How do you have a relaxing vacation with Fastpass +????

On days like that, I treat my fp as bonuses, and try to plan them to my normal route as much as possible. But if I don't make one, no biggy. If I happen to make it, bonus.

We only fastpass things we really want to do. There will be days during our vacation where I will only preplan 1 or 2 rides, may even be days where I don't plan any rides. Our first trip after fastpass+ began, we packed it in and we were miserable, running all over the park to get to rides on time.

You don't have a relaxing vacation with FP+. lol It is pretty stressful to me. I feel like I am rushing to make appointments all day every day while I am there. I miss the times before FP+ when we could wake up and decide to change our plan and go to a different park than we first planned on for that day. To try to do that now is a huge debacle and aggravating. That is why we don't go to WDW very much anymore.

texas211;2514947 wrote: On days like that, I treat my fp as bonuses, and try to plan them to my normal route as much as possible. But if I don't make one, no biggy. If I happen to make it, bonus.

EXACTLY? I find MAKING the FP+ reservations, stressful - but once we have the passes, we view them exactly the same way. We make our best guess about where we'll be and what we're going to be doing - if we don't use a FP, we just don't use it.

And something people tend to forget or ignore - the standby lines continue to work the same way they have for decades......... we can always choose to just wait for an attraction!

ThanxForNoticin;2514962 wrote: EXACTLY? I find MAKING the FP+ reservations, stressful - but once we have the passes, we view them exactly the same way. We make our best guess about where we'll be and what we're going to be doing - if we don't use a FP, we just don't use it.

And something people tend to forget or ignore - the standby lines continue to work the same way they have for decades......... we can always choose to just wait for an attraction!

Unfortunately, I am physically unable to just wait for an attraction a large portion of the time. I also tend to feel badly if I don't use a fastpass, because someone else could have used it if I didn't take it. Thus, I have this dilemma. If I don't book and use a fastpass, I probably won't be able to ride most things. If I do book a fastpass, I'll feel obliged to go use it instead of just following my whims.

My DD is in the culinary program and has been able to do fast passes the night before or even the day of on her days off. She has been able to get any ride she wants. So maybe try that approach then you can be a little flexible with what you do

Cinderelley;2514965 wrote: Unfortunately, I am physically unable to just wait for an attraction a large portion of the time. I also tend to feel badly if I don't use a fastpass, because someone else could have used it if I didn't take it. Thus, I have this dilemma. If I don't book and use a fastpass, I probably won't be able to ride most things. If I do book a fastpass, I'll feel obliged to go use it instead of just following my whims.

My apologies - my response was a bit assuming. Standby can be pretty long and difficult at times - especially after being in the park for hours.

As far as scheduling a FP+ and not using it - we have found that through the app or kiosks, it's very simple to cancel a FP+ the day you're scheduled to use it. You can either switch it for something else or just "give it back". That's how at times, someone will post here how they went out on MDE and found a miracle FP+ to do their attraction that day!! I will admit, I also feel a bit guilty to have a FP+ scheduled and just ignore it - the cancel makes me feel a little better if my plans have changed - or I'm just too tired to get out to a particular attraction!

Cinderelley;2514965 wrote: Unfortunately, I am physically unable to just wait for an attraction a large portion of the time. I also tend to feel badly if I don't use a fastpass, because someone else could have used it if I didn't take it. Thus, I have this dilemma. If I don't book and use a fastpass, I probably won't be able to ride most things. If I do book a fastpass, I'll feel obliged to go use it instead of just following my whims.

I think my logic still holds. You just ride what you can, when you can. I'm physically able, but not psychologically able, to wait in very long lines Ride what you can if the FP goes south, and enjoy the shows, etc. Maybe re-explore the less popular attractions you wouldn't normally see very often, and see what you discover.

