FastPass+ Basic Info, Suggested Priorities, And Strategies--Part II

[mesaboy2]

Information in the first two posts is no longer being maintained. This thread contains the latest information.

Introduction

This thread is intended to contain answers and information regarding the most commonly-asked questions about the FastPass+ (FP+) system in place at Walt Disney World. The first two posts do not attempt to address the more complex situations (including split stays, special kinds of tickets, parties where guests are split between onsite and offsite, etc.), though dialogue in the thread regarding these situations is welcome.

This thread is routinely updated to reflect changes over time of FP+ policy, attraction selections, and suggested priorities. The intention is to make all of the most important information available here in this one post, so that it is not necessary to read this entire thread for it to be useful.

My Disney Experience (MDX) Requirements

Before your first FastPass+ can be scheduled, two basic requirements must be met:

• A guest must have an account created in MDX using a valid email address, and
• A guest must have valid ticket media linked to this account. In most situations, ticket vouchers (including those for Annual Passes) can be linked as well as tickets from third-party resellers such as Undercover Tourist.

FastPass+ Guidelines

All points in this section are subject to change.

General

1. FP+ is included free with admission.
2. MagicBands are not required to use FP+, any recently-issued ticket media will work also. MagicBands are automatically issued to onsite resort guests and AP holders. All other guests can purchase MagicBands if desired at any number of in-park locations or at various websites.
3. All guests entering an attraction's FP+ queue must have a valid FP+ for that attraction, including all character-based attractions such as Meet and Greets (M&Gs). The only exceptions to this are small children under 3yo, who need no FP+ for any attraction.
4. Guests may preselect 3 FP+ for any day. All 3 must be in the same park but for different attractions.
5. For Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom only, any 3 attractions are selectable for FP+.
6. For Epcot and Hollywood Studios, a tiering system is in place and there are restrictions regarding which attraction combinations can be preselected. Tiering is explained fully in the section immediately after the priority list later in Post #2.
7. FP+ return windows for non-show-type attractions are 60 minutes long. The MDX FP+ system allows a grace period of 5 minutes before and 15 minutes after the return window, but guests are advised against relying on the grace period. Park Operations has the ability to disable the grace period depending on the situation.
8. The FP+ return windows cannot overlap.
9. FP+ can be scheduled during the entirety of regular park hours, including the first and last hours of operation.
10. FP+ cannot be scheduled during EMHs.
11. FP+ cannot be scheduled during hard-ticket party events such as Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, Night of Joy, or Villains Unleashed. However, party tickets can be used for scheduling FP+ during the typical 3-hour "grace period" from 4:00p to 7:00p usually associated with these events. FPs with windows extending later than 6:30p may be denied or cancelled. These FPs are not "extra" and on top of 3 other prebooked FPs that a guest may already have scheduled that day using a regular park ticket--the maximum of 3 FPs in any one day still applies.
12. FP+ works the same way as Legacy FP with regard to child swap/rider swap/rider switch policies.
13. Children under 3yo do not need FP+ and can accompany an adult with FP+ into any FP+ queue. If named on an onsite reservation, the child will receive a complimentary MagicBand but for FP+ purposes it is nonfunctional.
14. All Legacy FP kiosks in WDW were removed in January 2014.
15. All preselected FP+ are subject to availability.

