FoP with no FP+ We did it!!

[Stuarotra]

My husband and I were not able to get a FP+ for FoP because our trip was shorter. The only time available was on our last day and it was too close to our DME pick up time and I didn't want to risk it.

We got up at 6:00 am. Grabbed something quick at Captain Cooks and got to the bus stop at 7:00. The bus arrived at 7:03. We got to bag check at 7:28. Waited at the tapstiles until 8:15. We were 2nd in line at the AP entrance. They let us head toward pandora without an escort and everyone was running. We were power walking.... We got to the entrance of pandora and we were about 20 people behind. Those runners got ahead of us.... At 8:41 they escorted us to the entrance of FoP and we were off the ride by 9:03. We had FP+ for Na'vi at 9:05. We were headed to the safari at 9:20. I would call it a successful morning. We enjoyed FoP so much. We both agreed it was worth getting up early for RD. To be quite honest, I would wait 90 minutes to ride it.... it was that good.

 

[luvmyguyz]

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[luvmyguyz]

How were you able to get on a bus so early? We're at Coronado and were told the buses don't come any sooner than 45 minutes before park opening.

 

[cwis]

How were you able to get on a bus so early? We're at Coronado and were told the buses don't come any sooner than 45 minutes before park opening.

It's my understanding that buses starts one hour before parks open. It's not advertised so that the load is spread out in the first morning buses.

 

[Marc D]

Last week, coming from AoA with EMH starting at 8, we were on a 6:40 bus, in line at the no-bag line by 6:55 (probably the second bus there) and off FoP by 8:15, on our way to breakfast at Satu'li canteen. We had booked only three weeks before so we couldn't get FP+ for either ride. The no-bag line makes a big difference, allowing around 10 guests for every guest with a bag.

 

[tinkerbella16]

How were you able to get on a bus so early? We're at Coronado and were told the buses don't come any sooner than 45 minutes before park opening.

Buses always start running at 6:30am. This has been the case for years. We always use the early morning buses for early ADR's and EMH at the parks.

 

[EEEEE]

I rope dropped AK on August 19 morning EMH so I could try out FOP. I had FPs for the next day and wanted to try it out so I could see if it would be good for my 6 and 10 year old girls. I drove to the park and got there at 7 am and figured I would be pretty much alone for a while waiting at the front gate. Boy was I wrong. There must have been 500 people there already waiting on the security lines. I got on the no bags line and at 7:30 am they let us through with absolutely no security check at all. I fast walked to the next rope point, but there were a lot of people running despite CMs shouting not to run. I saw people literally dragging their children behind them as they ran. At one point a mother stopped to tie her kid's shoe and her husband stood over her screaming at her for stopping. I'm so glad I didn't bring my kids into that madness. When I got to the rope point I was about 50 people back from the front. They held us there for another 10-15 minutes and then walked the rope line toward Pandora. Somehow in all of the twists and turns the crowd kept shoving and shifting and I kept getting pushed closer and closer to the front. By the time we were in the FOP line I was 8th in line to ride that day. The ride was AMAZING. This ride will have 1-2 hour stand by waits forever unless they add more screens. The Navi River ride on the hand was soooo bad. I was able to walk right on that after I got off FOP and even with no wait I felt like it was a waste of time. I can't believe that people are waiting 50-90 minutes to ride that.

 

[loves to dive]

We were there the first week in August, drove to AK since we were doing a split stay and it was switch day. We got there around 8:15 right when they were opening the first lines to get in. We got in the AP line and just walked normally to Pandora (we were carrying coffee cups). Not sure how far back we were because I'm height challenged but stood there and had a good conversation with a woman who had been there the day before and rode the ride. They escorted everyone into FOP around 8:45 I'm guessing, the line went pretty fast and we were off FOP by 9:15, walked over to Safari and it was a walk on. My son loved FOP, me not so much but we did ride it again that night, again with no FPs. The posted wait time was 120 min. it took 100 but once the line gets inside it's pretty cool. We had nothing else to do that night so waiting in line was no big deal, we both have our kindles on our phones so we read. We had FPs for Navi and I enjoyed it, my son said it was o.k. but he wouldn't stand in line longer than say 30 min. for it. We have been going to WDW for over 30 years, since way before there was such a thing as FP so your only option was waiting in line, we really don't find it a hardship to do so but since we go often we also don't worry if we don't ride something.

 

[flowergirl45]

Thank you for the information. My husband has a conference at Disneyworld in September and I am hoping to rope drop FOP one morning while he's in session. We do have FPs for a day after the conference ends, so we will be able to ride once together as well.

 

[Stuarotra]

How were you able to get on a bus so early? We're at Coronado and were told the buses don't come any sooner than 45 minutes before park opening.

