Dad’s ULTIMATE Guide to

FastPass+
Let’s face it: no one likes standing in line, and Walt Disney World is full of them.

After saving up for the trip of a lifetime, packing your bags, and arriving at the most magical place on
earth, you want to get right to having fun on the rides – not standing in a queue for hours on end.

Fortunately, Disney has a fun, easy, and free way for you to skip the wait for your favorite attractions:
FastPass+.

In Dad’s ULTIMATE Guide to FastPass+ we’re going to find out how to set up FastPass+ before you
get to the parks, how to use it in the parks, how to make the best use of your FastPass+ selections,
and Dad will even share a few bonus “hacks” to make sure you stand in line for as little time as
possible.

Dad’s got some Simple tips and Fun information to help you make Magical memories by using
FastPass+. It’s a whole lot easier than you think. Trust me!
What Is FastPass+?
In Simple terms, FastPass+ is Disney’s “front of the line” pass. Lots of theme parks have them these
days and you usually pay a pretty penny to have the privilege of skipping the line. But at WDW,
everyone gets to use FastPass+ for free!

Using the My Disney Experience app or website, guests can login and make up to 3 FastPass+
selections per day of tickets they have on their upcoming trip. You’ll pick the attraction you’d like to
ride, and the time you’d like to ride it. When you’re in the park, simply go to that attraction at the
specified time, and enter through a special line which allows you to bypass most of the wait. Magic!
So, how exactly does all this work? Keep reading…

Who Can Use FastPass+ and When?

All WDW guests can use FastPass+. But there are a few differences depending on the ticket type
you have. If you have purchased a package through Disney which includes tickets and a room in a
WDW resort hotel, you’ll be able to book your FastPass+ selections 60 days in advance of the day
or your arrival. Annual Passholders who have booked a room at a WDW resort hotel can also
book at the 60 day mark. Club Level guests also have the option to book 3 additional FastPass+
reservations at the 90-day mark, for $50 per person per day.

Guests who are not staying on Disney property but have purchased their tickets in advance may
book their FastPass+ selections 30 days in advance of the day or your arrival. Annual Passholders
who have not booked a stay at a WDW resort hotel can also book at the 30 day mark. There are
certain Good Neighbor hotels which also qualify for the 60-day booking window.

If you purchase your tickets at the gate on the day of your visit, you will only be able to book your
FastPass+ selections once you enter the park.

If you are planning to visit with someone outside your immediate travel party (those who have
made their own bookings or ticket purchases) you can add them to your “Friends and Family” list
on your My Disney Experience account and then make FastPass+ selections for your entire group.

Now Dad’s going to show you how ito actually make FastPass+ reservations…
Where and How to Book FastPass+
The first step to booking FastPass+ selections is to
get a My Disney Experience account if you don’t have
one already – it’s Simple. Go to waltdisneyworld.com
and click on “My Disney Experience” and follow
the prompts to create your account.

Once your account is set up, make sure your tickets

are linked to the account. If you purchased your
tickets from Disney, these should automatically be in
your account. If you’ve purchased your tickets from a
third party ticket retailer (like our partners at The
Official Ticket Center), you’ll need to add them by
selecting “Link Tickets.”

If you are booking your FastPass+ selections at the 60

or 30 day mark, you can login to your My Disney
Experience account either using the My Disney
Experience app or official Walt Disney World
website, click “FastPass+” and follow the prompts
to book up 3 FastPass+ selections per day - you don’t
have to book all 3 but it’s a good idea. All 3 selections
must be at the same park, even if you have Park
Hopper tickets.

Once you’re done, you’ll see the FastPass+ selections

on the “My Itinerary” page, where you can also make
adjustments to your selections if your plans change.

This all happens before you hit the ground walking

briskly (no running at WDW, safety comes first), but
when you get to the parks, there are a few things you
need to know…
How to Redeem FastPass+ in the Parks
On the day and time of your FastPass, you’ll need to head over to the attraction that you have a
FastPass+ reservation for at the designated time. Most attractions and shows have a one hour
window – if your Space Mountain FastPass+ reservation is at 2pm, you can show up anytime from
2pm-3pm. Select FastPass+ reservations have shorter time slots and that will be indicated on your
reservation- for instance, a Fantasmic! FastPass+ selection will ask you to arrive in a 30 minute
window between 60-30 minutes before the show starts. Be sure to pay attention to these times –
you won’t be allowed to use your FastPass+ before or after your window has passed.

