Fast Pass: Will I Miss Out?

[I'm No Fool]

Are there any attractions where, if I use FastPass, I'll miss out on seeing something interesting in the standby line?

 

[estnh]

The Test Track fast pass skips most of the themed areas in the waiting lines. It's interesting to see once, but probably not worth standing in line for an hour.

I think the theming in the AK attraction lines are good--particularly Kali River Rapids. Although I haven't seen it yet, I am told the theming of the line for Expedition Everest is exceptional.

 

[PlutosFriend]

Are there any attractions where, if I use FastPass, I'll miss out on seeing something interesting in the standby line?

I have never done FP for Rock N Rollercoaster, so not sure exactly what you would miss...but if it is most of the Aerosmith stuff, no, I wouldn't want to miss that..at least not the first time

 

[RevBob]

I have never done FP for Rock N Rollercoaster, so not sure exactly what you would miss...but if it is most of the Aerosmith stuff, no, I wouldn't want to miss that..at least not the first time

On RnRc you don't miss the preshow,since you merge with the line long before you get to any of the preshow elements of the ride.

 

[disnut8]

You will miss the hard rocking music of Test Track if you do Fast Pass. You will miss most of the queue on Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom. You will miss most of Expedition Everest. You'll miss the displays at Mission:Space. Depends on what you want and what the wait is.

Here's what we did with my dinosaur induced brother-in-law (older than me and I'm a grandmother). We got FastPasses for Dinosaur, shoved him through the queue (and he liked the ride). Then we sent him and his father back just to walk the queue. They did that and then asked to be let out and not ride again. Perfect situation for everyone.

 

[Robo]

You will miss most of Expedition Everest.

Not so much.
The FP queue at Everest has its OWN SET of items/displays in another section of the queue building.
I've gone thru each side a few times and don't really have a preference.

EE has nice enough queue, but once you've seen the sherpa supplies and Yeti "scat", you've seen it.

BTW, the "scat" on display looks a bit "small" for the size of the Yeti, no?

 

[paras4ri]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Soarin'. The fastpass line area has really nothing to see - the standby line does have some pictures and info to read. I've heard it's nothing compared to the same ride at DCA.

 

[HaleyB]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Soarin'. The fastpass line area has really nothing to see - the standby line does have some pictures and info to read. I've heard it's nothing compared to the same ride at DCA.

Your right, the one in California has a much nicer queue display.

Really, you are not going to miss anything worth waiting for with this ride.

 

[HunnyPots]

I think on most fastpass rides you don't really miss anything; you just go through them faster. But that's the point of fastpass, isn't it?

 

[Robo]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Soarin'. The fastpass line area has really nothing to see - the standby line does have some pictures and info to read. I've heard it's nothing compared to the same ride at DCA.

Have to disagree here.

The FP and Standby lanes are side-by-side with only about a 4-5 foot wall between them in the area with the pictures and the "Q & A" info.

Both lines get to view the same thing.
Its only when you get to the corner into the "Blue Room" that you are separated by a high wall. And by then, there is nothing on either side to "see".

 

[Karnak]

I enjoyed Expediton Everest for the first time on Sunday (March 19) at about 1:00 in the afternoon, on a brief solo trip to WDW, and used the standby line for my first time so I could see the items on display while waiting. It was time well spent, and a bit like walking through a small museum. Well worth the wait, at least for one's first experience on EE.

I followed the first ride with a quick second ride, using the single rider line. This was quite a time saver.

Posted wait time for the first ride: 60 minutes.
Actual wait time for the first ride: about 25 to 30 minutes.
Actual wait time for the second ride: about 5 minutes.

Enjoy.

 

[Robo]

ToT comes to mind as NO PROBLEM here as it sends everyone (FP and Standby) into the same place (starting with the "library") and inside-queue once you reach the hotel lobby, so there is ZERO "missing" of any important queue-views.

The REAL difference in "queue-missing" (if there such a thing) comes in Disneyland, CA.

The last MAJOR attraction to be built before FP was initiated was the "Indiana Jones Adventure".
Its a SPECTACULAR ride and they knew (from past experience with PotC, HM, Space and Splash) that it would draw spectacular CROWDS.

So... they built a spectacular QUEUE.

Its wonderfully complex, diverse and INTERACTIVE.
(At any lesser park, the QUEUE would be considered a top-flight ATTRACTION.)
It is so entertaining and there is so much to discover that it was a PLEASURE to WAIT!
(Think how much we all enjoy the PRE-SHOW at MuppetVision 3D).

Anyway, along came FP and many of the LONG WAITS dried up.

So many folks now don't take the time to SEE the magnificent offerings of the Indy queue. (Its hard to "let everyone else pass you by" as you linger longer in the queue.)

This is a long way of saying that yes, you might miss a couple of minor things using FP at WDW.

But by comparison to the BIG one... Indy at DL... I wouldn't sweat it.

 

[HydroGuy]

The REAL difference in "queue-missing" (if there such a thing) comes in Disneyland, CA.

