Realistic Wait time for Avator Flight of Passage

[kathyclownfish]

If we were to arrive 1 hour before the park opens, how long is the wait to get on to AFOP? I just read that the current wait time is 220 minutes! Could that be right?
I had a fast pass but had to drop it because of a big birthday dinner conflict.
I don't mind getting to the park very early, but I don't want to wait over 2 hours to get on to this attraction. I mean how can the wait be that long if you are at AK an hour before it even opens????

 

[siren0119]

So the way rope drop at AK works, they let you into Discovery Island about 20 minutes before park opening. If you get to the park about an hour/hour and a half before park opening ,you'll be in the first mass of people going to FOP for rope drop. They hold everyone at the bridge just outside of Tiffins, then queue guests up for FOP at about 15 minutes to opening. If you're in that first mass, you are VERY likely to be able to ride FOP and be off doing other things within the first 10 minutes of park official opening.

Wait times also tend to drop close to park closing, IF there isn't an after-hours event. So if you can't make rope drop, try hitting it up close to the end of the night.

 

[kathyclownfish]

So the way rope drop at AK works, they let you into Discovery Island about 20 minutes before park opening. If you get to the park about an hour/hour and a half before park opening ,you'll be in the first mass of people going to FOP for rope drop. They hold everyone at the bridge just outside of Tiffins, then queue guests up for FOP at about 15 minutes to opening. If you're in that first mass, you are VERY likely to be able to ride FOP and be off doing other things within the first 10 minutes of park official opening.

Wait times also tend to drop close to park closing, IF there isn't an after-hours event. So if you can't make rope drop, try hitting it up close to the end of the night.

Thank you....that is what I was hoping! But, is it better to wait in line for a short time in the queue to appreciate the surroundings or is it more beneficial to wait outside of the park before opening and get in there?

 

[siren0119]

Thank you....that is what I was hoping! But, is it better to wait in line for a short time in the queue to appreciate the surroundings or is it more beneficial to wait outside of the park before opening and get in there?

That's really a personal decision. For us, the time spent outside the park isn't eating up ride time while the park is open, so that's worth it for us. Some people prefer to save it for the end of the day and see Pandora at night. Some do both! You do miss the neat stuff that's all through the standby queue if you do the rope drop ride, but you get on the ride faster at RD than you do at the end of the night. It's really about what choice brings the most value to your trip and how you tour.

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

If we were to arrive 1 hour before the park opens, how long is the wait to get on to AFOP? I just read that the current wait time is 220 minutes! Could that be right?
I had a fast pass but had to drop it because of a big birthday dinner conflict.
I don't mind getting to the park very early, but I don't want to wait over 2 hours to get on to this attraction. I mean how can the wait be that long if you are at AK an hour before it even opens????

Regarding wait times...
Depends on if you get stuck at the tapstiles, your pace vs others, and, if at EMH, whether or not you understand which direction you need to go (the latter is what messed my plans for an early FOP ride).

You could be at the very front of the line and still get stuck into an hour wait because of so many variables. When I arrived an hour early, the shortest lines were just reaching the ticket booths. It didn't take too long to get in but not knowing how they split on-site EMH guests and off-site EMH (like Disney Springs guests) slowed our progress and by the time we reached what would have been the end, it was marked as a 3 hour wait. Since we had a fastpass later in the day, we opted to walk on Na'vi instead of risking wasting the entire EMH and then some in that line. Though a lot of you might feel that NRJ is still a waste of time XD

 

[wilkydelts]

Regarding wait times...
It didn't take too long to get in but not knowing how they split on-site EMH guests and off-site EMH (like Disney Springs guests) slowed our progress

Can you explain this further? Is this separation at all the parks or just AK?

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

Can you explain this further? Is this separation at all the parks or just AK?

I don't know it it's at all the parks or not. I only experienced this at AK. Basically some off-site hotels currently get EMH benefits (namely the Disney Springs hotels and a few others).

At AK, once we were past the tapstiles, they told on-site guests benefiting from EMH to go to the left. There were castmembers there to scan your ticket or magic band to confirm your eligibility for entry. Off-site guests of those hotels mentioned were directed to go to the right. I think they have a different proof of eligibility for EMH (not sure what since I've never stayed off-site, let alone at an off-site w/ EMH).

The unfortunate thing is they didn't tell us at the tapstiles. Instead they had castmembers inside yelling which way to go, and it took me a while to process. By the time I understood what they were saying, it put us well behind the crowd.

 

[radiohead8989]

If you're at AK on a day with Extra Magic Hours, resort guests go left. Everyone else needs to go right. Resort guests will get scanned a second time, and they will be able to go in. Everyone else will need to wait another hour. Animal Kingdom only has Extra Magic Hours about twice a week at the moment. This may change at other times of the year.
If you get to AK an hour before it opens, you should have a very short wait for Flight of Passage. As has already been said, this assumes that you keep up with the crowd.

 

[siren0119]

If you're at AK on a day with Extra Magic Hours, resort guests go left. Everyone else needs to go right. Resort guests will get scanned a second time, and they will be able to go in. Everyone else will need to wait another hour. Animal Kingdom only has Extra Magic Hours about twice a week at the moment. This may change at other times of the year.
If you get to AK an hour before it opens, you should have a very short wait for Flight of Passage. As has already been said, this assumes that you keep up with the crowd.

I think the PP was questioning the separation of onsite resort guests (to the left) and offsite resort guests staying at hotels that ARE allowed into the parks for EMH (The nine Disney Springs hotels plus two in Bonnet creek, they are "official WDW hotels and get 60 day FP and EMH just like onsite guests). I can't say I recall any separation during EMH on our last trip - if you had access to EMH you got into the park to the left - but I do remember people who were NOT eligible for EMH getting funneled off to the right and not allowed into the park at all until after EMH. This was last year and things may have changed.