Booking Windows and Scheduling

1. The prebooking window currently opens at 12:00a (midnight) Eastern Time on all days, irrespective of park hours. (This has not always been the case--more information and a dedicated thread to this subject can be found here: FastPass+ Expected 1:00a Booking Openings.)
2. Onsite guests (which includes those staying at the Swan and Dolphin but not at Shades of Green nor any Downtown Disney-area hotels) can prebook attractions up to 60 days in advance of the beginning of an on-site stay and for their entire trip. In other words, at 60 days before a check-in date one can make FP+ selections for the entire trip--up to 14 days. This can be done via the MDE/MDX website or app. FP+ can be prebooked for the number of days equal to the guest’s linked ticket.
3. For onsite guests with a room/ticket package, the 60-day prebooking window will not appear until the 60-day mark. Before this point, it is common for various members and/or their tickets to not appear on the MDX account. The entire traveling party and their tickets will appear at the 60-day mark in almost all cases. It is generally not possible to practice booking FP+s beforehand in this situation.
4. For onsite guests without a package (room-only), the 60-day prebooking window will not appear until the 60-day mark, assuming valid tickets are attached to the account. Before this point only a 30-day window (beginning at the current day) will be active, again assuming valid tickets are attached to the account. It is possible to practice booking FP+s using this 30-day window.
5. If the number of onsite resort days booked exceeds the number of ticket days in an MDX account, the prebooked FP+s can be scheduled on nonconsecutive days.
6. Annual Pass (AP) holders can prebook attractions up to 60 days in advance of the beginning of an onsite stay, for a maximum of 7 days or the length of the onsite stay--whichever is greater. As with above, FP+ selections can be made for the entire length of stay.
7. AP holders without an onsite reservation can book up to 30 days in advance, for a maximum of 7 days. Once one of those 7 days passes or is used, an additional day of FP+ can be prebooked, ad infinitum. This can be done via the MDX website or app, and can be done with AP vouchers as well.
8. All other guests can prebook FP+ attractions no more than 30 days in advance, for the number of days on their linked ticket in MDX, and can use either the MDX website or app to do so. Unlike onsite guests, it is not possible to book beyond the 30-day mark. The only exception to this is if an offsite guest is linked to or listed on an onsite guest's MDX reservation--then that guest is also eligible for the 60-day window (booked by the onsite guest).
9. There is no evidence that different pools of FP+s are maintained for different types of guests and their various booking windows. In other words, the full slate of FP+s available for any particular attraction are released at the same time, some 70+ days in advance, and none are saved for offsite guests or those who wait until they arrive in the park.
   
10. Once the group’'s initial 3 FP+ attractions are selected for each day, only then can they be edited for each individual in a group to different times and/or attractions.
11. It is highly recommended to not cancel 1 or 2 FPs on any particular day. If you change your mind after cancelling, you will need to cancel all FPs for that day (and risk losing them) or contact Disney IT to get the cancelled FP slots back.
12. All guests may use FP+ kiosks located in each park. The kiosks can be used to schedule FP+ only for attractions in that same park and on that same day. Return windows can be noted by taking a picture of the selections on the kiosk's screen or making pen-and-ink notes.

Additional/Same-Day FP+

1. One additional FP+ can be selected per guest, subject to availability, at an in-park kiosk once the 3 prebooked ones are used or expire. When that FP+ is used, another FP+ can be scheduled and used (and so on).
2. The kiosks access a guest’s account by recognizing either a guest’s MagicBand or any recently-issued, valid ticket media that includes an RFID chip.
3. The kiosks only allow FP+ for attractions in the current park. If park-hopping, you must wait to schedule additional FP+ until you arrive at a kiosk in the other park. To schedule FP+ in a different park, all 3 prebooked FP+s must be used or expire once the first is used. It may be possible to convince certain CMs to do this for you from another park, and there are numerous reports that CMs at onsite resort’s' concierge desks can do this as well.
4. Additional FP+ can only be selected at a kiosk and not via the MDX website or app.
5. Only one person in a party is necessary at the kiosk to schedule additional FP+.
6. Once an additional FP+ has been added at a kiosk, the MDX system can be used to modify the FP+.
7. Additional day-of FP+s are not subject to tiering limitations.
8. Additional day-of FP+s can be chosen to repeat FP+ attractions.
9. If an FP+ return window has passed without being used, that FP+ can be rescheduled to later in the day (subject to availability).
10. All scheduled FP+s can be modified on either the MDX system or at a kiosk.

Continued in next post....

 

[mesaboy2]

FastPass+ Attraction Priorities

My take, for what it's worth, on priorities for those attractions that offer FP+. Generally speaking, it is rare for any FP wait at any normally-operating attraction to exceed 15-20 minutes. This includes the currently super-popular ones such as the Anna & Elsa M&G and the Seven Dwarves Mine Train.

These rankings are based on my experience with all WDW attractions and familiarity with each one's popularity and capacity. These rankings are only meant to be an objective list of which FP+ selections have the potential to save the most guests the most time under most conditions. They do not reflect my own preferences with regard to "favorites", and do not attempt to reconcile all the different preferences any particular guest may have.

