Nervous about park hopping and touring plan

[Figaroo]

DD and I will be making a two day trip to the world in mid April. This is the first time we will be park hopping. In past trips we've stuck to one park a day. I'm nervous about getting stuck with long waits when we hop to our second park of the day. I won't be able to book FPs for them until we are done with our first three in our first park of the day- right?

For example, our first day we are going to do MK in the morning and hop to AK in late afternoon. I know we we wont be able to get FP for FOP, but will we be able to do EE or KS in a reasonable amount of time? I'm worried when we hop we will just end up waiting in long lines since we won't be using our typical strategy of FP for rides with long waits.

Any advice from park hopping vets out there?? TIA

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Hi @Figaroo - I moved your post to the main TPAS board. There are more folks here who can offer advice.

Have a great trip!

 

[Lesley Wake]

For fast passes, you can only prebook your first 3 at one park. But after you use FP1 at the first park, you can book FP 2 and 3 at other parks.

As for same day availability, it will depend on how busy. Most people are able to have luck with constantly refreshing. I just tested and was able to get a same-day Safari for today. For Everest, remember, you can always do single rider.

 

[pitpat]

You could rope drop MK and make your FPs for AK if you wanted. FPs in your second park is a strategy many park hoppers use.

 

[seelyt2]

You could rope drop MK and make your FPs for AK if you wanted. FPs in your second park is a strategy many park hoppers use.

I agree! ^ We did this last summer and it worked like a charm when we used FP for our second park of the day and did rope drop for our 1st park of the day.

 

[loves to dive]

Or you could flip flop it and rope drop AK and do your FPs for MK. I've never had to use a FP in AK if going in the morning. You might not get FOP unless you want to wait even at rope drop but otherwise, it's pretty easy to breeze through. I have also gotten afternoon FPs while waiting in line for another ride so it's probably not going to be an issue.

 

[pitpat]

Or you could flip flop it and rope drop AK and do your FPs for MK. I've never had to use a FP in AK if going in the morning. You might not get FOP unless you want to wait even at rope drop but otherwise, it's pretty easy to breeze through. I have also gotten afternoon FPs while waiting in line for another ride so it's probably not going to be an issue.

yeah, that might work even better. there are so many attractions at MK you can keep getting good FPs throughout the day.

 

[gatorlisa]

My advice would also be to plan to rope drop MK and schedule your FPs for the afternoon in your second park. This is the strategy we have always used when park hopping and it has always worked out well.

 

[disneyvoice]

I agree with all the others! When we park hop we typically always do rope drop at the first park and get as much done as we can until the park gets busier and wait times get longer. Then we take some time to just enjoy the sights in the park without worrying about riding anything. We then head to the next park where we have gotten FPs starting in mid to late afternoon. We do our FP rides and by the time they are done it is time for dinner and then we do some other rides since attendance in the park starts to drop after dinner time.

 

[Figaroo]

Thanks everyone!! We are planning on rope drop for MK with EMH and as of now, all of our fast passes are for 9, 10, and 11 ish. But after hearing your suggestions I might feel a lot more comfortable booking the FPs for AK in the afternoon and hitting all that we can at rope drop in MK and when the wait times start to grow, head over to AK.

For fast passes, you can only prebook your first 3 at one park. But after you use FP1 at the first park, you can book FP 2 and 3 at other parks.

As for same day availability, it will depend on how busy. Most people are able to have luck with constantly refreshing. I just tested and was able to get a same-day Safari for today. For Everest, remember, you can always do single rider.

If I did this, would I only make 1 FP for MK and as soon as we use it I could search for AK same day FPs?

 

[Lesley Wake]

If I did this, would I only make 1 FP for MK and as soon as we use it I could search for AK same day FPs?

Yes, exactly. Or you could make 2 FPs at MK, and once you use the 1st one, you could make your 3rd FP at AK, while still keeping the 2nd one at MK. It's a nice little trick that most people don't realize!

 

[Mome Rath]

I would just add that sometimes there is just a certain park you want to start the morning with, or one you want to end the night with, or end your trip with. Don't be afraid to do that over just trying to nab certain FP's. Of course if the rides are your main focus they become much more central so that you can be sure to ride exactly what you want. For me, hopping is all about being able to start my day in the park that will kick things off in a fun way (usually MK for me), be able to choose which park I want to have lunch in with no restrictions, and which I choose to end on. Sometimes the hard to get FP's align with that, sometimes they don't.

The only FP trick I can add is that if you do have 3 FP's early one morning (or anytime really), as soon as you "tap" into the first FP tapstile on the ride you can begin trying to "move up" your other FP's if you want to (so having a FP at 9:30 blocks out an hour of time for FP selection, but as soon as you tap into that ride at 9:30 you can try to move your second one up into that now free hour slot, and you can repeat with the 3rd).

Also, as soon as you tap into that 3rd FP line at the first tapstile you can begin searching for your next one.

Hope you guys have a great trip!

 

[TinkSassy]

When we park hop we usually consider the bigger rides a bonus. I will book a FP on the way over to that park. Mome Rath's FP strategy is gold. At MK alone last trip I did 12 FPs in a partial day.

Is that your only day at AK? EE has single rider which has been a good option for us in the past. KS used to start waning toward closing but now with safari after dark and the night show the park doesn't empty mid-afternoon like it used to. The shows should be easy to get into, but KS could be a challenge.

 

[Figaroo]

The only FP trick I can add is that if you do have 3 FP's early one morning (or anytime really), as soon as you "tap" into the first FP tapstile on the ride you can begin trying to "move up" your other FP's if you want to (so having a FP at 9:30 blocks out an hour of time for FP selection, but as soon as you tap into that ride at 9:30 you can try to move your second one up into that now free hour slot, and you can repeat with the 3rd).

Also, as soon as you tap into that 3rd FP line at the first tapstile you can begin searching for your next one.

Hope you guys have a great trip!

Brilliant! How have I never done this before?!?!

 

[scrapquitler]

DD and I will be making a two day trip to the world in mid April. This is the first time we will be park hopping. In past trips we've stuck to one park a day. I'm nervous about getting stuck with long waits when we hop to our second park of the day. I won't be able to book FPs for them until we are done with our first three in our first park of the day- right?

For example, our first day we are going to do MK in the morning and hop to AK in late afternoon. I know we we wont be able to get FP for FOP, but will we be able to do EE or KS in a reasonable amount of time? I'm worried when we hop we will just end up waiting in long lines since we won't be using our typical strategy of FP for rides with long waits.

Any advice from park hopping vets out there?? TIA

Skip using FP in the first park and make the FP in AK for later in the day, lines will be shorter in the morning, and you can get the coveted FP in AK later, when lines are longer anyway.

 

[Haley R]

We were able to get a same day FP for the Safari and I continuously checked and was able to move it earlier. I’m sure you could get that to work for ee as well. However, mk at rope drop is usually not too bad so you might not need fp’s there.

 

[kniquy]

You are correct -- you can only book 3 FP at your first park. Your other option is to do rope drop for the morning at MK hit what you can and then have your FP book for AK for the later afternoon. Parks do get busy later morning but if you do rope drop you can get quite a few rides done early before it gets crazy busy.

If you do choose to get FP for MK then as soon as you scan for your 3rd FP go on the app as you are in line and try to snag a FP for an AK ride.