Your Walt Disney World vacation dates are set, itinerary planned, special activities noted, and dining reservations made. Check! It’s time to plan your Disney FastPass reservations!
Due to the current situation, all FastPass+ reservations have been put on hold. When Disney updates, I will share the official news here!
In order to ride what you (and your teens) want without spending hours in lines, you need to plan out your Disney FastPass Strategy. And let me tell you – you definitely want to have them planned and ready! When the morning of your open reservation window opens, FastPasses will go like proverbial hotcakes!
Get your cuppa and have a seat – here’s the 411 on Walt Disney World’s FastPass+ System.
What is the Disney FastPass System?
FastPasses allow guests to bypass the regular wait lines by booking a specific time slot to ride certain rides. Regular wait lines for some rides in Walt Disney World can grow to be over three hours long, so the Disney FastPass System is an important part of your vacation planning.
One of many good reasons to stay on Walt Disney World Resort property is the ability to make Disney FastPass Reservations 60 days ahead of your trip for your entire trip. Off-property guests have to wait until 30 days before their first day, and can only reserve FastPasses one day at a time.
FastPasses can be reserved online at MyDisneyExperience.com or on your mobile device by downloading the My Disney Experience App. Once you have linked your reservations and tickets, you will be ready to start planning your FastPasses!
Planning Your Disney FastPass Strategy
Disney FastPass Reservations go quickly. So when your window opens, you want to have a plan ready, listing which rides are most important to you and your family. At Disney’s EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios, there are two Tiers of Rides: You may reserve one Tier 1 ride and two Tier 2 rides (each is categorized below). Then, when you are at the park and have used those 3, you can continue to add one at a time through the rest of the day. My recommendation is to book FastPasses for earlier in the day so that once they are used, you can schedule more fun!
Disney FastPass Strategy: EPCOT
EPCOT’s 11 attractions are divided into two Disney FastPass Tiers.
Tier 1:
- Test Track
- Frozen Ever After
- Soarin’
- Epcot Forever (the nighttime fireworks show)
EPCOT Tier 1 FastPass+ Strategy
Deciding between these rides with a teen totally depends upon what your child likes. Generally speaking, teen boys are going to be drawn to Test Track, where they can pretend to drive a Formula 1 race car. Girls (even more “mature” ‘girls’) might be drawn to Frozen Ever After, a re-imagining of the former Norway water ride into a Frozen storyline.
Both will have long lines in the park, but remember to plan your Rope Drop Strategy. First, get to the park 30 minutes before opening. Then, wait in the left turnstiles, and make a beeline to the left to Test Track (or to the right turnstiles and then to the right for Soarin‘, if that’s your preference) to get in line early and save your FastPass for Frozen Ever After.
ProTip: If watching the fireworks show, EPCOT Forever, is important to you, I recommend snagging 7:30pm – 7:45 dinner reservations prior to start time at Rose & Crown Pub (patio table), La Hacienda de San Angel (window seating) or Monsieur Paul (arrive early & request window seating) – or arrive even earlier to try for a non-reserved seat at Cantina de San Angel. There are, of course, plenty of standing-area only places to watch the show, but for a truly memorable experience, dinner by fireworks is pretty amazing!
Tier 2:
Epcot has seven Tier 2 attractions. When making advance Disney FastPass reservations, you can reserve two of these (or three if you don’t reserve a Tier 1 attraction). Our teen’s preferences are followed by an asterisk.
- Mission: SPACE*
- Spaceship Earth* (indefinite refurbishment begins May 26, 2020)
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Living with the Land*
- Pixar Short Film Festival
- Journey Into Imagination With Figment
- Turtle Talk with Crush
EPCOT Tier 2 FastPass+ Strategy
This one is pretty easy. Teenagers are probably going to want to hit up Mission: SPACE, where there are two different lines: heavy thrill-seekers will want to choose the orange line, where periods of weightlessness and spinning will be part of the experience. If you even occasionally experience motion sickness, this is not the line for you! Those with more tame approaches to rides will choose the green line (no spinning here!).
With Spaceship Earth under refurbishment, my next FastPass recommendation is for Living with the Land. It’s a very tame but very interesting water ride and a great place to get out of the heat and off of your feet for just a bit. As soon as you’ve scanned your pass for Living with the Land, go in to the MyDisneyExperience app to grab a pass for The Seas with Nemo & Friends – there isn’t usually a long line, though, and you might be able to walk on after a short wait if FastPasses aren’t available.
Guests can watch the divers feed the manta rays Rescued Manatees are cared for in the aquarium
Disney FastPass Strategy: Animal Kingdom
There are two Animal Kingdom Disney FastPass tiers. Tier 1 has two attractions. Tier 2 has twelve attractions.
