help with Animal Kingdom EMH strategy

[aaronnelson42]

I’m heading to animal kingdom in September to see pandora for the first time! Since disney announced that extra magic hours will be available every day during this time, this has changed how i’m planning on tackling pandora.

We will be staying off site so the EMH will not be available to us. What would be the best strategy for our party to get to ride FOP and still maximize our day in the park?

We have no issue with rope dropping but if we will be held at the turnstiles until official park opening i could see hoards of guests already ahead of us at FOP.

Thanks in advance!

 

[alex9179]

The wait will be really high in the morning so I'd plan an evening and get in line 5 minutes before close. That's your best chance of the lowest wait time. Also, while in the park, check for availability. Depending on the size of your party, you may find some open FPs that will give you all a chance to ride earlier.

 

[only hope]

Refresh for fp constantly the evening before and you may be able to get one. They also usually drop fp in groups a few times a day the day of, so just be diligent in checking. If you can’t get a fp then right before close. They exaggerate the posted wait time, plus there’s no fp after park close so standby goes quicker.

 

[aaronnelson42]

Refresh for fp constantly the evening before and you may be able to get one. They also usually drop fp in groups a few times a day the day of, so just be diligent in checking. If you can’t get a fp then right before close. They exaggerate the posted wait time, plus there’s no fp after park close so standby goes quicker.

thanks for the info! would it be worth it to still plan to get to the park early and waiting at the gates to tackle the other areas of the park? or just arriving after park opening

 

[only hope]

It depends on what fp you get and what you want to do. Navi River Journey and the Safari probably won’t have a long wait til about 10-15mn after regular park open. Everest and the water ride I’m not sure about as we don’t ride them; they both get busy in the summer but I’m not sure how quickly. So if you’re only interested in 3 things that get busy (with no repeat rides unless you score another fp or wait in a long line) and you get a fp for all 3, then there’s no need to show up early.

Edit- actually, Navi may be busy before park open. I’ve seen it at 40mn already on EMH days. But with EMH at 3 parks daily that may not be the case. I’d watch wait times on everything the week before your trip to get an idea of what may happen.

 

[alex9179]

Wait times will only increase for stand-by but earlier in the day is better than the afternoon. You should still be able to schedule FPs for the other rides and knock them out in the morning and keep scheduling your same-day FPs until close/you leave.

 

[aaronnelson42]

Wait times will only increase for stand-by but earlier in the day is better than the afternoon. You should still be able to schedule FPs for the other rides and knock them out in the morning and keep scheduling your same-day FPs until close/you leave.

this was what i was thinking. thanks for the reply!