All About Disney's Original FASTPASS Service.
Quick "What Is It?"
FASTPASS is a way of making a reservation or appointment for a ride or show so you can come back later and not have to stand in line for a long period of time.
New! FASTPASS Going Electronic (No Paper Coupons)
In January of 2014, the old system of issuing FASTPASSes as paper coupons is being discontinued and all guests will use the new electronic system.
1. If you have a standard magnetic stripe ticket, you will need to go to a ticket booth and exchange it for a RFID (electronic) ticket which is about the same shape and size. This can be done without entering a park that day. If you have a Magic Band (RFID bracelet) then you can optionally have your ticket associated with that instead of carrying a ticket card.
2. Instead of inserting your ticket into a turnstile or other machine, you press the ticket against a designated spot (target) at the entrance gateway or on the FASTPASS kiosk or other machine.
3. Reserving ride times on the same day you are in the park works roughly the same way as fetching paper fastpasses and in addition you have some choice with some limits as to when during the day you want to come back and ride. A touch screen with instructions is provided at the kiosk. You may reserve more than one ride at the same time.
4. To reduce conflicts with restaurant reservations (ADRs), the system will disallow selecting FASTPASS times too close, timewise, to any restaurant reservations you may have made.
5. Some limits are planned as to how many times you can use the FASTPASS system over the course of a day. Currently the system is limiting guests to three FASTPASSes per day, all in one park. This limit might change on days the parks are not too busy.
6. You still need to come back and ride during the time interval (time window) your reservation was made for. You will be able to review your times at a FASTPASS electronic kiosk or by using a smart cell phone, or you can write down the times on a piece of paper.
Quick Instructions (Original System)
1. FASTPASS tickets (coupons) are obtained from machines near the ride they are used for. Check the signs above the area with the machines to be sure you can come back within the times shown.
2. Insert your park admission ticket into the slot provided on the dispensing machine.
3. Take the FASTPASS coupon from the hopper under the ticket slot.
4. Don't forget! Take back your park admission ticket from the ticket slot.
5. When the time comes for you to ride, follow the FASTPASS Entrance and show your FAST PASS to the attendants. At some point an attendant will take the FASTPASS from you.
In a Nutshell:
Anybody can use the FASTPASS service to reduce time spent waiting in lines.
There is no extra cost.
FASTPASS is like making an appointment or reservation to come back later and cut to near the head of the line.
FASTPASSes are obtained from dispensing machines near the entrances of participating rides and attractions.
Not all rides use FAST PASS
Overhead signs at the dispensing machine area indicate the time to come back and ride with your FASTPASS.
Each person riding (except infants) must have his/her own FASTPASS for that ride.
You may get another FASTPASS about two hours later* or when the FASTPASS you have is ready for use, whichever comes first. (*sometimes less, as little as 45 minutes, during less busy times.)
We suggest that you get your first and third FASTPASSes for the most popular rides you wish to go on.
For some rides you can get another FASTPASS sooner than the FASTPASS you already have says. After an hour, give it a try.
If the line of guests using FASTPASSes is long, seek out a different CM to try to have your fastpass reissued so you can come back later.
During busy times the FASTPASSes for some rides can become "sold out" for the day.
Promotional plastic FASTPASS exchange cards such as issued by Disney Vacation Club will work in the machines even after the FASTPASSes are sold out for everyone else. CM's should be able to help if needed.
If a ride is out of service, ask a nearby CM for advice. Typically you would be told to come back any time later that day.
Something must come out of the machine. If not, try with your ticket upside down, see the nearby attendant if you still have problems.
One person can take the family's park tickets and get FASTPASSes for the whole family. Count your park tickets and FASTPASSes before leaving the machine. Do not leave the machine if your park ticket does not come out.
If your park admission ticket is old and does not work, ask the nearby attendant for a FASTPASS or (at Guest Relations) exchange the ticket at no cost for a more modern ticket.
Young children not needing park admission tickets stay with adults and don't need their own FASTPASSes.
Sometimes people congregate at the FASTPASS entrance waiting for their FASTPASSes to mature. Just skip past them.
Disney may offer additional FASTPASSes for sale in the future.
How does it work?
How much time does it save?
Other Walt Disney World topics
Go to articles on completely different subjects.
Terminology:
Distribution Area -- Where you get your FASTPASS. Each participating ride has its own area near the ride entrance.FASTPASS Return -- Where you come back to use your FASTPASS
Stand By -- The regular or normal line, for people not using a FASTPASS.
Queue -- Waiting line.
Window -- The 45 minute to an hour time period (ten minute period for some stage shows) when you must come back to use your FASTPASS.
