WE loved Disney’s Fast Pass when we tried it out during our visit. This page was all about that. But now if you want streamlined attraction entry, Fast Pass has morped into:
We just had the opportunity to try it out, and now, know for sure why you want Disneys Fast Pass +.
Update: October 2021 – FastPass is no more. Now it’s their “GENIE” activity access system. Here’s how it works.
Whether you are visiting Epcot, Animal Kingston, Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios, you will want to take advantage of Disney’s no-charge fast pass system. It’s no gimmick, and it’s a win-win for the rides and Disney, and a big win for you.
On a recent visit to Epcot, using the Fast Pass + system saved us hours of in-line waiting time, and it was almost sad to walk past all those folks that didn’t take advantage of the FastPass+ system to pave their way to quicker access to the rides and attractions, and to see that some of them would be waiting more than 2 hours when we enjoyed the same attraction in 20-30 minutes.
The Fast Pass + image above was taken at the Chevrolet Test Track attraction at Epcot. While we were there the Single Rider wait time was more than 150 minutes while the FastPass+ entrance time was 25 minutes.
On other attractions in the park the access signs might say Standby Time on one side and FastPass+ on the other. Regardless, the system is the same.
If there are folks waiting for an attraction, and there almost was, the FastPass+ time was frequently less than one quarter of the time you would have to wait for that attraction without the FastPass+. In many cases there was no wait time at all if you had the FastPass+ while those without had to wait in line.
What is Disneys Fast Pass+?
It is a system where, using your existing ticket to Disney, you can pre-book a time slot when you want to visit the attractions of choice at a Disney Theme Park.
Go to the attraction within the 1-hour time slot that the FastPass+ allows you and you can then access that attraction via the FastPass+ line, moving quickly ahead of the many folks that either didn’t know about the FastPass+ system, or didn’t take the time to book a time slot for the attractions they wanted to see.
What does Fast Pass + Cost
No extra costs, folks. This excellent system is included in your ticket to Walt Disney World!
Where do I get a FastPass+?
If you are one of those folks that order their tickets to Disney ahead of time, you can acquire your FastPass+ via their site. The link is below.
If you are like us and are not sure of what attractions you wish to visit until you get to the park, inside the main entrance you will usually find an area with an array of FastPass access machines ready to go. Almost more importantly, each will typically have an attendant there that will quickly walk you through the process of pre-booking a time-slot for your visits to each attraction of choice.
And since you are already at the park, it’s pretty simple to figure out where you need to be when, and make sure that you don’t book attractions too close together, time wise.
Fast Pass+ Limitations?
There are some limitations to the Disney FastPass+, though they sure don’t outweigh the usefulness of this attraction booking system.
We understand (this is anecdotally – but not official) that folks that are staying in one of the Disney Resorts get first crack at the time slots of the various attractions. That, and the fact that folks can access the system on-line after they have their tickets, can mean that some attraction time slots are fully booked for FastPass+ users.
Each park will have determined which are the high demand attractions, and if others have already booked your desired time slots on that attraction, you may not be able to use FastPass+ when you want to visit that attraction at your desired time. Your only other choice then will be to visit the attraction on your own timetable, and hope that there aren’t hundreds ahead of you waiting for standby. The reality is though that often there are.
If however, and since it is likely that thousands of people are accessing the system at the same time, your keep trying can modify your request to a more acceptable time slot, as people are changing their preferences all the time, and some are even cancelling when they find that they are at a different Theme Park than the one they thought they were at. The attendant can show you how to modify your bookings. Doing this allowed us to move our time slot on the wonderful Soarin’ attraction by more than two hours ahead of the original time slot on the day we were at Epcot.
The system limits you to one booking of key attractions and two bookings of other attractions per use. However, after you have “used” any booking, you can then access the FastPass+ machine and book a new time on another attraction in the park.
Research your park in advance
Even if you wait until you enter the Disney Theme Park as we did, it will be helpful if you know in advance what attractions are most important to you and your family.
With that information in hand, you can plan your park visit around the available time slots for the attractions you want to visit, using Disney’s FastPass+ system.
It’s worth your while (and possible hours of your theme park visit time) to do so.
Disney’s FastPass+. We’re sold!
Get more info at Disney’s site here: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/plan/my-disney-experience/fastpass-plus/