When you arrive at the attraction, look for a queue line that is designated “FastPass+ Entrance.”
Sometimes these are beside the main entrance, and occasionally there is a second entry point. Cast
Members at the main entrance can direct you if you’re in the wrong spot.

At the FastPass+ entrance, you’ll be asked to scan your MagicBand or ticket to confirm that you do
have a FastPass+ reservation at that time before you are allowed to join the line. In many lines, you’ll
have to scan your MagicBand or ticket a second time – this helps to gauge wait times and prevent
line jumpers.

The FastPass+ line will take you close to the loading area of the ride where you’ll merge with the
guests from the regular line. You may have just saved yourself a 30, 75, or 240 minute wait!

That brings me to a good point. Not all attractions are created equal. Some rides and shows are
known for particularly long lines, which is where Dad’s ULTIMATE FastPass+ Cheetsheet swoops in
to save the day…
Which Attractions Need FastPass+?
Dad’s divided up all the FastPass+ eligible attractions and shows by park (there are some types of
entertainment that just don’t have FastPass+, you have to check out the daily times guide to see
when and where these activities or shows happen if you want to see them!).

There are 3 categories:

ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA – generally these are popular attractions with slow load times so the
waits can get pretty long, even when crowds are low.

ON BUSY DAYS – these attractions are usually easy to get on first thing in the morning or when
the crowds are low, but midday or in the busy season their wait times grow substantially. Most of
these are popular but have quick loading times.

“NEVER” NEEDED – these attractions rarely have waits over 20 minute, unless you are visiting
on the very busiest days of the year – like Thanksgiving and Christmas. They tend or have high
capacities and load quickly to keep lines moving.

Keep reading for my park-by-park breakdown...

 MAGIC KINGDOM
Magic Kingdom
FASTPASS+
ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA
Roller coasters are a big draw - for Seven ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA
Dwarfs Mine Train and the three “Mountains” Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
waits are often 45 minutes or more. Peter Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Enchanted Tales with Belle
Pan’s Flight is a classic attraction with with Peter Pan's Flight
waits regularly exceeding an hour. Enchanted Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Tales with Belle is an interactive show - kids Space Mountain
will enjoy it more if they aren’t cranky from Splash Mountain
waiting in 40+ minute lines. Buzz Lightyear’s
ON BUSY DAYS
Space Ranger Spin makes the list because it’s
Haunted Mansion
Dad’s favorite attraction - don’t miss it! Jungle Cruise
Meet Ariel at Her Grotto
ON BUSY DAYS Meet Princesses at Princess Fairytale Hall
Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater
The character meet and greets can draw
Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater
waits of over an hour - it’s more magical to Pirates of the Caribbean
meet your hero without the wait. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Tomorrowland Speedway is probably the Tomorrowland Speedway
slowest loading ride at WDW - and most
of the line is outside in direct sun - that’s
“NEVER” NEEDED
"it's a small world"
no fun at all. The rest of the list are rides Dumbo the Flying Elephant
that load quickly but are very popular. Mad Tea Party
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
“NEVER” NEEDED
The Barnstormer
At Mickey’s Philharmagic and Monster’s Inc The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Laugh Floor, chances are good you can Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
simply walk into the next show. The rest of
the list are rides that load fast or don’t
draw too large of a crowd.

CLICK HERE to learn more about

Magic Kingdom attractions.
 EPCOT
Epcot
FASTPASS+
ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA
Frozen Ever After is one of the newest and ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA
most sought-after attractions at WDW with Frozen Ever After
waits regularly topping 2 hours - it has low Soarin' Around the World
capacity and is prone to breakdowns.
ON BUSY DAYS
Soarin’ has added capacity to reduce the Test Track
wait time but lines still hover around an hour. Living with the Land
Meet Disney Pals at Epcot Character Spot
ON BUSY DAYS Mission: SPACE
Spaceship Earth
Meet Disney Pals is the only character
greeting experience with FastPass+ “NEVER” NEEDED
available at Epcot. Test Track is always busy IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
but doesn‘t make the “always” list because Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
Journey Into Imagination with Figment
it offers a single rider option that can
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
dramatically reduce wait times. The other Turtle Talk with Crush
attractions often have waits of 30 minutes
or more.

