Using FastPass After Expiration Time?

[Gabby&Liv's Mommy]

Will they let you use your FastPass if it is after the time printed on the ticket? If so, how long after? We will be traveling with a 2 & 4 yr old and, as you can imagine, can't always make it back during the scheduled time.

 

[Ava]

I used a FP after the printed time a few times during my trip last week and no one ever said anything to me about it. It wasn't extremely crowded though, so I don't know if the CM's would be stricter about return times during the busy seasons.

 

[Robo]

Its generally possible to ride a FP attraction any time that SAME DAY, even after the "ride window" printed on the FP has expired.

I would not suggest you RELY on that, however, with a VERY popular ride like Expedition Everest (or Soarin').

 

[hulagirl87]

My thought about it is that the fastpass is your "reservation" time. You are given an hour to get back to the ride. If you can't get back within that time, you shouldn't be able to ride. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but that's just my opinion on this subject.

 

[Snoopygirl]

We were told by our KTTK guide that they usually don't look at them too closely and they don't expire. We used an expired FP only once for Space Mountain but mainly becuase it had been shut down earlier in the day and we went back that night for EMH.

 

[Kick Save]

Most of the time, yes, you'll be allowed to use an expired FP. There are some exceptions, popular ride, FP line is full because of a delay or something, so don't count on it. But it seems fairly common to be able to use expired FPs.

Don't bring one from your previous vacation, that might now work.

 

[Punkin's Mom]

I have it on good authority that Disney's OFFICIAL position is to honor late fastpasses - never early though.

 

[keishashadow]

The only time we had a problem was on all things...the living w/land boat ride???.

Main reason we were over the stated time period was because the line for Soarin' had backed up & trying to get thru the food court area to the ride took forever.

Older CM stared @ the FP for a while, then looked @ me strangely but, let us on .

We usually get a FP before our afternoon break & utilize it later in the evening when we return. Even on Space Mt.; haven't had a problem thus far.

 

[Hannathy]

I agree with the you should not be allowed to use it except in your time frame. This is getting out of hand and ruining the system. The number of fast passes is timed so you have little or no wait but I have been in some long FP lines because people are coming back whenever they feel like it! Before you get it look at the time and plan accordingly or don't get it. Seems simple to me.

 

[Kick Save]

I have it on good authority that Disney's OFFICIAL position is to honor late fastpasses - never early though.

Careful, I used the term "Unwritten Rule" concerning this subject a couple weeks ago and got dragged into a semantical argument about it.

Pick the word you want, it usually works.

 

[beattyfamily]

There's a long thread that was started on 4/24/06 about someone being refused by a CM when trying to use an old FASTPASS (which I think is the correct thing to do by the way).

Expired Fastpasses Refused

 

[nicknamy1996]

I have it on good authority that Disney's OFFICIAL position is to honor late fastpasses - never early though.

WDW... "good authority"...hmmm.... YOU'VE been talking to The Mouse haven't you?

Yes (though not official) they are good for anytime after your window. In case you are stuck in another line, or a show, or if you had a long wait for dinner, or you didn't want to leave in the middle of a parade, or you don't realize how big the park is, or you didn't know how to get back to the attraction, etc...

 

[Julylady]

I have used expired fast passes a few times in the past 2-3 trips. EAch time I explained to the CM why we were late and politely asked if it was okay. We have always been let through expect one time -- at Soarin.

I agree that the system works best if everyone arrives within their appointed hour. I also agree that you should look at the return time and if you know you can't make it back in time, don't get a pass! However, if you have a legitimate reason (i.e. seated late for an ADR, got caught behind the parade, rain-slowed travel), ask nicely and see what happens!

Donna

 

[eeyore45]

We were denied entry last year - yes it was busy, Columbus Day, free dining - there was another family also turned away, there was a group near the CM that was a "manager" and he said the "official disney position" was no, and there is wording on the back of the FP that he said, no... there was another woman very upset that they were out of FP too... he was trying to explain the idea behind FP to keep the line reseonable you needed to come during the return time stated on the FP...

that was from a manager at Disney, it didnt happen to a "friend of mine' it happened to me!

