Disney's FASTPASS

FASTPASS is Disney's innovative system to help reduce long waits at the most popular attractions. It was introduced in 1999 and has been very successful. It is essentially a timed ticket that allows you to spend your time elsewhere instead of waiting in line. You return to the attraction or show at the times stated on your FASTPASS to bypass the standby line. FASTPASS is also occasionally used during special events, such as obtaining autographs during Star Wars Weekends.

Absolutely! Any park guest can use FASTPASS. You do NOT have to have any special tickets or be staying at a Disney resort hotel. FASTPASS is available to EVERYONE without an additional fee.

FASTPASS is included in your admission to the park. There is NO extra charge to use the system.

FASTPASS is essentially a "virtual" queuing system - guests who obtain a FASTPASS are entered into a virtual queue in the computer which saves their space in line and then (based upon how many guests are in front of them in the virtual queue) calculates the time it would take to come to the front of the line -- this becomes their return time.

When you approach a FASTPASS attraction you will see two clocks. The first one will tell you how long the STAND BY ENTRANCE wait time is, if you got in line right at that moment. The other clock, FASTPASS DISTRIBUTION, tells you what time you will need to return if you get a FASTPASS ticket at that time.

Go to the FASTPASS ticket machine and insert your admission ticket. EACH PERSON (over age 3) NEEDS A FASTPASS TICKET! Out comes your FASTPASS indicating what time frame you may return to the attraction. You are given a time frame, or "window," and may return during that period. Note that for some attractions, like the Little Mermaid Show (Disney's Hollywood Studios), there is only a 10-15 minute window.

Once your FASTPASS time has arrived, return to the attraction and get in the line for FASTPASS holders (FASTPASS RETURN)! MAKE SURE to arrive within your FASTPASS window!!! Be sure to have your ticket out and ready to show the Cast Member. Further along in the waiting area, a Cast Member will actually collect your FASTPASS ticket.

Even if you only want to see the preshow and have no intentions of getting on the ride/attraction -- if you want to go with your party through the FASTPASS line you WILL need a FASTPASS!

If you are doing the Child Swap -- Both you and your child NEED a FASTPASS ticket! EXCEPTION: If your child is under 3 and was admitted to the park for free, you do not need a FASTPASS ticket for them.

If the FASTPASS system works the way it should, wait times to board attractions after returning with FASTPASS should usually be under 5 minutes, but not exceed 10 minutes (unless there was a recent attraction downtime or other unusual situation).

The FASTPASS wait time should not be any longer during peak periods, because the computerized system automatically spreads the FASTPASS guests evenly throughout the day regardless of attendance level. The only thing different during peak periods is that since FASTPASS demand is higher the return time (assigned time to come back) will be longer.

Therefore, during peak periods when there are more guests in the virtual queue the return time gets extended further out into the day. For most attractions the return time is usually between 40 and 90 minutes and rarely extends beyond two hours.

Yes, Cast Members are usually located near the FASTPASS machines to assist you with questions or problems.

Everyone does not have to go to the FASTPASS machine. However, before you separate from your family/party, be sure to get each person's admission ticket (or resort ID which sometimes includes Park Admission). You can only get ONE FASTPASS per card and EACH person needs one.

NOTE: The process for obtaining FASTPASS during special events, such as Star Wars Weekends, may vary.

No, children who do not require admission media would just enter with the accompanying adult at the appropriate time. There should also always be an attendant nearby the FASTPASS machines if there is any question.

If this happens, the system should stop issuing tickets. You will have the opportunity to use the FASTPASS you acquired anytime during the rest of that day, once the attraction is operating normally again.

No, you can not request a specific return time. The times are all computerized and you will only be allowed to enter the FASTPASS line during the time stated on your FASTPASS ticket.

The FASTPASS expires, unless the attraction has gone down for an extended period of time. Cast Members will allow you to use "expired" FASTPASSes up to about 15 minutes after the stated time. (NOTE: This change is effective March 2012 -- previously, expired FASTPASSes were honored any time after the window "close" date on the day of issue.)

