FastPass+ is a system that was introduced to replace the original paper FastPass system (RIP, FastPass dash) in 2014. People were INCREDIBLY skeptical about FastPass+ being introduced, as many people had learned how to use and work the old FastPass system to their full advantage over the years (yours truly included). It took a while, but I have become a raving fan of the new system. FastPass+ allows guests to book FastPasses before their trip, and manage their FastPasses via the My Disney Experience App, or Web Browser. Walt Disney Resort Guests can book their FastPass+ Reservations 60 days early, while non-resort guests can book 30 days early, because Disney believes in an incentive-based program (and when you’re fighting for a limited spot to meet Anna and Elsa, staying on property will suddenly start looking much more appealing, trust me). This might sound like a no-brainer, but you have to have valid park admission to book a FastPass+. David and I have annual passes, which are linked to our My Disney Experience App, and allow us to book FastPass+ reservations in advance. If you don’t have the My Disney Experience App downloaded, stop reading this, and go download it. Disney does most things right, and this app is at the top of things that I’m loving them for lately. It has park hours, the ability to book FastPasses and Dining Reservations, and has your itinerary for you to reference as well. I love it like mid level rappers like to reference the Kardashians (or like I like to reference the Kardashians, which is also a lot).
Now that we have a basic understanding of WHAT Fastpass+ is, let’s talk about WHY it matters. Fastpass+ lets you in through a separate line at an allotted time, and bypass the 75 minute wait time, and (almost essentially) get to the front. There’s nothing in the world that makes you feel more like Kanye West, than having a FastPass+ to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in the middle of summer, and walking past everyone else waiting in line who don’t have FastPasses, and are having to wait in the heat. We firmly believe that the number one thing that leads to tantrums and fights at Disney World is long lines and heat – and planning your FastPasses well can help you avoid that.
You don’t get unlimited FastPasses. I wish you did. In a perfect, candy coated, Willy Wonky-run world, I would get unlimited FastPasses and never wait in another line again – and they would go ahead and release the new season of Gilmore Girls. But we live in this world, and in this world, we only are allowed three per day, for a specific park. However, after those have been used, you can book another FastPass+ at a kiosk.
All FastPass+ reservations are not created equal. For example, we have seen people using a FastPass+ before at The Living With The Land Boat Ride at Epcot. We love this boat ride, but we’ve never seen the line longer that twenty minutes, which makes it a bad use of a FastPass+. Here are examples of good uses of a FastPass+.
Magic Kingdom:
Seven Dwarves Mine Train
Space Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Peter Pan’s Flight
Splash Mountain
Epcot:
Soarin’
Test Track
Mission Space
Illuminations
Frozen Ever After
Hollywood Studios:
Toy Story Midway Mania
The Hollywood Tower of Terror
Rockin Roller Coaster
Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Expedition Everest
The Jungle Book: Alive With Magic (Limited Run. After that, it will be used for Rivers of Light, if it ever gets up and running. Here’s hoping!)
While these are good choices to make in each park, it’s important to note that in some parks you will only be able to chose a certain amount of top tier or ‘tier 1’ attractions, and you should have some back up choices ready.
We hope our guide to FastPass+ helps you wait in line less, and enjoy Walt Disney World more on your next trip. We’ve come to love the new system because it gives us the ability to spend more time together, and more time enjoying the beauty and ambiance of the parks, which is huge for us. No matter what you choose for your FastPass+ experiences, we know you’ll have an amazing trip!