Tier 1:
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- Na’vi River Journey
Pandora at Night is Magical Pandora in Daylight
Flight of Passage
Both of these are awesome rides. They are in Pandora, the newest section of Animal Kingdom, and Pandora is really a place you need to make time to see at night when the world comes alive in luminescent splendor. Most people will recommend that you snag the Flight of Passage FastPass, and they’re not wrong – unless you get motion sick. Mere seconds into this ride, I had to close my eyes and try to think of anything else other than the movement of the “Mountain Banshee” upon which I was riding (it’s like sitting on a breathing, moving bicycle). The ride is akin to EPCOT’s Soarin’, with your “Banshee” extended slightly into a huge rounded screen, onto which is projected your flight through Pandora. It’s a thrilling ride, and I’m glad I rode it – once. For anyone who does not get motion sick, this is a given. Snag that FastPass!
Na’vi River Journey
If you’re looking for something tamer, Na’vi River Journey is a beautiful (albeit very short) water ride through a tunnel that glows with luminescent plants and creatures. I won’t give it away – the imagineers did an absolutely stunning job on this, and I highly recommend it. It isn’t the thrill ride that Flight is, but it’s definitely worth it and a marvel of imagineering genius.
ProTip: If you cannot get advance reservation for Flight of Passage but you still want to ride it, plan your Rope Drop Strategy. Take the Na’vi River Journey FastPass, plan to arrive at Animal Kingdom 30 minutes before opening, and stay to the left-most entry lanes. As soon as you enter the park, book it up and to the left – just keep going left – and you’ll end up in Pandora. Be aware that there will be a waiting line already as soon as you get there! But it’s worth it!
Tier 2:
- Kilimanjaro Safaris* (safari ride)
- Expedition Everest* (rollercoaster) – consider the single-rider line!
- DINOSAUR (ride)
- Kali River Rapids* (water ride)
- Primeval Whirl (seasonal ride)
- Rivers of Light (light show)
- It’s Tough to Be A Bug (4D show)
- Festival of the Lion King (show)
- Finding Nemo Musical (show)
- Adventurers Outpost Character Greeting
- UP! A Great Bird Adventure (bird show)
- The Animation Experience at Conservation Station (experience)
Kilimanjaro Safari
Number one on your Tier 2 list needs to be the Kilimanjaro Safaris – especially if you haven’t ridden it. The Safari is a slow, guided, large-group truck ride through Animal Kingdom’s 110 acres of African savanna, where about 2000 animals of 300 different species call home. You will see, from an impressively close but safe distance, animals that you may not even have seen in zoos.
Expedition Everest
Another must-do for our teen is Expedition Everest. A rollercoaster in every sense of the word, it is a high-thrill ride for which my kid will go back into the single-rider line over and over. I can only take it once! (Be sure to scan your Magic Band at the photo op as you exit the ride – it will automatically load the ride’s picture of you into your MyDisneyExperience app!).
Dinosaur & Kali River
My personal favorite is Dinosaur – a jaunty jeep ride back into the Jurassic period with a great story-line. It is almost as much “show” as it is ride, and I think that’s why I love it so much. My teen loves getting wet on Kali River Rapids. Check out my ProTip below!
ProTip: If you plan to ride Kali River Rapids, be sure you’re wearing shoes that can handle getting wet or that you have brought a second pair! You WILL get wet! You may balk at carrying around a second pair of shoes, but it is better to do that than to have wet (and then SORE) feet on your Disney vacation. Better yet, try sandals like Chacos or Crocs Sandals that can handle the wet and easily dry – I take both with me so I can switch them on different days!
Related Post: 12 Tips for a Memorable Trip at Magic Kingdom
Disney FastPass Strategy: Hollywood Studios
Recent changes at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios have brought a an expansion of Toy Story Land and a whole new world: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge! Additionally, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, a trackless dark ride without a height requirement, opened on March 4, 2020, replacing The Great Movie Ride. (I’m going to be honest – that was one of my favorites!)
Galaxy’s Edge comes with two new rides: Smuggler’s Run and Rise of the Resistance. Rise of the Resistance is not a part of FastPass+ at Walt Disney World. The only way to ride it is currently by Boarding Pass (which requires a whole other post!), though at some point standby and FastPass+ will be added. Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run is on the Disney FastPass System, as I’ll address below.
Hollywood Studios Tier 1
The three Hollywood Studios FastPass Tier 1 attractions are
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway*
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (also has single rider line)
- Slinky Dog Dash*
All the New Rides!
At the time of this posting, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is a hot commodity, as is Slinky Dog Dash. I strongly recommend, when your FastPass window opens, that you immediately go to your Hollywood Studios day in your MyDisneyExperience app, and try to grab a FastPass for one of these rides. Essentially, your plan will be to get a FassPass for one, Rope Drop one, and try to get the other later. Since Millennium Falcon has the single rider line, your chances of getting on with less wait time that way is going to be a good bet.
Hollywood Studios Tier 2
The Hollywood Studios FastPass Tier 2 attractions are
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster* (also has single rider)
- Tower of Terror*
- Toy Story Mania*
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Star Tours
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid (show)
- Disney Junior Dance Party! (show)
- Frozen Sing-Along Celebration (show)
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (show)
- Muppet Vision 3D (show)
- Beauty and the Beast (show)
- Fantasmic! (fireworks)
According to my teen, the best Tier 2 FastPass+ selection at Hollywood Studios are two of the following three: Toy Story Mania, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror.
