Another freakout here! After creating my plans in December, I just re-optimized and now everything has changed…I’m assuming this is a common occurrence? The biggest issue, other than the rejection of the FPs I’m not willing to give up, is that we cannot ride Avatar FOP on Friday–because we are not willing to wait 160 minutes (or more). My understanding from reading this board is that the best solution is to arrive over an hour before RD. We have two teens so that’s not going to happen. So, I just wanted to ask if there is any other way of riding without waiting over two hours? I think the answer is no, but I wanted to check and then I will remove it from the plan and optimize AGAIN! Thanks!
I think your options for FOP are to continually check for Fast Passes (even day of), go early, or go late. Early and late both still involve lines of some sort, but are your shortest wait options…
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I think hopping in line at the end of the day is great option for you. You will still have to wait but I don’t think it would be 160 minutes. We did this last summer shortly after Pandora opened. We got in line for FOP at the end of the day; the wait time posted was 165 minutes. We were off the ride 90 minutes later. Yes, it was a wait but we didn’t lose park touring time since it was the end of the night. And honestly the ride is worth it.
Ok, fantastic…we are going to ROL, so will plan on going over to FOP immediately after. Will also cancel our 8:15 reservation at BOMA and eat inside the park. Thanks!!
Wait, when you said “rejection of the FOP fastpasses” does that mean you actually got FOP fastpasses and hit optimize instead of evaluate? That would be an easy fix. We are not big cross the park ppl so tend to tour by location/land, so utilize evaluate if you want to keep your current fastpasses. If you don’t actually have FOP fastpasses, I agree to go at end of day right before close.
Oh sorry…“the rejection of the FPs I’m not willing to give up”…i just meant that i loaded other FPs onto the plan and when optimized it didn’t “use” the FP times. i have since read that I can go into Advanced Options to force the plan to use the FP times.
Tiffins is a signature spot but oh my is it yummy! You can stay in the park to eat if you try it there!
Tusker House is similar to BOMA and is a fav of many out here.
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I really appreciate everyone’s advice–you all are terrific!! Planning hasn’t worked out as I had hoped since I missed the FP window by a couple of days. Leaving in the morning, so I need to let it go!
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I don’t see the difference between showing up 80 minutes early to rope drop and then waiting in a 30 minute line, and waiting in a 110 minute line, you know? (Those numbers are just examples, but you get my drift.)
The argument is that with the RD strategy you’re not missing doing other things in the parks, just sleep. Standing in a 110 minute standby line, you could be doing other things with that time seeing other attractions. You could also go back to your room and take a nap to make up for the sleep you missed, so it kinda’ depends on you I guess… 
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You’re right, I should have said “to me” and I almost went back and edited to clarify. I do get why that’s a good strategy for some. It’s not so much the early wake-up time, as that the idea of RD waiting stresses me out because you’re in a crowd but not really in an organized queue and it seems like there’s a lot of potential for pushing/shoving/weaving. For me, that’s anxiety fuel and I’d rather just roll up after the stampede is over and get in line. 
Yah - I get the argument and have been waffling back and forth myself on what makes the most sense. My son cast the deciding vote so our plan right now is to brave EMH and do the early rope drop at least once to try it out. Should be an interesting event if nothing else…
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But don’t the wait times become cumulative if you don’t do RD? That’s my theory anyway. By queuing for RD, my wait times throughout the day will be proportionately less, because I will be ahead of the crowds ( and following my TP ). I will count to ten before a mathematician explains why my theory is totally incorrect! 
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We ran the FoP march back last August when it was still on brand-new side - it was certainly a lot of people and some slow walking, but the vast majority of people were just moving along together. Only a couple of jerky people ran around the outside near the gift shop left turn into Pandora.
Otherwise, it really wasn’t a bad experience and it goes very fast that early once you get moving. (I suggest sticking to the outer edges of the path, as they seem to move faster than the center.)
Also, I think for a super popular ride like FoP, every minute later you show up translates into several minutes more wait later on. So, I look as the pre-RD arrival wait as a time investment that pays off quickly and very well.
On our first day we were held up to wait an extra time, so even with getting on and off FoP taking up our whole EMH (which is very unusual now), the rest of the park was still very empty. We got a lot done while most others were still trekking through Pandora.
Do you have the lines app? When we were there in April I kept checking the FOP wait times just to gauge the varying degrees of ridiculousness throughout the day. Then one evening I noticed that instead of a three or four hour wait the app had it at less than two hours and dropping until park close. We hopped over to AK just for FOP and wound up waiting just a little over an hour. We walked on to Navi river afterwards with no wait (right at park close). It turned out to be fortunate we did that, because FOP was down all day the next day (when we actually toured AK).
If have park hopper and are prepared to adjust on the fly you can often use the lines app to good effect.
No you’re right. There will be essentially no wait for anything but FOP in the first couple of hours, so you don’t want to spend that time in line when you could get there early and be off FOP by 5 minutes past opening.
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As stated above, I would go 15 or so minutes before closing - we did this about a month ago - posted wait was 90 mins and it ended up being 65 mins. The queue is pretty nice and we played heads up to pass some time away. It was our very first time riding this - is that the case for you? If so, like us, you will say it is so worth the wait because FOP is so awesome. Now if you have ridden it a couple times already, I understand not wanting to wait that long.
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