Let's Rediscover the Magic! - New TR 7/26

Fastpasses


So the day has come and gone. That magical day where you plan your day to day details for a trip that is 2 months out. We booked our Fastpasses! Just to give you a scope of where we are now, here’s how we’d had our original itinerary framed:


Sunday: Magic Kingdom, ADR-Lunch at Chef Mickey

Monday: Hollywood Studios, ADR-Breakfast at Hollywood & Vine - Fantasmic Package

Tuesday: EPCOT, ADR-Lunch at Garden Grill

Wednesday: Animal Kingdom, No ADR

Thursday: Magic Kingdom, ADR-Lunch at Cinderella Royal Table

Friday: Either EPCOT or DHS, maybe a sleep in day, no ADR

Saturday: Possibly EPCOT or DHS in the morning, then MK, ADR-Lunch at Crystal Palace



With the addition of Mermaid school being on Wednesday, that meant we’d miss ropedrop at AK. I’ll let you in on a secret. If you are new to our trips or don't remember, our family would rank AK as our 4th favorite park, even with DHS torn up. DW doesn’t even want to spend a whole day there and once asked me why everything was so far away as we were walking from EE to the exit. So getting there early, doing our favorite rides and getting out while it is only stupid hot and not quite yet ridiculously frickin scorching hot is kind of our priority.


I know there’s a lot of great detail and theming in that park. It is a beautiful park. Not taking away from any of that… I enjoy it, but it just doesn’t do much for us. I’ve made the comment before that it just doesn’t feel as “Disney” to me as the other parks. I think part of that is that I spent childhood years in the other 3 and was an adult (ok, kind of, I was in HS) when I first saw AK just a few months after it opened. It’s just never captivated me and gave me that feeling that I get from the other parks. But it has EE so I'll keep coming back.


But I digress, moving on…



With the change in the schedule, we decided it best to move AK to another day.


I also started to have a bit of concern about getting Slinky Dog FP on the second day of our stay, which was part of our original plan.


And upon further research, I realized that there was an early morning paid event in Toy Story Land on the day we intended to Ropedrop Toy Story Land.

Ruh Roh...



If I wanted to change it, I’d have to give up an 8:05 am breakfast ADR at H&V for the Fantasmic package... I know, easy choice, right? But DW loves Fantasmic and LG loves Disney Jr. This breakfast really is something that we enjoy doing, at least for this now. Next time, when LG is older I'm sure it falls off the list.


Thankfully, nobody except for our crazy family wants to go to H&V, and despite the fact that they opened free dining for that week, I had no problem finding another breakfast ADR for H&V on Friday morning at 8:05 and since Friday was going to be kind of a flexible day anyway… perfect!


But I didn’t stop with one simple change. No.


I thought about the FP issue… I know Flight of Passage is a few years old, but would I be able to get the FP I wanted there on our second day?



I didn’t know.


So I thought about bumping EPCOT up in the rotation and making Tuesday our AK day. Once again, I was easily able to move our ADR for Garden Grill to the new day and time we wanted.


Man… this is too easy.

There must not be anyone going that week.

FP’s will be a breeze… :rolleyes1



So with that, our new schedule is set as follows:

Sun – MK, Lunch at Chef Mickey – FP goals: late morning Space, afternoon Splash & BTMRR

Mon – EPCOT, Lunch at Garden Grill – FP goals: Mission Space after a TT ride at Rope Drop, followed by Frozen Ever After then something else to move us across the park at lunch time.

Tue – AK – No ADR plans – FP goals: Morning FoP, Safari, Everest. No FPs after 2 pm

Wed – Mermaid School – FP goals: Test Track around noon, 2 filler FP’s in EPCOT. Probably a lazy morning, go to EPCOT for lunch, explore WS and maybe park hop.

Thurs – MK, lunch at Cinderella Royal Table – FP goals: 7DMT, Pirates, JC

Fri – DHS, breakfast at H&V – FP goals: Slinky Dog in morning so we can do TSL at RD, RnRC, ToT

Sat – MK, lunch at Crystal Palace – FP goals: 7DMT, Splash, BTMRR


So how did we do?


