So the opening/summer rush to TSL should be winding down, what does RD at HS look like these days? Is the park opening earlier than posted to allow guests to head to TSL before official opening? People packed in like sardines for access like to Pandora at AK? How early to arrive to RD SDD and AS2 with just adults? I’m assuming I won’t get FPP for those as it’s our 60+1 day and we are heading to F&W in the afternoon.
2 Likes
I can’t answer your first few questions, but can share a recent experience with Fast Passes for SDD. I had no trouble getting TSMM or AS2 at 60+1, but there was no SDD availability. At 60+3 the earliest SDD I could get was for 4:35pm. However, Disney recently extended evening park hours by one hour which then opened up several fast pass times for SDD. I was able to nab a 7:15pm FP for our arrival day! All this to say, keep your eye posted on the time changes and check back often. You never know when you might be able to grab a fast pass!
2 Likes
Thanks for the info. When is your trip?
September 29-October 2
We were at Disney towards the end of July. We did not even attempt to RD Pandora (we’ve done it before). We did manage to get FPPs for FOP 32 days out when Disney extended the park hours. We did RD TSL one morning and it was so worth it. It was not the chaos that RD at Pandora was for us. TSL had EMH that started at 7 am. We tapped in at 6:25 am and were held on Hollywood Blvd until 6:30 when CMs walked us to TSL. There were several hundred people in front of us. Most went straight to SDD (we did too). We waited about 25 minutes. We then rode AS2 and TSM. The grabbed some food at Woody’s Lunchbox. We left TSL and rode RNR with a minimal wait and then TOT x 2 with a minimal wait. We actually left the park at 8:30. It was amazing. And don’t give up on the idea of FPPs for SDD–we snagged ours 35 days out. I just checked the site as often as I could.
3 Likes
Thanks for the details. Did you arrive at 6:25 or is that just when they let everyone in? Wondering how late pre-RD we can arrive after a late night before (currently 9 am open).
We arrived at 6:25 am–I was aiming for 6:15 but that didn’t quite happen. It still worked out well. I would probably say at least 30 minutes, but 45 minutes would be better. It didn’t seem as crazy as Pandora at RD. But I will say that by the time we left TSL (around 7:30) the wait time for SDD was 65 minutes.
2 Likes
Our HS day similar to yours @Dreamer, Oct 6. Open time is scheduled as 9am. I’m thinking, as long as crowds continue, they’ll maybe set up 8am open 7am emh, or something similar.
That schedule seems unfair to offsite folks, tho.
At 60 & 7 I was only able to get SDD fpps for 6:15, which throws off rest of fpps that day. I’ll keep trying to move up, but tricky since 9 of us. If they add hours tho, I’ll for sure try again then.
Planning to also RD, since littlest 1 has already decided this will be her new fave ride! So cute.
2 Likes
Your littlest may just be right–it’s a fun ride. Another option would be to get in line at the end of night (not sure how late your littlest could stay up though).
1 Like
We used the late night option last time @HS, DS & Dgs rode RnR 7 times in a row haha! I used to be able to do that, not so long ago!
We keep mostly to home time sleep hours. Exception will be MNSSHP, tho we’ll leave right after 1st FWs (seeing them around train station).
HS our last park day, so might stay late again, we shall see. I heard a report recently that the “stacking” method wasn’t working for SDD at end of night. So I’m wondering if anyone has tried that lately.
That would be a big help for folks staying offsite, who can’t ride SDD w/o a long wait otherwise.
3 Likes
Doesnt quite apply to your scenario, because we had already done TSL earlier in the week. But I got up and RD DHS at 7 (arrival time) solo, so I could do all the “big kid” rides they (Mom and daughter) didn’t want to do. I rode TT, RR and ST 2 and 3x, no wait, and got pictures with every character I wanted to (which was everyone but the fuzzy guy and the mean guy). I was back at the hotel by 9:30am, and they were still fast asleep 
1 Like
I would be very surprised if they opened the park earlier in October. The crowds in TSL are nothing like Pandora. Next week is the last week of EMH at 7, then they have one more week of EMH every day at 8 in HS before going back to regular schedule with EMH once a week.
Not impossible that will change, but I would say not likely at this point.
Do you think park hours are pretty set for late September/early October? I figured by now Disney would have push pause on moving times around, but I can’t remember if they have made hour changes at the one month mark.