FOP & NRJ FP Availability Doubled As of 9/22 - How Long Will FP Lines Be?

[anomamatt]

How do know the availability doubled? They are probably tweaking how many FP are released but I don't believe these extra FP times accounted for a ton of new availability. Just some.

Because @ScrapYap is trustworthy and has provided many heads-up in the past.

Not a ton and just some? I was able to book 10 FPs for FoP @ 30 days out yesterday... And there were more available after I snagged those at the same time slot. That is a LOT of new FPs.

 

[mom22boys]

Thank you for the explanation! I just checked FP+ availability on touringplans and was wondering what was going on. I have my fingers crossed that this FP+ increase will help with our trip at the beginning of January!

 

[anomamatt]

We entered the FoP FP line at 4:23 today with a scheduled return window of 4:30 - 5:30.

CMs were loading 4 lines and it took us 26 minutes to get from the FP touchpoint to the first video room. This was almost 3 times longer than our FoP FP experience on Wednesday when only 2 theaters were being loaded.

Ugh. 26 minutes is a long time. In late august was 10-15 max between entering queue and getting to first video room.

 

[AngiTN]

We entered the FoP FP line at 4:23 today with a scheduled return window of 4:30 - 5:30.

CMs were loading 4 lines and it took us 26 minutes to get from the FP touchpoint to the first video room. This was almost 3 times longer than our FoP FP experience on Wednesday when only 2 theaters were being loaded.

But how long from the merge point to the video room? Additional FP riders would only impact the wait from the touch point to the merge point, right? From the merge point to the video room that is just random. Maybe this time there was some sort of glitch that caused a brief delay that you didn't have last time? I know when we rode in Aug one of our rides was closer to 45 min total ride time but none of the others were even close to being that long. But it was due to a glitch in the ride and had nothing to do with additional FP returnees

 

[yuKime]

Everyone is getting so much luck with FOP. I tried the same day this thread got started and nothing for my date... I did score Rivers of Light and Navi River but FOP... I have no choice but to rope drop. Hope it is not crazy busy on my day.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Additional FP riders would only impact the wait from the touch point to the merge point, right?

And our FP line stopped well before the merge point.

On Wednesday, we walked directly from the touchpoint to the Merge point without stopping until waiting to be assigned to Row 4.

Saturday, the FP line was backed up well before the Merge point - we were stopped at the point where we could see the Standby guests slowly moving past specimens in what looked like aquariums. We hadn't even noticed that area on Wednesday because we had been walking non-stop.

A glitch in theaters would affect both Standby and FP lines. Our wait on Sunday was substantially longer even with rows 1-4 and 6 being loaded.

 

[jayohjayoh]

Weird, we went in line at 4:55, and we're done with the ride at 5:25. Crazy it was such a difference so close together.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Weird, we went in line at 4:55, and we're done with the ride at 5:25. Crazy it was such a difference so close together.

I've only ridden FoP twice but it may be due to the inefficiency of loading the theaters. When FP is running at its optimum level, it's at a 50:10 ratio.

So, why does the Merge CM load FP guests in one or maybe 2 rows? Wouldn't it be more efficient to load 32 FP or more and, at most, 16 Standby in each row? Why should FP riders wait to load in only one or two theaters?

We were sent to a lengthy row 4 even though a CM told the Merge CM to load row 1 which had just emptied. I think the Merge CMs aren't used to loading more than 1 or 2 theaters at a time.

 

[Dean1953]

I've got two windows. I am staying at Vistana for two weeks, starting December 17 and have a 30 day window. I have a one day reservation at BLT on December 20, (I've never stayed there and am considering buying DVC points there; I have three other people flying in that day and they can take Magical Express bus, and I wanted to view Top of the World either the 20th or 21st), so I can make 60 day FP reservations starting that day. This trip, I'll be at Disneyworld 21 days (December 17-January 7) and have an Annual Pass, so I'm going to have to make those advance FP reservations count for the 7 days that I am allowed to choose in advance.

 

[hiroMYhero]

I've got two windows. I am staying at Vistana for two weeks, starting December 17 and have a 30 day window. I have a one day reservation at BLT on December 20, (I've never stayed there and am considering buying DVC points there; I have three other people flying in that day and they can take Magical Express bus, and I wanted to view Top of the World either the 20th or 21st), so I can make 60 day FP reservations starting that day. This trip, I'll be at Disneyworld 21 days (December 17-January 7) and have an Annual Pass, so I'm going to have to make those advance FP reservations count for the 7 days that I am allowed to choose in advance.