A/B/C Ranking System (unrelated to Tiering)

A - Using FP+ here will usually save the most time as compared to the attraction's average standby wait.
B - Using FP+ here will usually save some time as compared to the attraction's average standby wait.
C - Using FP+ here will usually save little time as compared to the attraction's average standby wait.

Attractions listed within the same priority class are in alphabetical order and not meant to suggest priority within the class.

FastPass+ Attraction List With Suggested Priorities

MAGIC KINGDOM

A - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
A - Meet Anna and Elsa at Princess Fairytale Hall
A - Peter Pan's Flight
A - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
A - Space Mountain
A - Splash Mountain
B - Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
B - Enchanted Tales With Belle
B - Festival of Fantasy Parade (Reserved Area--Town Square Flagpole)
B - Haunted Mansion
B - Jungle Cruise
B - Main Street Electrical Parade (Reserved Area--Town Square Flagpole)
B - Meet Ariel at her Grotto
B - Meet Cinderella and Rapunzel at Princess Fairytale Hall
B - Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater
B - Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater
B - Pirates of the Caribbean
B - The Barnstormer
B - The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
B - Tomorrowland Speedway
B - Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid
C - Dumbo the Flying Elephant
C - it's a small world
C - Mad Tea Party
C - Mickey's PhilharMagic
C - Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
C - The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
C - Wishes (Reserved Area--Main Street Plaza Gardens) (no availability beyond 4/19, reason unclear)

EPCOT (Tiering)

A - Soarin' (closed for refurbishment, reopening Summer 2016)
A - Test Track (Single Rider also available)
B - Mission: Space
B - Spaceship Earth
B - Turtle Talk With Crush
C - Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
C - IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth (Reserved Area--World Showcase Plaza)
C - Journey Into Imagination With Figment
C - Living with the Land
C - Meet Disney Pals at the Epcot Character Spot
C - The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Coming Spring 2016 and assumed to be FP (no opening date, suggested priority, nor Group/Tier known):
- Frozen Ever After
- Meet Anna and Elsa

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS (Tiering)

A - Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (Single Rider also available)
A - Toy Story Midway Mania
A - Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
B - For the First Time in Forever: A "Frozen" Sing-Along Celebration (Priority Access)
B - Star Tours
B - The Great Movie Ride
C - Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage (Reserved Area)
C - Disney Junior - Live on Stage (Reserved Area--center-front section, poor viewing, click here for POV)
C - Fantasmic (Reserved Area--left-front section)
C - Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (Priority Access)
C - Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show (Priority Access)
C - Muppet Vision 3D
C - Voyage of the Little Mermaid (Priority Access)

ANIMAL KINGDOM

A - Expedition Everest (Single Rider also available)
A - Kali River Rapids
A - Kilimanjaro Safaris
B - DINOSAUR
B - Festival of the Lion King (Priority Access)
B - Finding Nemo (Priority Access)
B - Primeval Whirl
C - Flights Of Wonder (no availability beyond 4/19, reason unclear)
C - It's Tough to be a Bug
C - Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost

Parks With FP+ Tiering

In Epcot and Hollywood Studios only, FP+ attractions are divided into two groups. Guests are able to make 1 selection from Group 1, and 2 selections from Group 2. When prebooking FP+ attractions, this is the only combination of attractions that the system will allow--1 from Group 1 and 2 from Group 2. The list above uses the following scheme (applying to the attraction's name) to identify FP+ attractions in Group 1 and Group 2:

• Attraction X - indicates a Group 1 attraction.
• Attraction Y - indicates a Group 2 attraction.

Attractions With Scheduled Times

• Reserved Area - Indicates an exclusive section for use by guests with FP+. This type of FP+ has moderate value in terms of saving time while securing preferred viewing.
• Priority Access - Indicates guests with FP+ are allowed into the general show area before or at the same time (via a separate queue) as standby guests. This type of access has little value in terms of saving time or securing preferred viewing.

Using the MDX System To Schedule FastPass+ Attractions

Rather than attempt to write something here myself, I will just refer to the first post in the following thread, by EasyWDW poster Micah008, that is the best resource I have found for how to actually use the MDX system to schedule FP+s.

