Epcot Fastpass Guide - Kelly Does Life

Deciding what Fastpasses to get can be one of the more difficult decisions while planning a Walt Disney World vacation. There are absolutely rides that should take priority over others. There are rides that are going to have a line every day from the second the park opens until when it is closed. It is important to know which ones you should focus on. Here is an Epcot fastpass guide to help plan your vacation!

Don’t forget to check out the fastpass guides for the other parks:

Epcot functions on a tier system. This means you can pick 1 fastpass from tier 1, and then 2 from tier 2.

Epcot Tier 1 Fastpass Attractions:

- IllumiNATIONS: Reflections of Earth
- Frozen Ever After
- Soarin’
- Test Track
- Epcot Character Spot

Epcot Tier 2 Fastpass Attractions:

- Disney/Pixar Short Film Festival
- Journey Into Imagination With Figment
- Living with the Land
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Spaceship Earth
- Turtle Talk with Crush
- Mission: Space

Which Tier 1 Fastpasses should I get at Epcot?

You should always select a tier 1 fastpass. The order for what to select at Epcot is:

1. Frozen Ever After
2. Test Track
3. Soarin’
4. Epcot Character Spot
5. IllumiNATIONS: Reflections of Earth

This order is based off the typical daily availability. This means Frozen Ever After typically has the longest wait and almost never has spare fastpasses to grab on the actual day. Test Track also tends to have a long line and limited fastpass availability. Soarin’ I can usually get an extra fastpass after my original three I use and the line time varies frequently. You will see it have an hour wait sometimes, but you will also see 10-15 minute waits as well. The character spot and the fireworks viewings you can almost always get later in the day if they are important to you.

Which Tier 2 Fastpasses should I get at Epcot?

Tier 2 choices are a bit different. There are a few that take priority and others that rarely need a fastpass ever. Those that rarely need a fastpass should never be reserved in advanced. You are wasting an advanced fastpass reservation on those rides. Attractions worth reserving in advance are:

1. Spaceship Earth
2. Mission: SPACE
3. Living with the Land
4. Turtle Talk with Crush

Not everyone would agree with adding Living with the Land, but considering what your tier 2 options are, I’d say it is a good selection if you have no intention of riding Mission: SPACE. The line for it also have an hour long wait and while I would never wait that long for it, it is one of the more unique experiences at Epcot. I wouldn’t suggest skipping it.

Similarly, Turtle Talk with Crush is a fabulous time for anyone traveling with small kids. I love it as well, but it isn’t necessarily a must-do attraction when we are there if we aren’t traveling with children. The line for this can vary, but you can almost always get a fastpass for this on the day of, after you have used your original three.

Which rides at Epcot never need Fastpass?

This is one of those “never say never” situations, but 99% of the time, you won’t need a fastpass for the following attractions:

1. IllumiNATIONS: Reflections of Earth
2. Disney/Pixar Short Film Festival
3. Journey Into Imagination with Figment
4. The Seas with Nemo & Friends

There are a few exceptions to when you might consider using a Fastpass for these rides:

1. The week between Christmas and New Years. Everything is crowded and busy, even rides that are typically walk on attractions such as Seas with Nemo and Friends can get a line.
2. You are dead set on the fireworks show from the “front.” I don’t believe there is really a bad place to view Epcot’s fireworks show, but there are some spots that are better than others. If you don’t want to worry about where to watch or to save spots, grab a fastpass for the fireworks viewing area.

Where are the FastPass+ Kiosk Locations at Epcot?

While most prefer to use My Disney Experience, you do not need a smartphone to make fastpass reservations in the park. You can sometimes make selections at the kiosks quicker and simpler than on your phone too! At the end of the park day, the app usually times out reservations, but more than once we have gone to a kiosk and were able to get a last minute fastpass! You’ll find the kiosks in Epcot at:

- Future World West, right after you pass the Character Spot, it will be on your right
- Future World East, it will be on your right heading towards Mission: SPACE in the breezeway by Innoventions
- International Gateway, before you cross the bridge between the United Kingdom pavilion and the France pavilion, you will make a right down the walkway and it is by the World Traveler shop

Tips for Epcot

Every Disney theme park operates slightly differently as far as finding the best “hacks” to make the most of your day. Here are some of the best tips and tricks for Epcot:

- Test Track has a single rider line. They never guarantee that is faster than the regular standby line, but if it is usually a safe bet.
- If you do not get a fastpass for Frozen Ever After in advance, this is the ride to rope drop. The queue isn’t terribly entertaining for kids to wait in and can get extremely long very quickly.
- Mission: SPACE has two versions, the orange and the green. Your fastpass can be used for either. The green version is a less intense version versus the orange version. You can also split up your party if you have some people who are more adventurous than others, or do not meet the height requirements.
- Slinky Dog Dash is an amazing ride during the day, but is even better at night. If you don’t have a fastpass for the evening, try to go during Fantasmic or the Star Wars Galatic Fireworks Show. As long as you are in line for a ride before the park closes, you can stay in line even when it does close, no matter how long the wait.
- If you want to see IllumiNATIONS and want a guaranteed seat, but don’t want to use a fastpass on it, try and reserve a table at Spice Road, La Hacienda de San Angel, or Rose and Crown for excellent views of the fireworks show.
- IllumiNATIONS also has a Frozen Ever After Dessert Party. It includes desserts, alcohol, and a ride on Frozen Ever After after the fireworks are over.
- World Showcase opens around 11am, which is later than when Epcot itself opens. You’ll still be able to ride Frozen Ever After before then, but not much else will be open. However, it can take the crowds a little longer to migrate from Future World. It is usually a good idea to hit World Showcase before it gets crowded and then head back to Future World later in the day to escape the crowds and the sun.
- There are shows, movies, live entertainment, and even a ride in the World Showcase that are not included in fastpass. They are not to be missed, however. There is very infrequently a line for any of these things so just pay attention to the scheduled show times on your My Disney Experience app.
- Epcot only has a handful of thrill rides, but there are still a few height restrictions. Be sure to review the height requirements before you making fastpass reservations for your family.