FASTPASS Thread

[seashoreCM]

New for March 2012. FASTPASSes may only be used during the time interval printed on them. Some exceptions may be made on a case by case basis.

Quick FASTPASS primer:

1. FASTPASSes are free and obtained from machines near the ride they are for. Check the signs above the machine area to be sure the return time (a one hour "window" for rides, or add on the duration of a show) for your fastpass will be compatible with your plans.

2. Insert your park ticket (may be your room key) into the slot on the machine.

3. The FASTPASS will drop into a hopper directly below.

4. Don't forget to take back your park ticket.

5. Each person age 3 and up as of the start of your Disney vacation must have his/her own FASTPASS. One person may take everyone's park tickets and fetch the FASTPASSes for the whole family.

6. You may obtain another FASTPASS two hours after you got this one, or when all FASTPASSes you possess have come due for usage, whichever time comes first. (There are a few exceptions where this time delay is smaller, as shown at the bottom of the FASTPASS.)

7. When the time comes for you to use the FASTPASS, there is a separate entrance to the ride with a CM monitor out front.

Size of a FASTPASS machine (kiosk): Imagine a 5 foot long steamship trunk or a 5 foot high outdoor trash can.

 

[mesaboy2]

More FastPass info:

1. FastPasses are included with park admission, no extra fee required.
2. A FastPass is required for each person wishing to enter the FP queue.
3. FastPasses are not required for children under 3.
4. FastPasses are available for select attractions in all four parks, and currently two character meet & greets at Magic Kingdom only.
5. FastPasses are retrieved at kiosks, usually located near the attraction entrance.
6. The current FastPass return time is displayed over the kiosks.
7. The FastPass kiosk will issue one FastPass per ticket inserted, and works with any valid ticket media.
8. The ticket media must be activated at the respective park's turnstiles before the kiosk will issue a FastPass. In other words, a person must have entered the park that day to get a FastPass.
9. Another FastPass can be retrieved with that ticket either at the beginning of the printed window or 2 hours from the prior FastPass retrieval, whichever is earlier. Additionally, this time is printed on the current FastPass (see images in following post).
10. Depending on circumstances, it is absolutely possible to be simultaneously holding two, three, or even more unexpired FastPasses issued from only one ticket.
11. As of March 7, 2012, FastPasses can only be used during the printed window. There are various reports that they will be accepted up to 15 minutes late, and even later under certain circumstances. This information is not official--your mileage may vary.
12. Current FastPass return times are also available via the Disney Mobile Magic app, available for Verizon Android and all iPhone carriers in the US.
13. A central location at each park shows FastPass return times for all attractions that offer them. Epcot's board is electronic and generally accurate, while the other three parks' boards are manually updated and therefore may lag.
14. FastPasses often run out for the two most popular attractions, Toy Story Mania and Soarin', by late morning.
15. Currently, the Mickey M&G FP at Magic Kingdom is unique in that it allows you to get another FP immediately--there is no "lockout time".
16. My recommended FP retrieval order for Magic Kingdom: Peter Pan, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, remainder as desired. (YMMV)
17. My recommended FP retrieval order for Epcot: Soarin', Test Track, Mission: Space, remainder as desired. (YMMV)
18. My recommended FP retrieval order for Hollywood Studios: Toy Story Mania, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Star Tours, remainder as desired. (YMMV)
19. My recommended FP retrieval order for Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, remainder as desired. (YMMV)

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

~Currently, the following attractions offer Disney's FASTPASS Service:

~Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park:

• Primeval Whirl
• Kilimanjaro Safaris
• DINOSAUR
• Kali River Rapids
• Expedition Everest

~Disney's Hollywood Studios Theme Park:

• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
• Toy Story Mania!
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

~Magic Kingdom Theme Park:

• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
• Jungle Cruise
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Distributed at Mickey's Philharmagic)
• Peter Pan's Flight

~Epcot Theme Park:

• Mission: SPACE Pavilion
• Test Track
• Captain EO starring Michael Jackson
• Maelstrom
• Soarin'

~Here is the front and back of a FASTPASS®, courtesy of www.easyWDW.com.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I'm going to add my few helpful tips...

While the FP line is usually quite bit shorter than the standy, it does take time. Sometimes (Soarin') it may take twenty minues before you actually board the attraction. Total time from getting in line to getting off the attraction may be half an hour in some cases - longer if the FP attraction is a show.