New Examples Of Booking And Modifying FP+

FastPass+ Availability

1. The Anna/Elsa M&G in Magic Kingdom is by far the most difficult FP+ to get. Onsite guests with longer stays have the best chance of acquiring them, but even then can still be shut out. For those onsite guests who want them, the best chance of getting them is by booking them as soon as your window opens at 12:00a ET and starting your FP+ selections immediately for the days at the end of your trip, working backwards. They disappear very quickly. All other guests are advised to check as soon as possible (at the 30-day mark) and as often as possible, and consider splitting your group into smaller parties to maximize chances of finding an available FP+.
2. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Wishes, Main Street Electrical Parade, and Festival Of Fantasy parade (all in Magic Kingdom) and Toy Story Mania (in Hollywood Studios) can be difficult to get as well, depending on several factors. Since the inception of FP+, all of these attractions have become somewhat easier to get FP+ for.
3. Most other WDW attractions show a wide range of availability for FP+ attractions even just a few days prior to use, including Soarin'’, Test Track, Expedition Everest, and the three Mountains in Magic Kingdom.
4. Same-day FP+ availability for most headliners, particularly outside of Magic Kingdom, is typically low and approaches nonexistent as choices for 4th FP+s since several hours must pass until guests are eligible for 4th FP+s.
5. This website (based in the UK) shows attraction availability, based on a party of 4, for the next 4 months for some of the most in-demand attractions at WDW: The DIBB FastPass+ Attraction Availability. This information is updated every 30 minutes.

General Strategies

1. Prebooking FP+ attractions is always advised, at any time of year and in all crowd conditions. Arguments about preplanning aside, the sooner FP+s are booked the wider the range of options (preferred attractions at preferred times) that will be available.
2. One of the most frequently-asked questions is what time of day is best to schedule FP+. My answer depends on if you want a few “quality” FP+s or if you want more “regular” FP+s. By quality FP+s I mean the ones that save the most time. Crowds tend to be heaviest in the afternoon, so picking 3 FP+ in the afternoon is not a bad strategy--however this means you can’t schedule more FP+s until later in the day, when availability becomes lower. The opposite strategy is to schedule your 3 FP+ early in the morning--when crowds are relatively light, waits relatively short, and FP+s relatively useless--so that you can start getting more FP+s earlier in the day. There is no right answer.
3. When park-hopping, the best strategy is often to make FP+ selections in the second park each day. Again though, there is no right answer and it is up to each individual which approach fits their touring style best.
4. For obvious reasons, the value of FP+ for nighttime shows such as MSEP, Wishes, IllumiNations, and Fantasmic decreases greatly if more than 3 FP+ are desired on any given day. Other than perhaps MSEP, I have not given much value to these types of FP+ anyway.
5. Consider using Single Rider--especially at Test Track (Epcot) and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios) where tiering is in place and it is more difficult to use FP+ for headliners.
6. While technically nontransferable, in practice there is no issue with using the MagicBand of others in your party to access their FP+.

 

[Cyrano]

mesaboy2's new thread

 

[LMO429]

Just saw there was a new thread. The previous thread was extremely helpful I had my 60 day window open last night.

Logged in at midnight. Wanted 7DMT for thurs nov 6 and it was full already! But I was able to get it for nov 8 instead so not a total fail.

A&e was filled I noticed as well on nov 6 but I did not want it.

No maelstrom available at all so the refurb rumors probably true.

It was pretty painless no glitches was done In like 20 mins.

 

[RooRach0906]

FP+/ baby swap how does it work? Would we all need the fastpass+ or could 3 of us have it then Me and my 4 year old who is not tall enough have a FP+ to do something else and then go and switch? or does it not work at all?

Currently we all including the 4 year old have FP+ for 40 inch rides she was right below when I made them and she has grown but I dunno if they will consider her right on the line or below so I am trying to get an idea of what I might need to do this trip. TIA!!!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Good to see continuation of helpful thread, mesa.

 

[mesaboy2]

From Part I:

If this has been answered already, please forgive me. There are way too many pages to find it!!!

