Top 5 Tips to Make the Most of Walt Disney World's FastPass+ System

With FastPass+ having a few years under its belt, most Disney buffs have gotten at least a rudimentary grasp on how this new system works. However, changes are happening all the time and even the biggest Disney fiend may find it hard to keep up with all of the latest updates. If you're planning your first trip or haven't been down to Florida in a while, I do recommend starting with this article as a beginner's guide to the FastPass+ program. I'm here today to share some tips that I've learned that you may not have heard before, as well as some tricky work arounds of the FastPass+ system.


Make the Most of Walt Disney World's FastPass+ System


1) At Your 60 (or 30) Day Mark, Pick the Most Popular Attractions First

Even if Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Toy Story Mania, and Frozen Ever After aren't your favorite attractions, you will want to prioritize them in your initial FastPass+ reservations if there's even a chance you'll want to ride them. Same day availability for rolling FastPasses for these rides are rare. Check out these great charts at TouringPlans.com to get an idea of what attractions might be available for your rolling FastPasses

2) Get Familiar With the Tiered System BEFORE Going in to Make Your FastPass Reservations

I've heard way too many stories of Disney vets not brushing up on how the tiered systems at Epcot and Hollywood Studios work, and then being totally thrown by it when they go in to make their reservations. Some things to keep in mind:

• After your initial 3 reservations are used up, you can reserve another Tier One attraction as a rolling FastPass if it is available. This is important because you want to choose a harder to get reservation for your initial pick. For example, Frozen Ever After and Soarin' are both Tier One attractions. You most likely will not be able to get Frozen Ever After as a rolling FastPass day-of, however you do stand a chance of getting a Soarin' FastPass for later in the day.
• Don't pick a Tier One attraction that has a single rider line. I will forever and for always choose a Toy Story Midway Mania FastPass reservation over a Rock 'n' Rollercoaster because RnR has a single rider line that can significantly shorten my wait time.

FastPass+ Makes It Easy to Plan Your Day


3) Setup Your Rolling FastPasses on the Go

While one of the most recent developments, this might be the most important time saving tip in the FastPass+ stratosphere. Listen closely to me. You do NOT need to find an in-park kiosk anymore in order to setup your rolling FastPasses. This is HUGE for a couple of reasons. First, it's great for park hopping. You now don't have to wait until you are physically in a park to setup a rolling FastPass. As soon as I finish my Magic Kingdom FastPasses for the day, I can setup an Epcot FastPass while I'm still strolling down Main Street. Even better, you can be setting up your next FastPass from the second you scan your Magic Band at your last reservation. I've been known to frantically flip through available selections on my phone as I'm winding my way through the FastPass queue I just checked in at.

4) Do NOT Trust the First Selections Shown

Particularly when making your rolling FastPass. It is my theory that Disney tries to get you to spread your selections out throughout the day by only showing availability for later in the afternoon or evening. When making additional rolling FastPasses, I often search for what's available, close out of the app, and repeat several times. For example, while searching for FastPasses for Winnie the Pooh, I may only be shown a 6:30pm as the next available time slot on my first couple of attempts, but after a few tries I can usually get a 2:00pm or earlier to pop up.

5) Make Your Reservations for as Early as Possible

There is some disagreement over whether this is the best strategy, but now that rolling FastPasses are so convenient, I wholeheartedly stand by this sentiment. You can even move up your second and third FastPass+ reservations once your first is used up. For example, if you have a 9am-10am reservation for Kilimanjaro Safaris that you use at 9:05am, you can go into your app and switch your 10am-11am Expedition Everest FastPass to 9:15am if that time slot is available. If it's not available, see tip #4 and repeat!


Schedule Rolling FastPass+ On Your Phone


BONUS TIPS - Speed Round:

• You don't HAVE to pick three initial reservations per day anymore! If only one Epcot FastPass fits your needs, just setup the one and then have quicker access to your rolling FastPasses for park hopping, etc.




• Check current wait times on the app under the Attractions tab and replace any of your FastPasses that have a short queue.




• Absolutely take advantage of rolling FastPasses at Magic Kingdom! With 24 attractions to choose from, this park lends itself the best to additional, same-day FastPasses.




• Some FastPass+ lines will skip fun queue elements. Peter Pan's Flight, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Haunted Mansion are just a few interactive queues that you will miss if you don't do standby. If this is important to you, don't FastPass these attractions.




• Remember: children under age three do not need FastPasses since they don't have ticket media. As long as they ride with a member of your party that has a FastPass, they are fine. You can use this to "cheat" the system a bit by having mom make a Winnie the Pooh FastPass and dad make a Dumbo FastPass. Two for the price of one!

How do you feel about the latest version of FastPass+ at Walt Disney World? Do you have any tips or tricks to share? Leave a comment below and share your best!

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A big thanks goes out to Guest Author Allie for sharing a little bit of her knowledge of Disney with us. If you'd like to read more about Allie's Disney Adventures, you can find her sharing on our member forum.