It takes time to gather Fastpasses, and to walk back to the attraction later. My general rule is that if the attraction line is 20minutes or less - you are often better off using the standby line. Often, the FP queue is not as elaborately themed as the standby queue. The new trend at WDW is to make the standby queues more interesting.

Several FP attractions have a single rider line as an alternative. If you aren't particular about riding with the rest of your family, don't plan to buy the ride photo, and don't have child under 7 (or one that you feel is too young to ride alone) - then the single rider line is often shot and gives you more flexibility than fastpass.

My Rankings of FP Usefulness:

At AK: Kilimanjaro Safaris
Kali River Rapids
Expedition Everest - has single rider, otherwise use FP
DINOSAUR- rarely
Primeval Whirl - rarely

At HS: Toy Story Mania!
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror -
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith - has single rider, otherwise use FP
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue -rarely

At MK: Peter Pan's Flight - ALWAYS busy
Space Mountain - nearly always busy
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad -sometimes not busy very early or very late
Splash Mountain - often not busy early morning or very late at night
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin- sometimes need fp
Jungle Cruise - sometimes
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh - sometimes

At Epcot: Soarin' - always slow even with FP
Mission: SPACE Pavilion - only orange side
Test Track - currently has single rider, soon to have major rehab
Maelstrom - rarely busy
Captain EO starring Michael Jackson - never busy

 

[Jennasis]

ATTENTION! I actually received a call today from guest services after I sent them a letter regaling the current "concern" on the DIS about the enforcement and what happens for those times where one might run late due to a late running ADR or a ride breakdown etc.

The CM was very nice to talk to and understood exactly what we've been debating ad nauseum here. He said to bring your receipt from your ADR if your service caused a conflict and inform the Cm at the ride. If you experience a ride breakdown or something ELSE that caused you to miss your window, explain it to the CM.

IF YOU ARE NOT GIVEN SATISFACTORY TREATMENT FROM THE FASTPASS CM AT THE LINE, he said to request to speak to a supervisor or "lead".

Disney is not in the business of sticking to the hard line just to stick to it. If there are genuine circumstances that prevented you from making your window, they will endeavor to help you out. His words.

Any questions about the conversation, just let me know.

 

[larryz]

Thanks, Jennasis. I wonder, given that info, if I should re-run the poll...? Yes you can re-post your poll .Moderator Danny

 

[1 Minnie & 3 Mickeys]

Is this a thread that we can ask fast pass questions in? If not please feel free to direct me to another.

We are visiting WDW next week and I am trying to figure out which attractions have fast passes run out early in the day and which ones I would be able to get even into the evening hours.

I have read numerous threads lately about the fast pass times being enforced and I honestly did not know you could previously go outside the return time. So I guess what I need to know is which ones to I need to grab as soon as I enter the park.

To give a little background we do not do rope drop...young kids...therefore we also do not do the bigger attractions like the mountains in MK or Everest etc.

Thanks!

 

[mesaboy2]

Is this a thread that we can ask fast pass questions in? If not please feel free to direct me to another.

We are visiting WDW next week and I am trying to figure out which attractions have fast passes run out early in the day and which ones I would be able to get even into the evening hours.

I have read numerous threads lately about the fast pass times being enforced and I honestly did not know you could previously go outside the return time. So I guess what I need to know is which ones to I need to grab as soon as I enter the park.

To give a little background we do not do rope drop...young kids...therefore we also do not do the bigger attractions like the mountains in MK or Everest etc.

Thanks!

My linked thread in post #2 answers this. The short answer is that Soarin' and Toy Story Mania consistently run out early in the day.

I think I'll quote it there instead of the link.

 

[seashoreCM]

Is this a thread that we can ask fast pass questions in? If not please feel free to direct me to another.

You may ask FASTPASS questions right here.

The purpose of FASTPASS is to allow guests to do other things and then get on a ride with little or no waiting in a line. The expiration of a FASTPASS should not wipe out this benefit.

Admittedly there will be times that a ride is out of service or when a very large number of FASTPASS holders arrives at the same time. Until a more formal procedure is developed, guests finding a long FASTPASS line should, if they wish to come back still later to avoid the waiting line, inquire of the CM monitoring the FASTPASS entrance and, if necessary, find a supervisory CM in the area to have a FASTPASS reissued. How it is handled can vary from ride to ride or from day to day, for example FASTPASSes might be declared as non-expiring for that ride for the rest of that day although not advertised except to those guests describing an extenuating need.

