***MAY 28, 2020 UPDATE: Please note that as of May 28, 2020, when Walt Disney World theme parks begin their phased reopening on July 11, the FastPass+ service will not be available. Disney will be using the FastPass line space to help manage capacity and maintain physical distancing for attractions. While we do not know when FastPass+ will be reinstated, for the time being all FastPass+ reservations have been cancelled. Please continue to check back for more details!
If you’re planning your first trip to Walt Disney World (or maybe your first visit since the FastPass+ system launched), these tips for choosing FastPasses for Disney World are for you! We can’t emphasize enough how important it is to schedule your FastPasses as soon as you can for your visit to Walt Disney World! We also can’t say enough that FastPasses are each party’s individual preference. In other words, what might be “the best Fastpasses” for one family isn’t always going to be the best options for another. However, there are certainly some FastPass selections that’ll save you a lot more time than others. Below you’ll find our in depth guide all about making the most of your FastPasses!
FastPass+ Basics
Disney’s FastPass+ service lets you reserve access to select attractions, rides and entertainment prior to your visit to the Walt Disney World resort Florida. Each guest with a ticket can make 3 advance FastPass selections for a park per day. After the first 3 FastPasses get used during your visit you will be able to make one additional FastPass. Once that one is used you will be able to make one more, and so on.
When Can You Schedule FastPasses?
Guests staying at a non-Disney affiliated hotels but who have purchased their tickets in advance can schedule FastPasses 30 days in advance. Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort or at other select hotels (including Disney Springs Area Hotels and the Four Seasons) are able to schedule FastPasses 60 days prior to your arrival. I can’t stress enough how important that 30 day head start is. Consequently, guests staying off property will have a much more limited selection when their FastPass window finally opens. Click to read more reasons why we always stay on property at Disney World!
When FastPasses open for your dates 60 days in advance, you will be able to schedule your FastPasses selections for your entire length of stay. Regardless of where you’re staying, there is no extra charge for FastPasses!
Accessing the FastPass+ System
Firstly, you will need to go to StartYourDisneyExperience.com and create a ‘My Disney Experience’ account. This is your main hub for planning your entire trip. Here you can view your resort reservation, customize Magic Bands, make dining reservations, make your FastPass+ selections and much more, all from this one central place!
There are a couple different ways guests can access Disney World’s FastPass+ system. The easiest and the one we recommend when you are first sitting down to make all your initial FastPasses is using a computer. We recommend Google Chrome as the browser as it seems to be the smoothest for running the ‘My Disney Experience’ webpage!
The My Disney Experience App
Next, you’ll want to download the My Disney Experience (MDE) App on your smartphone. The App and computer version are linked so anything you do on the computer will be visible on your app too. Furthermore, the MDE mobile app works just like the computer version but you’re able to use it on the go, such as while you’re inside the parks. The MDE app is amazing for checking ride wait times, viewing park maps, mobile ordering, and scheduling FastPasses on the go.
Again, once you have used your first three Fastpasses you scheduled in advance you can use your mobile phone and the MDE app to schedule one additional Fastpass at a time for the rides that have FastPasses left. You can continue making Fastpasses one at a time until the end of the day. Just note that popular rides do sell out of Fastpasses, so there will be more limited selection later on in the day. Lastly, if you don’t have a smartphone compatible with the MDE app, you can visit a FastPass+ Kiosk in the parks where a cast member can assist you with making your next Fastpass.
Planning ahead
It almost goes without saying that you are going to have the best selection of Fastpasses if you plan ahead, so try not to wait until the day your FastPasses open to decide which rides you want to do! FastPasses open at 7:00 AM EST (60 days prior for Disney World resort guests and 30 days for off property guests). To get the most popular rides and times, every second counts once your FastPass window opens! We recommend using our FastPass guide below to help make your selections well in advance and then on your FastPass day all you need to do is go in and schedule them!
Take some time to come together as a family and have some fun picking your FastPasses for each day of your vacation! Planning your FastPasses a few weeks in advance can be a great way for your family to get excited about your upcoming trip!
Tip: If a popular ride isn’t available on the day you are trying to make a FastPass+ reservation for, try a different day later in the week. Remember guests can make FastPasses for their entire length of stay. Therefore it’s more likely you’ll see popular ride FastPasses available closer to the end of your trip.
Getting the Most Value for your Fastpasses at Disney World
Get the best value for your FastPasses with our guide! It’s important to remember that for a family traveling with teens, FastPasses are going to look a lot different than a family traveling with younger kids or a couple traveling together. This guide is intended to help in terms of crowd levels and popularity to save you the most time with your FastPass+ selections! We’ve also included the height requirements for each ride in case you have little ones that may not be tall enough for every ride.
Attraction List for Fastpasses at Disney World
3 of the Parks (with the exception of Magic Kingdom) use a tier based system for selecting FastPasses. This means that out of your first 3 FastPasses, you can only select one “Tier 1” ride. Your other two FastPasses must be from the “Tier 2” list.
We have listed the rides that are statistically best values for using your FastPasses on in each park! The rides are listed in order, from Top to Bottom. In other words, the rides nearer to the top of the list will save you the most time and therefore the best choices for FastPasses!
Magic Kingdom:
Select Three FastPass from this Group
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (38”)
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (40”)
- Splash Mountain (40”)
- Space Mountain (44”)
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Haunted Mansion
- Jungle Cruise
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Tomorrowland Speedway (32”, 54” alone)
- It’s a small world
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- The Barnstormer (35”)
- Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater
- Cinderella and Elena at Princess Fairytale Hall (Character Meet & Greet)
- Rapunzel and Tiana at Princess Fairytale Hall (Character Meet & Greet)
- Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater
- Ariel at Her Grotto (Character Meet &Greet)
- Mad Tea Party
- Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor
- Mickey’s Philharmagic
- Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
Epcot
Tier 1: First, Select One FastPass from this Group
- Soarin (40”)
- Test Track (40”)
- Frozen Ever After
- Epcot Forever
Tier 2: Then Select Two FastPasses from this Group
- Mission Space (44”)
- Spaceship Earth
- Living with the Land
- Journey into Imagination with Figment
- The seas with Nemo and Friends
- Turtle Talk with Crush
- Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Tier 1: First, Select One FastPass from this Group
- Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run (38″) (beginning Feb. 17)
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (beginning Mar. 4)
- Slinky Dog Dash (38”)
Tip: Currently, FastPasses are not available for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. This ride will continue to use the Boarding Group virtual queue system until further notice.
Tier 2: Then Select Two FastPasses from this group
- Toy Story Mania
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (48”)
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (40”)
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue (40”)
- Alien Swirling Saucers (32”)
- Disney Junior Dance Party!
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
- Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage
- For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-A-Long
- Fantasmic
- Muppet Vision 3D
Tip: If you are on the dining plan consider booking a Fantasmic VIP meal package rather than using a FastPass for the show. It’s the same cost (1 dining credit) but you get your meal + reserved seating at Fantasmic! More importantly, you don’t have to use a FastPass to get VIP seating and can use it on another attraction!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Tier 1: First, Select One FastPass from this Group
- Avatar Flight of Passage (44”)
- Na’vi River Journey
Tier 2: Then Select Two FastPasses from this Group
- Expedition Everest (44”)
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Kali River Rapids (38”)
- Dinosaur (40”)
- Primeval Whirl (48”)
- Festival of the Lion King
- Finding Nemo – The Musical
- Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Outpost
- UP! A Great Bird Adventure
- Rivers of Light
- It’s Tough to Be a Bug
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