I believe they start at 6:30. At least that's what I learned from the transportation boards.

 

[mamamelody2]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

 

[NYCgrrl]

My husband and I were not able to get a FP+ for FoP because our trip was shorter. The only time available was on our last day and it was too close to our DME pick up time and I didn't want to risk it.

We got up at 6:00 am. Grabbed something quick at Captain Cooks and got to the bus stop at 7:00. The bus arrived at 7:03. We got to bag check at 7:28. Waited at the tapstiles until 8:15. We were 2nd in line at the AP entrance. They let us head toward pandora without an escort and everyone was running. We were power walking.... We got to the entrance of pandora and we were about 20 people behind. Those runners got ahead of us.... At 8:41 they escorted us to the entrance of FoP and we were off the ride by 9:03. We had FP+ for Na'vi at 9:05. We were headed to the safari at 9:20. I would call it a successful morning. We enjoyed FoP so much. We both agreed it was worth getting up early for RD. To be quite honest, I would wait 90 minutes to ride it.... it was that good.

Thank you for giving a non vague and concise "how to do it" . Actually useful info!

 

[NH-to-FL]

At 8:41 they escorted us to the entrance of FoP and we were off the ride by 9:03. We had FP+ for Na'vi at 9:05. We were headed to the safari at 9:20. I would call it a successful morning.

Sounds just like my morning a couple of weeks ago. I was back out in front of FoP at 9:01am and finished Navi River at 9:17a without a FP. Except my old knees don't let me power walk anymore so I wasn't as close to the front. However I was lucky to have been pulled out of line as a single rider to fill in the first FoP flight of the morning.

To be quite honest, I would wait 90 minutes to ride it.... it was that good.

I think we did wait about 90 minutes as we both arrived at Security just before 7:30am. For some reason, the rope drop wait doesn't feel as bad. And I am also looking forward to doing it again!

 

[NYCgrrl]

Haven't been on FOP yet but it sounds like it's similar to "Soaring" with more car movement.
Does that sound like a good assessment?

 

[srauseo]

My husband went early last Saturday by himself with no bag. He arrived a little before 7:15 and there was already a pretty good line as it was an EMH morning. He ended up waiting about 45 minutes and reported moving the entire time.

We went back for evening EMH the next day. Got in line a little after 11 and were riding about an hour later. Got back to our hotel room around 1:15am. Worth it.

 

[Stuarotra]

Thank you for giving a non vague and concise "how to do it" . Actually useful info!

Glad I could help!!

 

[ShadowBoxer]

Hey everyone!

I am actually going to be a Disney this weekend (Labor day weekend) Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I got my park tickets LATE so I couldn't get a fast pass to any of the Pandora rides. I REALLY want to ride Flight of Passage as a few friends were there opening weekend and they were raving about it on social media. I have the Disney app and the standard wait time is always over two hours. I am a solo traveler and I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a single riders line for Flight of Passage and River Adventure and what were the normal wait times for you if you rode without a fast pass. Either way, if I have to wait 3 hours I think I might do it because I won't be back at Disney world until 2019 when Star Wars land opens ha.

 

[EEEEE]

Haven't been on FOP yet but it sounds like it's similar to "Soaring" with more car movement.
Does that sound like a good assessment?

I wouldn't go with that description myself. They are both screen based experiences with movement, but FOP is way more immersive. way more thrilling and feels way faster.

 

[EEEEE]

Hey everyone!

I am actually going to be a Disney this weekend (Labor day weekend) Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I got my park tickets LATE so I couldn't get a fast pass to any of the Pandora rides. I REALLY want to ride Flight of Passage as a few friends were there opening weekend and they were raving about it on social media. I have the Disney app and the standard wait time is always over two hours. I am a solo traveler and I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a single riders line for Flight of Passage and River Adventure and what were the normal wait times for you if you rode without a fast pass. Either way, if I have to wait 3 hours I think I might do it because I won't be back at Disney world until 2019 when Star Wars land opens ha.

There is no single rider line for FOP. If you are going alone then I would strongly recommend getting there 1 hour before the park opens and getting in the no bags line at security. If you go that way you should be on FOP no later than 15 minutes after the park opens and will be able to pretty much walk right onto the River Journey ride when you get off FOP (although personally I thought that the River ride was so boring that I would say to skip it and head right to Everest which is another amazing ride).

 

[ShadowBoxer]

Thanks for the info. Yea I am really not hyped about the River Journey ride that was just something I would do if the wait time wasn't bad. But as soon as I get there Friday I plan to go straight to Animal Kingdom and wait for Flight of Passage. I am hoping it won't be so bad because it's Labor day weekend and parents will have school stuff to worry about instead of bring their kids to Disney World. Also, I figure Epcot's Food and Wine Festival and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween stuff might thin the crowds a little bit.