 

[Sherri]

So if everyone got a fp for the same ride and all showed up whenever they wanted, I guess it defeat the purpose of fast past. The idea is crowd controll and if everyone follows the rules then it works.
We have been a few minutes early for rides in the past and they had a line of others waiting at the fastpast line until the clock said the correct time. You have an hour to show up, you should plan accordingly.

 

[rejobako]

I was involved in a debate yesterday about whether it was OK for one adult to hold a place in line for one child to meet a character if the child was already standing in another line. There was quite a dispute about that, so maybe I should ask the question:

Is it OK for one adult to hold a space for one child (who will replace , not join the child) in a fastpass line if the child is busy finishing up on another ride, in order to get into line before the fastpass window expires?

Actually, I'm not particularly interested in the answer, although I do get a kick out of the raging debates between the rules sticklers and the free-for-allers.

As for me, there's never a fast pass line for a Guinness at the Rose & Crown, so I never have any problems.

 

[nicknamy1996]

Here we go again....

I believe the previous thread was referring (originally) to a days old fastpass, much different then the OPs question/comment. There are only so many fastpasses given out per ride per day, and each person can only get so many. So its not like people are hoarding 1000's of them. There is a reason it is allowed, and that is that the CMs know the system and they know what they are doing.

 

[NurseJamie]

lol you really know how to pick a topic! I've read a couple threads dealing with this topic, and this is my basic idea of what happens with expired FastPasses... I'm just regurgitating what other have said.

General consensus is yes, you can use FastPasses AFTER the one hour time you are assigned. Many people think this is rude, but very few have actually said they have encountered a CM who gave them guff about it. You can not, however, use an expired FastPass on a different day (i.e. you get a FP Tuesday, don't get around to using it, and then try to use it on Wednesday). So as long as you use them any time AFTER your FP time starts on the day on which you received them, you should be all set.

Lots of people feel that using an FP outside the time you're assigned is "cheating" and making the system less effective. If the idea behind FP is so that people spend less time in line and more time spending money in the shops and restaurants, then I'm not so sure Disney cares when people use it as long as they're spending $$$ instead of waiting in line...

Good luck, and have fun on your trip!

 

[David R]

Plus sometimes your ADR runs late, or you get stuck in some other line or even in a ride, etc, etc. Rule of thumb is that unless the FP line is way backed up, you are OK using a FP after the printed time window.

 

[Kick Save]

So if everyone got a fp for the same ride and all showed up whenever they wanted, I guess it defeat the purpose of fast past. The idea is crowd controll and if everyone follows the rules then it works.
We have been a few minutes early for rides in the past and they had a line of others waiting at the fastpast line until the clock said the correct time. You have an hour to show up, you should plan accordingly.

Not exactly "whenever you want." Showing up prior to the window won't work, and it shouldn't. Showing up ahead of your time blows the system.

Showing up after your window doesn't really matter because it's basically a "rolling window" for the ride. Sure, the riders have a set window, but that fastpass fits into any one of 12 five minute windows. If you miss your window, coming back later that same day doesn't throw the system out of whack because somebody got your "spot" so it didn't change the FP wait for the ride.

If you're morally objected to it, that's one thing. But from a mathematical standpoint it doesn't throw the system out of whack under normal circumstances. Under extreme circumstances (which I anticipate coming in opposition of my point above ), yes showing up late would kill it. If everybody that had a FP from 1:05 to 2:05 for Buzz ALL decided to show up at 6:15 will all the 6:15 folks showing up at exactly that time, there would be anarchy.

This is why, for the most part, it's an allowed practice under normal crowd circumstances.

Don't remember where, somewhere online, I read a bit about the math that goes into the FP system, and how they tweak it for different rides, etc. Pretty interesting.