Yes. You can get another FASTPASS as soon your "window for entering the FASTPASS line" begins. You can get a new FASTPASS up to two hours from the time you actually got your FastPass (it will never be longer than two hours, but can be shorter if it has been programmed into the FP computers to be shorter than 2 hours.) In all cases the time you can get another FASTPASS is always printed on all FastPasses (if you received an Overridden FastPass because there was a problem with your admission ticket, it will not show a time).

In certain cases, as explained above.

Yes, the machine will issue you a new pass.

No, you can only ride it once per FASTPASS. A Cast Member will take your FastPass ticket once you are in the queue for the attraction.

The FASTPASS machines for each attraction are only located at that attraction.

Dinosaur - DinoLand USA
Expedition Everest - Asia - FASTPASS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Kali River Rapids - Asia
Kilimanjaro Safaris - Africa
It's Tough to Be a Bug - Tree of Life
Primeval Whirl - Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - Frontierland
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin - Tomorrowland
Dumbo - Fantasyland
*Enchanted Tales with Belle - New Fantasyland
Jungle Cruise - Adventureland
Peter Pan's Flight - Fantasyland
Space Mountain - Tomorrowland
Splash Mountain - Frontierland
Town Square Theater Meet & Greet - Town Square
**Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid - New Fantasyland
Winnie the Pooh - Fantasyland

*FastPass was planned for this attraction, and that queue would allow guests with the reserved times to bypass the family room of Maurice's cottage, going straight into the workshop area. However, FastPass distribution has not yet started, except during testing of the new FastPass+, which is a system that allows for pre-booking of FastPasses.

**Obtain FastPass for this attraction at Mickey's PhilharMagic.

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - FASTPASS RECOMMENDED
Star Tours - FASTPASS RECOMMENDED
Tower of Terror - FASTPASS RECOMMENDED
Toy Story Midway Mania - FASTPASS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Voyage of The Little Mermaid

Soarin' - FASTPASS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Living with the Land
The Maelstrom
Mission: SPACE - FASTPASS RECOMMENDED

VERY Important Note: FASTPASSes for Toy Story Mania (Studios), Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom) and Soarin' and Test Track (Epcot) are so popular, they are often gone by mid-afternoon! It is not unusual to arrive at the attraction at 10 am to find the FASTPASS time for your return is mid to late afternoon. Expedition Everest and Test Track offer a Single Rider Line -- consider using it! Ask the Cast Members you see on the outside part of the queue. A single rider line means your party will be separated, but you will bypass the inside queue and waiting time. You will be loaded in vehicles as single spaces become available. You still see the preshow.

The Park Guide Maps will indicate which attractions are FASTPASS attractions. You can also ask any Cast Member or inquire at Lobby Concierge in your Disney resort hotel.

Yes, FASTPASS ticket holders may have to wait in line for the attraction. The key is, you won't have to wait AS LONG as if you stood in the regular line. (See explanation above regarding Peak Attendance times.)

No, FASTPASS tickets are not issued all day long. Often the FASTPASS ticket machines may be shut down a couple hours before closing time. During off-peak times, FASTPASS will often be shut down when the standby wait time is under 30 minutes. Also when all available return times have been issued, FASTPASS is closed for the rest of the day. At some popular attractions, this can happen as early as 1 p.m. Keep in mind that technical problems can close the FASTPASS system just as they do the attractions themselves.

No, you can't turn it in, so to speak. You will be able to find out what times are being given out when you approach the FASTPASS Machines. They are indicated on the signs above the machines. If you can't tell, be sure and ask a Cast Member prior to getting your ticket. When in doubt, ask the FASTPASS Cast Member.

Show your admissions ticket to the Cast Member at the FASTPASS machines and they will print out a FASTPASS ticket for you.

Cast Member IDs should run through the machines as normal, as long as the Cast Member scanned their ID through the machine at entry. All Cast IDs now operate like Annual Passes, in that the Cast Member will need to put their finger into the biometrics reader just like an annual Passholder.

If there is a problem, show your TDS/ABC/DL ID to the Cast Member at the FastPass machines and they'll give you an override FP. At Disneyland, you can use your ID or Silver Pass right in the machines, but not at WDW.

