Should I redo my fastpasses?

[disneyduonj]

I have 3 WDW park days March 17-19. I have hoppers. I know it's a SUPER busy time. I am staying on site and most days planned my fastpasses for the SECOND park of the day, in the afternoon, and planned to rope drop the parks with EMH in the morning. I keep hearing that this is not a good strategy anymore with the crazy crowds. The park hours keep changing during that time too. I would like to try for ROTR but it's not a major priority.
I have an 8yo and she doesn't like roller coasters (even Barnstormer) or scary rides (HM, POTC). We don't eat in the parks - will get snacks but definitely don't do table service restaurants and plan on just eating while waiting in line or for shows.

So far my plan is the following:

Tuesday - Try for ROTR boarding pass (8am opening) and then head to AK for Ropedrop (9am opening)
Fastpasses: 9:40 am Safari; 11:30 am Lion King; 7:05 pm FOP - hoping to get an earlier one or rope drop it cause hopefully will have to leave for HS ROTR, otherwise will take a break and go to Epcot and/or MK (both are now open til 11pm that day)- the plan was to see Epcot forever and then do rides but it's St. Patrick's day and I hear Epcot is not so great that day if you aren't drinking so might just do the show and then go to MK if the crowds are too much.

Wednesday - Rope drop MK 8am EMH - stay til about noon
Fastpasses: 1:50 pm Toy Story Mania; 3:30 pm Beauty and the Beast; 4:30 pm - MMRR
Stay for Fantasmic!

Thursday - Rope drop Epcot 8am EMH - stay til around 11 - monorail to MK
Fastpasses: 12:05 pm PPF; 1:05 pm Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, 3:10 pm Buzz Lightyear
Watch 3pm parade and Happily Ever After at 9

Should I try to redo my fastpasses so they are for the first park of the day and then just try to get others or should I just leave it like this?

 

[kariyava]

I think your plan is fine, especially if you won't be too disappointed if your one ROTR attempt is not successful.

 

[TomorrowlandKD]

Plan looks good!

Just remember, you HAVE a plan, and that plan is taking place at Disney World.

Enjoy!!

 

[mamamelody2]

I would leave it.

 

[disneydentist]

You plan looks good as is.

Rope dropping FoP isn't going to work. By the time you to AK from the Studios you'll be pretty far back in the rope drop crowd and have a lengthy wait time. In August we were at the tapstiles by 7:30 (for an 8 AM open) and didn't actually get on FoP until 9:02.

 

[ClapYourHands]

You plan looks good as is.

Rope dropping FoP isn't going to work. By the time you to AK from the Studios you'll be pretty far back in the rope drop crowd and have a lengthy wait time. In August we were at the tapstiles by 7:30 (for an 8 AM open) and didn't actually get on FoP until 9:02.

Agreed about RD not working on FOP that late. However, since 95% of the rope drop crowd will be headed to FOP, another strategy is get there at opening, and head to another ride and walk on. Take an early morning Safari or go to EE and ride it several times in a row.

 

[only hope]

Personally I would never schedule fp for my second park, unless I didn’t plan on doing any rides at the first (which is very rare). Without fp’s, after the park gets busy an hour or so (usually) after opening, you’ll be waiting in lines 20+ minutes long when you could be waiting 15 or less minutes with fp. Why wait when you don’t have to? I schedule for the first park and pick up same days for the second, if I park hop, which is quite rare for me as it takes so much time.

 

[ILovePixieDust]

I think your plan looks good. You have some good fastpasses. I would just keep them! You have FOP and MMRR which is great!

 

[ClapYourHands]

Personally I would never schedule fp for my second park, unless I didn’t plan on doing any rides at the first (which is very rare). Without fp’s, after the park gets busy an hour or so (usually) after opening, you’ll be waiting in lines 20+ minutes long when you could be waiting 15 or less minutes with fp. Why wait when you don’t have to? I schedule for the first park and pick up same days for the second, if I park hop, which is quite rare for me as it takes so much time.

Depends on the park. If you’re trying to do much of anything in DHS these days, it’ll be wall to wall people and extensive lines everywhere first thing.

If you go to AK and either get on FOP at the very front of the pack or go elsewhere from the start, you can knock out a bunch of rides before the hordes migrate from Pandora. Then you see a show or wander some animal trails, and you can have a nice morning.

Or go to Epcot for a 9am opening and rope drop a tier 1 ride, and then do some things that typically don’t really need FP like Turtle Talk with Crush or Pixar shorts. Do some character meets (since no FP for them), and head over to WS when it opens at 11 to enjoy the food and entertainment at the pavilions.

Do that early in the trip, and your afternoon FP can be for rides that are hard to get in the morning earlier in a trip.

 

[gharter]

I would leave it alone. You can try and tweak times, but I wouldn't make any major changes.

 

[Hutt]

The only thing I would worry about is your plan to immediately head to AK after trying to get a BG for Rotr. What if you get bg 15? You won’t have time to head to AK and back.

rope dropping EMH is really kind of awful unless you get there literally 2 hours early. Especially at MK because the crowds are heaving and only fantasyland is open. I actively avoid parks on EMH days. Why not try for ROTR that day instead?

on your AK day stalk FOP like crazy. Stuff does come up.

 

[ClapYourHands]

For day 1, you can check in to HS and leave before 8 to head to AK. Several people have reported success in going through security and tapping into the park so Disney’s system recognizes them as being there, then leaving instead of going to a rope drop position in HS. Someone on another thread reported scoring a BG while in transit to MK for an ADR after tapping in to HS.

Of course, no matter what, you run the risk of your BG getting called when you are busy with something else at AK, but hopefully the 2- hour return window helps you get back in time.

 

[StarSeven7]

The only thing I would worry about is your plan to immediately head to AK after trying to get a BG for Rotr. What if you get bg 15? You won’t have time to head to AK and back.

rope dropping EMH is really kind of awful unless you get there literally 2 hours early. Especially at MK because the crowds are heaving and only fantasyland is open. I actively avoid parks on EMH days. Why not try for ROTR that day instead?

on your AK day stalk FOP like crazy. Stuff does come up.

I just wanted to clarify that Tomorrowland is also open during EMH!