FOP - Best Case Scenario

[Babe the Blue Ox]

This was all really helpful. Of course, I checked touring plans tonight, and three minutes before closing it said posted was 205 minutes/ 154 minutes expected !!! (No idea how accurate their predictions are). But I’m a night owl, so I still think I’m better off aiming to ride right before closing. Even if it was posted at 205 minutes, using Babe the Blue Ox’s “4x” rule of thumb from a few posts earlier, that’s still “only” 50 minutes. And if I’m going to wait fifty minutes, I’d much rather it be at 8:30 pm than 8:30 am.

I looked at yesterday's stats now that they are available on Touring Plans. The 205 minute wait time was at 10:30 am, not close to closing time. Just over an hour before close, the posted time yesterday was 70 minutes. The actual wait was likely less than that.

I've seen lots of days with actual waits of 240 minutes just after opening and 30 minutes just before closing so yesterday seems like another typical day at FoP.

 

[CarrieR]

We did FoP yesterday morning at rope drop. We caught a bus at 7:47 from Pop; by 8:04 we were through bag check and waiting at the turns. We lucked into a "hidden" line that was half the length of the other lines - so about half the length of the distance from the tapstiles to the ticket booths. At 8:15 they opened gates. We were held at the Pandora bridge for a few (maybe until 8:30 or a few before?) and then led to the ride. We were off the ride by ten of 9. Navi was down, or I suspect we could have been on and off it by shortly after 9 as well. Very short wait, totally acceptable and "best case scenario" flow morning (the bus arrived just after we got to the bus stop, for example.)

 

[TabGray]

We decided to make reservations at Tusker House for 8:00 for breakfast. That way we were allowed in the park at about 7:40, we were able to enjoy breakfast, and were in line for FoP before rope drop. Unfortunately it was the same day as the Extra Magic Hours for resort guests so there were already people there. It was posted with a 60 minute wait and we were on the ride within 20-25 minutes.

 

[KenHutch]

We had a fast pass for the ride but the 8 year old wanted to ride it again so we went back about 2 hours before closing. The app said the wait was 2 hours +, when we got there the sign said 90 minutes. We got on the ride at 42-45 minute mark.

 

[Miffy]

I've used the close-to-park-close strategy for FoP a few times, and it's been great. There's really only one downside that I can see--if you've never ridden FoP before and you go close to park closing you won't be able to ride again until the next time you're in DAK. And, believe me, you will want to ride again!

 

[asbyrneva]

I'm so glad I found this thread. I am going in December and I was worried about FoP if I didn't get a FP. I'm nowhere near the 60 day mark yet but it is something you think about. I'm gonna try the last hour method for TSMM.

TSMM is easier with 3 tracks now. Its posted 45 minutes right now probably closer to 35 and a minute ago I could have snagged a night FP for a 4th. Lots of options on that.

Much harder for FOP. However I scored 2 same day FP week of July 4 so it pays to check the app.

Also last month with the torrential evening storms and the mass exodus I think it helped thin out the crowd a little for late night FOP. your mileage may vary.

 

[Nick6300]

We did FoP yesterday morning at rope drop. We caught a bus at 7:47 from Pop; by 8:04 we were through bag check and waiting at the turns. We lucked into a "hidden" line that was half the length of the other lines - so about half the length of the distance from the tapstiles to the ticket booths. At 8:15 they opened gates. We were held at the Pandora bridge for a few (maybe until 8:30 or a few before?) and then led to the ride. We were off the ride by ten of 9. Navi was down, or I suspect we could have been on and off it by shortly after 9 as well. Very short wait, totally acceptable and "best case scenario" flow morning (the bus arrived just after we got to the bus stop, for example.)

Sounds like you really lucked out with that hidden line that opened. We've been favoring the AP line on the far right about 90 min before open. And we'd have a much harder time being 1st ones in if not for AP line. But we've been able to be the very first on FoP as much as 4 days in a row. We sometimes give in to elbowing old ladies to be 2nd family in, favoring that ride side of the road for the loop around near the entrance.