I was going to make a snarky comment about not going to Disney to relax, but then I realized we just had to redefine relaxation. We ended up liking Fastpass+ more than we thought. As you know, the week we were there was pretty busy (when it wasn't trying to drown us) and while we tend to force ourselves to do rope drop, there was a couple of days we planned a late start, and knew that we'd still be able to get on at least those three rides. Before plus, we might have gotten to the park at noon and found all the Fastpasses gone! On our early days we made sure to group those FP's as close together as possible so we could wander where we wanted the rest of the time. But I definitely agree - we were much more relaxed at Universal - with our Express Passes we knew we'd be able to do everything no matter when we did it or in what order. But honestly, it isn't just FP - having to book dining months in advance also takes out the ability to throw away the clock!
ps - the crowded days also forced us to slow down in a weird way. Do you know I've never done PeopleMover or Carousel of Progress before? Always rushing from headliner to headliner. I enjoyed that kind of thing WAY more than I thought I would - and even DH and DD weren't too grumpy about them, LOL

Cinderelley;2514965 wrote: If I do book a fastpass, I'll feel obliged to go use it instead of just following my whims.

I wouldn't worry about that, I'd just release them. I had a second FP for Flights of Passage and we decided not to go back to AKL. I released it and then checked about 3 minutes later and it was GONE. And this was about an hour before it needed to be used!

mom2morgan;2514994 wrote: I was going to make a snarky comment about not going to Disney to relax, but then I realized we just had to redefine relaxation. We ended up liking Fastpass+ more than we thought. As you know, the week we were there was pretty busy (when it wasn't trying to drown us) and while we tend to force ourselves to do rope drop, there was a couple of days we planned a late start, and knew that we'd still be able to get on at least those three rides. Before plus, we might have gotten to the park at noon and found all the Fastpasses gone! On our early days we made sure to group those FP's as close together as possible so we could wander where we wanted the rest of the time. But I definitely agree - we were much more relaxed at Universal - with our Express Passes we knew we'd be able to do everything no matter when we did it or in what order. But honestly, it isn't just FP - having to book dining months in advance also takes out the ability to throw away the clock!
ps - the crowded days also forced us to slow down in a weird way. Do you know I've never done PeopleMover or Carousel of Progress before? Always rushing from headliner to headliner. I enjoyed that kind of thing WAY more than I thought I would - and even DH and DD weren't too grumpy about them, LOL

You have a point. Relaxation is different for everyone and even different circumstances. When I am alone, I slow down (even more so than I have to be), sleep in (I usually work nights, so that is my natural sleep pattern), wake up and decide what I want to do. Usually that involves going to a park, soaking in the atmosphere, taking pictures of things that catch my eye (which is a lot, just ask PopPhan. He had to put up with all my Facebook posts), setting up early to take pictures for whichever fireworks have caught my fancy, riding a ride that catches my whim.

To me, a dining reservation is a little different. It is just a one time thing during my day, not something that extends over several hours.

I can't. And I've made it clear, I hate everything about FP+. It's like being at work. Long term planning. Meeting timelines. Coordinating schedules. Constantly checking the smart phone. After they came out with this burden, we quit going to WDW. The only reason we returned was that we moved to Tampa from Texas. As soon as our AP is done in October, we will stop going.

I still laugh every time I think that the official line was that FP+ increases spontaneity.

We usually make our FP starting at noon and do them right after one another. If we decide to get up early or the boys skip the gym we decide what we're doing that morning. Sometimes it's grabbing a TS breakfast and sometimes it's going to a different park for the morning and sometimes it's just doing nothing. We've found that most times we travel, standby is not bad for most rides (other than FOP, 7DMT) before 11A.

Point is, our trips are very laid back, it's vacation. Compared to real life I really don't find ADRs or FP stressful. I enjoy the planning and if something goes off track, oh well. Make some plans, use them or not, people watch, soak up the atmosphere, relax, enjoy.

I find it relaxing knowing that I can sleep as long as I want to and don't have to rush to the park in the morning. When I went to Disneyland, I actually found myself missing it!