The last MAJOR attraction to be built before FP was initiated was the "Indiana Jones Adventure".
Its a SPECTACULAR ride and they knew (from past experience with PotC, HM, Space and Splash) that it would draw spectacular CROWDS.

So... they built a spectacular QUEUE.

You have a point, but I still do not think it is a big deal at DL Indy. I waited in that standby queue pre-FP, and there is no way I would prefer that over just using FP. Because Indy was built pre-FP, they do not have a good way to handle the FP folks so have to send them down the same queue as the standby. They hold the standby folks outside and let them go in spurts. So the standby people experience the same pre-show as the FP people. You can go as fast or slow as you want thru the queue. We typically stop at all the interactive parts at least once per trip, and just let folks walk past us.

 

[Robo]

So the standby people experience the same pre-show as the FP people. You can go as fast or slow as you want thru the queue. We typically stop at all the interactive parts at least once per trip, and just let folks walk past us.

I think I may have read something to that effect earlier... what was it?

Oh yeah, here it is:

So many folks now don't take the time to SEE the magnificent offerings of the Indy queue. (Its hard to "let everyone else pass you by" as you linger longer in the queue.)

I knew I'd seen it.

 

[HydroGuy]

I think I may have read something to that effect earlier... what was it?

Oh yeah, here it is:



I knew I'd seen it.

Great minds think alike. I did see your comment to that effect. I was just agreeing with you. And pointing out the standby and FP folks use the same entry and have the same issue.

 

[Robo]

Great minds think alike. I did see your comment to that effect. I was just agreeing with you. And pointing out the standby and FP folks use the same entry and have the same issue.

Cool.

And the point of my lengthy tome was that compared to an amazing queue like DL's Indy:

A. Disney doesn't build queues like that anymore (no need to with FP.)

B. There is no queue LIKE that to MISS at WDW by choosing FP.

 

[HaleyB]

ToT comes to mind as NO PROBLEM here as it sends everyone (FP and Standby) into the same place (starting with the "library") and inside-queue once you reach the hotel lobby, so there is ZERO "missing" of any important queue-views.

The REAL difference in "queue-missing" (if there such a thing) comes in Disneyland, CA.

The last MAJOR attraction to be built before FP was initiated was the "Indiana Jones Adventure".
Its a SPECTACULAR ride and they knew (from past experience with PotC, HM, Space and Splash) that it would draw spectacular CROWDS.

So... they built a spectacular QUEUE.

Its wonderfully complex, diverse and INTERACTIVE.
(At any lesser park, the QUEUE would be considered a top-flight ATTRACTION.)
It is so entertaining and there is so much to discover that it was a PLEASURE to WAIT!
(Think how much we all enjoy the PRE-SHOW at MuppetVision 3D).

Anyway, along came FP and many of the LONG WAITS dried up.

So many folks now don't take the time to SEE the magnificent offerings of the Indy queue. (Its hard to "let everyone else pass you by" as you linger longer in the queue.)

This is a long way of saying that yes, you might miss a couple of minor things using FP at WDW.

But by comparison to the BIG one... Indy at DL... I wouldn't sweat it.

I agree, it is a shame that people are missing the Indy line because they run past it all. I remember having the decoder cards and seeing that queue for the first time. If you happen to see a family with two really cute kids lingering in the queue area pushing, pulling, and tugging on the rope (four times, so you can hear all four things Indy says), that would be us

Last time we were there I mad someone scream in the area where the spikes come down. We try to get people to slow down and enjoy it. I don't know how many kids I have told to pull the rope. I almost always have to do it once first, because they are afraid to break the rules.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

The Kali FP line and the regular line are side by side with only a little rope most of the way. It's only at the end, which is I suppose the interesting part -where they divide.

The only ones that really come to my mind is:
sort of Test Track (love the sound dampening room)
Star tours (you'll see it, but very quickly)
Bug's Life - the carvings on the tree are neat to see, and the billboards are funny - again, I THINK you see them, but too quickly to appreciate them
Dinosaur - but somtimes they don't run the preshow room anyhow. It is cool when it changes!
They might let you enter after the start of the preshow at UoE, but not due to FP.

Personally, I find walking as fast as I reasonably can through the FP line of Space Mountain to be a small thrill unto itself, waiting in that tunnel can be almost clausterphobic. It's just so much fun when you know you aren't waiting an hour plus! I hate it when there's a slow walker in front of me. Mind, I'm not talking about someone who can't walk quickly - just those people who are clueless at WDW.

The other attractions that come to mind are at Universal Studios. Men in Black is definitly one where you miss out.

 

[estnh]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Soarin'. The fastpass line area has really nothing to see - the standby line does have some pictures and info to read. I've heard it's nothing compared to the same ride at DCA.

I was very disappointed with the standby line for Soarin. Disney usually does such a great job of theming these lines, and this one is not inspired!

 

[Robo]

I was very disappointed with the standby line for Soarin. Disney usually does such a great job of theming these lines, and this one is not inspired!

Yep.

Its just L-O-N-G.
It has to lead you all the way from "The Land" building in FW, out to behind the "Canada" pavillion in WS.
Viewed from above its not actually a HUGE distance, but it is still a bit of a stroll.