So, what exactly is Fast Pass? First introduced in 1999, it is a great, time saving; crowd controlling system Disney has in place within its parks that help both the Cast Members manage the crowds trying to ride popular attractions and guests trying to do the same.
It all begins when you place your ticket into the Fast Pass machines just outside of the rides that accept the passes. Your pass will be stamped with a return time for later in the day (you are given a time that spans an hour, for example- your return time might be 1:02pm-2:02pm). At that time, you return and wait on a usually much shorter line (if there is any line at all) to ride the ride, usually no longer than a 10 minute wait. This system is available to every visitor in the parks, free of charge. However, you cannot collect dozens of them throughout the day. Each ticket has the time you can get your next Fast Pass ticket with the direction, “Another Fast Pass ticket will be available after …” At each park’s opening, the attraction’s wait is pre-set at a given time (for example, 15 minutes). The number of Fast Passes available is divided into time intervals. As guests receive these free Fast Passes for each attraction, the time intervals are depleted, moving the return time to later in the day. For more popular attractions, the Fast Passes run out and are no longer available. Your best bet, to ride popular attractions more than once, is to obtain your fast pass early in the morning and try to ride the ride then, if the wait is less than 15 minutes or so, then return later in the day to ride the ride again. During certain times of the year, or during separately tickets events (like the Halloween and Christmas parties,) Fast Pass machines are generally not activated because the stand by time is usually short enough to not make it necessary.
Currently, Walt Disney World offers Fast Pass at:
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park:
- Primeval Whirl
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- DINOSAUR
- Kali River Rapids
- Expedition Everest
- The Legend of the Lion Kind is being tested through October 15, 2011
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park:
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Toy Story Mania!
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Magic Kingdom Theme Park:
- Space Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Jungle Cruise
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Peter Pan’s Flight
Epcot Theme Park:
Inside California’s Disneyland Park, you can use Fast Pass at:
Disneyland Park
- Autopia, presented by Chevron
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Indiana Jones Adventure
- Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
- Space Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- Star Tours
Disney California Adventure Park
- California Screamin’
- Goofy’s Sky School
- Grizzly River Run
- Soarin’ Over California
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- World of Color (distributed at Grizzly River Run)
World of Color
- Disney’s FASTPASS tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis for same day World of Color show times. Tickets are distributed at the Disney’s FASTPASS Service machines used for Grizzly River Run.