In this situation, guest satisfaction is important. Handling this is within the realm of Guest Relations; you don't have to hustle over there immediately.

 

[buffettgirl]

My linked thread in post #2 answers this. The short answer is that Soarin' and Toy Story Mania consistently run out early in the day.

I think I'll quote it there instead of the link.

Is that still the situation? I was wondering if with the enforcement of the return time it was allowing FPs to be more available later in the day, as people maybe are less likely to grab one if they won't be using them early.

But perhaps that's just wishful thinking.

 

[mjp12831]

Is that still the situation? I was wondering if with the enforcement of the return time it was allowing FPs to be more available later in the day, as people maybe are less likely to grab one if they won't be using them early.

But perhaps that's just wishful thinking.

Enforcement will have no impact on FP availability, and will have no benefit to the park goer.

It's just simple supply and demand.

FP supply remains unchanged - limited number for each attraction each day does not change with enforcement. FP rides run at capacity and the available FP for each attraction is based on particular ride capacity.

FP demand will remain unchanged - enforcing return times does nothing to make fewer people want to ride Sorin or TSM.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

My bad...I put the single rider in the wrong spot:

At HS: Toy Story Mania!
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror -
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith - has single rider, otherwise use FP
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue -rarely

I need to stop using cut and paste.....
ToT has no single rider.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Enforcement will have no impact on FP availability, and will have no benefit to the park goer.

It's just simple supply and demand.

FP supply remains unchanged - limited number for each attraction each day does not change with enforcement. FP rides run at capacity and the available FP for each attraction is based on particular ride capacity.

FP demand will remain unchanged - enforcing return times does nothing to make fewer people want to ride Sorin or TSM.

What IS going to happen - I'm sure - is that eventually, and maybe quite soon, the demand for TSM will change. It will happen as newer attractions open. Right now, TSM is efectively a new ride still. Not so long ago, the line for Mission:Space was huge, Soarin's line was far bigger than it is now, and EE used to have a huge line. They are still popular, but the lines are nothing of what they once were.

When the new Fantasyland opens, the demand for TSM will diminsh. Probably the number of folks going to HS will diminish (folks will opt to spend more time in MK, less in HS.)

When another new ride opens in HS, the demand will diminsh even more....

I'm not saying that TSM will not continue to be a popular ride, just that it won't be what it is now.

To give one more example...I remember when Haunted Mansion was THE headline attraction in MK!

I do wonder though...in retrospect....both TSM and Soarin' have capacity/slow loading issues. What was Disney thinking when they designed Soarin' so poorly?

I recently was observing on PotC and IaSW. THOSE two attractions were designed to get LOTS of folks through the queue in a hurry. HP at IoA - even though it's a four seater - also loads rather quickly and impressively. I very much hope that the new Fantasyland attractions are designed with those lessons in mind.

 

[UNCFanatik]

Enforcement will have no impact on FP availability, and will have no benefit to the park goer.

It's just simple supply and demand.

FP supply remains unchanged - limited number for each attraction each day does not change with enforcement. FP rides run at capacity and the available FP for each attraction is based on particular ride capacity.

FP demand will remain unchanged - enforcing return times does nothing to make fewer people want to ride Sorin or TSM.

It remains to be seen. FP availability could be affected because people who would pull a FP with the intention of using it past return window, may not pull it now. Yes, it is still the same number of FPs available for the day but it could expand the time that FPs are available. Rides may expend their FPs at a later time in the day than they are experiencing now.

And if this hold to be true, it is a benefit to the park goer who arrives later in the day and still have FPs available when in the past, it would not be the case.

Either way, its too early to tell the effect of the enforcement. Especially given the varying reports we have heard from people returning from the parks post enforcement

 

[buffettgirl]

It remains to be seen. FP availability could be affected because people who would pull a FP with the intention of using it past return window, may not pull it now. Yes, it is still the same number of FPs available for the day but it could expand the time that FPs are available. Rides may expend their FPs at a later time in the day than they are experiencing now.

And if this hold to be true, it is a benefit to the park goer who arrives later in the day and still have FPs available when in the past, it would not be the case.

