Flights of Passage without a fastpass - first thing in AM or last thing in PM?

[Babe the Blue Ox]

What is the latest time you can get in line for FOP when the park closes at 8pm? We have Navi River Journey FP's at 7. Wondering if we will have time jump in line for FOP after NRJ.

7:59.59 but don’t be late. They’ll close the gate promptly at 8 sharp.

You’ll have plenty of time to make it to FoP. Keep in mind that you have a 5 minute grace period for your FP so you can check in at 6:55 if you want to,

 

[B-Ride]

We are a rope drop crowd so I would say first thing in the morning. We have never found the parks to be less crowded at night.

 

[Kerriowl]

I found the end of the night easier for FoP, BUT if it is a must ride I would do rope drop. That way you aren't stressing all day about getting over to it at the end of the evening.

 

[gharter]

We have done both.
As others have said, if you plan RD, be at the tapstiles 60 minutes before park opening. If you aren't, plan to ride something else, they will be walk on as most of the crowd is headed to FoP.
End of night is really nice. You see Pandora lit up at night, totally different experience.
In general, don't believe the wait time posted at the end of the night, its usually inflated two fold at least.
We've rarely waited 30 minutes, usually 15 or less.

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

We are a rope drop crowd so I would say first thing in the morning. We have never found the parks to be less crowded at night.

Wait times are intentionally inflated at night to discourage late riders. The posted times can often be 4x the actual wait.

It’s definitely not as crowded as they want you to think it is.

 

[Sarahslay]

I've done both and the end of the evening was easiest and took up less time out of my day, I just went to AK in the afternoon and made FOP my last ride. I was on and off in less time than I waited for the park to open on the day I RD it. I was on with no wait at RD, I was in the first room loaded, but I did have to wait for the park to open so really at the end of it all I still had an hour wait for the ride as opposed to my *maybe* half an hour wait at park close. The line moved at a speed that allowed me to actually see the theme but didn't stop for long at any one point. I do usually get a FP, but I will definitely always choose to go at park close if I don't from now on.

 

[Mome Rath]

I suppose the other reasons I like RD are; 1) I'm a morning person 2) I like getting on and off both Pandora rides in minimal time back to back (off FoP right around actual park open, and then straight on to NRJ) and 3) I do EMH at AK, and hit Pandora than can go hop to EPCOT for regular open and go about my day, and have a FP for another FoP ride later in my trip. It really is a subjective preference, as either method will work, and it's good everyone is a mix of morning or night.

 

[citygirl27712]

What is the latest time you can get in line for FOP when the park closes at 8pm? We have Navi River Journey FP's at 7. Wondering if we will have time jump in line for FOP after NRJ.

As long as you're inline by the time the park closes they will let you ride

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

Last year during Spring Break we jumped into the FOP line about 5 minutes before close. I think the posted wait time was about an hour and a half and I’m pretty sure we were off the ride within 30 minutes. Plus you get to see Pandora all lit up at night.

 

[marielynn724]

What day are you going?

I'll be at WDW Dec 4th-10th, doing AK on Thursday Dec 5th.

 

[marielynn724]

Thank you for the tip! I hadn't considered that - the time getting all the way from a cabin to the outpost will certainly make a difference and probably worth the extra few dollars for the Minnie Van vs Lyft.

 

[kylenne]

Best RD experience I ever had period was in August when AK was having regular 8 am openings, and a 7am EMH. I got to the park at 6:45 and was at the front of the tapstiles without having to pull New Yorker Shenanigans. I walked right onto the ride and then rode River Journey a couple times in standby before moving on.

I would never RD FOP at a 9am opening. That's when all the craziness happens. Typically I aim for AM EMH. The thing is, I don't mind it because I guess I've got crazy luck and have never had issues getting FOP FPs, even on a 4 day trip where my last day was a holiday. If I'm rope dropping FOP it's because I want to ride it multiple times and I know I'm not getting more than one AK day. So I suppose it's less stressful. Next trip it will be a moot point because we're going to AH.

 

[marielynn724]

Just checked park hours for that day and it looks like I lucked out - park opens at 8am with EMH at 7am! Only problem will be waking up early enough May try it at the end of the night, too, just because I've never tried that strategy before. Thanks for all the great advice, everyone!

 

[rpb718]

I'll advocate the rope-drop strategy only because if this is your only AK day you might want to also do late-night (or at least try for day-of FP+) to go on it again.

 

[Lashed34]

I just don't get the whole arriving 2 hours early and waiting for RD vs arriving anytime and waiting in line for 2 hours - or am I missing something here?

Or are all the other lines also looooong wait too?

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

I just don't get the whole arriving 2 hours early and waiting for RD vs arriving anytime and waiting in line for 2 hours - or am I missing something here?

Or are all the other lines also looooong wait too?

You are wasting ‘free’ time waiting, rather than paid for park time.

 

[KenHutch]

On our last trip we had a fast pass so we passed up that mob. Most of the other rides were walk on because most people head to Pandora. Now in our case the younger girl wanted to do FoP a 2nd time so after dinner at Boma we went and found that they can lie on times. We found that wait times pn the app and at the ride over 90 minutes. The actual wait time was under 45 minutes.

 

[Mome Rath]

I just don't get the whole arriving 2 hours early and waiting for RD vs arriving anytime and waiting in line for 2 hours - or am I missing something here?

Or are all the other lines also looooong wait too?

I arrive, on average, 50 minutes before an EMH day at AK (I don't mind waiting a bit for FoP). You get back into the park and on FoP usually before the park even opens (so that actually saves you time going through security and through the tapstiles and actually physically getting into the park proper), then off that ride and on to NRJ which you get on and off without a line. The rest is gravy; meaning you have choices and most rides outside of Pandora are still close to being walk-on's. I'm a hopper, so I hit Pandora during EMH and hop over to EPCOT right after and get there a little past regular park open.

I don't go on really crowded holidays, that changes the dynamic. But, for me, it definitely saves park time, lets me ride FoP multiple times if I want to, and I'm a morning person.

ETA; So, that's what might be missing in some individual's timeline; if EMH is at 7, you get there around 6 and are on and off FoP just a little after 7. So you are through security, through tapstiles, through the entryway of the park, have ridden the most popular ride and off of it in time for the EMH opening time. It does vary when you actually get done with FoP because sometimes they have issues with guests loading, AND, I will add, every now and again FoP is totally down because of technical difficulties... then, in my experience, everyone heads to Safari. lol

 

[marielynn724]

I got to the park at 6:45 and was at the front of the tapstiles without having to pull New Yorker Shenanigans.

LOL! My family always jokes about pulling out our "New Jersey walk" in the parks when they're crowded You can always tell who is from the Tri-State area.

 

[Moliphino]

You are wasting ‘free’ time waiting, rather than paid for park time.

To me, it's wasting sleep time, which is pretty important.
We tried FOP at the end of the night last trip. Got in line after ROL around 8:30 (9pm close). Posted time was 70 minutes, it took about 40. I had never been in the main queue before, so it was nice to see that without having a horrendous wait.