We will have 3 kids with us, aged 8, 7, 3. Hitting AK on a Sat morning in Feb (planning on RD or close thereto). Which park would you use your FPs for? I think we’d be ok just doing Soarin and Test Track, but would be happy to see other things as well. I am split btwn the idea that we will have an easier time in the am at AK without FP since it is the morning AND the idea that AK prob has more “must sees” for my guys so we should use them there and wing it on Soarin and Test Track. I am totally guessing, this is our first trip! Any advice would be welcome. (I know the 3yo won’t be seeing the Epcot attractions, that is fine.)
(forgot to say that we are going to Epcot after AK. Prob obvious from title, but figured better to be safe!)
In Animal Kingdom, FastPass+ (FPP) is most useful for the Safaris, Everest, and sometimes Dinosaur or Adventurers Outpost (where you meet Mickey/Minnie). With your group, I’m not sure if you plan to ride Everest or Dinosaur, but even if you are, then you should be able to knock the Safari and the thrill rides out before the park gets too crowded. Arriving before rope drop will be important, however, as the lines for all those attractions build later in the morning.
In Epcot, you’re most likely going to be stuck with waiting standby for either Soarin or TestTrack, since you can only make FPP reservations ahead of time for one or the other. Test Track has a single rider line, but I’d suspect you won’t be able to take advantage of that with your younger group. You can also ride one of the attractions with a shorter wait at the end of the night if you line up right near park closing time, but that would mean missing Illuminations at the end of the night.
If it were me, I’d take care of the busiest Animal Kingdom attractions at rope drop, see whatever shows and moderately popular attractions I wanted, then use FPP for either Test Track or Soarin (whichever is more important to your group) and other Epcot attractions you want to see, since those are likely to have hour or longer waits. If, on the other hand, you think there’s a chance you may not arrive in Animal Kingdom until later in the morning, then use your FPP there.
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You will not want to stand in a 60 or 90 for Soarin, so I would save my FPs for that. AK has many more attractions that you could use FP for but early morning you will be able to do a lot with low waits.
THank you to you both, this is SO helpful! My 2 older kids are tall enough to ride anything (one of them is up for anything and the other is usually game for it all), so am thinking they will want to do Everest and Dinosaur (all of us on Safari, for sure). Soarin and Test Track seem to be really up our alley, so am thinking if we do Epcot FP, we will do Soarin FP and then maybe even single rider for Test Track if too long. Hate to waste those other 2 FPs, though. What would you use them on? We will do everything possible to get to AK early, staying at Contemp and figured we would get on the bus at 8am. Assuming we are at park at 8:30 (9a open), what order would you do Safari, Expedition Everest, and Dino without FPs? They look pretty far away from each other, but I don’t have good personal experience (obviously). Really, THANKS! This is the one day that I am having the most trouble with! Other alternative would be hoping for a same day FP once we get to Epcot (3ish) – but that is risky too.
How brave are they? Mission Space, at least Green could be good. It is hard at EP. Spaceship Earth usually has a wait these days. Turtle Talk is fun, as is Nemo. Most of those attractions usually have little or no waits, but you can book it just in case…
One is 110% brave (haha) and the other about 60%, only way I can tell to characterize! So wish they would allow FP at 2 parks/day. 
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As others have said, rely on RD for AK, and use your FPs for EP in the afternoon. Make a Personalized TP for EP, Optimize it, and follow its recommendations for which FPs will benefit you the most.
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Ok, just took everyone’s advice and it optimized to FPs for 3pm Spaceship Earth, 4pm Test Track, 5pm Turtle Talk. We have dinner at 7:35 at Coral Reef. I imagine we are getting to the park around 3, but could be earlier if we wrap up at AK sooner. I’m nervous not to have Soarin, but it says we should be ok to do it at 5:30. We are leaving park, prob, after dinner bc of the little one. Does anyone think I should swap out Soarin for Test Track at 4pm? Just feel its waits are always the longest and not having a FP for it is an odd feeling! Thanks!
I am sorry, but I do believe you will be OK with Soarin. Single rider for TT is one thing but SB at 5:30 for Soarin?
You think ok at 5:30 for Soarin? TP says 53 min wait, which would be the only real hard wait of the whole aft/evening, but hoping we may get extremely luck to get a 4th FP after Turtle Talk. Am sure that is nuts, but hoping so if we do this plan. We are going end of Feb and crowd level looks to be 3 that day (as of now).
TP gave us this: 3p Test Track (FF); 3:25 Mission Space Green; 4p Spaceship Earth (FP); 4:27 Captain EO; 5p Turtle Talk (FP); 5:28 Soarin standby; 6:24 Nemo; 7:35 Coral Reef. Would you move anything and just evaluate from there? I am torn! I will be alone with my 8/7yos for TT, so not sure I do want ot do single rider now that I have looked at the ride.
Sorry, answered on my phone! I DO NOT believe the wait will be under an hour for Soarin! What date?
I just looked at the 2013 numbers at the end of February. On days that are reported as a 1 times average 47 minutes. Times are over 50 for 2 days. The crowds have been larger than expected. That line is very long and boring! This may be a case of you can’t plan on doing it all! Leave the hour in your plans but be prepared to drop it. You may be stressed if you run close to your other plans. Although you will be able to fit most atteapctions in without a FP.
As long as you are going to make RD, you’re probably OK with NOT using FPPs at AK. KS and EE are really the only 2 rides that I’ve ever used a FPP for, and you should be able to do both of those in the first hour. Dinosaur somethines has a line, but again, early, not that much. I would do EE first, KS second, and Dino third. Lion King and Nemo are both excellent shows and I’ve never used any kind of a FP for either. In EP, in the afternoon, you will not be able to get on either Soarin’ or TT without a 60+ min wait. Mission Space can also sometimes have a longer line; the rest of EP is pretty forgiving. Are you going to have another day at EP? It’s a HUGE park, and even a full day is barely enough to see it all; I never spend less than a day and a half there…
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Not to totally throw a wrench in your plans, but you’ve picked the 2 enormous parks for 1/2 days. I would 1/2 day HS way before epcot. And with kids your age, I would full day Ak. Do HS/epcot split instead, with a nice boat ride between the 2!
Sorry for zombie bump…why was this in my new threads? Hope trip was fun!