So a few weeks ago I watched the video where the TP team attacked EPCOT rope drop to figure out the best options for what to ride at RD vs what to get as a Tier A FP+.
The video clearly stated that it was best to get a FP+ for Test Track since it is down a large percent of the time and if you can’t ride it, you will at least get another FP to ride something else.
Then I crack open the the EPCOT FP page earlier today and it clearly states that FEA is the best option for your FP+ because of its location.
Both arguments sound logical…so which one are we supposed to go with?
I think it depends on how many days you are having at EPCOT. ON my upcoming trip I am spending 2.5 days at EPCOT, so FPP Frozen on day 1 and RD Soarin (RD Soarin b/c it is a fairly high capacity ride and the waits are not bad at RD)
Day 2, FPP for TT.
Day 3 RD Frozen… (no FPP in EPCOT - using those at another park).
If I was just 1 day, I would still probably RD Soarin or Frozen and then try to move quickly to the other and FPP TT. Just my 2 cents. TT is just notorious for being down at RD and so, if you head ther for RD… and it is down (like in the video) then you have to scramble… If it is up, then you are fine pretty much either way…
we had one big EP day. we followed the video. Entered at IG at 9, got to FEA by 9:10, out by 9:30, and made our way to Soarin. Done there by just after 10. We had FP for TT approx 1pm. And lo and behold, it turned into a very rainy day around the time of our FP, so we got a multiexperience one to use on it later. It didn’t reopen until 6pm ish I think, but we still did get on it. I am pretty sure almost everyone that had a FP that day was trying to still ride, so there was no standby line, only FP and single rider. Glad we did it this way. Before I watched the video, I wasn’t even sure we were committed to making it to FEA. But that gave me the confidence to do all 3.
The point in the video is that if you FP Test Track and it is down, you will receive a multiexperience FP and can then ride TT later…or if it is still down something else.
If you rope drop TT and it is down, you don’t ride it AND don’t get the bonus FP.
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Agreed. Point I was making (inelegantly I suppose) is that the video shows that Frozen and Soarin’ can USUALLY be done at RD relatively efficiently. So, unless there is a compelling reason otherwise, grab a FPP for TT in the later morning, and knock out frozen and Soarin in the first hour or so…
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I’ll add that the hype for FEA has gone down a bit since last year.
Here’s a great link on that subject:
https://www.easywdw.com/easy/blog/epcot-international-gateway-rope-drop-to-frozen-ever-after-32118/14
Because the crowd is more “even” at RD between the three rides (Soarin’ - TT - FEA), than last year, it does make FEA a better option at RD, securing a FP+ for TT.
Still, if you don’t mind, doing TT using the single rider may still be the best option.
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I was there Wednesday on a CL 3 day and rode all 3 easily. We had 11:30 FP for FEA, and that was our 3rd FP of the day. Went to soarin at rope drop, got on in less than 15 minutes. (And got a rider switch.) After scanning in at FEA, I checked for a TT FP at 11:35 and there were none. I had read that they release same day FP’s for TT at 11:37, so I kept refreshing, and they showed up right at 11:37! I booked for 5:00 (and got a rider switch). I could have gotten it sooner, but we were heading out for naptime. Then after scanning in for TT, I was able to get another soarin FP for 7:30.
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CL is predicted as a 7 the day we will be there. I might be able to swing another morning…I’m still adjusting days since I decided to do DAH at MK our last night.