Well, not bad.


But we had to settle on later times than we wanted for a few things. For reference, we had no problem getting FoP FP during the first hour the park was open when we went in 2017, less than 2 months after it opened. This time… not so much. And I’m kind of surprised by that, given that the Touringplans crowd numbers reflect lower crowds for this year.


We did well across the board though, aside from FoP and Slinky Dog. The earliest we could get FoP was 4:15 PM. DW is already complaining about it because she doesn’t want to be in AK in the afternoon. I told her we could leave in the middle of the day and go swimming and then come back, but she basically said when we leave she won’t want to go back. Not sure how that day will play out. We were going to shoot for Navi River Journey at RD and then move on to other things, but maybe we’ll try to RD FoP and then wait on Navi River Journey… Anyone have any recent experience with FoP at RD? Are the lines still super crazy?


Slinky Dog was another one we wanted for the morning so that we could RD Midway Mania and pretty much just spend our morning in TSL and get it all done. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out either. We did get Slinky Dog, but it was for 1:45. Not ideal, but I think we can make it work. We’re wanting to get DS signed up for JTA when we get to the park for breakfast, so the timing of that show is the only real curveball that could happen, but I think we can make everything else work nicely.


So here’s the rundown of what we have:


Sun 11:30 Space Mt, 12:50 lunch at Chef Mickey, 4:30 Splash, 5:30 BTMRR

Mon 9:20 Mission Space, 10:20 Frozen Ever After, 11:30 Space Ship Earth, 12:30 lunch at Garden Grill

Tue 10:30 Kilamanjaro Safari, 11:45 Everest, 4:15 Flight of Passage

Wed 12:00 Test Track, 2:00 Seas with Nemo, 3:00 Imagination

Thurs 9:30 7DMT, 10:45 Pirates, 11:45 Jungle Cruise, 1:00 lunch at Cinderella Royal Table

Fri 8:05 breakfast at Hollywood & Vine, 12:00 RnRC, 1:45 Slinky Dog, 3:30 ToT

Sat 9:00 7DMT, 10:30 BTMRR, 11:30 Splash, 12:45 lunch at Crystal Palace


All in all, we’re pretty happy with it. Our basic touring strategy is to avoid parks with morning EMH. We are big on taking full advantage of Ropedrop, but that extra hour of sleep makes a big difference. I think that should work out fine for us getting through Fantasyland at MK during that first hour on a couple of different days. In AK we’ll shoot for Pandora, in DHS Toy Story Land and in EPCOT we’ll RD Test Track. And we always have Wednesday afternoon, Thursday afternoon and potentially a Saturday morning Ropedrop to go back and catch something that we couldn’t get to earlier in the week.


I also played around and added another ADR to our list after we got our FP selections done. It was one that we considered getting when we were going to be paying out of pocket, but then with Free Dining, we chose to just load up on character meals. I thought about it and thought it was worth going ahead and adding it on the off chance that there was still availability. Surprisingly, there was plenty. I’m honestly confused by this… there’s free dining and I can find pretty much any ADR I want, any time I want it, but FP’s are harder to get. Anyway, I’ll share what we added later, but if you know me, you probably already have a good idea what it was.


So that’s where things stand at the moment.


Next up: Will Disney ever fix their MDE technology so that you can pick a MagicBand without getting error messages? :badpc:
 
Your plans look good! I'm glad you are happy with it and got the FPs you wanted, even if some aren't for the exact times you wanted.
 
I'm really worried about FOP and Slinky Dog for when we go too. Those are top priority for us. You did really well. I really like all the thrill rides in MK. I'm sure your older 2 will too. I can't wait to see how it all pans out.
 


I am cracking up at all the changes - you can try to get around being a super planner at WDW, but it's so hard when you have the depth of knowledge all of us crazies do. Also, Mermaid School sounds really cool - can't wait to hear about it.

Anyone have any recent experience with FoP at RD? Are the lines still super crazy?

I was there a late Spring Break week in April, and they were still letting people toward Pandora before official opening. I think so long as you had a good strategy to weasel your way to the front of the crowds and you were a swift walker, you could probably get it with a less than 30 minute wait.

