Feeling like a Newbie

I don't think I've figured out a really good plan since the fastpass+ system changed!! There are several scenarios that might work for you depending on how you like to tour.
1. Take advantage of early morning extra magic hours (if you can) and book your fastpasses for a different park in the afternoon/evening.
2. Book your fastpasses for early in the morning, then visit a kiosk to book an additional fastpass or switch parks and use the kiosk in the second park.
3. Book fastpasses mid-day and ride what you can before and between your fastpasses.

Keep in mind that, if you use a fastpass for an evening or late-afternoon based activity such as a parade viewing, or fireworks viewing location, it's likely the kiosk will not be very helpful to your or might be totally unavailable as the times for your first three need to expire before you can book another.

To be honest, I've never used a kiosk since the fastpass system began. Even though I've typically booked the three allotted fastpasses for each day I plan to be in a park (and have occasionally moved the time for one or exchanged one for another), I haven't always used all three of the fastpasses I've booked. I consider some of the fastpasses to be somewhat wasted, particularly when you arrive at the ride and find that the standby line is only 10 minutes.

The tiering of rides which don't give you free access to all fastpass rides in the park will also mean you will need to make some choices - which ride is the more important to you and are you willing to stand in a potentially loooooong standby line for the ride you couldn't book??

So may things are changing between now and May 2017, I am not sure that any of us regulars can tell you what to expect.

Mom2Morgan we're in the same boat. We last visited in August 2012 and are planning for May 2017. So many things have changed and I try to keep up with everything but I know it will be a different experience when we return. Happy planning!

The new fastpass system works for me. If I'm not park hopping I book my fastpasses from the middle of the day on. I then take advantage of rope drop and get my non-fastpass rides done quickly before the park fills. Then when the parks are busier I cash in on my fastpasses.

If I am park hopping I rope drop park 1 and get lots of rides in. My fastpasses are for the 2nd park of the day (again when lines are longer).

Speedy1998;2475851 wrote: So may things are changing between now and May 2017, I am not sure that any of us regulars can tell you what to expect.

Any specific things that you know of that are yet to come? I haven't been around here much so I didn't know there were MORE changes in the works! Ugh.

mom2morgan;2476376 wrote: Any specific things that you know of that are yet to come? I haven't been around here much so I didn't know there were MORE changes in the works! Ugh.

I'm not aware of any pending systems changes with things like fastpass+ but, of course, Disney could announce a tweak at any point in time.

The larger changes over the next couple of years have to do with construction, attractions closing, and new ones opening such as the Avatar area in Animal Kingdom, expanding park hours into evening time in Animal Kingdom, a new evening show and night-time safari rides in Animal Kingdom, the new Star Wars section in Disney Studios, the new Frozen attraction and revamping of Soarin' in Epcot.