Best strategy for booking FP for everyone

justmagical · 4 Dec 18, 02:04 PM

Some time yet, but what might be my best strategy to book FPs.

- There are 9 people on 4 separate bookings that I need to book FP's for to ride (hopefully) all at the same time (as we have other joint things in our plan to work around)

- I have set up MDE for the other 3 bookings and can log into them

- Our booking opens 2 days before (3/4/19) the other 3 bookings (5/4/19) which obviously isn't an issue for 3/4/19 & 4/4/19 but will be if I'm booking the rest of our FP's before the other booking window opens!

Do I just book all of ours as planned and then when their booking opens just try to book theirs in at same time and if nothing available start juggling things for all of us?

Am I really going to get FOP for 9 people or am I better breaking it down by ride and going for those for all of us first?

ADR's were so much easier (I'm down to manage their bookings and just booked all dining on mine)

What's the best way to do this...help please

Not stressing yet

**pad406** · 4 Dec 18, 02:32 PM

Are you all on-site? If so then book your FP about 5 days in, which will be +3 for the other booking so should be ok. Add an extra day to be safer.

And remember they don't need to be at the same time just within the hour's window of yours. So if you have booked FOP for 11:00am then you can book theirs anytime from 10:05 to 11:55, it will narrow the actual time you have to be there, but at least you can all go together.

justmagical · 4 Dec 18, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by pad406

Are you all on-site? If so then book your FP about 5 days in, which will be +3 for the other booking so should be ok. Add an extra day to be safer.

And remember they don't need to be at the same time just within the hour's window of yours. So if you have booked FOP for 11:00am then you can book theirs anytime from 10:05 to 11:55, it will narrow the actual time you have to be there, but at least you can all go together.

Thanks for reply

Yes all on site; 1 at AKL, 2 x Sports, 1 at CBR so will be meeting up at the entrances to do parks together. I also have 1, sometimes 2 TS reservations most days so am pretty certain re: rough times I want of FP's and the actual FP's we want - apart from HS days which is 50% split on FPs for certain rides

My biggest concern is the likes of FOP, SDD etc. which I get for us at say 60+ 4 and then 2 days later when I do the other parties, it's not available anywhere near that time IYKWIM

Also saw a post earlier re: TT @ Epcot and looking at the availability calendar on here can only book 2 at a time up to early March (87 days out!)

ETA: Suppose if I can't get it perfect for everyone then it's tough luck - I can only do what I can do

I just wondered what my starting point should be?

Book all ours in first and then move to theirs 2 days later and try and match the timings then best I can when it's open?

**pad406** · 4 Dec 18, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by justmagical

My biggest concern is the likes of FOP, SDD etc. which I get for us at say 60+ 4 and then 2 days later when I do the other parties, it's not available anywhere near that time IYKWIM

It will depend on current ADRs and plans, but book them as far into yours as you can, availability is 'generally' good from 63+

Originally Posted by justmagical

Also saw a post earlier re: TT @ Epcot and looking at the availability calendar on here can only book 2 at a time up to early March (87 days out!)

Must be something going on in Feb, Dec & Jan are showing loads of availability, i.e., every day, for 4

Originally Posted by justmagical

ETA: Suppose if I can't get it perfect for everyone then it's tough luck - I can only do what I can do

I just wondered what my starting point should be?

Book all ours in first and then move to theirs 2 days later and try and match the timings then best I can when it's open?

Yes, that's all you can do. I would do yours and then fit theirs as best you can.

catherinesian · 5 Dec 18, 10:27 AM

I've got exactly the same problem to a lesser scale, party of 4 with 2 arriving 3 days before the other two (us). Worrying about FP's!

So following with interest!

justmagical · 5 Dec 18, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by catherinesian

I've got exactly the same problem to a lesser scale, party of 4 with 2 arriving 3 days before the other two (us). Worrying about FP's!

So following with interest!

Well in 58 days then I shall give you an overview of the great success or complete mess I made of it

**pad406** · 5 Dec 18, 11:03 AM

Just as an FYI, we're there over Christmas, Dec 20th to Jan 8th. A friend is joining us for a few days from 24th to 28th. I had no problem in getting overlapping times for FPs for the days he's going to the parks, 26th & 27th in MK and Epcot, even though he could only book at 30 days out and we had booked a month before.

Epcot was Soarin, Mission Space and Spaceship Earth.
MK was POC, Space Mountain and Big Thunder

So for 'normal' rides I would not expect there to be an issue

Laura_<3 · 5 Dec 18, 01:00 PM

I had this to deal with when we got married back in 2015, however it was made slightly easier as 7 of us were on site and the remaining 4 were off site so it was a case of just trying to get their FP's to match up with ours.

I would recommend you book yours first then try and match everyone else up as best you can.