Seeking Fast Pass Expert Advice

[3kids4me]

Hi all - in a couple of days we will be eligible to book our Fast Passes for our January trip. It is only teens and adults traveling. I have never booked FPs online before. We are staying on property at BCV.

Can anyone give me some expert advice on the best rides to book through FP and how far apart to make each pass (unless that it predetermined?). If anyone could maybe give me the top rides that require FP booking in each park, that would be really helpful. We definitely don't want to miss Soarin' (although I read somewhere that it might be better to just head over there without one first thing and book other ones...not sure I understand that advice but perhaps someone here can help) and Space Mountain, but I'm sure I'm forgetting some very popular rides that might really needs FPs to avoid huge waits. (We probably will not do ToT but will do Rockin Roller Coaster. Soarin' is by far my favorite though.)

Advice appreciated. Thank you!!

 

[brownhaired_girl]

Hopefully this will help

http://www.disboards.com/threads/fa...orities-and-strategies-part-ii.3326057/unread
mesaboy2's list on page one explains things well. I'm pretty sure Soarin will be closing for refurbishment soon. Also, if you are staying on site when you hit your 60 day mark you will be able to schedule all of your fast passes at one time. another excellent source of information is EasyWDW. when you log into the site there is a sidebar on the right side of the page. The "cheat sheets" have an incredible amount of information about rides and wait times. Josh at Easy WDW also has calendars with crowd levels. If you click on the January calendar and scroll down the page there is a good explanation of how/why to choose which park you go to on any given day.

 

[silentg]

http://www.disboards.com/threads/fa...orities-and-strategies-part-ii.3326057/unread
mesaboy2's list on page one explains things well. I'm pretty sure Soarin will be closing for refurbishment soon. Also, if you are staying on site when you hit your 60 day mark you will be able to schedule all of your fast passes at one time. another excellent source of information is EasyWDW. when you log into the site there is a sidebar on the right side of the page. The "cheat sheets" have an incredible amount of information about rides and wait times. Josh at Easy WDW also has calendars with crowd levels. If you click on the January calendar and scroll down the page there is a good explanation of how/why to choose which park you go to on any given day.

I have always used Disneyworld website. You can link all members of your group together, make fast pass times and also book reservations for dinner, lunch and breakfast.
The mine train is the most difficult to get a fast pass,and Be Our Guest is difficult to get reservation for dinner. Go on the web and try your luck.
Silentg

 

[3kids4me]

Thanks very much! That post was very helpful!!

 

[elaine]

FWIW-
Our crowd plan, which has worked for 10+ years during peak times: unless you can go to AM 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). 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 (nver 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, Start 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 loine 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.