Printable View
Thanks for previous answers, I have another question: what is your best FastPass strategy/advice, especially if you want to see Flight of Passage in Pandora? Do you use the app for FP Reservations? Do you prefer being online? What time can you make your reservations in the morning? Do you shoot for the difficult reservations further out in your vacation first? Or do you approach it linearly? I’ll take all the help I can get it please.
Sometimes, it's almost impossible to get fastpasses for the most popular rides regardless of your strategy. For something like Flight of Passage, I'd go as far out into your trip as possible to try for a fastpass and then work your way backward to the beginning of your trip in the hopes of securing the fastpass you want. Other rides that remain very difficult to get include Slinky Dog, Navi River and 7 Dwarves. I'd had a fair amount of success getting fastpasses for most other rides even a week or a few days in advance.
Also, if you are unable to get a fastpass you want, continue to check back - one may open up later. Just a few weeks ago, my brother was able to get Slinky Dog fastpasses for 5 just a day ahead of time so it sometimes happens.
I find that FP+ can be very strange to book. I'm a "be up and ready at 7am" person, and yes, I try for the "harder" ones first, usually later in the trip. I do the first booking run online, and don't usually switch over to the app until I'm at the parks.
However, I don't always find what I'm looking for, and when I try back hours, or even a few days later, there is more availability and I can fiddle around for what I'm hoping for.
All I can say is check back, if you don't get what you want at the start, and keep trying.
We are 62 days away. Does my window open at 6 AM? Or 7 AM? Is it different online versus on the app?
First, we always buy the Park Hopper. Which dictates part of our FP strategy.
We are always up early and at the parks about 30 minutes before they open. Then, we go straight for the popular rides. So, at MK, we'll go to 7 Dwarves Mine Train first, then Peter Pan. Maybe hit Space Mountain.
We book the fast passes for the afternoon. So, if we did MK in the morning, we'd have FP's for something like Soarin' at Epcot in the afternoon. Occasionally, we'll stay within the same park, and still get there early. Like at DHS, we'd hit Rockin' Roller Coaster first thing, and we'll have FP's for it again later in the morning.
In the case of Flight of Passage, we have done both, where we were there first thing to ride it (still had at least a 30 min. wait), and another where we snagged a FP for much later in the day, so we spent the morning at another park, and hit AK in the afternoon with FP's late for the Avatar rides.
We always do all of our park trip planning online. So much easier with a mouse and keyboard. We only use the app once we're actually at WDW.
As to when we go for the FP's, we plan our trip around the Extra Magic Hours. If we know that we'll be there from Saturday to Saturday, we look at what parks are open early each of those days. We try to hit those, for the most part. Then we pick the afternoon park based on where we can get dining reservations. And so then we know which parks we'll be in, and try to get FP's accordingly. Occasionally, we will make changes to those parks/days, but that's pretty much how we plan.
My experience has been the same as most everyone else. It is almost impossible to get FP's for the most popular/newest rides regardless of strategy. It is frustrating and I really don't have any advice to add to what others have already mentioned. We don't park hop to chase fastpasses because we then waste so much time going from one park to another and getting through security, we could have just stood in line and ridden in the time it takes to park hop. Just do the best you can and make the best of it is about all I can say. It has led to us going to WDW less and going on other vacations. I just don't have the patience for it.
From the Disney website:Quote:
Originally Posted by MrPeetrie
Quote:
Disney FastPass+ service lets you reserve access to select attractions, entertainment and more. With the purchase of a ticket or Annual Pass, you can make selections as early as 30 days before you arrive—starting at 7:00 AM Eastern Time. Plus, if you are staying at a Disney Resort hotel, Disney Springs Area Hotels or other select nearby hotels, you can make your FastPass+ selections up to 60 days prior to check-in for the entire length of your stay
I just booked our fastpasses two days ago and we got all the attractions on the day we wanted and I really only have one time that was off from what I wanted. We found it all went pretty smoothly. With our hotel ressies we are technically a 9 day trip, hitting the parks day 2 - 8.
Most limited availability was Slinky Dog however we found plenty of morning slots for Slink by going to day 6 of our trip. Flight of passage was readily available for days 5 and 7. The only one I had to change the time I really wanted was 7 Dwarves, which was the 4th fast pass I attempted to book on the 2nd day of our trip.
As others mentioned pushing more desired fast passes to later in a trip makes it easier. Also don't book all three fastpasses just because you are working on that day. i.e. I booked slinky dog for day 6 but circled back to book my other two fast passes for that day after getting through flight of passage and 7 dwarves on other days.
I also booked via the app and had no issues. I much prefer a nice touch screen to a mouse.
Thanks everyone. I have them numbered on which to attempt first. (i.e., FOP on day 6, then Slinky on day 5, etc.) My window opens tomorrow at 7 am. Wish me luck.
Nine minutes... nervous.
Thank you, everyone, for all of your suggestions. The system worked very, very well, as did the strategies I got most everything I wanted. I got Flights of Passage TWICE in our vacation. I got Seven Swarfs Mine Ride. The only thing I couldn’t get Slinky Dog Dash and that is because I chose Toy Story Mania for my Tier 1 that day because I know my son will love that ride. Maybe I’ll take advantage of extended hours to ride that. Thanks again.
In that I have always stayed 'on property' and have had the 60 day window, I have yet to NOT be able to get FP+ reservations for everything I have wanted.
First, know when your dates are and what park you want to visit on each date. Be flexible, but have a basic plan in place.
Next, be online at 7am sharp to start trying for your FP+ selections.
Then, start with either your last day of your visit OR the most difficult FP+ selection to get as late in your trip as possible.
Last tip: Take any available time that fits into your schedule for the attraction you want. There will be opportunities, once you lock the selection in, to go back and try to modify times to fit better into your schedule.
These things have always worked for me. Last trip, I had 3 FoP, 2 Slinky Dog Dash and a 7 Dwarfs Mine Train FP+ option, all at times I preferred. It was a 8 day/night trip.....
Sorry to be so late to this thread, but I hope this still can help someone....
how did you do?Quote:
Originally Posted by MrPeetrie
Very Well! First off, the system worked to perfection. It has been four years since our last visit and the system is much faster and intuitive.Quote:
Originally Posted by Imalismom
My first selection was:
Day 6: Flights of Passage -- AVAILABLE, and at an early time. [Perfect!]
Day 2: Flights of Passage -- NOT AVAILABLE, so I selected Na'Vi River Adventure instead.
Day 3: Slinky Dog -- NOT AVAILABLE, so I chose Toy Story Mania instead
Day 8: Slinky Dog -- AVAILABLE, so I took it at a good early hour.
Day 5: Soarin' -- AVAILABLE
Day 1: 7 Dwarfs -- AVAILABLE
Day 1: Splash Mountain -- AVAILABLE
Day 9: Flights of Passage -- AVAILABLE
Then I was able to fill in with two Kilimanjaro Safari's, two Star Tours, RnRC, ToT, BTMRR, Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion.
After I had them set, I reviewed my plans against dining reservations and saw some disrupt the "flow" too much so I was able to adjust some times. All in all, I'm very pleased with the reservations I have and look forward to the next 60 days moving quickly. Thanks all for your strategies!!!!
I Love Disney!!!
Glad it all worked out for you! I know FP+ has a lot of naysayers but we've been fans of it from day 1. It has always worked well for how we plan and tour.
Sounds like your trip is shaping up well.Quote:
Originally Posted by MrPeetrie
A miracle.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cinderelley