Toy Story Mania
Toy Story Mania is just plain fun: a competitive group ride in which four riders are grouped together in one pod and become live participants in an arcade game. The ride is fairly long, comparatively, and everyone in my group always has a great time, from my teenaged boys to my 60s+ parents.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is your lightning fast limo ride to an Aerosmith concert! Teens (and adults) love it, but note that this one is VERY fast and VERY loud – for that reason, it’s always been a hit with my teenage boys!
Hollywood Tower of Terror
Hollywood Tower of Terror is a visit to the Twilight Zone, and the high point of this impressively imagineered ride (aside from all of the Hidden Mickeys and nods to the classic TV show) is the multi-story drop, at the top of which the sliding doors open to a view overlooking the entire park.
Be sure to scan your Magic Band when you exit the ride to load your photo onto your Memory Maker Photo Pass!
Rope Drop Strategy
Either Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster or Tower of Terror are a great option for Rope Drop, as both are right next to one another and fairly close to the entrance: a quick jot down the main street, then a sharp right takes you straight there. I recommend getting a FastPass for one, and Rope Dropping the other if you plan to ride both!
ProTip: Fantasmic! is a popular FastPass+ choice, but it locks up your 3rd FastPass the rest of the day, since you cannot use it until the Fireworks show begins. That means you can’t get a fourth, fifth, etc. FastPass+. As busy as Hollywood Studios can get, you really want to be able to use your initial three FastPasses and then book more rides. Plus, you can see the Fireworks from anywhere in the park!
If reserved seating is important to you for Fantasmic!, reserve a dining package. (You can even use Dining Plan credits, if you opted for the Disney Dining Plan!)
Disney FastPass Strategy: Magic Kingdom
There is not a Tier System at the Magic Kingdom, so you can plan any three rides / experiences for your FastPasses.
Here are the 25 rides and experiences at Magic Kingdom Park that utilizes the FastPass+ system (rides with typically long waits have asterisks; our favorites are in italics):
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad*
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Barnstormer
- Dumbo
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
- Haunted Mansion
- “it’s a small world”
- Jungle Cruise
- Mad Tea Party
- Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Meet Ariel at Her Grotto
- Meet Cinderella and Elena at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater
- Meet Rapunzel and Tiana at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater
- Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
- Peter Pan’s Flight*
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train*
- Space Mountain*
- Splash Mountain*
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
Magic Kingdom Strategy
Magic Kingdom is a large park and it really takes at least two days. A carefully-planned itinerary will help you avoid crowds, long lines, and hot waits. Our strategy, which I will write up in detail and add to the blog, is to go to the left for Adventureland, Frontierland, and Liberty Square on Day 1, then on Day 2, go to the right to enjoy Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and the Train System, with plenty of time to revisit our favorites or take a Disney Tour!
For a brief synopsis of how we plan our Disney FastPasses for Magic Kingdom (with our teen’s vote of approval), read below. Our first three FastPasses are, in order, in italics. Then we add the others as we can.
Day 1
- Jungle Cruise
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Splash Mountain
- Haunted Mansion
- Pirates of the Caribbean (yes – we love it that much!)
Day 2
- Space Mountain
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Seven Dwarves Mine Train
- it’s a small world
- Haunted Mansion (another favorite with a GREAT story line behind it)
- Pirates of the Caribbean (told you!)
ProTip: As I have mentioned, a strategy to combine with your Disney FastPass reservations is your “Rope Drop” Strategy. If you plan to be at the park upon opening (or you have wisely made breakfast reservations that get you into the park before everyone else!), be ready to hotfoot it to your favorite hard-to-get ride. See my next post: Planning your Rope Drop Strategy
Time for a Breather?
I know this is a LOT of information, but it’s only the tip of the Disney iceberg! If you are overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to give me a call. I’m a licensed travel agent completely schooled in the College of Disney Knowledge, with years of Disney travel under my belt, and I’d be happy to help. It does not cost any more to use a travel agent than it does to plan and book your own trip. The difference is in the experience and level of care and personal service that you have guiding you!
Don’t Want to Stand in Lines? Have a Plan.
I’ve said this in other posts, but it’s worth repeating. To address the “planners” versus the “go with the flow” types of visitors: It would take literally years to do everything there is to do in Disney World. And if you are frequent visitors, or you know you’re going to be back really soon, or you really truly don’t care what you get to see / do / experience, then you can definitely approach Disney without a plan in mind. But if you have kiddos who have expectations of riding rides and seeing their favorite characters, or adults who are looking forward to reliving an experience from when they were younger, you’ve got to have a plan, my friend! – or face hours of standing in line and likely missing some of those experiences you’re so anticipating!
Ready for More?
With that aside, if you’re ready to fine-tune your trip, read the next post in this series, “How to Plan Your Rope Drop Strategy.” If you want your trip to operate like a finely-oiled machine, I got you!
This is #3 in my series on planning your Walt Disney World vacation with teenagers – for more planning tips, check out
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