After this post where I touched on Disney closing a FastPass+ loophole, I decided to poke around on the internet to see what was out there with respect to FP scams. People running scams don't usually publicly advertise or brag because that would be fairly stupid and the more people taking advantage of a loophole will most likely lead to it's closure. In addition, the folks over at the largest Disney online forum simply shut down people who attempt to discuss things you shouldn't be doing but they've done it anyway and they want to call out how it saved them time, money, etc.
Also, this most recent FastPass+ loophole is not the first one Disney has had to make changes to in order to keep guests from scamming. Apparently, people had figured out how to make FP+ reservations in the park under inactive park tickets. This was mainly a scam of local tour operators. You know, the ones who promise to whisk you through Disney without having to wait in line. These are also the scumbags who abused the Guest Assistance Card, forcing Disney to make changes to that program. Disney took aggressive steps to end that FP+ scam a couple of years by freezing accounts for those using a FP+ under an inactive ticket, which supposedly cast members can now see when you swipe your band to enter a FP+ line.
None of the above is new or surprising. Someone's always going to find a way to beat the system and Disney will have to make adjustments to shut them down. It was a little interesting to see all the bad information out there with respect to FastPass+ strategy. Or should I say hacks. Right? Everything has to be a hack nowadays.
Anyone can publish a blog or write an article on the best way to utilize Disney's FastPass+ system. This doesn't mean the information or advice they are spewing is any good. My advice to you is to focus on strategy and not "hacks" or "scams." If you come across someone claiming to know the best way to book FP+, check around with the bigger Disney bloggers and websites. I can guarantee they will tell you something different, because they know what they are talking about.
What's an example of bad advice?
If you go to use a FastPass and the standby line is less than 15 minutes, you should join the standby line, cancel that FP reservation and make a new FP reservation for a different ride.
Don't do this!
First, let's talk about how it could be that a ride/attraction for which you've made a FP reservation would have a standby line of less than 15 minutes. You make FP reservations to avoid long lines and in Disney-speak, a standby line of 15 minutes or less is not a long line.
1. You made a FP reservation for a ride/attraction which doesn't need a FP reservation.
Almost every single ride and attraction at the Disney World parks has a FP option, even though several of these rides/attractions typically do not see heavy wait times. Disney offers guests the ability to initially make 3 FP reservations per day. If Disney only opened FP reservations for the more popular rides, those would fill up and guests would complain that they aren't able to make use of FP.
Despite the overabundance of Disney planning books, websites and blogs, there are guests who simply, for whatever reason, do not plan. I think many don't even know they have to plan. Without planning, it's impossible to know which rides are popular and these guests are more likely to end up with FP reservations for the unpopular rides. In a way, I think Disney counts on this happening.
As it turns out, the blogger giving out the advice to cancel FP reservations for rides with standby lines of 15 minutes or less was referring to a FP reservation she had for the Tea Cups. Of the countless planning websites and blogs out there, none of the bigger ones will ever tell you to make FP reservations for Tea Cups.
2. You made a FP reservation for morning and you've arrived to the park early and it happens to be slow that day.
This is a scenario that plays out quite often. Suppose Magic Kingdom opens at 9:00 and your FP reservation for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train falls within the 9:30 to 10:30 window. You happen to arrive at the gates right at 9:00 and because you've checked the wait times on your phone, you know that the standby line for Mine Train is at 15 minutes. By the time you make your way through the park, the wait time for the standby line is at 20 minutes.
Here's the strategy you should follow in this situation: Join the standby line. Ride the Mine Train. Then ride the Mine Train for a second time using your FP.
Why wouldn't you just cancel your FP and add another?
Disney allows you to make 3 FP reservations and when those have been used or the time has expired, you can add another FP. After that one is used, you can add another. Repeat. If you were to cancel that morning FP for Mine Train and attempt to add another FP, unless you hit the lottery, chances are the only FP selections available will be later on in the day or for rides which don't have long wait times.
If you cancel the Mine Train FP and add one for Small World for 4:00, you won't be able to add another FP until after you've used that Small World FP. If you made your initial 3 FP reservations for the morning, you most likely would be able to add one similar to that 4:00 Small World FP without canceling the Mine Train FP. Smart strategy tells you to ride Mine Train twice. Think of it as a bonus.
It's best to focus on strategy versus "beating the system" when making FP reservations. If you're unsure if a move is good strategy, google search it. The bigger planning sites will all give you the same idea when it comes to strategy. Yes, some of it is opinion, especially as the popularity of rides change, but for the most part, it will be similar information.
Here are my strategy tips for making FastPass reservations:
1. When you make your reservations, go in order of what is most important to you versus chronological order. If you really want a FP for Slinky Dog Dash and you'll be headed to Hollywood Studios on the last day of your trip, make that reservation first. If you wait to make all your other FPs, that one will most likely be gone by the time you get to it.
2. Make your FPs for morning time so you can others later on in the day.
3. But don't make them too early. Leave that first half hour or so after the park opens free because standby lines most likely will have low wait times.
4. If you're unsure of which rides you should be making FP reservations for, do a google search. There are so many sites out there detailing wait times for rides. This will give you a good idea of which rides have long wait times.
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