Big FP+ News: Starting 2/19 New DHS Tiers, MFSR FP+ Added, READ POST #1

[osufeth24]

And just to think couple of years ago DHS was the ugly stepsister that no one was taking out

Shoot, just a little over a year it was like that.

When I came down in June of 2018 I went to Disney for the first time in 20 years. HS was the only park I didn't visit, now I had planned to, but I changed it due to missing out on some rides I had been dying to ride, and knew I would really only ride ToT and Rockin Roller Coaster (TSL wasn't open yet), so I canceled those FP's I had and never got around to it. When I came back in December of 2018, it was the same, we hit those 2 rides, and left. TSL was way too crowded to attempt to go.

Since then I moved to Orlando and became a passholder, and I've probably been to HS 5 times the amount I've been to the other parks combined in the last 6 months

 

[marchingstar]

I would try to rope drop Smuggler's Run-most people have been doing this after getting their RotR boarding passes. But now, lots of people who did snag MFSR FP's will head to TSL for Slinky Dog.

Great ideas thank you!!

 

[marchingstar]

I’m with you. We’re within our 30 day window too and there weren’t any fastpasses for MFSR available during either of our two Hollywood studios days.

It’s disappointing that this announcement couldn’t have been done a few days ago so we’d still be between 30-60 days so resort guests got first shot at it.

Now I’m hoping they extend park hours to 7am so we can rope drop and get off the ride by 9am before the Fastpass crowd shows up and extends the line even longer.

Speaking of advanced notice, I wish they could announce park opening times with more notice. They’ve been moving up the HS park opening with two weeks lead time. Wish they could do at least a month’s notice.

fingers crossed that we both have some luck in the next few weeks!

Maybe that 2 week mark will work to our advantage?

 

[agamble]

Massive kudos to @Mermaidtails1323 for being the first to spot this info!

New Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS) FastPass (FP) tiering goes in effect 2/19/2020.

FPs under the new tiering and for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run (MFSR) are available to book NOW for 2/19/2020+.

At the moment, there is no news or information regarding FP availability for:

• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (MMRR), which opens 3/4/2020
• Star Wars: Rise or Rise of the Resistance (RotR), which is currently operating with a virtual queue / boarding group process (see this thread for more info)

New DHS Tiering as of 2/19/2020

Tier 1
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run (MFSR)
Slinky Dog Dash (SDD)

Tier 2
All Other DHS FP-eligible rides/shows/attractions

This is such good news. Hopefully MickeyRR will be Tier 1 FP too on or near opening, then people will have to choose between 3 good, new rides. Hopefully we can get a different one on each of our HS days.

 

[Juventus]

Can anyone help me see how this change isn't terrible for off site guests? Currently at 30 days out there is no fps for SDD (obviously), MFSR, TSM, RnRC, or ToT and limited saucer times. Before this change I would of had a shot at the last few on the list for my March trip.

I guess when I have my 3 tier 2 fps I can refresh like crazy for anything and everything, including the tier ones.

 

[Thecouch]

It is worse for off site guest.but why would disney care if its worse for offsite guest. On site guest give disney more money with hotel bookings and more likely to eat more onsite. Just like airlines the more you spend the better service you get. Off site guest are economy passengers (value are premium economy, moderate/ business, deluxe /first class).

 

[grossmansr]

Welp, that was a surprise this morning. My 60 day window opened at 7 and I was on there at 7:01 thinking there was some glitch with MFSR! I had already given up hope for SDD, which is what I truly wanted, but thanks to this new development I was able to get it. I went ahead and took MFSR and just kept checking back until SDD showed up.

Thank you Star Wars fans for making my kids Toy Story dreams come true! Now we can fast pass TSMM, AS2 and SDD!!!!! Back to back! All without getting up to rope drop anything! I am one happy mama tonight.

 

[Thecouch]

Welp, that was a surprise this morning. My 60 day window opened at 7 and I was on there at 7:01 thinking there was some glitch with MFSR! I had already given up hope for SDD, which is what I truly wanted, but thanks to this new development I was able to get it. I went ahead and took MFSR and just kept checking back until SDD showed up.

Thank you Star Wars fans for making my kids Toy Story dreams come true! Now we can fast pass TSMM, AS2 and SDD!!!!! Back to back! All without getting up to rope drop anything! I am one happy mama tonight.

Plus people won't be getting throw away show fastpasses now so you will be able to get day of fastpass for them after you use first 3

 

[agamble]

Can anyone help me see how this change isn't terrible for off site guests? Currently at 30 days out there is no fps for SDD (obviously), MFSR, TSM, RnRC, or ToT and limited saucer times. Before this change I would of had a shot at the last few on the list for my March trip.

I guess when I have my 3 tier 2 fps I can refresh like crazy for anything and everything, including the tier ones.