Our basic touring strategy is to avoid parks with morning EMH. We are big on taking full advantage of Ropedrop, but that extra hour of sleep makes a big difference.

Sleep is the only way to make it through a Disney trip without killing your travel companions.

Will Disney ever fix their MDE technology so that you can pick a MagicBand without getting error messages?

Nope! I bet they are trying to get you to pay for the fancy upgrade. ;)
 
I think that's the part of Disney planning that frustrates me the most- I'm fully willing to pick what I want to eat 180 days in advance then I have to change it to accommodate fastpasses and park hour changes and special events!

Glad you were able to get it all worked out and pick up the ADRs you needed! I was very surprised with how hard Slinky was to get! I went in August last year two months after TSL opened and it was easier then!
 
So getting there early, doing our favorite rides and getting out while it is only stupid hot and not quite yet ridiculously frickin scorching hot is kind of our priority.

So you're saying... not a fan?

I know there’s a lot of great detail and theming in that park. It is a beautiful park. Not taking away from any of that… I enjoy it, but it just doesn’t do much for us. I’ve made the comment before that it just doesn’t feel as “Disney” to me as the other parks. I think part of that is that I spent childhood years in the other 3 and was an adult (ok, kind of, I was in HS) when I first saw AK just a few months after it opened. It’s just never captivated me and gave me that feeling that I get from the other parks. But it has EE so I'll keep coming back.

Hmmm... even with Pandora and FoP?

I also started to have a bit of concern about getting Slinky Dog FP on the second day of our stay, which was part of our original plan.

Yeah... that'll be tough. You actually did better than I thought.

And upon further research, I realized that there was an early morning paid event in Toy Story Land on the day we intended to Ropedrop Toy Story Land.

Ruh Roh...

whoops!

I thought about the FP issue… I know Flight of Passage is a few years old, but would I be able to get the FP I wanted there on our second day?


I didn’t know.

Now you do.

We did well across the board though, aside from FoP and Slinky Dog.

Not too shabby!

Anyone have any recent experience with FoP at RD? Are the lines still super crazy?

They seem to be opening the park well before advertised opening. I've gotten there 30 minutes before park open only to find that there were already a lot of people inside and a 2 hour wait for FoP.
 


I am so excited for you, it sounds like crowds are going to be so low this summer. Hopefully that will make things more enjoyable. As far as fastpasses, its all thanks to club level being able to book 90 days out, as well as the sheer amount of added people to the 60 days FP booking. Getting fastpasses used to be no big deal with my clients, now it my biggest source of frustration. Thankfully, you did get everything you wanted, even if times weren't ideal. You plan sounds really good, I am intrigued by your added ADR.
 
It’s just never captivated me and gave me that feeling that I get from the other parks. But it has EE so I'll keep coming back.

All right, because you've just returned and I don't want to scare you away again, I'll put my indignation aside and accept that everyone has different parks they love.
:sad2:



I’m honestly confused by this… there’s free dining and I can find pretty much any ADR I want, any time I want it, but FP’s are harder to get. Anyway, I’ll share what we added later, but if you know me, you probably already have a good idea what it was.

I am finding similar results for my trip in June. My only assumption is that people aren't eating at the restaurants as much, anymore. Even with free dining. Or they have opened more spots than in previous years and turn over the tables faster. :confused3


Moving your SDD and FOP goals to later in the trip was probably the smartest move. Especially after seeing that you weren't able to get as early of times as you were hoping for. I've heard RDing FOP still requires you showing up an hour and a half before park opening, but if that gets your DW to do it at least it's not in the middle of the afternoon when the humidity has built.
 
Ah, the joys of planning for a Disney vacation! You plan, you plan, you plan... and then you have to completely change all your plans! :rotfl2:

I'm glad you were able to get all the Fastpasses you needed, even if some of the times weren't ideal. I didn't realize they'd changed some of the availability (the 90 day window noted above for Club Level - crazy!), but I'm sure that would affect the ability to get Fastpasses at particular times. I think you did a great job and you could always try to adapt them to other times leading up to and during your trip.

