Going next week - no tickets, only hotel - analysis paralysis!!

[unrequited23]

Try to order your UT tickets during business hours. It seems like I get the code to link to MDE faster that way. When I order during the day I get the code within 3 hrs. When I last purchased it was after hours, I waited over 12 hrs...and of course this was a last minute trip (18 days before) when it felt like every second counted in making FPs.

 

[YawningDodo]

Wow YD - very informative and insightful! Thank you for taking the time to write that - I agree with you on all points. I know I should have taken this advice on past family vacations as well . The problem, I think, people like you and I have is trying maximizing the investment of time and money -whereas, the focus should be on maximizing family enjoyment. If we're basically at these parks from rope drop to closing, there's plenty of time to cover the main attractions early and late and use FP's in the middle with a good bit of meandering. Thanks again!

I'm glad to get this reply; when I looked at my post again just now all I could think was "Holy wall of text, Batman!"

Clearly I have Feelings about this. It's something I've thought about a lot regarding my own past trips and what I want this next trip to be. It's really easy to get stuck in the mindset that you have to get your money's worth, yes, and that you're not doing so if you don't ride every ride, see every show, etc. And of course the rides are important, but they're not the only thing!

On thinking about it, I do wonder if one place I might be giving you bad advice is the ADR thing. If you're planning to do open to close, that's three very long days in a row. I've always had a hard time making myself take afternoon breaks, though I'm getting better at it now, so believe me when I say that I get it. Three days is probably manageable? But you're all going to get really tired. We have a family story about my mom immediately falling asleep in ye olde Making of Armageddon because it was a dark theater and she was sitting down, never mind the constant explosions--that's what doing the parks commando style will do to you. It's doable, but I may take back my advice and say maybe get a late lunch ADR daily so you at least have some sit-down time in air conditioning midday.

You can refresh the MDE app to get more FP+ after your first three, too, so the one other bit of practical advice I'll give is that setting your FP+ early in the day can make it easier to go through them and get more of them. Other people prefer to reserve their FP+ for the afternoon when they know the parks will be busier and just spend the morning doing standby, though, so it's really personal preference.