Best rides in each park to use fastpass+ ?

[Kathyjacks78]

For those of you that visit Disney World often do you have any recommendations on which rides to use the fast pass+on? I know we are allowed 3 per day but we haven't been since 2006 and then my children were very small. In April when we go they will be 15 and 17. We enjoy any kind of ride and show that Disney has to offer aside from things like Barnstormer or other kiddie rides. It's just been so long since we've been there are a lot of new rides and attractions and I don't know the ones that have long wait times versus the ones that you can get on easily without wasting your fast passes. Any reccomendations? We have park hoppers and will be staying for 5 days so we will spend at least one day in each park. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Kate Alan]

These are based on my family's personal picks:

Magic Kingdom - Any of the mountains - Space, Splash, or Big Thunder. The new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train if you want to try it - the lines for it still get crazy long. And Peter Pan if you don't plan on hitting that up early in the day, because the lines are consistently long for it. Usually my family will hit up Peter Pan first thing in the morning so we don't need the fastpass, and use the fastpasses for Seven Dwarfs, Space, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Animal Kingdom - Expedition Everest and the Kilimanjaro Safari. Use the third on Festival of the Lion King or the Finding Nemo Musical (my vote would be for Lion King).

EPCOT - They have tiers so you can't get both, but pick either Soarin' or Test Track (my family is middling on Soarin', so Test Track is our pick), and then I usually toss the second and third to Mission: Space and Spaceship Earth. Not much else truly needs a Fastpass there.

DHS - Toy Story Midway Mania or Rockin' Roller Coaster (again, they are tiered so you cannot choose both). Pick one and head to the other first thing for stand by. Use the other two Fastpasses on Tower of Terror and Star Tours.

We don't tend to use Fastpasses on shows for the most part or on things like Fantasmic. You can get decent seating without them and we find it tends to be a waste.

 

[belledream]

These are based on my family's personal picks:

Magic Kingdom - Any of the mountains - Space, Splash, or Big Thunder. The new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train if you want to try it - the lines for it still get crazy long. And Peter Pan if you don't plan on hitting that up early in the day, because the lines are consistently long for it. Usually my family will hit up Peter Pan first thing in the morning so we don't need the fastpass, and use the fastpasses for Seven Dwarfs, Space, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Animal Kingdom - Expedition Everest and the Kilimanjaro Safari. Use the third on Festival of the Lion King or the Finding Nemo Musical (my vote would be for Lion King).

EPCOT - They have tiers so you can't get both, but pick either Soarin' or Test Track (my family is middling on Soarin', so Test Track is our pick), and then I usually toss the second and third to Mission: Space and Spaceship Earth. Not much else truly needs a Fastpass there.

DHS - Toy Story Midway Mania or Rockin' Roller Coaster (again, they are tiered so you cannot choose both). Pick one and head to the other first thing for stand by. Use the other two Fastpasses on Tower of Terror and Star Tours.

We don't tend to use Fastpasses on shows for the most part or on things like Fantasmic. You can get decent seating without them and we find it tends to be a waste.

Agree wholeheartedly with these picks and reasonings! It also depends when you're going. We went in the beginning of September and the waits for Splash were much longer than Space because its was hot. And Big Thunder's line always seems long and less enjoyable to me than Space because it's outdoors. So take the time of year/weather into consideration when choosing between those!

 

[Kate Alan]

Agree wholeheartedly with these picks and reasonings! It also depends when you're going. We went in the beginning of September and the waits for Splash were much longer than Space because its was hot. And Big Thunder's line always seems long and less enjoyable to me than Space because it's outdoors. So take the time of year/weather into consideration when choosing between those!

Very good point - one of the reasons we don't typically Fastpass Splash Mountain is because we tend to travel in the off season when it's either down for refurb or the lines are shorter due to the weather. And Big Thunder's line is positively stifling in summer. On the whole I think Space's line tends to move slower, but at least the queue is primarily indoors with AC.

