Fave Strategies?

Michelle Carter

Disney Mama of 4
Joined
Mar 4, 2019
Since this is my first time going to WDW without tiny kiddos, having to do baby swaps, and a lot of sitting, breaks, breastfeeding, etc. at the parks, I am excited to actually be able to ride more stuff and have a little bit of a strategy for FP's and riding rides. I'm sorry if this thread is posted elsewhere, I didn't see it!

Before I get started though, I am getting mixed info on the FP's booking abilities. After my initial 3, then I may book one at a time, when that's done, book another, etc. all day, right? Someone told me it's just 4 for the total day. I didn't think that sounded right. I know the tiers and all that, just wasn't sure about whether it's just 1 or as many as possible, but only 1 at a time after the initial 3.

What is your fave strategy at each park for riding as many rides as you can or all of them? It will just be my 14 (turning 15 while there) year old and I. We are staying at POP Century, so we can book FP's 60 days out. Here's what I'm thinking, but would appreciate feedback, opinions, and seeing YOUR strategies.

Thanks in advance!!!

Based on projected crowd levels, this is what we are doing.

Sept. 16th - Disney Springs - We arrive this day. Our flight gets in around 2PM. So, I figured we'd go walk around DS and eat some dinner or a snack (we have the QSDP) and save our 2 meal credits for another day.
Sept. 17th - Magic Kingdom - This is my son's 15th birthday and the park he chose. According to crowd predictions, this will be the slowest day at MK anyway. We were thinking we would arrive around 7:45A, walk around, use a snack credit on Starbuck's coffee, maybe get a small breakfast. We were considering getting FP's for Space Mountain, Seven Dwarves Mine Train, and Peter Pan. We're hoping to start at either Space Mountain, head to Peter Pan, and end at Seven Dwarves, or vice versa. However, we are thinking of trying to get FP's for those close to 10/11A-ish time frame and going to Frontierland first and riding Big Thunder Mountain as soon as we get in, then Splash Mountain, then Pirates of the Caribbean w/o FP's. After our FP's, then we'll book for other things as it starts to get busy (if necessary), like Under the Sea, Haunted Mansion, Pinnochio, or anything really since MK is our fave park.
Sept. 18th - Epcot - Arriving for opening as well. Considering FP's for Frozen Ever After, Spaceship Earth, MISSION: Space. Then after Frozen Ever After is done, immediately booking Soarin', then when that's done, Test Track. After that we plan on doing Figment and Nemo, maybe walk around the world showcase a bit (mostly just for our fave foods) and then hopping over to another park (undecided).
Sept. 19th - Hollywood Studios - We are not Star Wars fans and never ride the Star Wars ride that is already there. So, we won't be riding the new Star Wars ride when it opens. We might walk through the area just to see the facade and such, but that's about it. So, I'm hoping we can ride some other rides and then hop over to another park. We were going to get FP's for Slinky Dog and Tower of Terror and as soon as Slinky Dog is used, book Midway Mania. Honestly that's all the rides we care to ride there. We don't like Rock & Roller Coaster bc I get a migraine every time from being jerked around and my head banging on those side pads and my teen hates upside roller coasters. So, after that we will probably eat somewhere, watch Indiana Jones and *maybe* do a FP for Fantasmic. That's about it. So we will more than likely head to another park.
Sept. 19th - Animal Kingdom - Arriving for Opening as well. We will get a FP for Flight of Passage, Dinosaur, and Kilimanjaro Safari. As soon as Flight of Passage is done, we will get Na'vi River Journey. Aside from food options, these are also all we will be riding there. So, again, we will jump to another park probably.

We will more than likely go back and ride whatever rides we can get FP's for or just relax and watch several show (fireworks, stage shows, etc) for the parks that we won't be at all day. I know this is all contingent on being able to get certain FP's when we are there. But this is what our current plan is.
 
You can’t pick up the 4th fp until you use up your first 3, and yes, as soon as you pick us byour 4th+fp, when you “tap in” to use it you can book another a spot long as they are available. (Making sure you knew that since you didn’t specify an order for your FPs when you listed them.) Same thing for park-hopping. If you are starting I Epcot and hopping to MK (as an example) you can book a fp for MK as soon as you use up your 3 Epcot FP. I think I have that right. I’ve been reading up a lot on hopping since we are doing that next week. :)

If you are getting a fp for FOP, consider riding Na’vi river at rope drop since it’ll pretty much be walk on (we stayed on the left side of the bridge while the FoP crowd stayed on the right) and there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to pick it up as a 4th+ FP.

Are HS if you grab an fantasmic FP you won’t be able to book any FPs at another park if you do hop. That one can be somewhat easier to get as a “last minute” 4th+ FP, but no one knows what swge crowds are going to do to wait times and FP availability in general, especially in that park.

Sounds like you will have a magical time!
 
If you are getting a fp for FOP, consider riding Na’vi river at rope drop since it’ll pretty much be walk on (we stayed on the left side of the bridge while the FoP crowd stayed on the right) and there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to pick it up as a 4th+ FP.

