If you’ve got a Disney World vacation coming up, chances are you’ve got FastPass on the brain. What is it? How is it? Why is it? When is it? Where is it? And what does it cost?
FastPass is a complimentary program offered at Walt Disney World to all ticket holding guests that allows them to make reservations for some of the most desirable attractions.
Each guest gets three FastPasses that can be used throughout the day. You can make your initial three FastPass choices in advance of your vacation. Those guests staying on site can make theirs 60 days in advance. Off site guests can do so at 30 days.
Once you are in the parks and use your initial three FastPasses, you can make additional FastPasses using either the My Disney Experience App or the in park kiosks.
We have a ton of resources on the blog including how to book the perfect FastPass, what to do if you can’t get the perfect FastPass, and how to navigate the FastPass systems of Tiers (for Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom) and Rider Switch (for families that want to do thrill rides but have small children in their parties.) If there’s a FastPass query, we’ve covered it.
But today I wanted to spend a minute clarifying which rides are available for FastPass (not all are, looking at you, Galaxy’s Edge) and which ones are going to be the best use of FastPass.
Magic Kingdom has no Tiers. While all attractions are equal opportunity, some are definitely a better use of your FastPass. You can find more info on Height Requirements for Magic Kingdom here.
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
- Haunted Mansion
- “it’s a small world”
- Jungle Cruise
- Mad Tea Party
- Meet Ariel at her Grotto
- Meet Cinderella and Elena at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Meet Rapunzel and Tiana at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater
- Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater
- Mickey’s PhillharMagic
- Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Splash Mountain
- Space Mountain
- The Barnstormer
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid
Our Top Picks for High Priority FastPass: Peter Pan’s Flight is a low capacity, slower loading classic that has long lines throughout the day. Seven Dwarves Mine Train is a family favorite that combines thrills with innovative animatronics and storytelling. Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain and Space Mountain are popular thrill rides that can see long lines.
Also consider: Enchanted Tales with Belle is an incredibly popular, interactive attraction where participants get some face time with the bookish beauty. Jungle Cruise is a Disney classic that is fun for the whole family, except when you’re standing in that crazy long line. How does it get so long? This attraction is slow loading on and off, which contributes to those high wait times.
Don’t FastPass these: Mickey’s PhilharMagic and Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor are both great opportunities to get off your feet and out of the heat, but they’re high capacity and easy loading, so don’t waste your FastPasses here.
Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney World
Epcot has two tiers. Initially, you’ll choose one from Tier 1 and two from Tier 2. Once you’ve used all three, you can choose whichever tier for your additional FastPasses. More info on Epcot height requirements here.
Tier 1 (Choose 1)
- Epcot Character Spot
- Frozen Ever After
- Soarin’
- Test Track
Tier 2 (Choose 2)
- Journey Into the Imagination with Figment
- Living with the Land
- Mission: Space GREEN
- Mission: Sapce ORANGE
- Pixar Short Film Festival
- Spaceship Earth
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Turtle Talk with Crush
Our Top Picks for High Priority FastPass: For Tier 1 it’s going to depend on if you’ve got kids or thrill seekers: Family friendly, go Frozen Ever After, adults, teens, and tweens might be happier with Soarin’. All three Tier 1 attractions are popular and can see very long lines, so which ever you don’t FastPass, hit at rope drop to avoid the crowds.
Also consider: Most popular in Tier 2 are Spaceship (go INSIDE the iconic golf ball!) and Mission Space: ORANGE. Mission Space is definitely a little rougher of a ride, so if you’ve got small kids, Journey Into the Imagination with Figment is a terrific, nostalgic option.
Don’t FastPass these: Turtle Talk with Crush and Pixar Short Film Festival, another case of off your feet and beat the heat, that run often enough and have a high enough capacity that your FastPasses are better used elsewhere.
Photo Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog
More Tiers! The big story here is that the new Galaxy’s Edge attractions, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is not currently on the FastPass system, but as of February 19th, 2020, the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run IS! This shifted all the FastPass options for Hollywood Studios. Go here for Hollywood Studios height requirements.
Tier 1 (Choose 1)
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (as of March 4th, 2020)
Tier 2 (Choose 2)
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Toy Story Mania!
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Beauty and the Beast Stage Show
- Disney Junior Live on Stage
- Fantasmic!
- Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
- Muppet Vision 3-D
- Star Tours: The Adventure Continues
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid Stage Show
Our Top Picks for High Priority FastPass: For Tier 1, Slinky Dog Dash is a great family friendly option. This popular coaster is often compared to Seven Dwarves Mine Train as far as family fun goes. But let’s be real, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is going to be the hottest ticket it town. But I love that you can ow shoot for FPs for all three Toy Story attractions. That changes the day for a lot of parents of pre-schoolers!
Also consider: While you really can’t go wrong with any of the high caliber shows at Hollywood Studios, the Tier shift has opened up a lot more itinerary possibility for families who like rides of the non-thrill seeking variety. Toy Story Mania! for parties with littles and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror for those adrenaline junkies.
Don’t FastPass these: Fantasmic! is a good use of FastPass, but just know that it’s the big evening show. If you make one of your FastPasses for Fantasmic! you won’t get any additional FastPasses, since you won’t be able to redeem that one until the end of your day. This is less of a deal breaker at Hollywood Studios than the other parks, since there are so many high capacity shows available.
Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney World
Photo Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog
Animal Kingdom may have fewer rides than the other parks, but they have some great variety: you’ve got the thrill rides, shows, one of a kind experiences, and family friendly options. Throw in some distinctive and unique food options, as well as some characters you can’t meet anywhere else and you’ve got a full day of Disney magic. Here is more info on Animal Kingdom height requirements.
Tier 1 (Choose 1)
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- Na’vi River Journey
Tier 2 (Choose 2)
- Adventurers Outpost Character Greeting
- DINOSAUR
- Expedition Everest
- Festival of the Lion King
- Finding Nemo Musical
- It’s Tough to Be a Bug
- Kali River Rapids
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Rivers of Light
Our Top Picks for High Priority FastPass: Choices are slim for Tier 1, with both being Avatar related. Flight of Passage is the big ticket number here, but does have a height requirement. A family friendly option is Na’vi River Journey, which may be short but has some beautiful ride technology and is very immersive.
Also consider: Undisputed Tier 2 favorites are Kilimanjaro Safaris, a real safari ride where guests can see many different types of animals in their habitats and Kali River Rapids and Expedition Everest, two heart pounding thrill rides.
Don’t FastPass these: This one is completely subjective, but DINOSAUR is not many people’s favorites. It’s scary for the littles and can be a little jerky and uncomfortable for older riders. If you really want to try it, do the standby line. It’s never very long.
Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney World
Do you have favorite rides to FastPass? What ride is never your worth FastPass? Best Tier 2 at any of the parks? We want to hear your best Fast Pass tips in the comments!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey five years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!