Fast pass was the best thing Disney has come up with -- it was great getting a set time for coming back-then being able to see other things waiting for that time to come around. (Karen)

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Yes, the FastPass at Disney seems to work fine on must rides...as long as you get them before about lunchtime. Otherwise all the time slots are already allocated and you could find yourself having to wait about 4 hours for your slot (Particularly on Test Track. I got my fast pass on this ride at 10.30am and was allocated a time to return at 9.55pm!!) I used the fast pass system last year and found that I didn't have to queue for anything even during the busiest periods. This year people seem to know more about it and so it isn't quite as good. Unbelievably though, many people still line up for about 2 hours convinced that you have to pay extra for the passes. (Phil Tomlinson)

 
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I have a couple of suggestions that I want to pass along about FASTPASS. You may want to suggest that people coming to WDW think about how they are going to carry their park admission ticket. With the FASTPASS system, people may need to get out their ticket several times a day while in the park to get a FASTPASS. It was frustrating to stand behind people in the FASTPASS machine line who could not find their park pass! Also, people need to remember to get both their ticket and FASTPASS back out of the machine. We saw someone leave their park admission ticket behind! We carried a thin waterproof ID wallet in our front pockets and it worked out great. It helped to keep our tickets dry and easy to find. We just put the FASTPASSs and admission ticket together in the ID wallet. It was quick to find when we needed it and the ticket stayed dry and did not get bent.

We have mixed feelings about the FASTPASS system. When you get to a ride that has FASTPASS and look at the two clocks remember that the standby line time is an ESTIMATE of how much time you will need to wait to ride. We found that on some rides the time was way off and the line was much shorter that the clock said. We also found that on some rides the standby time estimate was to short because a lot of fast pass riders came in and their line backed up. The CM let the FASTPASS riders on and left us standing in line even longer when this happened. It was frustrating to be in the standby line for longer than the time estimate said on the clock and have the FASTPASS riders cut in front of you. FASTPASS made it hard to predict how long the wait for a ride would REALLY be.

We found that FASTPASS changed the way we toured the parks. We went to the ride in each park that we really wanted first. If the stand by line was not very long we would get a FASTPASS first and then get in the standby line and ride it. By the time we got through riding it would be time for our FASTPASS. This let us ride 2 times in a row early in the day. FASTPASS did not work as well for us as the parks got more crowded. We would get a FASTPASS when we could for a ride, but the return times were usually a couple hours away. We found ourselves waiting around for a FASTPASS time to come up rather than moving to a different area of the park or walking more to go back to a ride that we were holding a FASTPASS for. I'm not sure if the this system is worth it. Maybe it was better when everyone had equal rights in line? (Julie)

FASTPASS may also be used to your advantage if you really like a particular ride and want to ride twice in a row. Having ridden Test Track earlier in our trip and seeing how crowded it was all day, we decided to try to ride it twice in a row on our next visit to Epcot. We got to the park early enough that the regular line was not very long. Seeing that, we got our FASTPASS tickets and then got in the regular line. After a pretty reasonable wait, considering that they were having "technical difficulties" with the ride, we had our turn on Test Track. As soon as the ride was over, we went to the FASTPASS return line ( our FASTPASS time window opened while we were in the regular line ), and got right back on. - (Willie Geoghegan)

We were at WDW over the Easter holiday and successfully used FASTPASS in each of the theme parks. First thing upon early entry we would go get a FASTPASS for the ride we most wanted to go on. We would then go do other rides and/or shows and wait for our time. Most of the lines for FASTPASS moved quickly with the exception of Test Track which probably took over 30 minutes. Overall, the FASTPASS works very well and we would recommend using it whenever possible. (Richard Wolff) 

The FASTPASS works great. We never had to wait in line. When we wanted to ride things the kids could not ride we did not feel that we invested much time away from things they could do. We just got our fast pass for the roller coasters while one of us was with them in a show and then rode them quickly later. A good idea is to get the fast passes as soon as you enter the park. After 2:00 they seem to say times after 5 or even 7! Always check the standby lines even if the wait times say 45 min. it could be only 5. We had this happen late afternoon and evening. The times take into account the fastpass's that have been given out. A lot of the time people have already left the park or decided not to ride. We were told a 90 min. wait for test track one evening and only waited 5 min. We tried to tell the cast member that they had to be wrong by looking at the ride, but they must have strict orders not to guess and stay with the project times on the sign. I hope this may help someone. (Roxanne)