We're staying off site too. It is good because if people book Millenium then they can't book Mickey or Slinky. Three rides all with high demand on FP will cause people to have to choose. It may be that you can actually score a Slinky FP at 30 days by summer.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Plus people won't be getting throw away show fastpasses now so you will be able to get day of fastpass for them after you use first 3

....this is a perk?

Lol I’m mostly joking, but while Im happy with what this change means for my family, it looks like off-site is worse off and day of (which was really awesome with everything in tier 1) is going to be much harder than it was.

 

[grossmansr]

Plus people won't be getting throw away show fastpasses now so you will be able to get day of fastpass for them after you use first 3

Yep, Frozen sing along, here we come!

 

[Juventus]

It is worse for off site guest.but why would disney care if its worse for offsite guest. On site guest give disney more money with hotel bookings and more likely to eat more onsite. Just like airlines the more you spend the better service you get. Off site guest are economy passengers (value are premium economy, moderate/ business, deluxe /first class).

Who said they cared? Just wondering if I missed something like day of fps being easier for some reason I can't think of, or ropedroping MFSR may be SLIGHTLY better because some people will have fps for it?

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Who said they cared? Just wondering if I missed something like day of fps being easier for some reason I can't think of, or ropedroping MFSR may be SLIGHTLY better because some people will have fps for it?

I would be surprised if day of FPs are not much harder now. Everything but SDD was fairly easy to snag day of up until this change.

We’ll have to see what actually happens, but maybe morning touring at DHS will see a slight change (especially with the tier 2s), as you have more people coming in holding FP for nearly all the attractions as opposed to 1. This change is great for Star Tours fans, who probably saw a lot of FP+ for it appear from February 19th on lol.

 

[Thecouch]

I carry extra battery pack because I refresh so much even when having ride I want. I think I would have ended up with more fastpass under old tier. But knowing I have 3 great rides booked before I get there and can plan things around those times takes a little worry out of it

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

I'm really happy about RnR and ToT not tier 1 anymore but MFSR having a FP+ is a double edge sword. Even during Christmas week the line was never really terrible. We rode it at least 6 times during our visit and never waited more than an hour. Now with FP+ standby will be ridiculous! But, having to choose between a FP+ for SDD or MFSR, SDD wins every time. At least if we SB for MFSR we won't be in the sun the whole time.

 

[jvalic33]

Great news; had already made FP+ selections for our 3/2 - 3/9 trip with 2 DHS days.

original: day 1 FP: TOT, Mermaid, Star Tours original day 2 FP: TSM, Star Tours, Indiana Jones.

NOW: day 1 FP: TOT, MFSR, Star Tours. Day 2 FP: SDD (so happy to grab this one!), TSM, Star Tours.

Can anyone confirm: are Little Mermaid and Indiana Jones shows easy/ convenient to see without FP? Dropped these two but still really want to see them.

Regarding Indiana Jones, I don't know why because over the years we were always able to walk in to Indy, but last October when we went, it was packed and we barely got a seat. I definitely don't think you need a FP, but don't get there last minute either because we were kinda stuck in the back and I had been used to being able to walk in and get up close in the many prior years.

 

[StephyDee]

So have we speculated yet whether there's any chance of MMRR opening up earlier than planned, like say hypothetically, the 19th? Because otherwise, well, what's with the 19th? It's kind of a random line of demarcation. (Mostly I'm bummed we're missing MMRR by a mere 11 days so this is a little fantasizing on my part.)

Shoot, don’t tease my poor lil heart like that. I go back home from my birthday trip on March 2nd, with my last HS day being Feb 29th. It’s all I can do to not stand in front of the Chinese Theatre with my birthday hat and button and borderline pout. ........

 

[GoingSince1990]

So have we speculated yet whether there's any chance of MMRR opening up earlier than planned, like say hypothetically, the 19th? Because otherwise, well, what's with the 19th? It's kind of a random line of demarcation. (Mostly I'm bummed we're missing MMRR by a mere 11 days so this is a little fantasizing on my part.)

Splash Mountain's official opening date in the Magic Kingdom was October 2, 1992, but I was lucky enough to be able to ride it during its soft opening in July 1992. No social media alerts back then, we just saw that a line was forming, which we were not expecting at all, and decided to join it. Different times.

 

[cdurham1]

Just to play a bit of devil's advocate, I wonder though if part of why the standby line for Smuggler's Run is because there is no Fastpass. FP users slow down the standby line enormously so now that FP is available we may see the wait times get much longer for MFSR, making it more or at least equally covetable.

I guess in short, it's exactly what you said - have to wait and see!

I still think it is going to greatly benefit everyone on this forum, which is still only a very small percentage of total Disney guests. The more FP possibilities and options, the more Disney fanatics will benefit bc we will find the most optimal way to book and use them.

 

[apxstitch]

I'm bummed the tier changes won't be in place for my visit on Feb 5th I'm planning a later afternoon hop over to HS and will standby line for Smuggler's Run.