Lots of FP questions --Help!!!

[44disney]

We are going to DL for one day, June 8, and will be able to hold unlimited fast passes because we booked with AAA.
My questions:

1. Do the rides offering a FP have the FP machines working right away? My husband was thinking of getting all of the fast passes while I took the kids on the Fantasyland rides, but this will only work if the machines are up and running at opening (which is 10AM).

2. If you get a FP close to park opening, what is the typical return time window?

3. If you miss the FP return time, can you go later in the day? I'm wondering if I'm going to have a problem with lunchtime being the same as FP return times.

4. Does the Matterhorn ride have a FP?

 

[rsjj]

didn't realize that you can get unlimited fp when you purchase your tix thru aaa...you mean you can get one at one ride, and get another at another ride, at the same time? that's pretty cool! but to answer some of your questions...

1) don't know...

2) turn around time when we got them were around 1 or 1-1/2 hours. usually enought time to go in another ride, w/o fp, and go back and we're set.

3) since you can get unlimited fp, i assume if you missed it, you can just get another one. not sure if they'd let you in w/ an "expired" fp...

4) sorry, they don't...

have fun!!

 

[HaleyB]

1. If the ride is open the FP machines are too.
2. Really depends on the ride and how busy the park is.
3. I have never been turned away with an expired FP. Also I have asked several times on various trips and always been told it was fine to use expired passes as long as they were from the same day. I have read this is not official policy. I would not try this on rides that get long lines like Splash Mountian if I could help it. Rides like POC or HM can load lots of people fast so it is less of a worry.
4.Sadly, no. I like this ride, and of course it is a special DL ride, but I would not wait more than 1.5 hours, tops (really 45 mins, but we go often to DL). The line can move really fast so the line can look a whole lot worse than it is. I take turns in line with DH and whoever is not in line is in the shade with the kids. I always tell the people behind me we have kids sitting in the shade and about every 15-20 minutes they will walk over (while DH and I switch jobs) so it is not a surprise to the people behind us. Once we enter the covered switch back area everyone who is riding is in line, but it is not bad from there and it is fun to watch the ride.

 

[HaleyB]

Forgot to say, on a busy day FP's for some rides run out very quickly. Splash Mountian comes to mind as the first to run out, we always send DH ahead while we meander up Main Street to make the FP rounds. By the time we make it to the front of the Castle he is back from the circut, it is a fairly small park and an adult w/o kids in tow can make it easily around. Study the map and plan it out, start with Adventure land (for FP) if it is open.

 

[CalGal]

From my experience:
1. I don't really remember any machines not operating at park opening where FPs are being offered. Currently, there are FastPass Machines at some attractions that are not offering FP now. Ex: Haunted Mansion only operates during the holiday season for Haunted Mansion Holiday. HOWEVER, the FastPass return lines aren't always operational. During our last visit, we had FastPass return times for Autopia, but it was ignored because the standby lines weren't long enough (less than 20 minutes or so)
2. I believe the return time at opening is the window around 40 min. to 1 hr. 40 minutes after opening. In other words, the earliest return time for any ride starts aroun 40 minutes after the time that the FP is pulled. Consequently, if your husband runs to pull FPs at park opening, your return times will all start between say 10:40 and 11:00. That won't do you a lot of good, since the lines will be short during that period. I'd focus on pulling FPs for the hottest rides only at opening (Buzz, Indiana Jones, Splash, perhaps BTMRR)

3. They always have the right to turn you away, but from what I've heard, they generally don't.

4. No FP for Matterhorn.

 

[44disney]

Thanks to everyone for the help!

To rsjj--if you book your hotel (i'm not sure if it has to be a Disney-owned hotel or not) and buy passes through AAA, you get the ability to hold fast passes for different attractions at the same time. You can only hold one fast pass per attraction, however. Of course, once you use that fp you can then get a new one if they are still available. At least that is how it was explained to me!

 

[ReneeB]

I just wanted to clarify that Pirates, Haunted Mansion & Winnie the Pooh no longer have fastpass due to the fact that the lines move so fast and fp wasn't worth it. The only rides that have fp now are: Splash Mountain, Autopia, Indiana Jones, Big Thunder Mountain, Roger Rabbit, Star Tours & Space Mountain (when it opens).

 

[rsjj]

Thanks to everyone for the help!

To rsjj--if you book your hotel (i'm not sure if it has to be a Disney-owned hotel or not) and buy passes through AAA, you get the ability to hold fast passes for different attractions at the same time. You can only hold one fast pass per attraction, however. Of course, once you use that fp you can then get a new one if they are still available. At least that is how it was explained to me!

thanx for the info! good to know!

 

[danandjackie]

can anyone explain to me regarding the aaa fastpass deals, are there any blackout days??

 

[CalGal]

There are no blackout days for AAA Unlimited FastPass, but they are currently only available when you book a package that includes a stay at one of the 3 on-sight hotels (package does not need to include travel/airfare).