It is nice, though, that you were able to switch out your dining reservations without any problems! I think you'll have so much fun with your free dining!

I've never had any issues ordering Magic Bands, but I haven't been there for a few years so perhaps it's become more cumbersome with the ability to upgrade bands. I hope it figures itself out before you toss your computer out the window! :laughing:
 
I just did the morning rope drop on Monday for FoP- it was worse than when I did it last May and June. They routed us all the way into Africa. The line did move quickly, once the ride opened, but still a good hour from the time we got to the end of the line sign to the dump shop.
 
Your plans look good! I'm glad you are happy with it and got the FPs you wanted, even if some aren't for the exact times you wanted.
Well, at least we know we'll get a chance to ride them, even if we have to modify our touring strategy somewhat.

I'm really worried about FOP and Slinky Dog for when we go too. Those are top priority for us. You did really well. I really like all the thrill rides in MK. I'm sure your older 2 will too. I can't wait to see how it all pans out.
It really feels like it is harder to get FP now than it has been in the past. I'm not really crazy about it. It feels to me that between the parking fees at resorts and expanding the availability of FP 60 days out to so many other resorts that they're really taking away some of the benefits of staying on site. We have already started talking about staying off site in a vacation home or something next time, just because some of the perks of staying onsite just seem to keep going away.

I am cracking up at all the changes - you can try to get around being a super planner at WDW, but it's so hard when you have the depth of knowledge all of us crazies do. Also, Mermaid School sounds really cool - can't wait to hear about it.
They just keep throwing wrenches in our plans. Whether you're an experienced planner or not, you almost don't have a choice.

I was there a late Spring Break week in April, and they were still letting people toward Pandora before official opening. I think so long as you had a good strategy to weasel your way to the front of the crowds and you were a swift walker, you could probably get it with a less than 30 minute wait.
Yeah... So with 3 kids and a stroller, probably not going to happen. :sad2:

Sleep is the only way to make it through a Disney trip without killing your travel companions.
It's hard to slow it down sometimes, but you're absolutely right.

Nope! I bet they are trying to get you to pay for the fancy upgrade. ;)
Actually, we tried to get the fancy upgrade and it was like a grenade went off in MDE. :badpc:

I think that's the part of Disney planning that frustrates me the most- I'm fully willing to pick what I want to eat 180 days in advance then I have to change it to accommodate fastpasses and park hour changes and special events!
This has been one of my rants about Disney World for years!!! I can deal with the 180 day ADR, but give me all the information I need up front. This is why we haven't eaten at Crystal Palace in over 10 years. We've booked pre park opening ADRs there several times and then the next thing we know, Disney changes park hours or adds an EMH or something. We just aren't willing to get up early for a breakfast and then spend that time in a restaurant during the lightest crowd hour of the park day. By the time that happens we can't reschedule for another day and end up canceling. This is why we're just going for a lunch there this time. There's just something that always changes that screws those early plans up.

Glad you were able to get it all worked out and pick up the ADRs you needed! I was very surprised with how hard Slinky was to get! I went in August last year two months after TSL opened and it was easier then!
It's really disappointing to keep hearing that from everyone. It sounds like there are just too many eligible people at 60 days now and it just kills the availability.

So you're saying... not a fan?
Ok, I'm a fan. Would I rather be there than at work? Abso-freakin-lutely. But would I rather be there than one of the other parks? Not really.

Hmmm... even with Pandora and FoP?
Look, I like Pandora. It's well themed, it's beautiful. Just like the rest of the park. But that doesn't make it something I want to spend hours enjoying in the heat. Avatar just isn't an IP that I can go all in on. I saw the movie and felt like it was visually impressive (much like the land) but that was about all it did for me. I'm sure Galaxy's Edge will probably captivate me a little more since that's an IP that I fully understand and want to explore. As for FoP, it's a great ride, but it isn't my favorite. I've never been a fan of screen based simulator rides in the same way that I appreciate real motion. I love speed and motion of rollercoasters. EE is still my favorite ride in AK. Will I still make it a point to ride FoP? Of course, but for perspective, I've always been of the mindset that Soarin is a little overrated too. I ride it, but once and I'm good. TT, I'd ride multiple times if I could. I'll be interested to see how the Millennium Falcon stands up to this for me. I'm excited for the ride, and again, maybe being an IP that I really understand and enjoy I'll get more out of it than FoP does for me. Kind of a rambling response, but I hope it makes sense.

