Walt Disney World has announced that FastPass and FastPass+ will not be returning! For all the details, please see our post on the new Disney Genie system!
The FastPass+ system at Walt Disney World is a blessing and a curse to many visitors. A blessing in that when used properly, it can minimize your time spent waiting in line! A curse in that figuring out how to manage the FastPass+ system can be frustrating. Let me help break down the tiers of the FastPass+ system for you.
FastPass+ Overview
Guests staying onsite at a Walt Disney World Resort can make FastPass+ up to 60 days in advance of their check in. (Guests staying off-site must wait until 30 days prior to check in. Another plus for staying on-site!) The booking window opens at 7:00 am eastern. FastPasses are made on the My Disney Experience website, or on the My Disney Experience app. (DPP Tip: Use the full website for the easiest experience!) Guests can make up to three FastPass+ per day, per person. All FastPass+ made in advance must all located in the same theme park. For example, if you are planning to park hop, you cannot make two FastPass+ in the Magic Kingdom, and your third in Epcot.
Guests staying a Club Level room have the option to purchase additional FastPass+ that can be booked 90 days in advance. This is especially useful for newer attractions such as Flights of Passage and Slinky Dog Dash!
FastPass+ Tiers
So now that you know the basics, let’s throw another wrinkle into your plans. At every park except for the Magic Kingdom, there are two tiers of FastPasses – Tier 1 and Tier 2. You must choose one FastPass+ from Tier 1, and the remaining two FastPass+ from Tier 2. Tier 1 typically consists of the most popular attractions (with the longest lines). Below are the current tiers (subject to change) with our Disney Park Princess Picks in bold for each tier in all three parks.
Epcot
Tier 1: (Choose 1)
Frozen Ever After
Soarin’
Test Track
Illuminations: Reflections of Earth
Meet Disney Pals at Epcot Character Spot
Tier 2: (Choose 2)
Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
Journey Into Imagination with Figment
Living with the Land
Mission: SPACE
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Spaceship Earth
Turtle Talk with Crush
Hollywood Studios
(Effective February 6, 2020, these are the new tiers for FastPass+ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Tier 1 is now Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Slinky Dog Dash and Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. Tier 2 is everything else. Rise of the Resistance in Galaxy’s Edge does not have FastPass+ yet!)
Tier 1: (Choose 1)
Slinky Dog Dash
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway – Opening March 4, 2020
Tier 2: (Choose 2)
Toy Story Mania!
Alien Swirling Saucers
Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage
Fantasmic!
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-A-Long Celebration
Indian Jones™ Epic Stunt Spectacular!
Muppet*Vision 3D
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Ok this one is going to be controversial. Why did I choose Slinky Dog Dash instead of Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run? Well, I have seen the lines for both and there is no competition. Slinky Dog Dash routinely has a longer stand-by queue than Millennium Falcon. So Slinky Dog Dash will be a better use of your FastPass+! We won’t know much about Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway until it opens on March 4, 2020. But I suspect Slinky Dog Dash will still be my choice!
Animal Kingdom
Tier 1: (Choose 1)
Na’vi River Journey
Avatar Flights of Passage
Tier 2: (Choose 2)
DINOSAUR
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Festival of the Lion King
Finding Nemo – The Musical
It’s Tough to be a Bug!
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safari
Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
Primeval Whirl
Rivers of Light
UP! A Great Bird Adventure
Of course, these recommendations are my personal preferences and may not be appropriate for your family. In fact, it was REALLY hard to choose and on another day, For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-A-Long Celebration may have made the list! (I do so love this show. But a FastPass+ is not usually necessary so it didn’t make the cut.)
For an in-depth look at the FastPass+ system and step by step instructions on how to make them, check out our friends over at AllEars.Net. They have a fantastic page with everything you need to know!
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