Either way, its too early to tell the effect of the enforcement. Especially given the varying reports we have heard from people returning from the parks post enforcement

That is precisely what I was thinking, and why I asked. I'll be interested in hearing how it plays out over the next 6 months or so.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I was having lunch today with a nephew of mine, who is a coordinator (or lead) at a MK attraction which uses FPs.

He said that so far, while he has been working, he only had problems with two people. One was a family that was five minutes late, and he made an exception to allow them through the line. Otherwise they generally did not have problems.

The other problem was a Guest who says she was not warned. My nephew showed her right on the ticket (see photo in Post #3 above) "Not able to accommodate late arrivals" as well as signs on every FP machine and the Guest gave up.

And since he has worked for about ten days since the policy went into effect, he seems to think that it is working fine.

 

[g-dad66]

As a former regular Late Fast Pass User, here are my observations from our March 15-22 trip, in complying with the new enforcement policy:

1 - Use of Disney Mobile Magic is now much more valuable than it used to be, because it is the only app which gives accurate Fast Pass return times. (Other apps are fine for giving estimates, but one wants more precision when one is actually in the park. For example, Tower of Terror was operating at only partial capacity a good part of March 22, and the Standby Wait time and Fast Pass Return time on Lines were wildly off.)

2 - While Mobile Magic saved me from making some Fast Pass runs for which the return time would have been too early or too late, this was offset by the necessity of making cross-park treks that would not have been necessary in the "old days." For example, after riding Space Mountain, we would typically get Fast Passes for later use in the day, but now the return time was too early for us to make it back to Tomorrowland in time to use them. So they went to waste (it was sad that we could no longer give away unused FPs for someone else to use), and I made an extra cross-park trip in the late morning to get FPs for afternoon use.

3 - Our Fast Pass line waits were consistenly shorter than they had ever been in previous trips. Don't know if this was just chance occurrence or not, but it occurred at Test Track, Soarin, Expedition Everest (twice), Kali River Rapids, Space Mountain, Rock n Roller Coaster (5 times). None of these were in the evenings, however. Most were late morning and early or mid-afternoon.

 

[Mamiamjo]

I've read that the new adherence to the FP window is in preparation for the next generation Fast Pass, but why? What about adhering to the window "now" prepares for next gen in the future?
The only thing I can think of is that maybe Disney needs data on line times, return windows etc when they don't let people in late. Otherwise, why not just wait until they put next gen in place and make the change all at once?

Any other ideas?

 

[LaurenT]

As a former regular Late Fast Pass User, here are my observations from our March 15-22 trip, in complying with the new enforcement policy:

1 - Use of Disney Mobile Magic is now much more valuable than it used to be, because it is the only app which gives accurate Fast Pass return times. (Other apps are fine for giving estimates, but one wants more precision when one is actually in the park. For example, Tower of Terror was operating at only partial capacity a good part of March 22, and the Standby Wait time and Fast Pass Return time on Lines were wildly off.)

2 - While Mobile Magic saved me from making some Fast Pass runs for which the return time would have been too early or too late, this was offset by the necessity of making cross-park treks that would not have been necessary in the "old days." For example, after riding Space Mountain, we would typically get Fast Passes for later use in the day, but now the return time was too early for us to make it back to Tomorrowland in time to use them. So they went to waste (it was sad that we could no longer give away unused FPs for someone else to use), and I made an extra cross-park trip in the late morning to get FPs for afternoon use.

3 - Our Fast Pass line waits were consistenly shorter than they had ever been in previous trips. Don't know if this was just chance occurrence or not, but it occurred at Test Track, Soarin, Expedition Everest (twice), Kali River Rapids, Space Mountain, Rock n Roller Coaster (5 times). None of these were in the evenings, however. Most were late morning and early or mid-afternoon.

Good report, thanks!
Looks like I'll be getting some extra exercise in two weeks!
Did you have any trouble with connecting to Mobile Magic during your trip? I read a report somewhere about someone not being able to use it because of the heavy crowds tying up the system?

 

[WillAustin]

I've read that the new adherence to the FP window is in preparation for the next generation Fast Pass, but why? What about adhering to the window "now" prepares for next gen in the future?
The only thing I can think of is that maybe Disney needs data on line times, return windows etc when they don't let people in late. Otherwise, why not just wait until they put next gen in place and make the change all at once?

Any other ideas?

I'd bet they need the data to estimate how many total advance reservations per hour they should allow with X-Pass.