Yeah... that'll be tough. You actually did better than I thought.
Not too shabby.

They seem to be opening the park well before advertised opening. I've gotten there 30 minutes before park open only to find that there were already a lot of people inside and a 2 hour wait for FoP.
That sucks. I mean I knew they did those early openings, but I was hoping we could get there early like that and not have to wait 2 freakin hours.

Sounds like a good plan!

And the magic band situation is out of control right now. Hopefully it will calm down soon.
The MagicBand thing is a cluster. They really screwed that release up.

I am so excited for you, it sounds like crowds are going to be so low this summer. Hopefully that will make things more enjoyable. As far as fastpasses, its all thanks to club level being able to book 90 days out, as well as the sheer amount of added people to the 60 days FP booking. Getting fastpasses used to be no big deal with my clients, now it my biggest source of frustration. Thankfully, you did get everything you wanted, even if times weren't ideal. You plan sounds really good, I am intrigued by your added ADR.
Yeah, I'm glad we at least got the key rides we wanted. Even if we have to modify our strategy somewhat. I didn't realize club level was 90 days, although I knew they had added several Disney Springs hotels to the 60 day list. We've actually kicked around the idea of staying in a vacation home offsite in the future with the added parking fees and less availability of FP. When you don't want to get up for EMH anyway, the perks for staying onsite (unless you're going club level) just seem to be getting less and less.

All right, because you've just returned and I don't want to scare you away again, I'll put my indignation aside and accept that everyone has different parks they love.
:sad2:
:rotfl2:True statement. Look, if I could be at AK today instead of at work, I'd jump at it! It's not that I hate AK, but when compared to some of the other places I could be and things I could be doing at Disney World... we just have other preferences.

I am finding similar results for my trip in June. My only assumption is that people aren't eating at the restaurants as much, anymore. Even with free dining. Or they have opened more spots than in previous years and turn over the tables faster. :confused3
In any case, that is kind of a blessing. If we have to book an ADR 180 days out, I'm glad that there's at least an opportunity to maybe move them later if plans need to change.

Moving your SDD and FOP goals to later in the trip was probably the smartest move. Especially after seeing that you weren't able to get as early of times as you were hoping for. I've heard RDing FOP still requires you showing up an hour and a half before park opening, but if that gets your DW to do it at least it's not in the middle of the afternoon when the humidity has built.
Disappointing that it still takes such an early commitment for FoP. I was hoping that might die down a bit at some point.

Ah, the joys of planning for a Disney vacation! You plan, you plan, you plan... and then you have to completely change all your plans! :rotfl2:
Death, taxes and changing Disney plans...

I'm glad you were able to get all the Fastpasses you needed, even if some of the times weren't ideal. I didn't realize they'd changed some of the availability (the 90 day window noted above for Club Level - crazy!), but I'm sure that would affect the ability to get Fastpasses at particular times. I think you did a great job and you could always try to adapt them to other times leading up to and during your trip.
Yeah, I'm taking the positive from it that we at least got them even if not ideal. I really think the Club at 90, Disney Springs Hotels at 60 and the added parking fee at resorts make it a little more appealing to consider staying offsite.

It is nice, though, that you were able to switch out your dining reservations without any problems! I think you'll have so much fun with your free dining!
Yeah, we definitely wouldn't have done this many character meals if not for the free dining offer. But it makes it nice to get to enjoy a meal in the AC and meet some characters without the lines.

I've never had any issues ordering Magic Bands, but I haven't been there for a few years so perhaps it's become more cumbersome with the ability to upgrade bands. I hope it figures itself out before you toss your computer out the window! :laughing:
Cumbersome would be one word, although I was thinking something along the lines of sh--show. You chose the classier term.