Your 60-day window covers your Vistana stay... you don't need to worry about a 30-day window at all.

Vistana - very cool! Thanks to Irma, no power at my DD's house, and her BF who is an accountant for Vistana, we spent a week at Marriott's Cypress Harbour - excellent property and Vistana is supposed to be comparable! Enjoy!!

 

[ScrapYap]

Everyone is getting so much luck with FOP. I tried the same day this thread got started and nothing for my date... I did score Rivers of Light and Navi River but FOP... I have no choice but to rope drop. Hope it is not crazy busy on my day.

There's a mid-morning drop of FP for FOP every day (for that day only) to create magical moments of surprise and delight for guests. This drop had been a "secret" but it's been leaking pretty well.

So the FOP FP release is continuing (for now) despite the doubling of FP availability for FOP and NRJ. You could call these "same day" fastpass. Actually.

The drop has been consistent at either 10:37 a.m. or 10:44 a.m. The FP times will range from about noon to late afternoon. The inventory only lasts from four to eight minutes, and they're gone. If you check in the next minute, you might see some for today. But they'll probably be already gone. Check tomorrow morning to see for yourself.

I'm burying this tip here in this thread. Hopefully no one will start a dedicated DIS thread regarding the mid-morning drop, because that will expedite the demise of the drop.

 

[AngiTN]

There's a mid-morning drop of FP for FOP every day (for that day only) to create magical moments of surprise and delight for guests. This drop had been a "secret" but it's been leaking pretty well.

So the FOP FP release is continuing (for now) despite the doubling of FP availability for FOP and NRJ. You could call these "same day" fastpass. Actually.

The drop has been consistent at either 10:37 a.m. or 10:44 a.m. The FP times will range from about noon to late afternoon. They only last from four to eight minutes, and they're gone. If you check in the next minute, you might see some for today. But they'll probably be already gone. Check tomorrow morning to see for yourself.

I'm burying this tip here in this thread. Hopefully no one will start a dedicated DIS thread regarding the mid-morning drop, because that will expedite the demise of the drop.

I hope you are right. We never can keep Pixie Dust things secret, no matter how many hints, direct or otherwise, are given.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

This increase is welcome news. I have a December trip at Pop and look forward to having a better shot at FoP during my trip.

 

[runwad]

ScrapYap, you're the best.

 

[yuKime]

@ScrapYap You have given me hope! Thanks for the heads up! I am sure to check this tomorrow. Didn't get to do it today as MDE was down. =_=

 

[KCBelle]

Rode FOP today with FP+, wait time from tapstile to first scanning room was 20 min. There was an announcement made that wait times may be longer than anticipated due to technical difficulties. Standby wait time stayed around 275 min every time I saw it.

 

[Davey Jones II]

If they're also adding availability for NRJ (when demand for that ride is only a fraction of what it is for FOP) I don't see why they wouldn't allow people to reserve FPs for both Pandora rides on the same day? I think it's already time to change that rule. It seems Disney anticipated that demand would be pretty close for both rides, when that is clearly not the case.

 

[mickeymom629]

Should I drop my fp for NRJ in the morning for FoP later in the day? Will we be able to get on NRJ at rope drop with minimal wait? My plan was to rope dop FoP and use our fp for NRJ. Unfortunately, I don't see any morning fps for our day at FoP.

 

[BigB0882]

I don't mind if the FP line goes 45 minutes or so. I will be there at Christmas (Christmas Day, actually) so I anticipate the standby lines to be well over 2 hours. I'll take a 45 minutes wait, even an hour, in the FP line if it saves me that insane standby wait. Hopefully they keep this up going into Christmas and don't scale back on the amount of FPs. I am going on Day 5 and was worried about getting one but with so more available I feel more confident about getting one on day 5.

 

[ScrapYap]

Should I drop my fp for NRJ in the morning for FoP later in the day? Will we be able to get on NRJ at rope drop with minimal wait? My plan was to rope dop FoP and use our fp for NRJ. Unfortunately, I don't see any morning fps for our day at FoP.

Rope dropping NRJ is a much pleasanter experience than rope dropping FOP. Maybe a FP will open up for FOP for you.