“NEVER” NEEDED
At the Short Film Festival and Turtle Talk
with Crush chances are good you can
simply walk into the next show.
IllumiNations is a fireworks show - you can
view it from anywhere around World
Showcase - or opt to buy a dessert party
RESTRICTIONS
Epcot uses a tiered system for it’s FastPass+
ticket to get the best view and some tasty
reservations. When you are making your
treats. The rest of the list are rides that load
selections you’ll be prompted to select 1option
fast or don’t draw too large of a crowd.
from “tier one” and 2 options from “tier two”.

CLICK HERE to learn more about

Epcot attractions.
 DISNEY’S
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Disney’s
Hollywood Studios FASTPASS+
ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA
Alien Swirling Saucers
Slinky Dog Dash and Alien Swirling Saucers Slinky Dog Dash
are the newest rides at WDW and are hugely Toy Story Mania
popular. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster draws a big Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
crowd all day - but you can bypass some of
the line without FastPass+ by using the single ON BUSY DAYS
Fantasmic!
rider option. Toy Story Mania recently added
Star Tours
capacity that has reduced the wait times but Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
lines are still around 45 minutes.
“NEVER” NEEDED
ON BUSY DAYS Beauty and the Beast-Live on Stage
Disney Jr. Live on Stage
Fantasmic! is a nighttime spectacular with
For the First Time in Forever:
stadium seating so unlike traditional A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
fireworks shows, you can‘t just look up to Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
the sky to see it - people regularly line up for MuppetVision 3D
1-2 hours so a FastPass+ is a good idea. The Voyage of the Little Mermaid
rides on this list are popular but you can ride
early or late without too much of a line.

“NEVER” NEEDED
The rest of the list are shows, and chances
are good you can walk into the next
performance - but consult your times guide
or the My Disney Experience app to see
what time they play on the date of your visit.
RESTRICTIONS
Disney’s Hollywood Studios uses a tiered system for
it’s FastPass+ reservations. When you are making
CLICK HERE to learn more about
your selections you’ll be prompted to select 1 option
Disney’s Hollywood Studios attractions.
from “tier one” and 2 options from “tier two”.
 ANIMAL KINGDOM
Animal Kingdom
FASTPASS+
ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA
Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA
are the newest attractions at Animal Flight of Passage
Na’vi River Journey
Kingdom (part of the new land, Pandora -
The World of AVATAR). These headlliners
ON BUSY DAYS
have current waits up to 3 hours! DINOSAUR
Expedition Everest
ON BUSY DAYS Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Rivers of Light is the newest nighttime
Meet Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
show at WDW - stadium style seating Primeval Whirl
means you might not get a spot to watch Rivers of Light
without at FastPass+ reservation.
Expedition Everest, DINOSAUR and “NEVER” NEEDED
Festival of the Lion King
Kilimanjaro Safari are big draws and usually
Finding Nemo - The Musical
have waits of over 30 minutes. Meet It's Tough to be a Bug!
Disney Pals is the only character
experience at Animal Kingdom with FP+.
The rest of the character meet and greets
will have you standing in line for a while.

“NEVER” NEEDED
Everything on this list are shows, and
chances are good you can walk into the
next performance - but consult your times
guide or the My Disney Experience app to
see what time they play on the date of
RESTRICTIONS
Animal Kingdom uses a tiered system for it’s
your visit.
FastPass+ reservations. When you are making your
selections you’ll be prompted to select 1 option
CLICK HERE to learn more about
from “tier one” and 2 options from “tier two”.
Animal Kingdom attractions.
Score More FastPass+ Selections
Here’s one of my favorite tips: Once you’ve used up your 3 FastPass+ selections for the day, you
can book MORE - even at a different park! These can only be booked one at a time, so you have
to use your fourth FastPass+ reservation before you can select a fifth.

What’s really cool is if you have the Park Hopper option on your tickets you can get a FastPass+
time at a different park (but only after you have used your first 3 FastPass+ selections).

