Our FP booking date is in October, doing some research to help in planning. We are only interested in Tier 1 FP at EPCOT. I know you can only book one Tier 1 FP. Should I go ahead and book a Tier 2 like Mission Space, or just book the one Tier 1 FP on that day, and cross my fingers that another FP will open up after we use the first.
Our Epcot Days are not early start days. One is Christmas Eve evening only for CP, arriving for around 4 for CPDP at 5:30, and CP show at 8:30 (I think?), and plan to return to EP on 12.24 after Mass and CM Brunch, so afternoon again. Test Track was down last time we were there, and never made it to Soarin, so we are trying to fit both of those in and possibly Frozen, but can live without that. Also if you could only pick one. Soarin or TT?
Soarin definitely.
And we usually want more than one ride on Soarin if possible so you might want to try and get the other 2 tier 2 passes as throw aways in hopes of snagging a 4th fpp for Soarin. Just my two cents. We also loved Frozen Ever After which surprised us. But I think Soarin is the best.
Soarin’, for sure.
Schedule your Tier 2 FPP so that once you get through all three, you can start to schedule a 4th FPP, potentially for a Tier 1.
If you only book one tier 1, you will only be able to book tier 2s afterwards in the same park. Book them up front and just tap in if you don’t want to ride them.
I always get TT because it’s often down at RD which can throw your plans into disarray.
Oh that’s right. I forgot you have to use 2 Tier 2s before you can book another Tier 1. Should I just book those during the time before we even get to the park. Do I have to do something or just lest the window pass?
They won’t expire if you’re not in the park, the system makes you rebook them. If you are in the park and they are scheduled before your tier 1, you can just ignore them. But I’d probably have your tier 1 first, then move up your tier 2, tap and run, then move up your second tier 2, tap and run. Then you’re not wasting time waiting for the windows to open.
Ok, so let’s say I book Soarin’ at 4. I could not book Tier 2s until 5 and 6? What do you mean by tap and run?
I mean tap in and don’t ride. Unless you want to do the ride of course.
It depends what time you’d be going to the park. If you’d be arriving at 11am, you could book the tier 2s any time after that and before 4pm, and they would be cleared off the system when you did Soarin at 4, allowing you to book another tier 1 - assuming one was available at that time which is doubtful.
But if you were only arriving at 4 to do Soarin, yes they would have to be at 5 and 6. But as soon as you did Soarin, you could try to move your 5pm to 4.15pm for example, tap in but don’t ride, then move your 6pm to 4.30pm, tap in and don’t ride. Then you can look for another tier 1.
Ok, I guess it’s the “tap in” that I’m confused about. I am assuming you mean something about the app or do you mean physically go and have magic band scanned at the ride?
You tap in at the turnstile to use your FP. If you don’t do this, you won’t be able to book any more tier 1s because you haven’t used your tier 2s.
I would fast pass TT because it is frequently down. If it’s down during your FP window, your fast pass will be good for any time.
I agree with Fastpassing Test Track. Like @cbalusek said, it’s often down which means it would convert to an “anytime” Fastpass. Also, Soarin’ is much easier to get a 4th Fastpass for - we’ve never had a problem getting it for a party of 3 with a return time of 10-15 minutes later. Test Track takes more refreshing, and your return time is often later.
I would also add that if you pre-book two Tier 2 Fastpasses with the intention of not using them, I’d choose the least popular rides. This way you can modify to an earlier return time with minimal hassle. Example: say that you book Test Track for 2-3pm, Pixar Film Festival for 3-4 and Figment for 4-5. As soon as you’ve scanned in at the Fastpass scanner for Test Track, you modify your Pixar Fastpass to the earliest return time you can get. When you’re done on Test Track you go to Pixar and scan in, then modify your Figment Fastpass for as soon as possible, This eliminates a lot of dead time, and should let you book that 4th Fastpass an awful lot sooner. 
I would book one tier 2 (maybe spaceship earth if you enter from main gate) before your tier 1. Schedule your tier 1 right after the first tier 2. Scan the tier two at the end of its window as you walk to tier 1. Then next tier 2 right after your tier 1. If entering from international gateway maybe Pixar for the first tier 2.
Example: SE 2-3pm
TT 3-4pm
MS 4-5pm
Scan SE at 3pm (ride or don’t ride), then TT, then MS at 3:55 or move up earlier if possible.
If a ride is down during your FP, you get an anytime FP added to MDE automatically.
But crucially, that FP is still active. You can either wait for the ride to come back up and use it, or modify it to a different FP of the same tier or a lower one (if it was one of your initial FPs that is, if it was a later one it could be of any tier). So if you had TT, you could modify it to Soarin or Figment, but if it was Figment that went down you couldn’t modify it to Soarin.
That’s quite important because until you modify or use the original FP, it is still there and you won’t be able to book another FP. Often people don’t realise this, don’t notice it’s still active and then complain they weren’t allowed to book any further FPs.
And then don’t forget to do the hokey pokey and then turn yourself around while rubbing your head and patting your tummy, because it won’t allow you to schedule another FPP until you’ve done those things!
If you are going to be at Epcot two days - I would book Soarin one day and Test Track the other. It might be worth arriving a little earlier to ride one of those before dinner. Unless you are using your FP at another park.
Do you need to tap in for SE in this case? Won’t it expire anyway once you’ve used TT and MS?
No, but you do need to be in the park for at least part of the window.
I personally would tap in to avoid any issues. I also would consider tapping in during the grace period. 3-3:15pm
Tap in is physically reaching the ride and approaching your MB or ticket to the attraction’s turnstile @DixieDisney! Unfortunately this means you have to walk to said attraction and go through the motions. So I would suggest maybe using those FPP for stuff you may be mildly interested in and just do the attraction since your group is already standing there anyway.