The Best Tips for Fastpass+ Reservations

Learn the best tips for Fastpass+ reservations! Deciding what fastpasses to get can be overwhelming, but then actually getting them is another story. Make sure you check out these tips to get the reservations you truly want!

Talk to your group

This seems pretty logical, but I know from experience I have assumed I know what people in my group are going to say without asking and I have been wrong. Make sure you talk to the group you are going with and find out what fast passes are important to them. I asked them to tell me which rides they absolutely cannot miss on their trip, which rides they would ideally like to hit, and also (arguably just as important) which rides they 100% will not go on. It’s Tough to Be A Bug terrifies me to this day (simply because I don’t like 4D shows and not knowing what is touching me, not because the show is scary). Some people hate different rides for different many different reasons so make sure you find out ahead of time what is important to everyone in your family.

Download My Disney Experience

I’m sure you have read about the My Disney Experience App plenty of times during your planning. It really is an incredibly helpful tool and I am not really sure how people vacation without it. It has use way before you head to the parks though! In the months leading up to your trip occasionally open your app to check out wait times of rides. Obviously different times of the day and months of the year will vary from what you will experience. However, I have found it to be incredibly educational. This way I know in advance which reservations are better to try and get so I can avoid the line. After Toy Story Land opened up I assumed the two new rides would be the hardest to get, but Toy Story Mania is typically a longer wait than Alien Swirling Saucer still.

Look at a map

This is something I learned the hard way and is one of the most common mistakes you can avoid for fastpass. The first time I had to do reservations I woke up early knowing which ones I wanted and the days. It just never occurred to me to remember what else I had planned that day. If we were dining at Via Napoli back in the Italy pavilion at 12pm, but my Soarin’ reservation doesn’t start until 11:40am there is no way I am making it to my reservation on time. For starters, you really need more of a buffer time between things. Also, they are also on the complete opposite sides of the park! Animal Kingdom is one of the only times the map might not really help because the park is so spread out. Almost any type of reservation, dining or fastpass, will not be next to each other. Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot I highly recommend making a game plan of sorts. Compare your dining reservations and ride locations before you make your fastpass reservations. Your feet will thank you.

Make reservations in order of difficulty

Fastpass+ reservations work the same as dining reservations. You should always reserve in order of difficulty for the ride and not chronologically. Flights of Passage is still easily over two hours for the standby line and fastpasses are difficult to come by. Try to plan your Animal Kingdom day further into your trip and book that fastpass first! A good rule of thumb is to get any Tier 1 fastpass since they will typically be the hardest to book. In Magic Kingdom Seven Dwarves Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight, or any of the three mountains typically have the longest lines. The reservations aren’t always hard to get, but if any of these are on your group’s must-do list, grab those while you can.

Remember what you already have planned

Similar to looking at the map, you still have to remember what your plan is for the day. If you know you have to get to Animal Kingdom by 2pm for a dining reservation from Hollywood Studios, don’t make a fastpass plan that starts at 1pm. You think you have the time, but unless you plan on paying for transportation (Uber, Lyft, or Minnie Van) you are putting way too much faith in the free transportation system to arrive on time. If you are a group of adults who plan on drinking around the world, don’t stick Test Track or Mission Space as your break in the day. Not only are you nowhere near them, but you will also inevitably get sick. Basically any faster thrill ride – don’t plan on going on them directly after you eat or drink. The last thing anyone wants on Expedition Everest is to see Yak on the Yeti.

Check height requirements

If you are a group of adults you can skip this point clearly, but if you are going with any children make sure you measure all of them and check the requirements for each ride. Kids grow quickly, but not that quickly. Chances are they aren’t going to miraculously grow 5″ by the time the trip comes. This also helps manage their expectations about what they can ride. It is much better for the kid to know ahead of time they won’t be able to ride something than to just find it out in line. I’m not saying they won’t cry, they are kids, I’d be upset if I couldn’t ride Rockin’ Roller Coaster too!. Also, know that just because they can’t ride doesn’t mean you can’t! Make sure you review which rides at Disney offer the ride switch service.

You can switch them

Sometimes we get so overwhelmed by planning ahead that we forget to relax and enjoy the trip. Remember when you get to Disney, if you decide you don’t want to go on something you can cancel it. If you realize you won’t make it there in time, simply see if there is a later time. Don’t get so committed to the plans that you have that you forget this is a vacation.  This is something that I advise in almost any aspect of Disney planning because I think it is one of the most important things you need to know.