 

[WDW_Jon]

These are based on my family's personal picks:

Magic Kingdom - Any of the mountains - Space, Splash, or Big Thunder. The new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train if you want to try it - the lines for it still get crazy long. And Peter Pan if you don't plan on hitting that up early in the day, because the lines are consistently long for it. Usually my family will hit up Peter Pan first thing in the morning so we don't need the fastpass, and use the fastpasses for Seven Dwarfs, Space, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Animal Kingdom - Expedition Everest and the Kilimanjaro Safari. Use the third on Festival of the Lion King or the Finding Nemo Musical (my vote would be for Lion King).

EPCOT - They have tiers so you can't get both, but pick either Soarin' or Test Track (my family is middling on Soarin', so Test Track is our pick), and then I usually toss the second and third to Mission: Space and Spaceship Earth. Not much else truly needs a Fastpass there.

DHS - Toy Story Midway Mania or Rockin' Roller Coaster (again, they are tiered so you cannot choose both). Pick one and head to the other first thing for stand by. Use the other two Fastpasses on Tower of Terror and Star Tours.

We don't tend to use Fastpasses on shows for the most part or on things like Fantasmic. You can get decent seating without them and we find it tends to be a waste.

So you can't pick test track and soarin in epcot RnR and Toy story on anyone day?

Am I right ? Had no idea this was the case?

Thanks

 

[Kate Alan]

So you can't pick test track and soarin in epcot RnR and Toy story on anyone day?

Am I right ? Had no idea this was the case?

Thanks

Both EPCOT and DHS have tiered Fastpasses. You can only choose one Fastpass from Tier 1, and two from Tier 2. In EPCOT's case both Soarin' and Test Track are Tier 1 options, and for DHS, Toy Story and RnR are both Tier 1. It's their way of trying to even out premiere attractions and spread the crowds out.

I believe that (and anyone else who knows better, feel free to correct me) you could theoretically Fastpass the other as your fourth Fastpass during the course of the day - but keep in mind that you can only access subsequent Fastpasses beyond the three initially granted to you by going to an in-park kiosk, and all three of your initial Fastpasses must already be used, so chances are even if you plan all your Fastpasses for first thing in the morning, there will be little to no Fastpasses left for the remaining attraction.

For example, say I Fastpass Soarin', Mission: Space, and Spaceship Earth for EPCOT. I have my windows at 9:00-10:00, 10:00-11:00, and 11:00-12:00. Once I've finished my last Fastpass (and say I hit the ride at the top of the Fastpass window, around 11:00am), I can go to a kiosk in the park to reserve an additional Fastpass. However, by 11:00am, there is a very large possibility that I will find that Test Track either has no passes left, or only one-two windows for the end of the day. Usually Fastpasses for all four of those attractions go fairly quickly.

IMO, it's better to hit up whatever ride in Tier 1 you don't Fastpass first thing when you get to the park rather than take that chance. Lines for Toy Story, for example, can regularly grow to up to 90 minutes standby. It's a fun ride, but not one that I'd want to queue that long for.

For now, Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom do not have tiered systems, so you don't need to worry about that there.

 

[Kate Alan]

Here's a list of the attractions in each tier.

For DHS:

Tier 1 (Choose 1)
Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage
Fantasmic!
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
Toy Story Mania!
The Great Movie Ride

Tier 2 (Choose 2)
Disney Junior - Live on Stage!
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show
Muppet*Vision 3D
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
For the First Time in Forever - A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Voyage of the Little Mermaid

For EPCOT:

Tier 1 (Choose 1)
IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
Soarin'
Test Track
Living with the Land

Tier 2 (Choose 2)
Captain EO
Journey Into Imagination With Figment
Mission: SPACE Green
Mission: SPACE Orange
Spaceship Earth
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Turtle Talk with Crush
Epcot Character Spot

 

[WDW_Jon]

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[WDW_Jon]

Both EPCOT and DHS have tiered Fastpasses. You can only choose one Fastpass from Tier 1, and two from Tier 2. In EPCOT's case both Soarin' and Test Track are Tier 1 options, and for DHS, Toy Story and RnR are both Tier 1. It's their way of trying to even out premiere attractions and spread the crowds out.