I just did the morning rope drop on Monday for FoP- it was worse than when I did it last May and June. They routed us all the way into Africa. The line did move quickly, once the ride opened, but still a good hour from the time we got to the end of the line sign to the dump shop.
Dang... I was hoping it would be a little bit better than that. I mean I knew not to expect walk on, but that stinks.
 
Ok, I'm a fan. Would I rather be there than at work? Abso-freakin-lutely. But would I rather be there than one of the other parks? Not really.
:laughing: Valid point.
Look, I like Pandora. It's well themed, it's beautiful. Just like the rest of the park. But that doesn't make it something I want to spend hours enjoying in the heat. Avatar just isn't an IP that I can go all in on. I saw the movie and felt like it was visually impressive (much like the land) but that was about all it did for me. I'm sure Galaxy's Edge will probably captivate me a little more since that's an IP that I fully understand and want to explore. As for FoP, it's a great ride, but it isn't my favorite. I've never been a fan of screen based simulator rides in the same way that I appreciate real motion. I love speed and motion of rollercoasters. EE is still my favorite ride in AK. Will I still make it a point to ride FoP? Of course, but for perspective, I've always been of the mindset that Soarin is a little overrated too. I ride it, but once and I'm good. TT, I'd ride multiple times if I could. I'll be interested to see how the Millennium Falcon stands up to this for me. I'm excited for the ride, and again, maybe being an IP that I really understand and enjoy I'll get more out of it than FoP does for me. Kind of a rambling response, but I hope it makes sense.
I'm with you on the motion simulators. I want a real ride. Motion simulators always seem like a bit of a cop out. However, having said that... FoP is so well done that I rank it above most other rides.
So... YMMV, I guess.
That sucks. I mean I knew they did those early openings, but I was hoping we could get there early like that and not have to wait 2 freakin hours.

This is how it works. If you get there 15-30 minutes before rope drop, the park will open approximately 2 hours early and you'll be too late. If, on the other hand, you arrive 2 hours early... the park will open exactly on time. The good news... you'll be first in line.
 
Of course the plans changed before FP+ day ... do they ever not? Great job with the FP+! I also had trouble finding the FoP I wanted on my last trip ... ended up with one after I was planning to leave the park (spoiler alert: I still haven't been on FoP).

And I’m kind of surprised by that, given that the Touringplans crowd numbers reflect lower crowds for this year.

So ... I'm not 100% sure on this, but I think I remember reading recently that Touringplans changed their crowd prediction algorithms. So the same crowd level may mean more people than it did a few years ago.
I might be mixing them up with a different site, though.
 
We have already started talking about staying off site in a vacation home or something next time, just because some of the perks of staying onsite just seem to keep going away.
Interesting you mentioned that Andy
I’m thinking of the same for the next trip...
 
Slowly catching up around here from I'm not sure what. I guess I had a busy Disney week last week and when you mix that in with every day life sort if stuff, I guess the DIS gets tossed aside. And then everyone threw in updates on days in the 20s, not to mention all the ladies coming back from the Epic girls trip starting TRs! :faint:


Sounds like with the exception of the late FoP, you did really good.

I can give you some insight on TSL rope drop. You will really need to be up there for the rope. I know you're not going for SDD which you'll hear about in my next update, but even TSM had a 55 minute wait. I'll try and add that into my next update which is coming soon (as soon as I catch up on replies.

I'll be interested to see how the Millennium Falcon stands up to this for me. I'm excited for the ride, and again, maybe being an IP that I really understand and enjoy I'll get more out of it than FoP does for me. Kind of a rambling response, but I hope it makes sense.

I can give you insight on this having been on it twice Saturday night. Think of a combination of Star Tours and Mission Space. It has the intimacy of MS (only six passengers) but the idea of Star Tours where you are hurtling through space. Also you operate controls (Pilot, Gunner, Engineer). Whether these controls actually do anything is in question. I saw a review where the guy and his party on their second ride, crossed their arms and said they had an identical experience to when they actively manned the buttons/controls.

