Navigating the Fastpass+ System at Disney World

If you are a regular visitor at Disney World, 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.

 

What is Fastpass+?

Fastpass+ is a system in which you can reserve specific ride times in advance, pre-planned before your arrival at Disney World. 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. This will allow you to 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 (or a Disney recognized hotel), 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. I always recommend that everyone uses it! I am the kind of Disney traveler 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:

 

1. Which parks you will go to on which days
2. 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. If you are not an early bird though, 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 Disney World, but you can help to make it more efficient by using Fastpass+. It is so easy to use, 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)
• Peter Pan
• Space Mountain (TH)
• Splash Mountain (TH)
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (TH)

 

Epcot:

• Frozen Ever After
• Soarin’
• Test Track (TH)

 

Hollywood Studios:

• Toy Story Midway Mania
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Tower of Terror (TH)
• Rock n’ Roller Coaster (TH)
• Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

 

Animal Kingdom:

• Flight of Passage
• Navi River Journey
• Kilimanjaro Safari
• Expedition Everest (TH)
• DINOSAUR (TH)
• Kali River Rapids

 
If you need more guidance with planning your vacation, visit my full Planning Guide, which walks you through all the steps. Don’t let the planning intimidate you, enjoy it, you are on your way to a magical time!

 

 
Our preferred travel agency is Click the Mouse. They specialize in Disney destinations and will help you plan out all the little details. Best part is that their services are FREE when you book your vacation with them. Personalized service at no extra cost to you! To get a quote from a Click the Mouse travel agent, simply click on the quote button below and they will be back in touch with you:

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