I believe that (and anyone else who knows better, feel free to correct me) you could theoretically Fastpass the other as your fourth Fastpass during the course of the day - but keep in mind that you can only access subsequent Fastpasses beyond the three initially granted to you by going to an in-park kiosk, and all three of your initial Fastpasses must already be used, so chances are even if you plan all your Fastpasses for first thing in the morning, there will be little to no Fastpasses left for the remaining attraction.

For example, say I Fastpass Soarin', Mission: Space, and Spaceship Earth for EPCOT. I have my windows at 9:00-10:00, 10:00-11:00, and 11:00-12:00. Once I've finished my last Fastpass (and say I hit the ride at the top of the Fastpass window, around 11:00am), I can go to a kiosk in the park to reserve an additional Fastpass. However, by 11:00am, there is a very large possibility that I will find that Test Track either has no passes left, or only one-two windows for the end of the day. Usually Fastpasses for all four of those attractions go fairly quickly.

IMO, it's better to hit up whatever ride in Tier 1 you don't Fastpass first thing when you get to the park rather than take that chance. Lines for Toy Story, for example, can regularly grow to up to 90 minutes standby. It's a fun ride, but not one that I'd want to queue that long for.

For now, Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom do not have tiered systems, so you don't need to worry about that there.

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That's great, best explanation I've seen so far!
I completely understand why they'd Do that, I just wasn't aware.
Only just realised you got a 4th for later in the day just before your post too but assumed you wouldn't get any of the big attractions after lunch...

 

[Kate Alan]

That's great, best explanation I've seen so far!
I completely understand why they'd Do that, I just wasn't aware.
Only just realised you got a 4th for later in the day just before your post too but assumed you wouldn't get any of the big attractions after lunch...

Thanks! Sometimes you can get lucky, but for the most part the Fastpasses that remain for later in the day are attractions that don't really need Fastpass (but were added to pad out the options), or large-loading attractions (like PotC) that tend to keep moving at a brisk pace even with crowds.

If they ever allow you to add your subsequent Fastpasses via the app, it will probably be a different story, but most of the time I haven't found it worth it to wait in line at the kiosk to grab additional Fastpasses. Sometimes the lines at the kiosks outpace that of the lines at the attractions.

I have found though that with a little planning and strategic placement of those first three Fastpasses there isn't really a need to obtain a fourth (though that is one thing I miss about the old system - I used to be able to average seven Fastpasses a day). So I definitely wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[WDW_Jon]

Thanks! Sometimes you can get lucky, but for the most part the Fastpasses that remain for later in the day are attractions that don't really need Fastpass (but were added to pad out the options), or large-loading attractions (like PotC) that tend to keep moving at a brisk pace even with crowds.

If they ever allow you to add your subsequent Fastpasses via the app, it will probably be a different story, but most of the time I haven't found it worth it to wait in line at the kiosk to grab additional Fastpasses. Sometimes the lines at the kiosks outpace that of the lines at the attractions.

I have found though that with a little planning and strategic placement of those first three Fastpasses there isn't really a need to obtain a fourth (though that is one thing I miss about the old system - I used to be able to average seven Fastpasses a day). So I definitely wouldn't worry too much about it.

Thanks for you help!

Sorry to the original poster for asking loads of dumb questions on your thread! I'm sure Kate Alan has informed you of plenty of stuff too

 

[Kathyjacks78]

Thanks for you help!

Sorry to the original poster for asking loads of dumb questions on your thread! I'm sure Kate Alan has informed you of plenty of stuff too

Lol I'm glad you asked the questions because I received even more information.

 

[Kathyjacks78]

Ok one more question please. We have our fast passes set but we are down to making a decision on last fast pass. We would like to use it on the ride with the longest wait time/hardest to get on. Our choices are Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan, or Pirates of the Carribbean. We are wanting to ride all three but can only use our original 3 fast passes for one as we have chosen other rides already for the others. We will be in the Magic Kingdom multiple days so we already have chosen fast passes for Haunted Mansion, Seven Dwarfs, Thunder Mt., Space Mt. and Splash Mt.. We know we want to ride all but are fast passes needed for those rides in particular? Just for the record I like the old fast pass system because this is so much stress and scheduling. With meal reservations, sometimes 2 reservation times per day, 3 scheduled fast pass reservations, and all the other planning I feel like we will be staring at our watches and rushing all day. Does anyone else feel this way? Thanks for all the good infor! You guys rock!