 

[ChoachMcGoach]

If we were to arrive 1 hour before the park opens, how long is the wait to get on to AFOP? I just read that the current wait time is 220 minutes! Could that be right?
I had a fast pass but had to drop it because of a big birthday dinner conflict.
I don't mind getting to the park very early, but I don't want to wait over 2 hours to get on to this attraction. I mean how can the wait be that long if you are at AK an hour before it even opens????

When we went at thanksgiving time, the park was scheduled to open at 8am. We got to the parking lot around 7:20. We got to the gate around 7:35 and they were letting people in. We went straight to FOP and it was posted as 60 min wait. We got in line at 7:42. It was almost exactly 60 min before we got on the ride.

 

[jcf8037]

if night is an option for you, i got on line 15 min before closing and waited just around an hour with a posted wait of 90 minutes. it was a nice way to do it with the scenery also.

 

[DisneyChris2016]

I had a fast pass but had to drop it because of a big birthday dinner conflict.

In the future, if you have a hard to get FP like that, you might want to hold on to it and try to modify it to a better time. Many people change plans leading up to their trip, and especially on the day of. On our last trip in 2018, I was able to get a FOP FP+ for five just a couple of weeks in advance, and I also had luck getting same-day FP for it with a bit of refreshing. So I wouldn't necessarily give up on that, if your rope drop strategy doesn't work out.

I do want to say, however, that it was very courteous of you to release it back into the system when you realized you couldn't use it - I'm sure you made someone else's day.

 

[kdfogliano]

blogmickey just did a huge report on rope dropping FOP last week. It's longer than you would think and it looks like they are letting in a hour before posted park opening (non EMH days)

 

[thanxfornoticin]

It's been mentioned above, but you will want to be aware whether or not the day you go to AK is an EMH day or not - you can see that information on the park-hours calendar. If you are an on-site guest, you might want to take advantage of the EMH.

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

If you're at AK on a day with Extra Magic Hours, resort guests go left. Everyone else needs to go right. Resort guests will get scanned a second time, and they will be able to go in. Everyone else will need to wait another hour. Animal Kingdom only has Extra Magic Hours about twice a week at the moment. This may change at other times of the year.
If you get to AK an hour before it opens, you should have a very short wait for Flight of Passage. As has already been said, this assumes that you keep up with the crowd.

I think the PP was questioning the separation of onsite resort guests (to the left) and offsite resort guests staying at hotels that ARE allowed into the parks for EMH (The nine Disney Springs hotels plus two in Bonnet creek, they are "official WDW hotels and get 60 day FP and EMH just like onsite guests). I can't say I recall any separation during EMH on our last trip - if you had access to EMH you got into the park to the left - but I do remember people who were NOT eligible for EMH getting funneled off to the right and not allowed into the park at all until after EMH. This was last year and things may have changed.

It's entirely possible I misheard/misunderstood them. But could have sworn they instructed "offsite with EMH" go to the right or some thing like that. This was back in December.

 

[HeightRequirement]

if night is an option for you, i got on line 15 min before closing and waited just around an hour with a posted wait of 90 minutes. it was a nice way to do it with the scenery also.

Pandora at night is beautiful. I do like that Disney allows you to begin standing in line up until park close. At Universal they aren't as accommodating.

 

[Robo]

It's entirely possible I misheard/misunderstood them. But could have sworn they instructed "offsite with EMH" go to the right or some thing like that. This was back in December.

I'm going to say that it is very likley (85%) that you misunderstood.
For EMH participation, there is no differentiation between Disney-owned resorts and "EMH-participating" resorts.
(Otherwise, what would be the point?)

AND... it is quite possible that the CM who were yelling "directions" where yelling incorrect (or at least confusing) information.

When I hear something that "doesn't sound right," I always FIRST assume that what is being announced is in error.
That has proven far more common than a sudden sweeping change in standard policy.

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

I'm going to say that it is very likley (85%) that you misunderstood.
For EMH participation, there is no differentiation between Disney-owned resorts and "EMH-participating" resorts.
(Otherwise, what would be the point?)

AND... it is quite possible that the CM who were yelling "directions" where yelling incorrect (or at least confusing) information.

When I hear something that "doesn't sound right," I always FIRST assume that what is being announced is in error.
That has proven far more common than a sudden sweeping change in standard policy.

I wouldn't know what the "sudden sweeping change" would have been or what would not "sound right" since it was only my third time visiting & first time really using EMH at AKL. I can only go by what I thought I heard.

 

[Robo]

Hope you know better next time
(which is the reason we respond to these threads.)

 

[gharter]

So the way rope drop at AK works, they let you into Discovery Island about 20 minutes before park opening. If you get to the park about an hour/hour and a half before park opening ,you'll be in the first mass of people going to FOP for rope drop. They hold everyone at the bridge just outside of Tiffins, then queue guests up for FOP at about 15 minutes to opening. If you're in that first mass, you are VERY likely to be able to ride FOP and be off doing other things within the first 10 minutes of park official opening.

Wait times also tend to drop close to park closing, IF there isn't an after-hours event. So if you can't make rope drop, try hitting it up close to the end of the night.

This has been our experience.
As you walk to the bridge, be quick as the mass of people at the bridge builds quickly. The CMs will walk you to FoP, so if you are near the front at the bridge you should be good.
When we rode in October, we were near the front, walked through the FP queue and waited about 5 minutes. When we got off the ride, the line was 100 minutes. It builds that quickly.
Just before park closing has been under 30 minutes ever time for us. Disregard the wait time posted at closing.