Does FOP Really Clear Out Before Closing?

[nutshell]

i often hear the strategy of jumping into the FOP line right before closing for short waits. Really? The park closes in about 30 minutes and posted waits are 160 minutes!!!

 

[TinkLoverSam]

i often bear the strategy of jumping into the FOP line right before closing for short waits. Really? The park closes in about 30 minutes and posted waits are 160 minutes!!!

They keep wait times inflated so people don’t know it’s a shorter wait.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

Back in Nov, we got in line ~10 mins before closing. I don’t remember how long the posted wait time was, but we actually waited around 45 min (I know it was shorter than posted)

 

[nutshell]

They keep wait times inflated so people don’t know it’s a shorter wait.

Inflated to 160 minutes??? What would such a time really reflect? A 60 minute wait?

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

We’ve often found the posted wait to be about 4x the actual wait late at night. You can always ask the gate attendant. They do know the real wait time,

 

[Colleen27]

In the last half-hour of the day, posted waits at headliners tend to be anywhere from 2-4 times the actual wait. I'm not sure how well that's holding true for FoP, but it has been a general rule of thumb for a long time across all four parks.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Don't blow our secret!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dr.Mickey]

The big change is the lack of FP guests. I've seen estimates that FP returns can get 70-80% of the seats on a ride during regular hours, and that feels about right to me. So if 1000 people in line at noon take 120 minutes (getting only 25% of the seats), then 1000 people in line at park closing will take 30 minutes (using 100% of the seats).

In addition to that, they do inflate the numbers (notoriously on TSMM - which we have seen with 10 people in line a full 20 minutes before close, with a posted 45 minute wait). But don't expect a walkon experience at FoP. You will still wait, but certainly less than posted.

 

[mdelano4]

Went in August. Decided to take a second ride just before closing. Posted wait time was 160 minutes. We waited at least 2+ hours, but got on. Park was closed by the time we got off. Followed the trail of CMs right to the exit. Have to say, it was worth it, even though we had been on before.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

I wouldn't say it "clears out" exactly, but the wait times are definitely shorter right before closing. In Nov we jumped in line about 30 minutes before closing. Posted wait time was 180 minutes. We waited about 90 total. Once the park was officially closed the line started moving significantly faster as there was no more FP line.

 

[1st*toright]

These reports are consistent with our experience last week - we got in line about a half hour before closing - posted wait of 150 minutes, and we were in line for about 80. The park had been closed for an hour by the time we were done with the ride. The whole queue was full behind us too, as far as I could see - people kept pouring into the standby line. Still better than morning wait times (when it really will be 180 minutes or whatever) but not what I'd call a short wait. We had fastpassed the ride, but DD wanted to go again, so we did the wait. At least it was dark and cool-ish- not baking in the sun for half the time until you get inside.

 

[nutshell]

Thanks everyone for the responses. For some reason I thought if you go near closing then you would only wait 30 minutes or so. Looks like the wait will actually be roughly half the posted time. Thanks again!

 

[DavidNYC]

I was going to ask the same question next week to get some recent reports as we'll be likely hitting it at closing. Side question - do they continue to take everyone through the regular line at closing? I had seen reports that for those getting there before rope drop that the real early risers sometimes skip the line (which I want to see as I've only done FP so far).

 

[friedela]

Went in August. Decided to take a second ride just before closing. Posted wait time was 160 minutes. We waited at least 2+ hours, but got on. Park was closed by the time we got off. Followed the trail of CMs right to the exit. Have to say, it was worth it, even though we had been on before.

you are way more patient than me I can't imagine waiting that long for 1 ride! But maybe once I go I'll understand. Was it worth it?

 

[DoryGirl1963]

We waited right at 2 hours for FOP the Sunday after Thanksgiving - TOTALLY worth it!!!

 

[Davey Jones II]

This strategy worked very well for Na'vi. Less than half an hour before park close, we breezed onto the ride twice. Posted wait time was 50 min. the first time, we waited about ten. After riding, we went right back to the entrance, posted wait was 30 min. It was actually a walk on at that point.

 

[Skippyboo]

Are they running the buses back to the resorts longer at AK? Because it’s normally only an hour after Park closing, are you going to be out of luck if you get off of Fop 90min after closing?

 

[stxph]

Are they running the buses back to the resorts longer at AK? Because it’s normally only an hour after Park closing, are you going to be out of luck if you get off of Fop 90min after closing?

In my experience they had busses waiting and would ask where we were going to and get a bus to take us when leaving rainforest cafe hour+ after close.

 

[dlavender]

In November we employed this strategy.

I believe the first time we got in line about 20 mins before close, and waited 90 mins with a posted wait of 140 I think.

We did it the next night as well. Posted was 140 and we waited 60-70 mins.

So its not FP waits, but its not 140 mins either!

 

[AngiTN]

The strategy is not so much that you wait shorter time, though you do most of the time. It's that you wait when the park is otherwise not open for you to be doing something more constructive.
So no, you can't base your wait off the posted wait time. The reason is, the posted wait time is based on wait times with FP users too. After closing there are no more FP users so wait time will alter rapidly.
There is some inflating as a game to discourage guests from getting in line but really, it's due to the time changing relating to FP more than anything. Wait times are not an instant update thing. It takes time for them to reflect the current wait. And once the park closes they don't continue to update them since after it closes you can't continue to get in line, there is no reason to update them after that.

Are they running the buses back to the resorts longer at AK? Because it’s normally only an hour after Park closing, are you going to be out of luck if you get off of Fop 90min after closing?

They run buses till every guest is back to their resort. They don't leave you to your own devices. At any park.