Checked with a CM today who went in last ride (last min.) for only a 20 min wait, but said it's been more like 45min for her and yes, posted time much higher. The last ride shorter wait obv. applies to any top attraction such as FEA, 7DMT, etc. But the hidden value with the longer RD total waiting is that when you're first on FoP, it's a chain reaction of being 1st on every subsequent attraction where everyone is 1 step behind you in Pandora, then Safari, Everest, Kali. I suppose one could argue arriving at 9 to go on Safari 1st and do the last ride at FoP... but we enjoy our competitive victory for being 1st over extra sleep I guess.

 

[Nick6300]

TSMM is easier with 3 tracks now. Its posted 45 minutes right now probably closer to 35 and a minute ago I could have snagged a night FP for a 4th. Lots of options on that.

Much harder for FOP. However I scored 2 same day FP week of July 4 so it pays to check the app.

Also last month with the torrential evening storms and the mass exodus I think it helped thin out the crowd a little for late night FOP. your mileage may vary.

We've scored 1 same day FoP FP on ea. trip since it opened. Sometimes an investment to be checking and constantly refreshing FP availability while in line trying not to blindly running into people's backs. But love it when we score those rare same day FPs... crazy that people give those up, think I would only if really ill. Do you use the web site instead of the app for quicker refreshing?

 

[Christine]

We've scored 1 same day FoP FP on ea. trip since it opened. Sometimes an investment to be checking and constantly refreshing FP availability while in line trying not to blindly running into people's backs. But love it when we score those rare same day FPs... crazy that people give those up, think I would only if really ill. Do you use the web site instead of the app for quicker refreshing?

I tried both for refreshing. Burned out my battery on my phone one time. I didn't have better luck on the website but it did seem to run better than the app. I never did get a same day FP for FOP.

 

[Nick6300]

I tried both for refreshing. Burned out my battery on my phone one time. I didn't have better luck on the website but it did seem to run better than the app. I never did get a same day FP for FOP.

oh you didn't? I thought you were saying you did get it successfully, sorry. We got a 7pm one in Dec. and 3:30 same day FP for FoP last Aug. I used the sluggish app even though many swear by using the refresh on the web version. I think I jumped up and did a dance the last time I was able to get one, even though we shoot for 10 or so FoP rides per trip.

 

[Christine]

oh you didn't? I thought you were saying you did get it successfully, sorry. We got a 7pm one in Dec. and 3:30 same day FP for FoP last Aug. I used the sluggish app even though many swear by using the refresh on the web version. I think I jumped up and did a dance the last time I was able to get one, even though we shoot for 10 or so FoP rides per trip.

I'm sorry to confuse you. The poster you quoted did get one. I just chimed in on your dialogue with them about refreshing via app versus website.

But yeah, I didn't do well. Both my son and I refreshed for HOURS while in AK (this was about 10 days ago) and we were just unlucky. N'avi River came up here and there and then disappeared by never FoP.

 

[NH-to-FL]

I rope dropped AK two weeks ago. I arrived at 7:30am for a 9am opening. I rested on a bench over near the restrooms until they opened the area in front of the tapstiles. So I wasn't at the very front when they opened the tapstiles. After the walk back towards Pandora I was about 6 rows of people back from the front at the rope. We had the usual CM paced walk into FoP, this time through the standby line. Since I was a single rider I got directed into a separate queue with one other single rider. That jumped me ahead quite a bit. I walked out into Pandora at 8:57am and walked right onto Navi River. I was back out into Pandora at 9:08am. I headed off to ITTBAB, then Dinosaur, then back to a FP for the Safari, and was third in line for an early lunch at Flametree BBQ.

I am a big fan of the early to rope drop choice for FoP.

 

[KateP85]

We rope dropped AK on Tuesday hoping to get on FOP with minimal wait. We arrived at AK at 7.45am and got in line with maybe five people ahead of us. They let us into the park at 8.15am, and then we were held at the entrance to Pandora until about 8.40am when we were walked into the land. We waited maybe 10 minutes for FOP (but about five minutes of that was just walking through the line) and was off the ride by 9.05am.

I am NOT a rope drop person by any means; I hate the pushing and the people running and the general chaos of it all, but my 5-year old wanted to ride and since we're locals, we don't plan to come to the parks with enough notice to grab a FP. I thought the whole experience was fairly well organized and it was nice to have such a short wait. Oh, and of course my 5-year old hated it!