by Soarin’ Diva
I recently had a friend ask me if she and her family had a chance of riding Seven Dwarfs Mine Train on her family Walt Disney World vacation without a Fastpass. They were staying off of Disney property and there weren’t any Fastpasses available for the ride the first day they were going to be at Magic Kingdom. They were planning their vacation beginning right after school ended for the year. We all know how busy WDW can get in the summer. The crowds can be crazy long.
There was really only one answer to this question, and I’ve stressed this before. Soarin’ Diva Tip #1: Get to the park BEFORE rope drop. If you aren’t staying at a Disney resort and don’t get to make Fastpass selections at sixty days out, your chances of riding some of the more popular rides are slim, unless you are cool with standing in line for two or more hours. If you are able to be at the park about 45 minutes before rope drop, you have a better chance of being at the front of the line. If you are near the front of the line, you have a better chance of getting to that ride or attraction quickly, and therefore have a better chance of NOT having to stand in line for 2 or more hours.
The new system of Fastpass + can drive us crazy, I know. We all miss the old paper fast passes, but sadly, that’s become another relic of the Disney past, like Push and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Alas, all things must change with time, and paper fast passes are one of those things. If you haven’t planned a Disney vacation in a while, and aren’t sure how to work this FP+ thing, you need to familiarize yourself with My Disney Experience. It’s actually pretty cool, you can pretty much plan everything from hotel and dining reservations to fast passes on the Disney website, as well as on the downloadable app with the same name, My Disney Experience (you will often see this referenced as just MDE.)
If you are staying at a Disney resort, and you want those fast passes for the most popular rides, here is my Soarin’ Diva Tip #2: Be at your computer or on your phone, logged in to My Disney Experience before MIDNIGHT to make your selections when you are eligible to make FP+ selections. Disney resort guests are eligible to make FP+ selections 60 days before the first day of the trip, guests who are not staying on Disney property can make FP+ selections 30 days before the first day of the trip. Guests who are staying off property definitely have a disadvantage when it comes to grabbing some of those hard to get fast passes, that’s why I stress being ready before midnight. At 12 a.m. on the dot of the day you are eligible to select FP’s, the system is ready and you can try to grab what you want. Many people don’t realize that you have the option of making those selections at midnight, my friend wasn’t aware of this, and was thankful when I gave her that tip.
Each of the WDW parks has at least one ride that is the most sought after and has the longest rides. For Magic Kingdom, it’s usually Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan’s Flight (one of my favorites!) Epcot has Test Track and Soarin’, Hollywood Studios has Rockin’ Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror, and Animal Kingdom boasts long lines at Expedition Everest, and in the summer, Kali River Rapids. The FastPass + system has been hard for some people to get used to, but it’s become a necessary evil if you want to avoid those long lines. Thankfully, WDW is constantly changing and making experiences better. You now have the option of visiting kiosks in the parks for additional fast passes once the first three have been used for everyone in your party. I’m sure, with Disney innovations being as stellar is they are, we can look forward to even more changes for the better in the FastPass + system.
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