need expert strategy for DCA rope drop

[disneychrista]

From my understanding they only give FP's out for ToT until like 6:00 then the ride closes and reopens as the last ride experience which I don't think you can get the FP for

That is my understanding. From opening until 7pm the ride is "normal." After 7pm the ride is completely in the dark/silence. You must be in line by 6pm to ride the normal version. After they clear the line, it "closes" and reopens around 7pm for "Late Check Out."

 

[MDH]

Please help me here. I'm a WDW vet, going to disneyland in 10 days. Thought i had the california fast pass system down, but based on what I read here I feel I don't. My understanding was that I could only hold one fast pass at a time. Once I used it I was free to pull another. However in the example I am quoting below:

Grab Soarin FP
Ride TSMM
Then Screamin
Fun Wheel
Goofy
Save Symphony Swings and Mermaid for later.
Grab FP for WOC
Ride Grizzly, no need for FP that early.
Grab FP for Frozen
Grab FP for RSR
Use FP for Soarin
Lunch time
Next FP will be for Tower

At the point hilighted in bold they will have four fast passes in their pockets at one time. Now I understand WOC is disconnected, so three. Maybe Frozen show is also disconnected, but that still leaves having a soarin and RSR fast pass at the same time? Any help is appreciated here. We certainly intend on using fast passes to the best of our ability, but need to know how.

 

[Aussie Princess]

DLR Prep School on Facebook has a tried and tested plan for DCA check her out

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

It's not that you have to use your fastpass before you pull the next one. It's that either your ride window on your first fastpass has to have begun or it has been two hours since you pulled the first fastpass, whichever is earlier, then you can pull another fastpass for another ride. If your ride window on the first fastpass hasn't opened yet, then you can't pull a second fastpass for the same ride. The fastpasses for WoC and the Frozen show are disconnected.

 

[kkendle]

Please help me here. I'm a WDW vet, going to disneyland in 10 days. Thought i had the california fast pass system down, but based on what I read here I feel I don't. My understanding was that I could only hold one fast pass at a time. Once I used it I was free to pull another. However in the example I am quoting below:

Grab Soarin FP
Ride TSMM
Then Screamin
Fun Wheel
Goofy
Save Symphony Swings and Mermaid for later.
Grab FP for WOC
Ride Grizzly, no need for FP that early.
Grab FP for Frozen
Grab FP for RSR
Use FP for Soarin
Lunch time
Next FP will be for Tower

At the point hilighted in bold they will have four fast passes in their pockets at one time. Now I understand WOC is disconnected, so three. Maybe Frozen show is also disconnected, but that still leaves having a soarin and RSR fast pass at the same time? Any help is appreciated here. We certainly intend on using fast passes to the best of our ability, but need to know how.

It is just like it used to be at WDW....the paper fp tells you what time you can pull another one. Frozen and WOC are disconnected. By the time this plan has you pull a fp for RSR....the time will be up and it will be OK to do so. Some return times may be way later in the day and it would stink if you had to wait to use that one before you could get another one.

 

[DLRExpert]

Updated my original post. Aka switching Soarin FP with Tower FP first

 

[lindyv321]

My plan for next Tuesday is:
ToT FP
TSMM
Screaming
Games etc on the pier
Ride ToT & send runner (me) to get Soaring FP
Ride Grizzly
Animation Studio etc
Get RSR FP for an evening ride

Somewhere in there we will have lunch a Paradise Garden Grill/Boardwalk Pizza

 

[DLRExpert]

My plan for next Tuesday is:
ToT FP
TSMM
Screaming
Games etc on the pier
Ride ToT & send runner (me) to get Soaring FP
Ride Grizzly
Animation Studio etc
Get RSR FP for an evening ride

Somewhere in there we will have lunch a Paradise Garden Grill/Boardwalk Pizza

Be cautious of when you get that Soarin FP. RSR FP may be close to selling out by that time

 

[lindyv321]

I've been checking the app and keeping an eye out on when the RSR FP's return times are compared to the time of day.. that's my priority over Soarin though so I'll be careful to plan accordingly

 

[dorchrislen]

ok, so I found out both days I’m going, DCA has EMHH (I can’t use) and DL has none (Oct. 28 and 29). So on another thread experts are saying I should upgrade to parkhoppers. Never done a plan for that, but here’s my plan so far (critique welcome):

Fri, Oct 28:

Start at DL RD at 7:30
FP ST and Buzz
Space
Nemo
ST with FP
Buzz with FP
Matterhorn
Alice (if short wait)
FP for HM (or ride if no FP)
PoC
Hop to DCA
FP RSR
Lunch
Single rider CS
Single rider Goofy
LM
FP ToT (or Soarin if ToT out)
RSR
Dinner at Flo’s
Animation (if need to burn time for FP)
ToT or Soarin