DW and I are going to MNSSHP for the first time in a couple of weeks. We would like to get FPs for Haunted Mansion for around 8pm. We have our party tickets linked to MDE. However, when I go to select the FPs for Haunted Mansion, it only gives me time while the park is open during normal operating hours. How do I get it to show me times during MNSSHP?

This question is answered in the OP (of both parts). I reorganized its structure in the hopes that answers to questions like this are now a little easier to find.

 

[JeJecm]

If I have a fast pass for ToT but don't want to do it can I switch my band with my daughter so she can use it

 

[mesaboy2]

If I have a fast pass for ToT but don't want to do it can I switch my band with my daughter so she can use it

Yep.

 

[phabric]

Signing up for this thread.

 

[Cluelyss]

So I know I can schedule FP+ on my MNSSHP ticket. Originally we had been planning to go to MK in the morning, so I have 2 FP scheduled before lunch and then an A&E from 3:40-4:40. Now we are contemplating HS in the morning. I know I cannot schedule FP+ at HS if I want to keep A&E and be able to use it on my party ticket. But am I going to screw anything up by entering HS that morning on a non-hopper park pass? Just want to make sure, as this is obviously the most important FP we have scheduled!!! TIA!!!

 

[mnmsoccermom]

subscribing

 

[mnmsoccermom]

I originally had a fast pass for the Festival of Fantasy parade. I decided to change the day we are going to go to the MK. When I tried to make a fast pass for the parade on the new day, there weren't any available. I panicked and tried to go back to the original day we were going to MK and get my fast pass for the parade on that day, only to find that it was no longer available. HELP!!! Am I just out of luck or should I keep checking my MDE to see if one becomes available? Are the odds stacked against me on that one? I'm so bummed.

 

[mesaboy2]

So I know I can schedule FP+ on my MNSSHP ticket. Originally we had been planning to go to MK in the morning, so I have 2 FP scheduled before lunch and then an A&E from 3:40-4:40. Now we are contemplating HS in the morning. I know I cannot schedule FP+ at HS if I want to keep A&E and be able to use it on my party ticket. But am I going to screw anything up by entering HS that morning on a non-hopper park pass? Just want to make sure, as this is obviously the most important FP we have scheduled!!! TIA!!!

I don't think that will mess anything up, but I wish I could tell you that with 100% confidence. Good luck, and by the way thanks for being a helpful contributor to these threads.

 

[KenDoll]

We got all morning FP's booked for our 7 day trip... We like to be up at RD and in the parks take a break during the middle of the day of rest, pool, and lunch and we hit the parks again late afternoonish for night time. We find the best luck with wait times and ease of crowds that way. I am just wondering after our morning fastpasses are done, on our way to our hotel could I go alone to our scheduled night time park and head to a kiosk without my party with me in that park to make our 4th fastpass or do they need to gonthru the turnstiles as well?

 

[slzer0]

Ten days out..
My computer died. Anyone have experience booking FP+ from a phone? I plan to log in right as the window opens.

 

[patrickpiteo]

Ten days out.. My computer died. Anyone have experience booking FP+ from a phone? I plan to log in right as the window opens.

I do it all the time you should be fine using the app.

 

[traciruns]

Sorry if this seems like a silly question or if it has already been answered but I just wanted clarification on something. I understand that you only get 3 FP+s per day and that there aren't FP+s associated with the parties per se, but when you say that you can book them from 4-7 during a hard ticket event, does this mean that the system sees it as a separate day from your other park(s)? For example, if we book 3 FPs for AK in the morning, can 3 more be booked on the MVMCP ticket from 4-7 since it is a separate fee? Or no dice since it is the same day? TIA!

 

[slzer0]

I do it all the time you should be fine using the app.

So not the website. Use the MDE app?

 

[mesaboy2]

Sorry if this seems like a silly question or if it has already been answered but I just wanted clarification on something. I understand that you only get 3 FP+s per day and that there aren't FP+s associated with the parties per se, but when you say that you can book them from 4-7 during a hard ticket event, does this mean that the system sees it as a separate day from your other park(s)? For example, if we book 3 FPs for AK in the morning, can 3 more be booked on the MVMCP ticket from 4-7 since it is a separate fee? Or no dice since it is the same day? TIA!

No dice, same day. Sorry.