Pandora in Animal Kingdom

[KrisM]

We will be there in June. We will have 2 day park hopper tickets and the main goal is to see the new Pandora section in Animal Kingdom. The kids would also like to see Epcot and Hollywood Studios if possible. One of the 2 days we have set aside for Disney will also include a waterpark first, so it's just late afternoon and on for that day for a theme park.

Anyway, my questions are for Animal Kingdom. I've read that riding Flight of Passage is possible at rope drop. So, we could get there early and ride it then. Hopefully we can ride again with a fast pass. I've also read that the area is beautiful at night and that Flight of Passage can be ridden late at night okay as well. I'm trying to plan if we want to start the day or finish the day in Animal Kingdom. Or do we just spend the entire day there?

I know the kids would like to ride Expedition Everest a couple times as well. I don't know what to expect for lines there. And we'd like to do the new river ride in Pandora too. I don't know how to work that in unless we are there for rope drop and do it right after Flight of Passage.

If you've been there recently could you share what worked for you?

[WatchingThemGrow]

If you're staying onsite and have extra magic hours, I would totally do that. Parks usually open before water parks IIRC. I would go to the parks, ride the musts, then spend the lunch to 5pm time at the waterpark and head back to the theme park.

[nfceagles]

We were there in December. Had afternoon FPs for FOP but got to the parks around open for the river ride and it was still too late. Line was something like 75 minutes by 10 minutes after open.

Make sure you understand that to rope drop FOP that means being to AK 1-1.5 hours before the scheduled opening and waiting as far into the park as they allow the crowds to go.

Are you staying on property? If not, you will not get FPs for FoP. Even if you are, I think it's unlikely you'll get them on such a short trip. To get them you usually have to look out towards the end of a trip because people arriving before you have already had dibs on your days well before you do.

If you are staying on property I'd try to rope drop AK during a morning extra magic day but that does mean getting up very early to be there 1-1.5hrs before that. If you aren't staying on property I would definitely avoid AK on EMH days because the line will have already built by the time you are allowed to get in.

Since it's unlikely you'll get Pandora FPs, I would schedule an afternoon park for after AK and use your FPs there. Get to AK super early. Do Pandora and then Everest, then switch over to HS or Epcot and schedule your FPs for that park.


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[nfceagles]

BTW- FOP was one of the most amazing rides ever. We were laughing the whole time at people who would wait 210 minutes for any ride. Then when we got out we were joking that we were all now willing to get in that long line to ride it again.

I didn't do the River ride, but my mom and young niece did while the rest of us did FOP. She said it was pretty but very short. So don't hesitate to prioritize FOP over River if you can't do both.


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[SnuggleBuggles]

I've followed some threads on this on other boards and people are getting to the AK like 1-2 hours before opening, as nfceagles said. The line just gets humongous. So, yes, rope drop can work but it isn't going to be easy.

So long as you get in line before the park closes, you can ride- like walk into the line at 8:50 for a 9:00 close.

Do keep checking fast passes like all the time as weird things pop up. But, for a family of 5....that's a lot less likely.

I'd probably end there.

[candaceb]

Pandora opened after we were there last year, but I watched this video a couple of months ago about strategy for rope dropping FoP.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc3E4QhOgCg

[KrisM]

I am hoping for the FoP, but I know they are difficult to get. We are staying at the Dolphin, so get the 60 FP. Right now, we plan to arrive Sunday in the late morning. We're thinking of booking for Saturday night so we have a room when we get there. AK would be on Tuesday, so day 62 or 63 for FP. We'll see how it goes and I will keep on checking for them.

There is EMH for morning scheduled for the Monday, but then we're just at 61 days for FoP, which seems nearly impossible.

Could we do an early morning and rope drop it, stay a few hours, head to Epcot for a few hours, and then return to AK? Is that too difficult all around? Epcot was the 3rd choice park, so if we miss it, we miss it. Epcot would have evening EMH that day, so maybe just do AK and then Epcot later?

Or maybe we should start at Epcot and hop to AK for afternoon FP's and then the night time FoP. But then we'd have no Epcot FP at all.

This is too hard.

[nfceagles]

Disney is too hard, unfortunately, as much as I love it for other reasons.

I think you'll need to decide all this after your FP window opens up and you know whether you have them or not. Try for Tuesday FoP FP and take whatever you can get and then plan your days around that.

If you don't get FoP FPs, I would rope drop Monday morning. Ride FoP then Navi, then whatever else is most important to you. When done, head to Epcot where I would have a FP for Soarin and whatever 2nd tier rides appeal to you the most. Depending on your kids you could consider doing the single rider line at Test Track.
I'm not sure why you'd leave AK and then come back. Plus, transportation is going to eat up a lot of your short 2 day trip. Then make FPs for HS on Tuesday. Toy Story or Rock and Roller plus Tower of Terror and Star Tours are my family's typical choices.


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[KrisM]

I was considering going back to see it at night. No idea if it's worth it though.

We will have a car and thought we'd drive to Animal Kingdom and then back to to Dolphin and then walk to Epcot.

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[nfceagles]

I was considering going back to see it at night. No idea if it's worth it though.

We will have a car and thought we'd drive to Animal Kingdom and then back to to Dolphin and then walk to Epcot.

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Gotcha! I thought it was related to trying to get on the rides at closing, but didn't see the point if you rope dropped them. We haven't seen AK at night since all the changes. We go every 1-2 years and were with extended family and my young niece this time so figured we'd save it for another trip.


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