If you are a regular visitor at DisneyWorld, then Fastpass+ is probably part of your everyday lingo, but to a first time visitor, it can be quite daunting. While it may seem annoying to have to put so much thought in to your park days so far in advance, using the Fastpass+ system can really be the difference between a magical and not so magical vacation. Another bonus – it’s FREE to use!
What is Fastpass+?
Fastpass+ is a system in which you can reserve specific ride times in advance, pre-planned before your arrival at DisneyWorld. This comes in very handy if you are interested in riding some of the top attractions, but don’t want to wait over an hour in line to ride them. You just sign up for an account on My Disney Experience and you can make your Fastpass+ reservations from the comfort of your home. You can select up to 3 attractions per day and they must all be at one park. If you plan to hop between parks, you cannot spread your 3 Fastpasses between more than one park.
You will be given a one hour window of time to show up for each Fastpass. You just go to the attraction during your specified hour, and then you get to go through the special Fastpass line, which usually helps you skip to a very short wait at the beginning of the line. An attraction that could have an 80 minute wait, will then only be approximately a 10 minute wait for you using Fastpass+.
If you are staying at a Disney resort, then you will be able to reserve your Fastpasses once you hit the 60 day mark to your arrival. If you are not staying at a Disney hotel, then you can reserve your Fastpasses 30 days out. As you can imagine, Disney guests do have the advantage here since they have a whole extra month to book their Fastpasses. Some of the really hard to get ones are almost always all gone by 30 days, but don’t fret, that doesn’t mean there is no hope for off-site guests. A lot of people report that they just continue to check everyday leading up to their trip and sometimes the hard to get Fastpasses will pop up with some availability. It’s not a guarantee, but it also is not impossible.
Why Should I Use Fastpass+?
Why not? It’s available to you, free of charge, and it can only enhance your vacation, so I always recommend that everyone use it! I am the kind of Disney traveller that likes to do a lot of planning, but I understand that that isn’t always everyone’s cup of tea. Using the Fastpass+ system really is the bare minimum of planning that I would recommend and all it involves is deciding:
- Which parks you will go to on which days
- The top 3 attractions you want to do at each park, each day
If you take the time to just do that, you will already be ahead of the game and on your way to a magical Disney vacation. Arriving at a park right when it opens will also help to reduce the amount of time you wait in lines because the first hour or two is always the lowest crowds, but if you are not an early bird, then Fastpass+ will be your best friend! Arriving early and using Fastpass+ will most likely ensure that you see everything you want to, but if you prefer to arrive later in the parks and just use Fastpass+, you will at least get your top 3 attractions done with minimum waiting.
Waiting in lines is unavoidable at DisneyWorld, but you can help to make it more efficient by using Fastpass+, which can only make your vacation easier, so why not use it?!
Which Attractions Should I Use Fastpass+ For?
You want to make sure that you make the Fastpass count, so you want to use it on an attraction that will most likely have a long line that you can skip. Here are my top attractions at each park that I would recommend using Fastpass+ for. Those marked with a TH are what I would consider to be a bit more thrilling, so they may not appeal to a very young child:
Magic Kingdom:
- Seven Dwarves Mine Train (very hard FP to get, TH)
- Anna & Elsa meet and greet (very hard FP to get)
- Peter Pan
- Space Mountain (TH)
- Splash Mountain (TH)
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (TH)
- Wishes Fireworks
Epcot:
- Soarin’
- Test Track (TH)
- Meet Disney Pals at the Epcot Character Spot
Hollywood Studios:
- Toy Story Midway Mania
- Tower of Terror (TH)
- Rockin n’ Rollercoaster (TH)
- Star Tours
Animal Kingdom:
- Kilimanjaro Safari
- Expedition Everest (TH)
- Dinosaur (TH)
- Kali River Rapids
Don’t let the planning intimidate you, enjoy it, you are on your way to a magical time!
**If you are looking to save a bit of money on your Disney park tickets, I would recommend using www.undercovertourist.com. They offer a slight discount on 3+ day passes and are a very reputable company. I have ordered my tickets from them for numerous trips and have always been a satisfied customer 🙂