 

[Kate Alan]

Ok one more question please. We have our fast passes set but we are down to making a decision on last fast pass. We would like to use it on the ride with the longest wait time/hardest to get on. Our choices are Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan, or Pirates of the Carribbean. We are wanting to ride all three but can only use our original 3 fast passes for one as we have chosen other rides already for the others. We will be in the Magic Kingdom multiple days so we already have chosen fast passes for Haunted Mansion, Seven Dwarfs, Thunder Mt., Space Mt. and Splash Mt.. We know we want to ride all but are fast passes needed for those rides in particular? Just for the record I like the old fast pass system because this is so much stress and scheduling. With meal reservations, sometimes 2 reservation times per day, 3 scheduled fast pass reservations, and all the other planning I feel like we will be staring at our watches and rushing all day. Does anyone else feel this way? Thanks for all the good infor! You guys rock!

I agree with you...while I personally love planning things, the new system even had me exhausted at times just thinking about all the times we need to keep track of.

For the record, I would use the Fastpass on Peter Pan. Even with the new interactive queue they've debuted, the line for that ride gets exceedingly long very quickly, and it can make for a tedious wait. I wouldn't use it on Pirates - it's a large continuous loader so it handles crowds better than a lot of other rides. Jungle Cruise usually has moderate waits at most, but I'd still peg it as a faster moving queue than Peter.

 

[Kathyjacks78]

Thank you so much Kate! We have been many years ago so we know which of the old rides we like which is most of them but it's hard to determine which ones have long wait times when you haven't been in 9 years.

 

[Kate Alan]

Glad to help! Hope you guys have a wonderful trip! A lot has changed since your last trip, but it's still a great place to visit and a lot of fun.

 

[WDW_Jon]

I must admit I'm concerned about the level of planning involved as we have to pick where we go prior to arrival and I liked the old system!
Ill reserve judgements until October when we go but I'm a bit concerned about losing spontaneity when you just wake up and decide where to go rather than plan!

 

[Kate Alan]

I must admit I'm concerned about the level of planning involved as we have to pick where we go prior to arrival and I liked the old system!
Ill reserve judgements until October when we go but I'm a bit concerned about losing spontaneity when you just wake up and decide where to go rather than plan!

The new system definitely has pluses and minuses. You do lose some
spontaneity in the sense of having even more times blocked off during the day - and you're already hemmed in a bit with dining reservations in that respect. It can definitely overwhelm.

At the same time, it can be nice (and even relaxing in some small way) to know that with the Fastpasses you are at least guaranteed to get on those rides. While I loved and miss the old system, especially for the sheer volume of Fastpasses we used, I do like the fact that I don't have to literally sprint to a Fastpass machine first thing at rope drop, or constantly leave my party to get everyone's passes for subsequent rides.

 

[WDW_Jon]

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[WDW_Jon]

The new system definitely has pluses and minuses. You do lose some
spontaneity in the sense of having even more times blocked off during the day - and you're already hemmed in a bit with dining reservations in that respect. It can definitely overwhelm.

At the same time, it can be nice (and even relaxing in some small way) to know that with the Fastpasses you are at least guaranteed to get on those rides. While I loved and miss the old system, especially for the sheer volume of Fastpasses we used, I do like the fact that I don't have to literally sprint to a Fastpass machine first thing at rope drop, or constantly leave my party to get everyone's passes for subsequent rides.

Agree, both systems present different advantages and disadvantages. The old way always worked for us but the advantage of the FP+ for me would be getting fast passes on an evening that you wouldn't always have if you start early, have a break in the afternoon and hit a different park at night as they'd always be gone and generally have the longest standby waits after a full day...

Thanks again for all your advice! I know twice as much as before because of this thread!