Torn about touring strategy

I’m torn between what are seemingly two schools of thought about touring strategy:

(1) The idea of getting all of my FPs as early in the day as possible to hopefully be able to obtain more same day FPs when those are used.

vs.

(2) The idea of using the early morning hours to tour without FP while crowds are lowest (we always rope drop) and saving the FPs for the more crowded times mid-day.

I like the idea of being able to get more FPs throughout the day, but I question whether it’s worth essentially wasting a FP from 9-10am when I wouldn’t really need it just so that I could start trying to get that 4th FP earlier. It seems to involve some degree of risk to arrange my whole plans on the assumption that same day FPs would be available and for things we want/need.

Opinions? Anyone have experience trying it both ways? Or prefer one way or the other?

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Following! I have always gotten all FPs early and renewed throughout the day. BUT I hate feeling like I am on my phone the whole time I am there!

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For MK, my FPs start at 10am. It usually starts getting busy around that time. And you can always use your FP for then end of your window.

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We tend to RD and hit as many rides as possible when the crowds are lower. I typically start scheduling our FPs for late morning that way there is still a chance of getting some additional FPs for late afternoon or evening. We have been successful is snagging some awesome FPs after using our first three. Over spring break we got EE twice, TSMM, BTMR, RnR as our additional FPs. In the past I’ve even scored 7DMT as an additional FP.

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I’d go with 2, with a little helping of 1. That is, get your FPs for late morning, early afternoon. Don’t wait too long, since the low crowd benefit ends pretty quickly. But I also found that having a FP first thing in the morning can be kind of a waste.

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I’ve done both, far prefer option 1.

I can burn those first 3 as fast as possible on the big boys (7DMT, the mountains, PP), then by 11:10, I’m ready to start adding the extras. Pirates, Pooh, Splash, Mansion… I can ring up 8 or more FPs no problem. If I save those first 3 for midday, and just start adding the extras at 1, 2, even 3pm, good luck getting good FPs for earlier than 8pm.

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I prefer to use my first three before lunch as well. If it is an 8am opening, I book for 9-10, 10-11 & 11-12, but I don’t use the first one until 10. I RD - hit the bigger stuff, use my first FP at 10, then go straight to my second one and then fill in the remaining time before the 11am starts with easy attractions. I do find this plan a little easier at MK obviously though. I take what I can get for FOP at AK though.

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Yes, exactly, you don’t use the first one until 10. So whether PP or 7DMT, by 10 that line is already FP-worthy.

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Follow up questions:
On our first MK day the park hours just updated to 7am EMH. Would it be kind of the best of both strategies to try to book FPs for 9, 10, and 11? That would give 2 full hours of touring without them but still get them finished pretty early in the day.

I got an unexpected midday 7DMT once. Felt like I hit the lottery. Unfortunately, we were at Splash at the time, had to traverse the whole park for that FP.

I could be mistaken, but I don’t think you can book FPs for EMH, so you’d have to do that (9,10,11) either way. Or maybe it would let you do 8-9-10, if park open is 7am?

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Also would love opinions on avoiding 7DMT at rope drop and heading left instead. I have heard that Frontierland is pretty quiet early in the morning and we love BTMR and Splash, so if we could get a FP for 7DMT then it seems like it might make good sense to avoid that area entirely first thing. Thoughts?

As an example, right now it’s 1:45pm EST. If I was just burning my last FP now, I could get #4 almost immediately for Small World, Mansion, PhilharMagic, Speedway, Pooh. But if I’d burned through #3 180 minutes ago, I’d already be tanking through FP 8 or 9… or thereabouts.

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That’s how I felt. I actually handed my phone to my friend to confirm I wasn’t hallucinating.

I like that in theory, but again you indicated that it’s a EMH 7am start, and Frontierland won’t open for EMH.

We will be a party of 6. Do you typically have good luck getting that many same day FPs even with a bigger group? I know we may have to choose some overlapping times to make it work.

I’ve only gone with 4. I don’t think 6 would change things too much. Some, maybe.

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Ack! Completely forgot that!

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Yes this is a good plan. But beware if splash or BTMR happen to go down the other line will build quickly. But going to BTMR firstborn a great plan. You might need FP for POC or JC by the time you get there. I like to put it in TP first to evaluate wait times and walking times then decide about FP.

I can’t get the block quoting to work! Let me test…

Nailed it.