How are December fast passes going?

[Haley R]

Thanks for all the helpful replies. If you post your experiences, could you please specify what day you got each FP? For example, you got FoP on day 60+4 or whatever. It is really helpful to know you got “everything” or a certain ride, but only if we know on which day of your booking window. If your trip is 10days long and you got everything by skipping AK until day 6, those of us with shorter trips can’t tell how our bookings might be best done. Hope this makes sense and thanks!

I was thinking this same thing. Our trip will be short so knowing which day the ride was booked will help me.

 

[d0naldduck123]

Wow...so I just got done with FPs and I'm super-confused about how crowded it will be. I couldn't find a 7DMT on 60+1..I didn't even have trouble getting this around New Years last year! But, I was able to get FEA on Day 60+2 and there were quite a few time slots open for FOP on Day 60+4 which was an awesome surprise. Everything else was no problem at all!

 

[Stephy811]

there were quite a few time slots open for FOP on Day 60+4 which was an awesome surpurprise

Just curious...was it morning/afternoon available on 60+4 for fop? Did you check any other days? My window opens tomorrow and I'm sooo anxious about fop!

 

[d0naldduck123]

Just curious...was it morning/afternoon available on 60+4 for fop? Did you check any other days? My window opens tomorrow and I'm sooo anxious about fop!

It was afternoon! I saw availability from 2pm onwards so not too late in the afternoon either. No, I'm sorry! I didn't check other dates when I was initially booking but I did just go back and see for Dec 15th and everything was gone. When is your AK day?

 

[Stephy811]

When is your AK day?

Thanks for the update...I was hoping for 12/16 but doubt that will happen. I could also do 12/17 morning but that is our last day and at this point that seems unlikely I've been checking on touring plans (but it is a day behind because it refreshes at midnight) so I'm not surprised.

 

[Dakota731]

Not to set off any panic buttons, but December FPs will get progressively more difficult over the next few weeks.

How can it get more difficult than getting none? I’m confused as to who is getting the fast passes if you get up at 7 and log in? I realize there are international travelers who stay for two weeks and would overlap you but how could every fast pass be gone? Something is weird or there is scamming going on

 

[Skallywag Steph]

Wow...so I just got done with FPs and I'm super-confused about how crowded it will be. I couldn't find a 7DMT on 60+1..I didn't even have trouble getting this around New Years last year! But, I was able to get FEA on Day 60+2 and there were quite a few time slots open for FOP on Day 60+4 which was an awesome surprise. Everything else was no problem at all!

Is your MK day a party day? That's the only thing i can think of that's causing a shortage. We're also competing against those going to the party that day getting them between 4-6. It's pretty frustrating.

 

[BriLovesDisney]

We make our FastPasses next weekend. We didn't have any problems making ADRs. Hoping FP+ goes the same way!

 

[Haley R]

How can it get more difficult than getting none? I’m confused as to who is getting the fast passes if you get up at 7 and log in? I realize there are international travelers who stay for two weeks and would overlap you but how could every fast pass be gone? Something is weird or there is scamming going on

Some people overbook FOP for more than one day to keep their plans flexible. I don't agree with that at all, but it happens. I'm not sure if that's enough to take all of the FP's, though.

 

[emilymad]

I wasn't able to get FOP at 60+3 but we have a short trip with a Tuesday check in so I guess it isn't surprising. We are taking a last minute trip in 2 weeks and I was able to get FOP for that trip at 30 days out. I guess I will just keep checking.

 

[ShadeDK]

How can it get more difficult than getting none? I’m confused as to who is getting the fast passes if you get up at 7 and log in? I realize there are international travelers who stay for two weeks and would overlap you but how could every fast pass be gone? Something is weird or there is scamming going on

Oh, things can always get worse. If no one is getting FPs for FoP, FEA and 7DMT, it's not like they're giving up completely on FPs. They're going to spill over into FPs for things like Space Mountain, BTMRR, Test Track, ToT, Soarin, RNRR, TSMM, Safari, EE, etc. While I'm not too worried about that (this far out it's more likely to just end up with less-than-great times rather than no FP at all for those), there's a possible cascade effect. One person's inability to get a FP for FoP is a tragedy, 1000 people's inability to get a FP for FoP is a statistic.

If (as others suggest) the parties are the main reason, also consider that from Dec 14 to Dec 22 there are 6 parties in 9 nights. I'm curious to see if the FP situation significantly improves after Dec 22 when the parties stop and hours are extended.

 

[melanielll]

If this keeps up (and I do not think they will be having less parties in the future), the next step will be access dates based on the level of your hotel. Deluxe - 60 days. Moderates - 50 days. Economy (I can't remember what it is called) - 40 days. Which (as someone who stays in Deluxes) I am fine with.

Or - the upsell on fast passes. 70 days for $100 per person.

It's a coming.

 

[ShadeDK]

If this keeps up (and I do not think they will be having less parties in the future), the next step will be access dates based on the level of your hotel. Deluxe - 60 days. Moderates - 50 days. Economy (I can't remember what it is called) - 40 days. Which (as someone who stays in Deluxes) I am fine with.

Or - the upsell on fast passes. 70 days for $100 per person.