 

[dorchrislen]

Here’s my plan for Sat. Oct. 29 (DL is open 8-7 (party) and DCA 9-11 with EMH 8-9 (I don’t have EMHH)

8:30 at DCA for non EMH entry
FP ToT
TSMM
Single Rider CS
GRR
FP Frozen (hopefully for 1:30?)
FP RSR
ToT
Lunch
FP Soarin’
RSR
Frozen show
Soarin’
ITTBAB
Hop to DL (about 3:30?)
FP BTMR
JC (if line 20 min or less)
Check out Star Wars stuff in TL (can’t remember name of building)
BTMR
Res at Café Orleans at 5:40
Get kicked out for Halloween party after dinner

We’re gonna skip FL and TT this trip because of limited time and my son is 15 (I’m 50).

 

[DLRExpert]

Here’s my plan for Sat. Oct. 29 (DL is open 8-7 (party) and DCA 9-11 with EMH 8-9 (I don’t have EMHH)

8:30 at DCA for non EMH entry
FP ToT
TSMM
Single Rider CS
GRR
FP Frozen (hopefully for 1:30?)
FP RSR
ToT
Lunch
FP Soarin’
RSR
Frozen show
Soarin’
ITTBAB
Hop to DL (about 3:30?)
FP BTMR
JC (if line 20 min or less)
Check out Star Wars stuff in TL (can’t remember name of building)
BTMR
Res at Café Orleans at 5:40
Get kicked out for Halloween party after dinner

We’re gonna skip FL and TT this trip because of limited time and my son is 15 (I’m 50).

Looks good but you probably won't need to Single Ride Screamin and you can probably can ride Funwheel and Goofy before GRR and using FP for Tower.

Don't forget to walkthrough Bugs land to get to TSMM after grabbing FP for Tower

ME

 

[DLRExpert]

ok, so I found out both days I’m going, DCA has EMHH (I can’t use) and DL has none (Oct. 28 and 29). So on another thread experts are saying I should upgrade to parkhoppers. Never done a plan for that, but here’s my plan so far (critique welcome):

Fri, Oct 28:

Start at DL RD at 7:30
FP ST and Buzz
Space
Nemo
ST with FP
Buzz with FP
Matterhorn
Alice (if short wait)
FP for HM (or ride if no FP)
PoC
Hop to DCA
FP RSR
Lunch
Single rider CS
Single rider Goofy
LM
FP ToT (or Soarin if ToT out)
RSR
Dinner at Flo’s
Animation (if need to burn time for FP)
ToT or Soarin

Alice won't have a short line at that time and you should really use Single Rider for the Matterhorn if you can.
The main issue that you will run into is for Nemo. Even if that attraction has no wait the minimum time it could take to get through is 20 minutes.
I would skip Nemo and do that at the end of the 29th.
RSR FP may be gone by the time you head over there.

I would do it this way based on the attractions listed.
FP for Space
Alice first
Ride Star Tours and Buzz no FP needed
Use FP for Space
Should be around 930
Ride Jungle Cruise, then Mansion, then Potc
Ride Matterhorn Single Rider
Should be around 11am
Now DCA and RSR FP

ME

 

[dorchrislen]

Awesome DLRExpert! You rock! I appreciate the tweaks and we're definitely using them.

 

[DLRExpert]

Awesome DLRExpert! You rock! I appreciate the tweaks and we're definitely using them.

Your welcome. Have fun and let us know how it goes.

ME

 

[dorchrislen]

Your welcome. Have fun and let us know how it goes.

ME

Will do

 

[Rabb it]

If you want to maximize prime morning time I would not go on Screamin that early. Toy Story yes, but Screamin never has a line longer than 30 minutes even in the middle of the day. I would use those early spots for: Racers, Toy Story, and Soarin, and probably Tower now since it's about to go and people are riding it as much as possible.

 

[DLRExpert]

If you want to maximize prime morning time I would not go on Screamin that early. Toy Story yes, but Screamin never has a line longer than 30 minutes even in the middle of the day. I would use those early spots for: Racers, Toy Story, and Soarin, and probably Tower now since it's about to go and people are riding it as much as possible.

Yes Screamin's line isn't to bad throughout the day, but I would think experiencing the attraction in the morning is a good way to buy time until you can use that next FP plus you are already in that area for TSMM and going back and forth from one side of the park to the other. Especially all the way to the Screamin entrance can be quite tiring for some.

ME

 

[dorchrislen]

Plus if you are using single rider line, it would be even faster at that time of the morning. It would take much less time and as DLRexpert says, you need to do things to wait for the fast pass to be ready.

 

[dorchrislen]

my son usually does SR on Screamin' and I skip it. If I decide to join, we'll just do standby or if line's too long I'll skip it.