Something Must Come Out
If nothing comes out of the older FASTPASS machine that issues paper coupons, then a malfunction has occurred. Try again, inserting your park pass upside down or backwards*. If you still have difficulty you should immediately look for an attendant. If the machine did print a valid FASTPASS and a jam-up occurred, you may be denied another FASTPASS for as long as two hours and five minutes.
If the machine denies you a FASTPASS, you will always get a slip of paper with an error message on it.
Also, be sure to get back your park ticket(s) before leaving the machines.
If your park ticket does not come back, stay with the machine and shout for the attendant to come over. It is a good idea to copy down in advance all the numbers and codes on your park ticket as this may help in replacing the ticket if it is lost.
*The machines normally work no matter which way you insert your park pass but occasionally the magnetic stripe is not read correctly.
Every Two Hours (sometimes less)
At least as of November 2003 Disney brochures simply state that each FASTPASS shows the time you can fetch another. We found that the worst case time was two hours and five minutes.
The "two hour rule" is often misunderstood so I will give a few examples:
o At 1:45 PM you get a FASTPASS for Splash Mountain and the return time is 2:50 to 3:50 PM. You may get another FASTPASS at 2:50 PM (approximate maturity give or take a few minutes).
o At 10:30 AM you get a FASTPASS for Rock 'n Roll Coaster and the return time is 3:15 to 4:15 PM. You may get another FASTPASS at 12:30 PM* give or take a few minutes. (*Sooner, perhaps only 45 minutes after the fetch (11:15 AM for this example) if the park and/or the ride it is for is not too busy.)
They don't actually record the time you ride. The system is timed so that after using the FASTPASS properly, you will always succeed in getting the next one if you hadn't already done so.
FASTPASS is not meant to get you into the ride sooner, you always have to come back later.
Never insert another park ticket into a machine if a park ticket does not come back out.
If your park admission ticket does not seem to work, try turning it over and re-inserting it. FASTPASS machines should read your ticket no matter which way it is inserted but sometimes one of the read heads is dirty and does not read the ticket properly. Seek out a CM nearby if you continue to have difficulty.
Check the FASTPASS when it comes out of the machine. If something is not quite right, the pass will have a large black patch marked "Not A Valid FASTPASS". It is not a good idea to have admission tickets not being used for the day loose in your pocket. To reduce problems from possible turnstile problems earlier in the day, FASTPASS machines may some day mark tickets as used which may lead to the waste of a day's admission if you insert the wrong ticket.
When you come back, look around the FASTPASS Return entrance. Sometimes people are milling about waiting for their FASTPASSes to mature and you can skip past them. Don't mistake them for a long line backing all the way out. Sometimes the FASTPASS line looks as long as the regular line from the outside but the regular line goes through a lot of zigzags and curlicues and the FASTPASS line does not.
If you send one family member to get FASTPASSes for the whole family, be sure he counts the park passes afterwards to be sure none were left behind in the machine.
Once in awhile FASTPASS fetch times may vary, usually in the patron's favor, due to a system malfunction. Sometimes such an irregularity would not be discovered except by trying to fetch another FASTPASS sooner than allowed.
When you come back and hand in your FASTPASS to the ride attendant, nothing is recorded except on infrequent occasions when spot checks are made to gather statistics. Disney just hopes that not everyone with a matured FASTPASS shows up at the same time. The FASTPASS system promises little additional waiting when you use your FASTPASS, not a no-waiting guarantee. Our experience has shown the wait to rarely exceed ten minutes, except if a ride was unexpectedly closed during the day.
The attendant collecting the Fastpasses may be several feet before the loading platform. This may introduce some wait time to FASTPASS guests who then mingle with regular guests after that point.
There is still room in the FASTPASS system for error. Sometimes the ride operator uses the wrong formula for how many FASTPASS riders to admit. If a ride breaks down (the popular Test Track at Epcot breaks down a lot) the FASTPASS line can back up when the ride re-opens.
Not all rides have or will have FASTPASS because of the cost of the equipment and remodeling of the waiting and loading areas. For rides that tend to have little or no wait during a few hours of most days, you are simply advised to come back during those times.
Surprise FASTPASSes
Once in awhile, when you fetch a FASTPASS, a FASTPASS for a different ride or attraction will also come out of the machine. This is more likely to occur during less busy days.
Fastpasses need to be used during the time interval printed on them. Some exceptions are granted on a case by case basis But it is at least a good idea to plan on coming back near the beginning of the time interval.