Are HS if you grab an fantasmic FP you won’t be able to book any FPs at another park if you do hop. That one can be somewhat easier to get as a “last minute” 4th+ FP, but no one knows what swge crowds are going to do to wait times and FP availability in general, especially in that park.

Sounds like you will have a magical time!

Oooo that's a good idea! I wasn't sure if that one would have a FP later in the day or not. I really wanted to ride both Avatar rides. So that would be perfect! Let me know how the hopping goes next week in case you have any tips for me :)
 


Your touring style is a lot like mine. I like to rd a few things and then use 3 fp in a row starting at around 10am and trying to move the 2nd and 3rd ones up as soon as i tap in for the first one. We always go at busy times so this has been a mixed bag of success for us. Then we have a snack and I book the next one while we decide which area of the park we want to focus on next.
 
Your touring style is a lot like mine. I like to rd a few things and then use 3 fp in a row starting at around 10am and trying to move the 2nd and 3rd ones up as soon as i tap in for the first one. We always go at busy times so this has been a mixed bag of success for us. Then we have a snack and I book the next one while we decide which area of the park we want to focus on next.

Yeah that's basically how we do it too! Sometimes it seems to work well, other times it doesn't. This is my first time staying in a resort, so I like that I can book my FP's further in advance. Also, before, I was going with my whole family. So my husband and I couldn't guarantee which park we'd go to or how the kids would do and all that to book specific FP times. LOL
 
Your plan sounds good. I would only add that you might want to have a "back up plan" in case you can't book Slinky Dog Dash, FOP, or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train as fp's when your booking window opens.

We went in November 2018, during a slow to moderate week. I could not get FOP for 60+4 and I could not get SDMT for 60+5. With SWGE crowds when you are there, you might not be guaranteed to get the fp's you want, and for sure will not get them all for the times you want.

But, no worries. You can always do those headliners first by arriving 45 min-1 hr. before rope drop.

Have fun :)
 


Our basic strategy almost never changes, and you are already very similar. We rope drop a park and take advantage of the light crowds for the first couple of hours. We book our FP's for midday/early afternoon when the crowds really start to get going. Unless there is some reason to keep us in that park all day, we usually park hop before dinner (typically an ADR is involved) to a park with the latest hours or what our gut feeling tells us will be the least crowded for a given day based on experience, and then close down that park.

We like this strategy because it maximizes our efficiency in the park during the least busy times, and even if the FP roulette doesn't go our way on a given day, we are almost always able to get in lots of ride time for our favorites. The only downsides to this strategy are the requirement for park hoppers (not a factor for us as AP holders), and the family needs to be willing to do the marathon days. Even our sleepiest teens understand why this plan works for us, and are actually willing to give up sleeping in for our Disney trips. I make it up to them by letting them sleep forever on our family beach trips. :-)
 
I don't know if this has been said, but I would suggest booking the hard to get rides first when it's your fastpass day. Book FOP, SDD and 7DMT for the days that you want and then go back and fill in the other rides.
 
Is Epcot different with the tiers where you can book a 4th Fastpass without using up the first 3?

"Considering FP's for Frozen Ever After, Spaceship Earth, MISSION: Space. Then after Frozen Ever After is done, immediately booking Soarin', then when that's done, Test Track."

Also, not sure how easy it will be to get a Soarin' and Test Track fastpass that same day since they're so popular.
 
When we go I use the following. Since several of my daughters maternal relatives bekieve in sleeping in we do Rope Drop and schedule Fast Pass's for after 11:00 hours. Since they also kvetch about walking I tend to put them in close proximity to each other. For example at Epcot I try to get Mission Space, Test Track and anything else close by for our 1st 3. As soon as we are done my baby gets on her phone and looks for another. We usually are able to his just about every ride in every park in the 2 days we spend at each park.
 
The FP FAQ has definitive answers to questions like these.
Before I get started though, I am getting mixed info on the FP's booking abilities. After my initial 3, then I may book one at a time, when that's done, book another, etc. all day, right? Someone told me it's just 4 for the total day. I didn't think that sounded right. I know the tiers and all that, just wasn't sure about whether it's just 1 or as many as possible, but only 1 at a time after the initial 3.
 
Is Epcot different with the tiers where you can book a 4th Fastpass without using up the first 3?

"Considering FP's for Frozen Ever After, Spaceship Earth, MISSION: Space. Then after Frozen Ever After is done, immediately booking Soarin', then when that's done, Test Track."

Also, not sure how easy it will be to get a Soarin' and Test Track fastpass that same day since they're so popular.

I'm not sure but I don't have a choice but to try! I'm hoping that the crowds will be low and I'll be able to.And no I'm pretty sure you have to use all 3 first, but I could be wrong?
 
When I went with just my adult daughters, we would rope drop and get in at least one headliner, usually two, during the first hour. Then have booked fast passes for the 10, 11, and 12 noon slots. We rode less crowded rides in that area between fast pass times. The great thing about going with older teens/adults is you can criss cross the park without worrying about getting too exhausted. Then we would usually get a least one other fast pass for later in the day. I've never been during such a crowded time that we needed more fast passes than 4 if we rope dropped, but my daughter went between Christmas and New Years one year, and said they weren't able to ride anything without at least 45 minute waits if the didn't have past passes-even Small World! Be sure your fourth fast pass isn't for something you HAVE to ride, in case they run out!
 
