FastPass+ – 9 Things You Need to Know

One of the biggest tasks that should be completed before your Disney vacation is to select your FastPasses. Sometimes it can feel like you need a Ph.D. to understand the process. Don’t fret. We’ve put together a basic primer on the service so you can take advantage of FastPass+ during your next visit to Disney World. Here are the 9 things you need to know about FastPass+.

9 – What the Service Can Do for You

Disney FastPass+ service lets you reserve 3 or more passes per day, per park, to select attractions, entertainment, and more. Having a FastPass+ reservation allows you to enter the FastPass+ lane during a selected time window (1 hour). Usually, a FastPass+ reservation can save you a lot of time waiting in seriously long lines. Using FastPass+ is optional, but there really is no reason I can think of why you wouldn’t want to take advantage of the service. You don’t have to plan out your whole day to take advantage of skipping a few lines.

8 – Start with a My Disney Experience Account

To make FastPass+ selections you must register with Disney by creating a My Disney Experience account. First, you’ll start by creating a travel group (your immediate family) and adding them to your Family & Friends list. Then, you can connect your account with your extended family or friends so that you’ll be able to make and share plans together. You’ll then need to link your tickets and reservations to your account. That way your hotel and dining reservations appear in your plans. From then on you can use this account to make online reservations for resorts and dining. It will also enable you to make FastPass+ reservations.

7 – Research the Attractions You Want

Most of the Disney attractions have FastPass+ available. Not only that, but entertainment choices such as stage shows and special viewing areas for parades are offered as FastPass+ options as well. Finally, there are picks for character greetings where you could meet Mickey Mouse or many other characters. Each person in your party initially receives up to 3 selections. Note that they don’t need to be the same attractions. If you have a child who can’t ride Space Mountain, you can select an attraction they can ride, even if others in your party will ride Space Mountain.

When deciding what you want to do for your FastPass+ selections, keep in mind that you’re trying to maximize your time at the Parks. Make a list of the top things you want to do in the park that day. What are your musts? Are those wait times long? Will you be getting to the park at opening? Keep in mind that while Pirates of the Caribbean might be a must-do for your budding pirate, if you get to the park at opening, the wait time should be short, and so you don’t need to “waste” a selection on a ride that has a short wait time. Find out the attractions you should not waste your FastPass+ selections on and the attractions you should always try to get a FastPass reservation.

It can seem overwhelming and very decidedly non-spontaneous, but planning ahead is becoming more and more critical for a Disney World vacation. Keep in mind that you can change your mind (see tip #2) and you can actually be flexible during the day. We simply recommend talking with your travel party to get a good idea of what everyone wants to do. Designate 1 person to be the planner and have them make the selections for everyone. Rather than seeing this as a chore, make it part of the fun for the group leading up to the trip. Plan a Disney Planning Night for the group and make it a party.

6 – Beware of the “Tier Groups”

Beware that some parks have limitations on what selections can be made. For instance, at Hollywood Studios, you cannot select Toy Story Mania and Slinky Dog Dasy. You can only pick one since they are in the same group. Here are the current groups at the Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot. There is no grouping restrictions at Magic Kingdom.

Hollywood Studios–

Group 1 (pick one from this group): Slinky Dog Dash, Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Group 2 (pick 2 from this group): Alien Swirling Saucers, Toy Story Mania, Rock’ n Roller Coaster, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage, Fantasmic!, Disney Junior-Live on Stage!, For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!, Muppet*Vision 3D, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

At this time, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is still not included in FastPass.

Epcot–

Group 1 (pick one from this group): Frozen Ever After, Soarin’, Test Track, Epcot Forever

Group 2 (pick 2 from this group): Living With the Land, Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival, Journey Into Imagination with Figment, Mission Space, Spaceship Earth, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Turtle Talk with Crush.

Animal Kingdom–

Group 1 (pick one from this group): Na’vi River Journey or Avatar Flight of Passage

Group 2 (pick 2 from this group): Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo – The Musical, It’s Tough to Be a Bug!, Kali River Rapids, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost, Primeval Whirl, Rivers of Light.

5 – Make Your Selections Early

With the purchase of a ticket or annual pass, you can start making selections as early as 30 days before you arrive. Disney resort guests get the added perk of choosing their selections 60 days before check-in! (Note that is based on your check-in date! You can select Fastpass+ for your entire vacation at the 60-day mark). The Fastpass+ window opens at 7 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. So, if you are looking for coveted passes such as Slinky Dog Dash, Avatar Flight of Passage, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Ride then be sure to set alarms, so you don’t miss out.

Again, spontaneity is not altogether removed from the process. We live very near to Disney and sometimes do not decide to go to the parks until that very day. I can usually make desirable selections that morning. I know I probably won’t get the top attractions, but I can still have plenty of choices, and we are typically pleased. The key here, though, is the sooner, the better. The earlier you make your reservations, the more options you will have for selections and times.

4-Know Your Options

So how do you actually make the selections? Good question. You can make them on your mobile device using the My Disney Experience app, or you can make them online using the FastPass+ Service site. There, you are given options to make new FastPass+ or update or cancel existing FastPasses. When you are making new FastPass+ selections, you will choose your party, your date, your park, and then you will make your selections one at a time. You do have some flexibility and more control over the FastPass options. You can choose to see morning, afternoon, and evening times as well as selecting a specific time in your day.  You also may reserve anywhere from 1-3 FastPasses at a time. Note, however, that your first 3 choices still must be at the same park.

3 – Make Selections for Your Entire Party

If you are traveling with people outside of your immediate family, you can make selections for people who have been approved on your Friends & Family list. For instance, when making selections traveling with my sisters, I was able to reserve FastPasses for the entire party because our accounts were linked.

2 – You Can Change Your Mind

If later you decide to change the times, simply visit the FastPass+ website or app and choose to modify existing selections. You can make as many changes as you want so long as there are open slots. If you’re going to ride the Mine Train ride in the morning, but it is only giving you night hours, then those morning slots are taken and not available. Likewise, if you only initially selected 1 FastPass, but want to add more, just go through the process of choosing new FastPasses until you have your initial 3 passes.

1 – You Can Make More Selections

To use the FastPass+ reservation be sure to arrive during the arrival window. You will not be allowed to enter early or late. Disney strictly enforces coming during the window. Don’t miss your time window! All you need is your Magic Band or admission ticket ready to enter the attraction.

After you’ve used your FastPass+ selections for the day, you can make more reservations using your My Disney Experience App or a FastPass+ kiosk found around the parks. If you have a Park Hopper option, you can use your initial 3 FastPass+ selections at one theme park, and then make additional selections (one at a time) using the App or a kiosk located in the second park you visit on the same day. After you have used your 4th FastPass, feel free to keep making new FastPass reservations, one at a time, as long as they are available.