Okay - so the whole family (me, DH, DD4, DS1) are headed to the World for my 40th birthday. I’m the only one who will want to ride FOP (kids too short, husband doesn’t like flying, heights, or thrill rides). Is it possible that the four of us show up to the ride and ask for rider switch. DH gets in line while I take kids elsewhere, then a few minutes later, DH leaves line without waiting very long and never having gone on the ride. Would I then be able to use the rider switch basically without any of us having to wait? (I realize that I have no idea where the CM will be - if the line stretches across the bridge as I’ve seen I assume we’d have to wait in line at least until we get to where they can scan our bands, so this may defeat the entire purpose…but just looking for a strategy in the event I can’t get a solo fast pass). We do have PPO reservations at Tusker House and I was thinking about skipping out of that early and just waiting in line myself but recent threads and the TP suggest even at that hour I’d have to wait for 70 minutes or so…
RS requires FPs for everyone involved. I
That’s not usually the case any more. It was for a short while when the electronic version of RS was rolled out, but not so much now.
Welcome! So I know I have read some reports that RS at FOP sometimes ends up with a return time based on the standby wait time. So your return time may not be right away. I’m sure people will chime in with recent reports on that. I would think that could still work as long as having a delayed RS doesn’t interfere with any other RS plans.
If it were me, I would take the option of leaving TH early to join the RD crowd or try for a SDFP. With one, I would not think it would be a problem to get one.
As far as the wait times go, touring plans doesn’t no how good you may or may not be at rope drop. So whatever time is the start time or your plan, TP assumes that you are coming into the park at that time. Since AK regularly opens FOP early, wait times at opening are already long, but if you choose to do rope drop, you’ll be there before then. (I would plan to go over to join the crowd at about half past the hour)
I don’t think that will work. If the earliest PPO is at 8am, then by 8:30am, the crowds will already have built up for Pandora, and specifically FoP.
And depending when the trip is, there are daily EMH from 7-8am anyway, so there won’t actually be PPO reservations. And after the half marathon day on 3rd November, those EMH could also be extended, or at least re-introduced by the beginning of December for the opening of Rise of the Resistance.
I’m not sure what’s been happening lately with RS return times. It used to be given based on the stand-by wait times, but I haven’t paid much attention to things recently.
Why not just get FP for him and for you and you just use his band to scan in for the second ride?
OP was asking in case she can’t get an FP though,
I wondered about TH PPO - have never done that one so wasn’t really sure how it works. I’ve never ridden from the back of the RD crowd so not sure what kind of wait that would generate if OP were to join the crowd at say 8:30/8:40 when the park is not officially open but the crowd is certainly there and riding.
RS with the SB time might be the best option just because it functions like a FPP, just won’t necessarily be instantaneous.
Thanks all - yep, planning for the event that I can’t get a FP.
No EMH the day we’re going (mid January weekday, expected crowd level of 3) so leaving my kids and husband to eat while I beat the RD crowd may be the way to go.
And thanks for the heads up about SDFP for one person. If all else fails, I’ll try for that.
As far as using the RS option, I was fine if the return time was much later - I’m basically just trying to minimize the time of have to leave the husband with the kids by himself! (And also not force the kids to wait in a line with me for a ride they can’t experience.) I just didn’t know if there was a way they verify if the first person actually goes on the ride/waits the whole standby time or not. And also, I didn’t know where you get the RS pass (as in do you have to wait in the standby line a long time before you get there or is it at the end of the line regardless of how long).
If you decide to go the SDFP route, definitely use the fastpass drops. There are particular times they tend to add more passes. Thread below is a place to see what the most recent drop times are.
For many rides this week including FOP here is how our RS worked. We went to the RS station, they asked who was staying with the child and scanned that band, asked who was riding with the 2nd rider and scanned their bands, then asked if we had fast pass and set our time. I do not think it automatically shows if the person riding has Fast pass as they would not have to even be on your mde to do RS with you. (My sister helped me). I also don’t think they would have asked every time if it showed. I think if you go up as if dh has FP it will work for you to get RS. Worst case is they set it for standby time and you all go do something together like NR
What you wrote in your original post will work. The is no way to know if the first person rides.
In fact, I would go so far as to say they wouldn’t care if your husband never got in line and just walked away with you.
Too early to say yet though.
RotR opens 5th Dec. Now for Galaxy”s Edge opening, they’ve added daily EMH for two months. And RotR is a) the major ride and b) opening in Orlando first.
If it works in September / October, I expect them to do much the same in December / January too.
There really isn’t anything you can do now to plan around that, other than to be aware and possibly have a plan B. By the time you come to book FPs, hopefully they will have made a decision.
Riding Flight of Passage with No Wait - YouTube. Here’s the TP video for RDing FOP. We went by this in October, worked great.
The tricky part I guess is finding something for rest of fam to do while you ride FOP. FOP BTW is amazing- so don’t miss it.
Early morning is the best time for short lines. So maybe they could head over to Dinoland, some rides for littles there. Or maybe get CS breakfast @Kusafari, go on KSafari . The safari is not a bad place to visit twice even on same day. It’s always a different experience.
BTW, RD for FOP is a crazy mad dash, to have it work right. Might want to rethink bringing littles into that fray (not as bad as the mad dash @HS though).
We were successful getting 2nd ride on FOP just b4 park close, was around a 15 minute line. Or you may have luck with the same day drop. They weren’t around during our trip, but I know lots of Liners having success with that lately.
Ive actually removed a ride and added a step to reflect a more reasonable time if RDing, just so the rest of my plan stays on schedule.
Yes you can definitely not ride. Your husband would most definitely not need wait in line at all.
That’s kind of what I do too. I leave it off and just start my plan 15/30 minutes after opening and then reevaluate when I get off the ride I am RD-ing.
This would be great if TP added a RD option for a ride and automatically cut wait time by say maybe 50%. But its an easy work around, lol.
Another option would be for you to go to the park before your family and do a true RD to ride FOP. Then do something just after opening - maybe KS with the whole family, or have them meet you in Pandora to do NRJ before going up to do KS. The you could all go to breakfast together at TH.