Disney’s Fastpass+ system is revolutionary. I remember when it first came out – we thought it was the best thing EVER! My dad still loves talking about how elite he felt the first time we got to skip to the front of the line. Since its initial launch, Fastpass has evolved in to Fastpass+. If you’re headed to Walt Disney World, you can book your Fastpass+ attractions 60 days before you get there. There are so many options, and with only 3 passes per day, it can be stressful trying to decide what to use your passes on!
Lucky for you, I’ve broken down ALL the Fastpass+ attractions for you – letting you know which ones you HAVE to book, and which ones you can skip! Check them out before you book your next trip’s Fastpasses – you’ll be glad you did!
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A FEW NOTES:
I have NOT included any “Entertainment” categories in this list. This is ONLY regarding rides and attractions. My reasoning for this is because I don’t EVER recommend using a Fastpass+ option on an entertainment event unless you have young children or absolutely NOTHING else to fill that slot.
Additionally – After you use your 3 Fastpasses, you can book 1 additional Fastpass per person while in the park! These can be done via the Disney Parks app or one of the kiosks at the parks. Once you use that Fastpass, you can get another one – and so on. You might not have a huge selection depending on the season and time of day (there are only so many passes per ride per day, so chances of getting two top tier rides are very very slim) but sometimes you get lucky!
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom has a LOT of must do attractions. Since they don’t have the tier system like the other parks, you have a bit more freedom with your selections!
Absolutely MUST do – Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight, Big Thunder Mountain:
The three mountains, plus the Mine Train and Peter Pan’s flight are absolute MUSTS when it comes to Fastpass+, especially during peak travel seasons. It’s honestly shocking to me that Peter Pan draws the crowds it does, but I have never seen the wait under an hour for this ride during the summer unless it’s Extra Magic Hours! Even during Extra Magic hours I’ve had to wait upwards of 40 minutes for each of these rides, so just save yourself the trouble and get yourself a Fastpass!
Use a Fastpass- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Haunted Mansion, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Jungle Cruise, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Tomorrowland Speedway
These rides, even though some of them are fast loading rides, always draw huge crowds. The wait isn’t usually super terrible for these rides, but can sometimes range from 40 minutes to an hour. It just depends on the day and the season! Dumbo and Tomorrowland Speedway are also notoriously slow loading, which is why I recommend a Fastpass. If you have extras after doing the Must Do Fastpass attractions, plop one of these in that slot!
Don’t Waste a Fastpass – The Barnstormer, Mickey’s Philharmagic, “it’s a small world” , Mad Tea Party, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid, Pirates of the Carribean
These rides generally don’t have a wait of more than 15 minutes and are constantly loading. Even on busy days, you’ll likely find yourself waiting at the MOST half an hour for these attractions. It makes no sense to waste a Fastpass on these rides when they’re PERFECT for filling that time between your other Must Do Fastpasses!
(I should note that even though Aladdin and Mad Tea Party are both very slow loading since you have to wait for each ride to end before moving up in the line, the lines are generally shorter for these two as opposed to Dumbo)
Epcot
Before I get in to the Epcot Fastpasses – these Fastpasses work a bit differently compared to Magic Kingdom. There are two different “tiers” of Fastpasses, and you can only chose ONE Fastpass from the “top” tier of rides. These include the big ticket attractions like Soarin’ Around the World which always draws HUGE crowds. Because of this, you have to be a bit more strategic with your Fastpasses, and if worse comes to worse – figure out which one you would be ok standing in line for!
Why does Disney do this? They’re trying to space out the crowds and keep huge bottlenecks from forming. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Disney are EXPERTS at moving people!
There are two sections of EPCOT – Future World and World Showcase. Here’s what you need to see at each one!
Absolutely MUST do – Soarin’ Around the World (top tier) Frozen Ever After (top tier) Test Track (top tier):
ALL the best attractions at Epcot are in the top tier – meaning you can only chose ONE of these attractions PER DAY to use your Fastpass at. However, it’s absolutely WORTH it to get a Fastpass for all these rides if you can. I recommend doing Soarin’ or Frozen, and then waiting in line for Test Track if you don’t have enough days to spread out the top tier attractions. Test Track usually has the shortest wait out of all of them, and Soarin’ has the WORST queue in all of Disney. You don’t want to be stuck waiting there! Frozen Ever After, naturally, is incredibly busy due to the popularity of the movie and the allure of the new ride.
Use a Fastpass – Mission: SPACE, Turtle Talk with Crush, Journey into the Imagination with Figment, Spaceship Earth:
These rides don’t generally have a long wait. I’ve walked right on to Mission: SPACE multiple times (the green side – I’m a chicken and vow to NEVER do the orange side). However, if you have an extra Fastpass (which you will, due to the tiered Fastpass system) these are the ones I recommend. No wait is better than even a short wait!