Here are some exceptions we feel should be honored:
1. The ride is out of service or there is a very long line of guests waiting to use their FASTPASSes, probably the result of the ride's being out of service. In other words you were unable to hop on the ride with little or no wait as the brochures state. Seek out CMs nearby including, if necessary, a supervisory CM for assistance before leaving the area to go and do something else.
2. A reserved event (meal, haircut, etc.) took much longer than expected, notably because there was a long wait after your reservation time to be seated. Here you should bring the cash register receipt to the ride.
3. You experienced some other large and unexpected delay such as at another ride where the actual wait time was much greater than that posted at the entrance, or the ride stopped while you were on it. It would be a good idea to seek out a supervising CM at the ride where the delay occurred.
If CM's at or near the ride are unwilling to revalidate your FASTPASS if this happens, you may refer the matter to Guest Relations. Some recent guest communications have included the words, "If your experience with FASTPASS was less than satisfactory ...". We feel that if the matter goes this far, Guest Relations should be willing to give you two FASTPASSes, one to replace the one that expired and the second to make up for the time going to Guest Relations.
On some days, if the ride goes out of service for awhile, FASTPASSes for that ride will be honored any time later that day.
Intricacies may be added later to the FASTPASS procedures so that an expired FASTPASS might not be honored if it appeared as if you could have gone on the ride near the beginning of the time interval but voluntarily did not do so, for example you took time to see the parade.
VIP Privileges
Most rides allow isolated seats or parts of a bench to go empty if the next group of people can't all fit. Test Track at Epcot is an exception, they fill every seat whenever possible. In addition to the FASTPASS line, Test Track has a third line for "single" riders. If your group does not mind being split up, you can use this line for what is usually a shorter wait. The ride attendants make a conscienscious although not perfect effort to split up groups who use the single rider line.
Some VIP passes, called "re-entry" passes, are issued. They are used like FASTPASSes but do not have a usage time stamped on them. They are used mostly to accommodate guests caught in a ride breakdown. I got one for Test Track when I took a backstage tour (extra cost) at Epcot which included some behind the scenes views of Test Track.
Currently (2010) VIP passes, privileges, and perks consume a negligible part of the capacity of rides at WDW, probably less than one percent. Often the VIP entrance is via obscure doors and corridors or by "walking up the down staircase". Rumor has it that Disney may some day take a significant part of ride capacity for VIP use, which might include guests staying at some of the pricier resorts, or guests who purchase a card or coupon book. VIP riders would probably enter via the FASTPASS line since the obscure doors and gates would require too much supervision.
According to Corey Sandler, author of the Econoguide book series, "Universal Studios in Orlando has offered a limited quantity VIP four hour visit with line cutting privileges. Up to 15 people for $90.00 apiece or $900.00 for a group of 11 to 15 you assemble yourself (1997 prices), go with a tour guide. This tour does not include lunch."
Universal Studios no longer offers their Express Pass (similar to Disney's FASTPASS) on a free one ride at a time basis using automated kiosks (dispensers). Guests staying at one of their hotels receive unlimited "front of the line" privileges via separate entrances similar to Disney's FASTPASS lines. Guests can also purchase a coupon that allows one "front of the line" entrance for each participating ride. The cost varies with anticipated crowds.
Critics have said that selling FASTPASSes and also granting extra ride privileges to resort guests, will reduce the number of FASTPASSes available to all guests from the machines before the machines are "sold out", and force guests who did not purchase these books of FASTPASSes to wait in lines longer and more often. We cannot blame Disney for this as Disney is a profit making corporation.
It may be noted that when Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World first opened, guests had to present a ride ticket for each ride. Most amusement parks then operated under a similar system. Disney guests could purchase a general admission ticket with no ride privileges, a general admission ticket with some ride tickets attached, or additional books of ride tickets.
In order to implement FASTPASS, Disney had to put ticket takers at the entrances to the applicable rides again. The concept of selling books of FASTPASSes is an extension of individual ride ticketing. Disney had different prices for rides and the respective tickets were referred to by the letters A through E. To this day, an elaborate ride at WDW is referred to as an "E-Ticket" ride, not to be confused with "E-Night" for extended evening hours for those who purchased a separate admission ticket for that.
I heard at least as a rumor if not as a test case that FASTPASS was at one time limited to WDW on site guests. I did succeed in obtaining a FASTPASS using a resort room key several years ago. Other guests had reported the same and WDW claimed to have treated that as a malfunction and removed it shortly thereafter. The loophole would not be discovered by guests who combined their room key and park admission on a single card. It was told to me later that the loophole also allowed certain other non-Disney magnetic stripe cards to fetch FASTPASSes.
All parts (c) copyright 2001-2013, Allan W. Jayne, Jr. unless otherwise noted or other origin stated. All rights reserved.
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