It's a coming.

It's already here - although not quite so blatant. "Having trouble with that FoP FastPass? Well, for the low price of $249 per person you can reserve your spot in the exclusive Ultimate Nights of Adventure VIP Tour at Animal Kingdom, which includes guaranteed priority ride access to Flight of Passage (and several other rides that you might not care much about and never seem to have much of a wait)! Can't seem to snag that elusive FastPass for everyone's favorite dwarf-themed mine coaster? Well, how about riding over and over again during Early Morning Magic for a mere $69 per person (only $59 for the kids!)? Are those Frozen Ever After FastPasses leaving you feeling cold and blue? Now you can chill out like a snowman in summer with our Frozen Ever After Dessert Party where you'll get a special after-hours boat trip through Arendelle ($79 ($47(children)) advance payment required)!"

 

[d0naldduck123]

Is your MK day a party day? That's the only thing i can think of that's causing a shortage. We're also competing against those going to the party that day getting them between 4-6. It's pretty frustrating.

No it's not a party day but it is stuck between party days The day before, the day after, and two days after my MK day are all party days. So I'm guessing crowds are gonna be pretty high on the non-party days. I didn't think that I'd have to worry about 7dmt but guess I was wrong. Hopefully some cancellations come up in the next couple of months!

 

[christianweecare]

DH & I will be at WDW Dec. 2-9 staying at AKV. I made all of our FP reservations last week (I think?). I found a FOP FP on our down day (Thursday). We are planning to do Disney Springs that day, anyway, so I thought we would just pop over to AK and do our FP before heading to Disney Springs.

We have never done FP for Frozen as DH always wants to do Soarin instead. Any suggestions as to a good time to try standby for Frozen?

 

[Brian Ball]

we are travelling 12/7-14 and I am having a heck of a time getting a FP for Avatar FOP. Do these open up like dining reservations? and is there a way to be alerted when they do?

 

[Gentry2004]

Oh, things can always get worse. If no one is getting FPs for FoP, FEA and 7DMT, it's not like they're giving up completely on FPs. They're going to spill over into FPs for things like Space Mountain, BTMRR, Test Track, ToT, Soarin, RNRR, TSMM, Safari, EE, etc. While I'm not too worried about that (this far out it's more likely to just end up with less-than-great times rather than no FP at all for those), there's a possible cascade effect. One person's inability to get a FP for FoP is a tragedy, 1000 people's inability to get a FP for FoP is a statistic.

If (as others suggest) the parties are the main reason, also consider that from Dec 14 to Dec 22 there are 6 parties in 9 nights. I'm curious to see if the FP situation significantly improves after Dec 22 when the parties stop and hours are extended.

I am one who believes the FP situation is going to improve literally overnight once the parties finish up. I actually think the crazy crowded Christmas - New Years people will have better access than we do. But that's just my hunch based on ADR's. My ADR situation for this upcoming trip was so shocking to me (NO BOG lunch, at ANY TIME ANY DAY at 180. I hadn't booked my room yet.) For my Easter week trip, I made sure I booked my room right before the 180 just in case but the ADR's were WIDE OPEN, even for the first day of my trip.

 

[Gentry2004]

If this keeps up (and I do not think they will be having less parties in the future), the next step will be access dates based on the level of your hotel. Deluxe - 60 days. Moderates - 50 days. Economy (I can't remember what it is called) - 40 days. Which (as someone who stays in Deluxes) I am fine with.

Or - the upsell on fast passes. 70 days for $100 per person.

It's a coming.

Or the DL model, which I think is currently $10pp/per day for Maxpass. But I think that is an "introductory" price.

 

[Haley R]

Or the DL model, which I think is currently $10pp/per day for Maxpass. But I think that is an "introductory" price.

I like the fast passes over at Universal. They get you to the front of most of their rides and you can get one just for staying at one of their "deluxe" resorts. Otherwise I would pay to get one because they are worth it.

 

[Miffy]

Booked this morning. We started with the end of the trip, the day before we leave (60+8) and got a morning FoP easily (2 people). Also got FoP, working backward from the end of the trip, for 60+6, also in the morning. After that, I tried earlier days, but everything was gone by then. It was probably not even 7:15 at that point. Didn't try for FEA--got Soarin' instead. Easily. The 7DMT FP is for 12/14, a party day, and the FP is at 4:45. Interesting. There was nothing earlier, but we were focused on FoP, so it was a while later before we got to booking 7DMT. TSMM was easy. We have it booked on two different mornings.

The website kept crashing--on Chrome--and even MDE on Android was a bit funky. I should report that two of us were working separately on this. Not sure we would've done so well if only one person did the reserving!

ADRs, though. That's something else. Some were easy, some weren't so easy. I never book until I have the FPs settled. I was finally able to get all but one (MM), and I've got Touring Plans for that. They already came through this morning with another ADR I couldn't get earlier (VN), so I'm hoping they'll come through again. Great service, btw. And many thanks to this board, or I never would've known about it!

For those of you who don't know, Touring Plans has an ADR finder. You do not need to be registered with them to use it, however, it takes some looking around their site to find the right place. Yet I did. And already got results!