Don’t Waste a Fastpass – The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival, Living with the Land:
Once again, these rides are all fast loading, have short waits, and generally keep crowds moving at a good pace. If you have extra slots, go for it, otherwise, don’t bother and just wait in line. You’ll be on in less than 20 minutes 99.9% of the time.
Hollywood Studios
Just like Epcot, Hollywood Studios has a tiered Fastpass+ system. Since the opening of Toy Story Land in Summer of 2018, the Fastpass system here has been revamped – long story short, ALL Toy Story Land attractions are now top tier rides. The rides that used to be top tier have now been bumped down. Good for you if you love those classic thrills! This obviously poses a challenge for those who have not experienced Toy Story Land, though – be prepared to wait for SOMETHING, since you can’t get passes for all three rides.
Absolutely MUST do – Toy Story Mania (top tier) Slinky Dog Dash (top tier) Alien Swirling Saucers (top tier):
With the popularity surrounding the opening of Toy Story Land, it’s not a surprise that all the Toy Story Land attractions have been moved to the top tier of Fastpass+ at Hollywood Studios. If you have to chose only one, I recommend the new Slinky Dog Dash ride, as Toy Story Mania has been around for a while and doesn’t have the allure of the other new rides. The thrill of a new roller coaster is sure to draw crowds all day, making it a no brainer to go with Slinky if you have only one slot you can fill.
Use a Fastpass – Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Star Tours, Smugglers Run, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Tower of Terror is slow loading, making this one an obvious choice to fill a Fastpass slot. Rock ‘n’ Roller coaster is also one to use a Fastpass on, solely for the fact you get to bypass the part of the queue that has the annoying marble doors that make a TON of noise (and kids CANNOT stop themselves from playing with!) Star Tours is also slow loading, making all these options great fillers for your Fastpass selections. If you don’t want to do anything in Toy Story Land and hate the crowds, these attractions can fill all three of your slots!
UPDATE MARCH 2020 – Smugglers Run at Galaxy’s Edge is now part of the Fastpass system! I put it In this category because even without the Fastpass, you only usually have to wait about 45 minutes, so it isn’t the end all be all of Fastpasses. Additionally, Mickey and Minnies Runaway Railway is a constantly loading ride!
Don’t Waste a Fastpass – Muppet Vision 3D
Muppet Vision 3D is one of my favorite attractions, but there is no need for it to be a Fastpass. The show is only about 10 minutes long, and the theater has more than enough room for the crowd that gathers in the waiting area beforehand. With the former top tier rides like Tower of Terror being bumped to the bottom tier, there is no reason this should be taking up a Fastpass spot in your schedule.
Animal Kingdom
Since the opening of Pandora, Animal Kingdom has also adopted the tier system for their Fastpasses. This makes sense, as Pandora had some of the longest lines in Disney HISTORY when it opened! Thankfully there are plenty of bottom tier attractions to fill those slots, and lots of thrills to spend your passes on! Here are some attractions at Animal Kingdom you simply can’t miss.
Absolutely MUST do – Avatar Flight of Passage (top tier), Na’vi River Journey (top tier) Expedition Everest
Just like Toy Story Land, Pandora is a newer area of the park – and therefore EXTREMELY popular. The two rides, Na’Vi River Journey and Flight of Passage have waits that go on for hours – so definitely save a spot for one of those two rides. Expedition Everest sometimes has shorter waits, but since it is one of my favorite attractions, I recommend getting a Fastpass for this one simply so you don’t miss it!
Use a Fastpass – DINOSAUR, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kali River Rapids, Primeval Whirl
These rides are all classics with fantastic effects (or live animals in the case of the safari!) making these can’t miss attractions. These often have wait times of about an hour – even longer for the Rapids at times on really hot days – so save yourself some time by booking these with your Fastpasses!
Don’t Waste a Fastpass – It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
Just like Muppet Vision 3D, this show is only about 10 minutes long, and the theater can ALWAYS accommodate everyone who shows up before the show starts. There is REALLY no need to get this Fastpass when there are so many other options out there!
There you go! Be sure to grab your MagicBand, load up your Fastpasses and get ready to have some fun! Any rides you absolutely HAVE to get Fastpasses for when YOU go? Let me know in the comments!
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I’m really looking forward to going on mine train and everest on my next trip because they weren’t there on my last trip in the early 2000s. i think I’ll try and book fast passes early in the day so once I’ve been on the first three rides I can get some more on the app.
fatfrocks.com
The park has changed SO much since the early 2000’s! Mine Train is one of my personal favorites!