Actually, if you do a few hours of pre-planning, your entire week will be MUCH smoother. You can always canx a restaurant 24 hrs in advance (48 for a few) and change your FP+ anytime, but at least the night prior is better to ensure getting most of the rides you want. So, it's some pre-planning and then you can be flexible when you get there.
Our crowd plan, which has worked for 10+ years during peak times: unless you can go to AM extra magic hour (EMH), do not go to the park with extra magic hours in the AM (except if MK has EMH all week, then it doesn't matter which day). You can look on disney's webiste under park hours to find out which park has EMH a few months in advance. The park with EMH will be more crowded than the other parks. Also, we get our FP for midday, when the park will be very crowded, and go about 9am (or earlier) and just stand in the shorter lines. Rides near the enterance and in Fantasy land will fill up first, if you go straight to the back of tomorrowland or over to adventure-frontier land, lines will be shorter in the AM. Even at peak spring break times, we usually wait less than 10 minutes for jungle cruise and pirates or alladin before 10am. If it's super crowded, we do rides from 9-11am, then use a noon FP, eat lunch, use a 1pm and then 2pm FP and then just leave and enjoy the pools, etc. We get a FP before we leave for later in the night and sometimes we go back in, use that FP and walk around, shop, get a special treat/dessert. It makes WDW much more fun and relaxing.
Also, if you have an Elsa fan and you cannot get a FP spot, go VERY late at night on standby (45 minutes before Elsa closes). Most of the younger kids have gone to bed.
If we are going to pm EMH, we usually sleep late, hang out at resort and go into the parks at 4 with FP at 4,5,6pm, then dinner in the park. EMH pm can last until midnight or later, so you need to pace yourself. Or you can go from 9am-noon and have your FP for after dinner. Come back to resort for lunch/swim and then hit the parks right after dinner for 6 more hours.
We always get FP for Soarin (never seen it with under 1 hr wait--but we go in high season), EE (but there is usually a single rider line), Rockin Roller (sometimes single rider line) or Toy Story ride, Splash and Big Th. You MUST have a FP for 7 dwarfs--or wait 60+ minutes. After those, Star Tours, Dinosaur, Lion King (better location). We never FP Safari, but go 1st thing in the AM. If you go later than 10:30, FP Safari. We never FP Pirates or Jungle.
you have to choose between Soarin and Test Track--but there is a single rider line for TT (but you don't get to make a car). I would rather go straight to TT at opening and have a FP for S. Same for Toy Story--you have to pick TS or Rockin. My kids love Rollers, so we get Rockin FP and if there is a single line, they rider again. But, I have been there when the single was not avail and the wait was close to 60 min.
You need to get your tickets in advance, either through disney or an authorized broker (mapleleaf or undercover tourist), b/c you need the ticket or voucher # to make your FP. If you stay onsite, you can make FP at 60 days, 30 days for all others. Elaine
