FastPass

The FastPass system was first introduced in July 1999 at Disney's Animal Kingdom. It was designed primarily to give guests an alternative to waiting in long lines, especially for the more popular attractions on busier days. Guests can spend less time waiting and more time exploring the parks doing the things they want. Not every ride has FastPass; just the headliners that are likely to have the longer waits.

How does it work?

At the Super-Duper Wowzah Coaster Plummet Ride you will see sometimes three or four access points. The regular, stand by line with nothing better to do with my time, line where you make your way forward like a millipede. The stand-by line where single riders can get in an abbreviated line (such as at Test Track) and will be seated singly among the ride vehicles as spots become available. The FastPass machines where you get your FastPass. The FastPass returning riders line where you take your spot in another abbreviated line.

You will firstly want to examine the digital clocks above the FastPass machines. They will show when you can return to utilize your FastPass. Be warned that not all FastPasses issued will allow you to return one hour later. They can, in the busier times, offer FastPass return times 2-3 hours later. If that is the case, it might be impractical to get a FastPass for the following reason - you can only get a limited, very limited, number of FastPasses issued at any one time. The FastPass ticket will actually tell you when you can get a new FastPass. This prevents guests from simply sprinting around the park gathering up FastPasses and then progressing through the rides with little or no waiting.

How does this work in a real-world scenario? Let's say you arrive at Test Track at 10:00 a.m. and see the standby line is 45 minutes. You look at the digital clock and it says FastPass return between 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Your party thinks that they'd like to go to The Land and ride the boat through the hydroponics gardens and maybe pick up a snack at the Electric Umbrella. Sounds good.

So, you put in your theme park ticket and the machine will spit out a FastPass for that person. Each ticket holder has to have their own FastPass. It will tell you specifically the time-frame during which you can return and at what time you can get your next FastPass. You can then go on about your itinerary.

Inside the appointed window you come back to the returning FastPass holder's line and head off down the corridor. It's probably very tempting to notice that the FastPass line is really short and "they won't notice" if I sneak across from the standby line into the FastPass line. There is a CM standing way down the corridor where the FastPass-wielding guests arrive at a merge-point with the standby guests. If you don't have a FastPass, you will be cheerily escorted all the way back to the end of the standby line.

You will note that it was stated that you merge with the standby line. The FastPass line does not have a separate boarding area or line as you get closer to the ride vehicle. Within a few yards of the final queue area, you will be merged in with the standby line so that the boarding is as integrated as it can be. On Kilimanjaro Safaris this happens right at the point where the ride-counter machines are just before the part where you weave back and fore in the final boarding area. It's not that big a deal but it seems weird that you went through all the back-flips of the FastPass system just to stand in line anyway, albeit a shorter line.

If you get a FastPass for a theater show, your FastPass will not have a window but will rather be for a specific time.

What attractions currently offer FastPass?

Magic Kingdom:

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
• Mickey's PhilharMagic
• Peter Pan's Flight
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Stitch's Great Escape
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Epcot:

• Honey, I Shrunk the Audience
• Living With the Land
• Maelstrom, Norway
• Mission: SPACE
• Soarin'
• Test Track

Disney's Hollywood Studios:

• Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
• Rock 'n Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
• Star Tours
• Toy Story Midway Mania!
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Disney's Animal Kingdom:

• Dinosaur
• Expedition Everest
• It's Tough to be a Bug
• Kali River Rapids
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• Primeval Whirl

While standing in line isn't always your first choice it's also important to remember that many of the attractions actually begin by standing in line. There are little fun things you will see along the way that will only enhance your experience. If you miss some of these things you might also miss some of the flavor of the attraction. Although FastPass isn't for everyone, even the guests choosing to wait in the regular lines are happier because FastPass users make their wait shorter too.

Last Updated: May 24, 2009