Fast Pass experts needed!

[disneydebi]

Okay,
Let me say, I love fast pass....

But for some reason, I never seem to be able to make it "work" the way I've heard folks here brag about.

I know I can get a 2nd fast pass either right after my time comes due, or after 2 hours (which ever comes first). But for some reason, when I try and do that, the fast pass times seem to be for so much later in the day that it leaves me either with a time that I can't use (the family poops out in the heat), or a large window of time to fill - which usually means being stuck in long lines for other rides while waiting for that fastpass to come due.

For all you "experts" who seem to have it down to a science.... is there a plan or guideline you use. Are you familiar enough with how fast certain rides run out/run late on fastpass times that you know the best order in which to obtain them? Because I still feel like I end up wasting a lot of time. Our next trip is in the summer (right before the 4th), and I know it's going to be hot and crowded and am looking for the best way to "maximize" fastpass. I admit, once I get in the park, I tend to get overwhelmed by it all and lose my focus!

What are your "secrets"???

 

[byoung]

Only fast pass if lines are over 20 min.

 

[DisneyObsessed]

I would also like to know. Everytime we've tried it, it feels like we're running from one end of the park to the other to use them. It feels like we're wasting alot of time and energy.

 

[rkandmjsmommy]

Not sure if this will help but this is what we do:

Tomorrowland:
Fast pass Space mountain, do Buzz, Tomorroland Transit Authority, Stitch however many rides we need to do until our fastpass for Space is ready.

Do the same for BTMRR and Splash, fast pass one and wait in line for the other.

Seems to work well for us.

When we get to Epcot we IMMEDIATELy fastpass Soarin, then do other things.

At MGM, we usually fastpass RnR and wait online, then we can ride twice

 

[ciera321]

I agree with rkandmjsmommy, that's how we do it. We always get to the park before posted opening times and head straight to the most popular rides. MGM we head straight to RNR, grab a fastpass for it and ride it since there is no wait right at opening. Then we go to TOT and ride it, normally not more than a 15 minute wait. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but we found that when we get a fastpass at Lights, Motors, Action we can get another one for something else immediately. Maybe because the shows are so far apart??? We do the same thing at Epcot. Head straight to Soarin, get a FP, ride it, go over to TT and ride in standby line, head back over and go to Crush and do Living Seas while we wait for our Soarin FP time. I always try to grab a FP before right before I use the previous one...Hope this makes sense!!!

 

[CleveRocks]

Here's a good example of how to do it (and yes, it does help to have some knowledge of crowds and times and things). We entered Epcot and went right to Test Track for FPs; the beginning FP return time was about one hour later. We then went to Universe of Energy for Ellen's Energy Adventure, which is 45 minutes once it starts (and we had to wait for it to start). When we got out of there, our Test Track return window had arrived. We first went to Mission:Space to get FPs, then went to the FP return line for Test Track. We did I forget what for about 15 minutes or so until our Missio:Space window was open, and so on.

Try to stay within a certain region of a park, rather than ging from Tomorrowland to Frontierland and then run back to Tomorrowland. One great thing to do is plan FP waiting time around a meal -- that's a pretty painless wait. If you get a Space Mountain FP with a return one hour later, go get lunch at Cosmic Ray's, ride the TTA, and then get back to Space Mountain, but first get FPs for Buzz or whatever. When you're done with Space Mountain, maybe ride the Indy Cars or Astro Orbiter until your Buzz time is here.

 

[chamonix]

I always try to grab a FP right before I use the previous one...

IMO this is the best tip. Also the tip about plan things to do during the waiting time, like eat, or ride no wait rides or shows like the tiki room, or the TTA. We also send one adult to run for passes instead of dragging the whole group all over the park.

The other best tip is to get there early enough in the morning that your fastpass waits aren't so far away. We also never fastpass rides with less than a 25 minute wait. In fact, we often don't fastpass at all in the early morning hours, and ride the fastpass rides at that time before the regular lines grow too long.

 

[drogerstn]

It doesn’t hurt to use FP even when the waits of short (i.e. less than 20 minutes). It’s always good to have a FP. We will ride standby on a ride and if our FP time comes up, we can get right back on in a couple of minutes which beats waiting 15 to 20 minutes.

During our last visit, there were some rides which allowed us to get another FP just 5 minutes after getting the FP. If it still works this way, it makes sense to grab a FP from one of these attractions and then immediately get a FP at a major attraction.