To make additional FastPass+ selections, you have two choices:

Login to the My Disney Experience app and click “FastPass+” to see what’s attractions and times are
available to book.

Find a FastPass+ kiosk located throughout the park (check your park map for the specific site) and
use the iPad stations to login and make your next selection.

If you liked that Fun tip, you’re going to love what’s next…
FastPass+ Tips
Want to cut your wait times even more? Dad’s got a few tips to help:

Be strategic. Stop for a minute and think about your PLAN for the day before you make your
FastPass+ reservations. Consider everything you want to do, and map out the order you’ll do it it.
This way you can see where you’re likely to be at different parts of the day and avoid either missing
your FastPass+ window. or spending valuable ride time running from one end of the park to the
other. Make FastPass+ reservations that match up with your PLAN! Simple!

Buy a Dining Package with seating for a show. You can book a dining package that includes
your meal and access a reserved seating area for one of WDW’s shows. Fantasmic offers packages
at Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano, The Hollywood Brown Derby, and Hollywood & Vine; Rivers
of Light offers pacakges at Tiffins and Tusker House. Sometimes parades or fireworks offer dining
packages or dessert parties with preferred viewing areas. The list is always changing so be sure to
check the Walt Disney World website to see what’s available during your trip. Fun!

The early bird special. Don’t waste your FastPass+ selections on early mornings. The first 3
hours the parks are open are the least crowded so you can get on anything you want with the
shortest wait times of the day. If you save your FastPass+ reservations until the afternoon (the
busiest part of the day) you’ll get a lot more riding done. Magic!

Skip the wait - even before you leave. Making your FastPass+ reservations will save you a lot
of time in the parks, but you’ll need to spend a little time reseraching attractions and booking your
reservations. Or, get a little help from the pros - book with Dad’s friends at Destinations to Travel,
and they’ll help you sort out all the details of FastPass+ and even make your reservations for you.

Dad’s Bottom Line

FastPass+ is great. You can make sure your family has the chance to ride your favorite attractions
with just a bit of advance planning. It’s easy to use, it’s free, and it gives you more time to spend
making quality memories with your family by letting you bypass some of the lines. If that’s not
Disney magic at it’s finest, I don’t know what is.
MAGIC KINGDOM EPCOT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
FASTPASS+ FASTPASS+ FASTPASS+ FASTPASS+
ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Frozen Ever After ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA Flight of Passage
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin Soarin' Around the World Alien Swirling Saucers Na’vi River Journey
Enchanted Tales with Belle Slinky Dog Dash
Peter Pan's Flight ON BUSY DAYS Toy Story Mania ON BUSY DAYS
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Test Track Rock 'n' Roller Coaster DINOSAUR
Space Mountain Living with the Land Expedition Everest
Splash Mountain Meet Disney Pals at Epcot Character Spot ON BUSY DAYS Kali River Rapids
Mission: SPACE Fantasmic! Kilimanjaro Safaris
ON BUSY DAYS Spaceship Earth Star Tours Meet Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
Haunted Mansion Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Primeval Whirl
Jungle Cruise “NEVER” NEEDED Rivers of Light
Meet Ariel at Her Grotto IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth “NEVER” NEEDED
Meet Princesses at Princess Fairytale Hall Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival Beauty and the Beast-Live on Stage “NEVER” NEEDED
Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater Journey Into Imagination with Figment Disney Jr. Live on Stage Festival of the Lion King
Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater The Seas with Nemo and Friends For the First Time in Forever: Finding Nemo - The Musical
Pirates of the Caribbean Turtle Talk with Crush A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration It's Tough to be a Bug!
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Tomorrowland Speedway MuppetVision 3D
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
“NEVER” NEEDED
"it's a small world"
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Mad Tea Party
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
The Barnstormer
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
PRINT ME! COURTESY OF DADSGUIDETOWDW.COM
 Ready to book your next
Walt Disney World vacation?

If you want a WDW expert in your corner,

helping you make all the right choices,
go ahead and contact Dad’s friends over at
Destinations to Travel.

They love helping just as much as Dad does.

Plus, it’s completely FREE.

BOOK TODAY

Do it. You’ll thank me later.

Trust me!