I don’t remember when Disney starting using the FastPass, but it is one of the best theme park ideas ever!
Here is a brief description of the FastPass from the Disney website.
Disney’s FASTPASS® Service
The complimentary Disney’s FASTPASS Service allows you to enjoy the rest of the Theme Parks while Disney’s FASTPASS Service saves your place in line for an attraction.
To Use Disney’s FASTPASS Service:
- Look for the Disney’s FASTPASS Service distribution area near the entrance of an attraction.
- Check the Disney’s FASTPASS Service “Return Time” display to learn the span of time during which you can explore the Theme Parks before returning to experience an attraction.
- If the Return Time is sufficient for your plans, just insert your Walt Disney World Resort admission ticket, readmission ticket, Disney Resort Hotel keycard or Annual Passport into the Disney’s FASTPASS Service machine.
- A Disney’s FASTPASS Service ticket will emerge with your Return Time printed on it. Now you’re free to go and enjoy the rest of the Theme Park.
- Go back to the Disney’s FASTPASS Service “return” queue when your printed return time rolls around, show your Disney’s FASTPASS Service ticket to the Cast Member at the entrance, and enjoy the attraction with a minimal wait.
Here are a few FastPass tips I have learned of my last several visits.
- Getting a pass takes hours off your wait times. For rides with notoriously long waits, like Space Mountain, Toy Story Mania and Peter Pan, getting a pass means the difference between waiting 10 minutes or an hour and ten minutes.
- All members of your party do not need to be present when getting the pass, but you do need to have their tickets, passport, or keycard for each FastPass.
- When getting a pass you cannot pick your return time, whatever the clock shows is what you get. While you cannot return before your time you can return after your time as passed and still get in the FastPass line.
- Once you get a FastPass you cannot get another FastPass for a different ride for a specific amount of time. This time will be printed on your pass and is not the same as your return time for the ride. Basically this means you can’t run through the park getting FastPasses for every ride in the first hour. You have to stagger your passes throughout the day.
- Finally, don’t wait too long to get a FastPass for an attraction you really want to ride. When we were at Epcot the FastPass for Soarin’ stopped distributing for the day at around 3 pm even though the park was open until 9pm. You can still ride, you will just have to wait with everyone else.
You’ll want a FastPass for Toy Story Mania at Hollywood Studios.
I LOVE Disney!! And yes, the FastPass works… especially if you get your FastPass and then get another one when the time allows you to. Another HUGE thing is that Disney has added Down Syndrome and Autism to their categories for “Guests with Special Needs”. Their policy for guests with disabilities is outstanding and made our visit simply wonderful!! My friend’s children have multiple food allergies and Disney is willing to accomodate for most food allergies. They are WONDERFUL!!!! AND… there is a blog BY MOMS who live around the country but I think are paid by Disney and all they do is answer questions about visiting with children and give advice to family vacations at Disney (from the Mommy viewpoint). I thought it was a tremendous BLESSING AND a HUGE time saver!!!!
We would love to be able to take our children to Disney. But it’s not in the budget as funds are extremely tight right now. I suppose that if it’s meant to be it will be.
I hope we can in the future,I think I’d be more excited than my children. LOL
God Bless,
Tammy
Fast pass is wonderful. I really like the lines that you can see everyone you’re passing, like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It makes me feel satisfied to pass all those people by. Does that make me a bad person? Maybe I should repent
Ahhhh I WOULD LOVE to take the kids somewhere thats more than 5 min from here. Sigh.. one day
I love fastpass. I think they started it in 2000. Our first Disney trip was in 2001 and it was just being added to several rides.
It’s amazing. I often wonder why people choose to stand in line.