Need some people to chime in here! I need some ideas.
I have not been since FP, but we're going in 29 days! I have looked over my plans and FP selections a thousand times...I think I am sticking with what I have: RD 3 days and FP's a bit later. I just feel like that first hour or so, even with a lot of people rope dropping and possibly a lot of people scheduling early FP's, is still a precious time. The earliest time I scheduled was 10:00, and may not use those until closer to 11 depending on what else we get done. We have 2 mornings and one evening in MK and that should be plenty to get everything done!
I have pretty much the same strategy and am 35 days out. We usually RD, break in the afternoon, and return after dinner. Most of our FPs are in the 10 am- 1 pm range. Then hoping to get some extras later on when we return or hop to another park. Our RD plan is to head to BTMRR and Splash before the 10-11 FP window for 7DMT.
For MK, from all I have read this plan definitely works. The only exception I have seen would be a FP+ for SDMT or A&E early. As of today I would take the first FP+ time giving to me for those 2 attractions and plan the rest of the day around them. Another words if the 1st option for SDMT was 9-10, I would take it versus trying to change and find no other time. But anyway for MK, what I have read is you can use your 3 before 3 in the afternoon and still get a good one for the evening. Will that apply on Christmas week? Probably not. Of course if going on Christmas you probably want to plan a little different anyway.
I have pretty much the same strategy and am 35 days out. We usually RD, break in the afternoon, and return after dinner. Most of our FPs are in the 10 am- 1 pm range. Then hoping to get some extras later on when we return or hop to another park. Our RD plan is to head to BTMRR and Splash before the 10-11 FP window for 7DMT.
I have not been during Christmas week, though I have also heard that parks can close to capacity at that time. We usually go in June/July, which is crowded but not closed (except possibly MK on the 4th?). For us in the summer, when the parks are open later, this usually works well.
Thanks for clarifying, when you visit the world use to be the time frame my family use to visit...(then our daughter graduated)..so I know what you mean about the 4th....it only took us 1 time to make that mistake....Than we started to spend the 4th at our resort, and once I timed it perfectly to eat at Ohanas ,,,we had a front row seat for the fireworks....Oh Disney Magic at it's best!