Thoughts on Fastpass+

Nope, I’m not here to discuss whether or not you like the Fastpass+ system. It is what it is and it doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere so, if you’re going to Disney World, you will likely need to use it.

Here are tips from my experience and perspective. Keep in mind that my trips typically include two adults traveling together – without children. Therefore, getting in to see Anna and Elsa are not at the top of my list. In fact, none of the character meet and greets are typically critical to my visits so you need to take this perspective into account as you read what I have to say. Typically, we always stay in a Disney property so I will not be speaking to using the system if you are staying outside of Disney.

First off, to use this system you are going to need to do some prep work. That prep work will need to be done before you come to the day when you are eligible to book your fastpass+ reservations. Here are the things that need to be in place ahead of time:
1. You have set up a My Disney Experience account To do this, you will need to go to the webpage and set things up.
2. If you are staying on Disney property, make sure your resort reservation is linked in your My Disney Experience account.
3. Link your park passes to the My Disney Experience account. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to make Fastpass+ reservations unless you have a valid park pass linked to the account. So, if you were planning to wait until your arrival on Disney property to purchase your park passes, you’ll be out of luck in booking fastpass+ reservations ahead of time. Pretty cool way for Disney to make sure they have your money sooner, rather than later, isn’t it?
4. Link your My Disney Experience with all of your traveling companions. In my case, this meant that my husband created a separate My Disney Experience account and we sent “invitations” to each other to link ourselves together. Actually, the first time we used My Disney Experience, we were also traveling with three other family members (two adults and a child). This was right around the same time that Fastpass+ was introduced. We found it a bit tricky to get us all linked up together. It took more than one “invitation” and try but we got it all worked out. This linking will allow one person to make reservations for the entire group. Keep in mind that everyone in the group you are trying to select needs to have valid park passes linked to their accounts. There are several options for who can view what information. This is what the Disney site says about linking with other people:

My Family & Friends List
Add people you are traveling with to your Family & Friends list so you can secure FastPass+ selections together, and to simplify sharing dining reservations and other plans. Pick which Guests to add to each new plan you make—the choice is yours.

Once all this is set up, sit back and wait until you are almost 60 days from your date of arrival. At that time, you’ll need to figure out your strategies. Do you want to be at your computer at midnight (Eastern time) on day 60 and make your fastpass+ reservations as soon as the window opens? Or do you get a full night’s sleep and wait until morning? The last time I booked fastpass+ reservations, I chose to wait until morning. My reasoning? Since other people can book for the length of their reservations, they’ve already had a shot at securing their fastpass+ reservations for at least the first several days of my next vacation. Plus, I’ll be a much happier camper if I get a full night’s sleep. And, as noted earlier some, but not all, of the really “hot” fastpass+ reservations are not on my must-do list.

Fastpass+ allows you to book 3, and only 3 fastpasses in advance of your arrival. Additionally, all 3 need to be in the same park so you can’t book one at Epcot and 2 at the Magic Kingdom. However, once you have used your first 3 fastpass+ reservations, you can book additional fastpasses (one at a time) at an in-park kiosk. Keep in mind that you must be physically present in the park to book these additional fastpasses. To be honest, thus far, I have not booked any fastpasses beyond my original 3. However, this means you need to make a few more strategic decisions about your vacation.
1. Do you book all 3 early in the day so you can use the kiosks later in the day?
2. If you park hop, do you book all 3 in the first park you visit in the day or in the second park of the day?
3. Do you like to sleep in and want the passes for later in the day or would you rather use them up earlier in the day and then go back to your resort for some swim time?

Strategies in place, it’s time to book your fastpasses. You’re at your computer. You sign in to your My Disney Experience account. You select Fastpass+ from the menu at the bottom. That will bring you to a screen that gives you three choices (1) New fastpass+; (2) Update fastpass+; (3) Cancel fastpass+. Since you’re booking, you’ll select New fastpass+. All the folks you can book fastpasses for, should show up. Click on the people you want to book a fastpass for and then click “Next”. On the next screen, select the park and the date. Click next. The list of available fastpasses for that date will show up along with information on which fastpasses are no longer available (Others have already selected the maximum number of tickets available for the ride or attraction for that date). Choose the three you want and click on “Next”. Four options will come up. Look at the times AND ATTRACTIONS listed and select the group that best fits your needs. Don’t despair if you don’t like the times. Also, keep an eye on the attractions. Recently, when I was selecting fastpass+ options, the 7 Dwarves Mine Train disappeared on option 4 and was replaced with Splash Mountain – a selection I did not make!! In some parks, like Epcot rides and attractions are grouped into tiers so you can only select 1 ride/attraction for the first group and 2 from the second group. For example, in Epcot, you can’t select Soarin’ and Test Track on the same day.

Once you click on “Done”, you’ll see that you have the option of modifying the times for each individual attraction you’ve chosen for that day. You’ll have the option of manipulating the time you arrive at each ride or even your ride selection (within limits). Sometimes, you’ll have to move a couple of ride times around to get what you want. If you don’t get what you want, you can continue to check back to see if the ride/attraction or time you want opens up later.
I’d also suggest you print out the information that shows the rides you’ve selected as well as the dates and times. Technology isn’t perfect. If the My Disney Experience is down while you’re at Disney and you haven’t noted which ride you’re supposed to be on when, you might miss the rides you’d booked.

So, this is my primer and my thoughts on the fastpass+ selection process. I’d love to hear more about how others have approached this – particularly when you’re dealing with kids of different ages who want to ride very different rides or have been trying to manage the process for a group of several different families traveling together!!