Disney’s FastPass service is one of the best tools to help you minimize your time in lines while enjoying the Disney Parks. There are 25 attractions at Magic Kingdom alone that offer FastPass, and many more at the other theme parks. So how do you know when to use a FastPass? Here’s my guide to using FastPasses to make the most of your Disney vacation.
How FastPass Works
First, let’s take a look at how the FastPass system works:
FastPasses are essentially reservations for Disney attractions that give you access to a shorter line. The typical wait with a FastPass is about 5-15 minutes, while waiting in the regular standby line for popular attractions can take 30-120 minutes (or more).
At Walt Disney World, guests can reserve up to three FastPasses in advance for each day of their trip. Each advanced FastPass must be reserved in the same park (even if you have a Park Hopper ticket) and must adhere to certain “tier” rules (certain parks have FastPasses split into tiers where you may only select one from the priority group). While only those three can be booked ahead of time, guests can reserve additional FastPasses within the parks using the My Disney Experience app or kiosks.
Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel may reserve FastPasses starting 60 days before check-in. All other guests may begin 30 days before arrival.
At Disneyland, guests may still use FastPasses but they must be reserved within the parks themselves. If you are using MaxPass you may reserve them from the Disneyland app, but otherwise you’ll need to visit each attraction’s individual FastPass kiosk.
When to Use a FastPass
Since each FastPass has a waiting period, you can’t continuously book new FastPasses throughout the day (although that would be great, wouldn’t it?). So how do you know which FastPasses to book?
Here’s how to prioritize your FastPasses:
- Which attractions will have a wait longer than 30-45 minutes on average?
- Which attractions are on my “must do” list?
- Which attractions would I like to ride, but wouldn’t want to wait for?
- Which attractions would I be interested in experiencing if I have any remaining FastPass opportunities?
When I choose my FastPasses (particularly those reserved in advance), I focus first on the ones that will have the longest wait times. Then I keep working down the list throughout the day.
Here are a few FastPasses that you’ll always want to consider a priority:
Magic Kingdom:
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Space Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
Epcot:
- Soarin’ (Tier 1)
- Frozen Ever After (Tier 1)
- Test Track (Tier 1)
Animal Kingdom:
- Avatar Flight of Passage (Tier 1)
- Na’vi River Journey (Tier 1)
- Expedition Everest
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Kali River Rapids
Hollywood Studios:
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Tier 1)
- Toy Story Mania! (Tier 1)
- Tower of Terror
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
Disneyland:
- Space Mountain
- Matterhorn Bobsleds
- Splash Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
California Adventure:
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout
- Radiator Springs Racers
- Soarin’
- Toy Story Midway Mania
- California Screamin’
FastPass Planning
When I work with clients, I go over everything on their wish list so I can help them find the perfect FastPasses for their visit. I also book the FastPasses for them (Walt Disney World), so they don’t have to wake up at 7 AM (4 AM PST) to log in to their computers.
You can certainly research and plan your own Disney vacation, but why put in all that work when you can have a “mouse expert” do it for free? When you book your trip with me you get to do as much or as little planning as you like, and you also get to support a small business in the process.
If you’d like to learn more about what I do, check out my website for a list of services I provide. You can request a free quote and consultation for any Disney Destination too!
If you have any questions, feel free to send me an email at jtullino@themouseexperts.com.
So which FastPasses will you choose?