Personally I liked it, but found that being pilot was way too much pressure and I came off the ride feeling drained. I much preferred being the gunner but the view wasn't as good as the pilot. I ran I to a whole bunch of stuff trying to keep the ship off the ground.
 
FP choices look great! It can definitely be frustrating trying to getting the best times, but it's nice you were able to get Slinky and FOP.
 
I'm with you on the motion simulators. I want a real ride. Motion simulators always seem like a bit of a cop out. However, having said that... FoP is so well done that I rank it above most other rides.
So... YMMV, I guess.
I truly think if FOP was based on an IP that I was invested in, I'd probably think more highly of it than I do. It really is a well done ride, but it isn't something I'm passionate about and while I'll still say it is one of the best rides at Disney, I'm not going to go so far as to give it the title of "best" nor would I wait 2 hours to ride it.
This is how it works. If you get there 15-30 minutes before rope drop, the park will open approximately 2 hours early and you'll be too late. If, on the other hand, you arrive 2 hours early... the park will open exactly on time. The good news... you'll be first in line.
Sounds about right. And with kids... no way we're getting there 2 hours before the park opens.
Of course the plans changed before FP+ day ... do they ever not? Great job with the FP+! I also had trouble finding the FoP I wanted on my last trip ... ended up with one after I was planning to leave the park (spoiler alert: I still haven't been on FoP).
Well, at least plans changed before FP+ day and not after. That would have made it even tougher. FP+ is nice when you can actually get something that works. Sometimes though, having to schedule so much of the trip in advance makes it hard to fit all the pieces into the puzzle.
So ... I'm not 100% sure on this, but I think I remember reading recently that Touringplans changed their crowd prediction algorithms. So the same crowd level may mean more people than it did a few years ago.
I might be mixing them up with a different site, though.
Hmm... I haven't heard/seen, but that could very well be. They're calling a few days we're going to be there 3's now. 3. In mid-July. No freaking way.
Interesting you mentioned that Andy
I’m thinking of the same for the next trip...
They just keep taking away some of the extras that made it feasible. If I'm not getting anything significant as an extra, why pay more when I could have as nice of a place for much less, right? I don't know, there's still something about being in that "Disney bubble" but a few years ago I'd never consider it and it is something that I think we'll certainly look into in the future.
I can give you some insight on TSL rope drop. You will really need to be up there for the rope. I know you're not going for SDD which you'll hear about in my next update, but even TSM had a 55 minute wait. I'll try and add that into my next update which is coming soon (as soon as I catch up on replies.
I read that update. And it is depressing. Yikes!
I can give you insight on this having been on it twice Saturday night. Think of a combination of Star Tours and Mission Space. It has the intimacy of MS (only six passengers) but the idea of Star Tours where you are hurtling through space. Also you operate controls (Pilot, Gunner, Engineer). Whether these controls actually do anything is in question. I saw a review where the guy and his party on their second ride, crossed their arms and said they had an identical experience to when they actively manned the buttons/controls.

Personally I liked it, but found that being pilot was way too much pressure and I came off the ride feeling drained. I much preferred being the gunner but the view wasn't as good as the pilot. I ran I to a whole bunch of stuff trying to keep the ship off the ground.
:worship: I'm so jealous.

It will be interesting to see how the whole experience plays out. I know I've heard reports from you're in full control, to you're in control, but only to a certain point that total failure isn't an option. I think there's got to be some type of fail safe to make it somewhat "idiot proof" but I'll be interested to see how much, if any, we can influence it as time passes and we see more.
FP choices look great! It can definitely be frustrating trying to getting the best times, but it's nice you were able to get Slinky and FOP.
Yeah, it was definitely great that we could get something for them. Even if not the most ideal times.
 
I truly think if FOP was based on an IP that I was invested in, I'd probably think more highly of it than I do. It really is a well done ride, but it isn't something I'm passionate about and while I'll still say it is one of the best rides at Disney, I'm not going to go so far as to give it the title of "best" nor would I wait 2 hours to ride it.
Sounds about right. It's pretty immersive and it's visually stunning.
But "best" ride?

I don't think so.

And with kids... no way we're getting there 2 hours before the park opens.
Correct
 

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