One of my favorite strategies (mainly just works at MK) is to look for rides that are currently down and get the earliest FP for it as I can and keep refreshing until it's almost immediate. Now you've got an anytime FP for most rides in the park. This works really well when it's raining. Of course it also causes FP lines to be long.

For Rope Drop, if you get there early, but not quite early enough to be at the front, line up in the furthest line on the end and wait for them to open up additional touch points and jump over to be first. If you're really brave you can try this even if the lines are long and just line up in a closed line.

If you are a light packer but still want a bag, carry a draw string bag empty in your pocket and then just add the things you want to it after you go through the gate.
 
One of my favorite strategies (mainly just works at MK) is to look for rides that are currently down and get the earliest FP for it as I can and keep refreshing until it's almost immediate. Now you've got an anytime FP for most rides in the park. This works really well when it's raining. Of course it also causes FP lines to be long.

For Rope Drop, if you get there early, but not quite early enough to be at the front, line up in the furthest line on the end and wait for them to open up additional touch points and jump over to be first. If you're really brave you can try this even if the lines are long and just line up in a closed line.

If you are a light packer but still want a bag, carry a draw string bag empty in your pocket and then just add the things you want to it after you go through the gate.


Thanks for that info! Good strategy. As far as the bag goes. I will have a hip belt with my phone and wallet in it and then my son will have a small backpack with sunscreen, chapstick, hand sanitizer, and refillable water bottles. Thats about it.
 
When I went with just my adult daughters, we would rope drop and get in at least one headliner, usually two, during the first hour. Then have booked fast passes for the 10, 11, and 12 noon slots. We rode less crowded rides in that area between fast pass times. The great thing about going with older teens/adults is you can criss cross the park without worrying about getting too exhausted. Then we would usually get a least one other fast pass for later in the day. I've never been during such a crowded time that we needed more fast passes than 4 if we rope dropped, but my daughter went between Christmas and New Years one year, and said they weren't able to ride anything without at least 45 minute waits if the didn't have past passes-even Small World! Be sure your fourth fast pass isn't for something you HAVE to ride, in case they run out!

Yeah it will be nice not having to take my 2 little ones. They'll be at home with my husband. The teen and I can run all over. LOL I'm glad I'm going during a slower time.
 
Our basic strategy almost never changes, and you are already very similar. We rope drop a park and take advantage of the light crowds for the first couple of hours. We book our FP's for midday/early afternoon when the crowds really start to get going. Unless there is some reason to keep us in that park all day, we usually park hop before dinner (typically an ADR is involved) to a park with the latest hours or what our gut feeling tells us will be the least crowded for a given day based on experience, and then close down that park.

We like this strategy because it maximizes our efficiency in the park during the least busy times, and even if the FP roulette doesn't go our way on a given day, we are almost always able to get in lots of ride time for our favorites. The only downsides to this strategy are the requirement for park hoppers (not a factor for us as AP holders), and the family needs to be willing to do the marathon days. Even our sleepiest teens understand why this plan works for us, and are actually willing to give up sleeping in for our Disney trips. I make it up to them by letting them sleep forever on our family beach trips. :-)

I agree!!! We will be giving up sleep the first couple days bc we are doing Magic Kingdom on Sept 17 and the Mickeys Not So Scary that night until midnight. LOL
 
Is Epcot different with the tiers where you can book a 4th Fastpass without using up the first 3?

"Considering FP's for Frozen Ever After, Spaceship Earth, MISSION: Space. Then after Frozen Ever After is done, immediately booking Soarin', then when that's done, Test Track."

Also, not sure how easy it will be to get a Soarin' and Test Track fastpass that same day since they're so popular.

All the parks work the same, you have to use your intial 3 before you can book the 4th. I hear that Soarin is rather easy to get day of. Test Track is either or. I guess it just depends on how much it's been down or things like that. I'd book your Tier 1 first, FEA..then do Mission Space since it's close and head up to SSE. Then try booking either Soarin or TT. I'd standby Soarin and try booking TT. I hear standby on Soarin actually isn't that bad. And having a FP for TT is an advantage because of how much it goes down. If it goes down and you have a FP then your FP becomes an anytime FP for that ride. I believe you can also use it for other attractions except FEA.
 
All the parks work the same, you have to use your intial 3 before you can book the 4th. I hear that Soarin is rather easy to get day of. Test Track is either or. I guess it just depends on how much it's been down or things like that. I'd book your Tier 1 first, FEA..then do Mission Space since it's close and head up to SSE. Then try booking either Soarin or TT. I'd standby Soarin and try booking TT. I hear standby on Soarin actually isn't that bad. And having a FP for TT is an advantage because of how much it goes down. If it goes down and you have a FP then your FP becomes an anytime FP for that ride. I believe you can also use it for other attractions except FEA.

That's a good plan! Sounds like a good order to do things. I'm hoping since I'm not going at a SUPER busy time and it's a school day, no holiday, etc. that I'll be able to at least ride MOST of them, if not all. *fingers crossed*
 

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