go back in & adjust your times to the closest time you want. We also did ours in the morning . Some say better to do them in the evening because the morning wait times aren't so bad but if you wait til evening then that little time that you might not get to get other FP then. My suggestion is to also ask the family & pick what you know you definitely want to ride & try to get those FP first. We rode 7 new rides that we wanted to do in October when we was down. Have fun planning & have a great trip. Remember to plan around the parade times, as well as plan around your lunch & supper breaks

Thank you. For MK, we voted to do passes for Seven Dwarfs, Space, and Splash - all far from each other. I guess I will shoot for doing those 3 in the morning. Of course there's others we want to do and hopefully we'll be able to do those in the evening (like Big Thunder, Pirates, and especially Haunted Mansion).

How far apart should I try to do our fast passes (especially considering the ones we want are on opposite ends of the park)?

 

[wdisneyw2000]

Well whenever we did it we tried to do BTMR & Splash one after another since they beside each other, but if your walking down mainstreet, you could go to Adventureland & hit Pirates & whatever or go too Frontierland first then back to Adventureland. That way your not running back & fourth all over the park wasting time & getting tired, unless your getting adult carts & having the kids push you lol good thought but probably not for them . You could do lunch at Pecos Bill or go down near Haunted Mansion & eat. Then do Haunted, & head up to Fantasy, Then tomorrow. You could set up your 7DMT for after lunch. But depends on how many days your going to the parks, & if your going to be able to go to MK 2 days. Depending on how early you get to the park a lot of times in the morning BTMR & Splash are short wait times. As far as how far apart for your passes depends how & where you decide to pick them. Many factors could be put In place, depending on your time.

 

[Dwarful]

If you are going on a morning emh then I would do 7dmt first. say the park opens at 8 am for emhs. You could get fantasyland done during that first hour 8 -9. if your 7dmt fp is 9 -10 you have that whole hour to ride other rides and then hit the fp ride a bit before 10. then go over and do space 10 - 11. then splash 11 -12. I try to get to my last one as close to start time as possible because as soon as you are off the ride you can grab another fp. plus you will have plenty of time to get from space to splash even if you do other things in tomorrowland.

 

[DfromATX]

If you are going on a morning emh then I would do 7dmt first. say the park opens at 8 am for emhs. You could get fantasyland done during that first hour 8 -9. if your 7dmt fp is 9 -10 you have that whole hour to ride other rides and then hit the fp ride a bit before 10. then go over and do space 10 - 11. then splash 11 -12. I try to get to my last one as close to start time as possible because as soon as you are off the ride you can grab another fp. plus you will have plenty of time to get from space to splash even if you do other things in tomorrowland.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking - fast pass 7DMT around 9:00-ish and hopefully ride Peter Pan and Pooh first before they get too busy. (Why those 2 get so full I'll never know, but I refuse to fast pass them.) Maybe fast pass Splash for 10-ish and get Big Thunder done before. I would feel accomplished if we got them all done before lunch time!

I appreciate the input!

 

[DizneyPryncess]

We do ours all in the morning. I can't head straight for any attraction with my kids. They like to watch the morning show, meet characters that are in the front of the park, take pictures in front of the castle, etc. We do tend to linger & explore main street. By the time we get to attractions, the lines are there. So we make them all early, head back for naps & a break in the afternoon, and make new ones for when we come back in if we need them. If one of our morning FP+ has a short wait, we just change it to something else.

 

[DfromATX]

We do ours all in the morning. I can't head straight for any attraction with my kids. They like to watch the morning show, meet characters that are in the front of the park, take pictures in front of the castle, etc. We do tend to linger & explore main street. By the time we get to attractions, the lines are there. So we make them all early, head back for naps & a break in the afternoon, and make new ones for when we come back in if we need them. If one of our morning FP+ has a short wait, we just change it to something else.

I remember those days... enjoy!

 

[graphite1326]

Here is what I did and it worked well for me. We went on the EMH Morning and went straight to 7dwarfs. Got right on. NOTE:After riding it for the first time I am not sure if it is worth a fastpass . We then went straight to Space Mt & Buzz. Got them all out of the way before there was any crowds. Just as everyone is entering we head to the back of the park and ride Splash, BTMR, and HM. Still haven'y used any fastpases. We then work our way forward and see the attractions we want stopping for lunch and taking a break at HoP (power nap). We usually get FP for JC, Pirates and maybe another ride on Space Mt later in the day.

 

[DfromATX]

Here is what I did and it worked well for me. We went on the EMH Morning and went straight to 7dwarfs. Got right on. NOTE:After riding it for the first time I am not sure if it is worth a fastpass . We then went straight to Space Mt & Buzz. Got them all out of the way before there was any crowds. Just as everyone is entering we head to the back of the park and ride Splash, BTMR, and HM. Still haven'y used any fastpases. We then work our way forward and see the attractions we want stopping for lunch and taking a break at HoP (power nap). We usually get FP for JC, Pirates and maybe another ride on Space Mt later in the day.

From what I've been reading, you are probably right about 7DMT, but since it's new, we of course want to ride it. It would be nice if we didn't have to use a fast pass for it. So far my plan is to be there right at opening and ride 7DMT first then Peter Pan, then Pooh if we're lucky. (All these have LONG wait times later in the day and I won't fast pass Pooh or Peter Pan.) We'll save our fast passes for Splash, Space, and probably HM.

 

[CheshireCat12]

We like to do our FP selections later in the day- mostly dependent on our planned schedule. For example, we like early and late EMH but mid-day we usually scoot out of the park. So we will come in early for EMH or rope drop, scurry to our favorites, and come back in the evening for FP times and night shows, stay as late as we can for evening EMH. We repeat our favorites a few times as the lines allow (BTMRR is usually low/no wait after midnight). I am one of those people who purposely goes to the EMH park, I know some avoid it due to the crowd calendar projections. Personally I think that with strategic use of EMH and FP you can have an amazing time and do just about everything you want.