FastPass+ Basic Info, Attraction List, and Suggested Priorities--Part I

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mesaboy2

Reading Is Fundamental.
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Oct 28, 2009
PLEASE NOTE: This thread will be locked once it reaches the 250-page forum limit. I have started a new thread here: FastPass+ Basic Info, Attraction List, and Suggested Prioirities--Part II to continue the discussion. Please consider the information presented in this post as out-of-date in favor of the information in the first post of the Part II thread.

My Disney Experience (MDX) Requirements

Before your first FastPass can be scheduled, two basic requirements must be met:

  • A guest must have an account created in MDX using a valid email address, and
  • A guest must have valid ticket media linked to this account. In most situations, ticket vouchers (including Annual Passes) can be linked as well as tickets from third-party resellers such as Undercover Tourist.

FastPass+ General Usage Notes

All points in this section are subject to change, but are current as of July 2014.

  1. When their respective prebooking windows open, guests are able to select up to 3 FP+ per day, but all must be in a single park. A single additional FP+ can be selected once the 3 prebooked ones are used. Once that first day-of (or 4th total) FP+ is used, another single FP+ can be scheduled and used (and so on).
  2. These additional day-of FP+s can only be scheduled at the in-park kiosks and not using the MDX app or website. This is a temporary situation as Disney has announced that this functionality will be added to MDX in the future (no date announced). Only one person in a party is necessary at the kiosks to schedule additional FP+s for the entire party.
  3. All 3 prebooked FP+ must be in the same park. However, the additional day-of FP+s can be scheduled in a different park only if the ticket associated via MDX has the hopper option added. To use FP+ in a different park, all 3 existing FP+s must expire once one is used. In-park kiosks can only schedule FP+ for an attraction in the same park, therefore it will be necessary to travel to the other park before scheduling a day-of FP+. You may be able to convince iPad-equipped CMs to do this for you from another park.
  4. Each of the 3 FP+ for the day must be for 3 different attractions. After using an FP+ for one, you cannot edit a remaining FP+ to the same attraction. Additional day-of FP+s can be chosen to repeat FP+ attractions.
  5. Unless tiering (or "grouping" in official Disney parlance) is in effect for a park (see below), any 3 attractions are selectable for FP+. Tiering is explained fully in the section immediately after the priority list below. Additional day-of FP+s are not subject to tiering limitations.
  6. FP+ is included free with admission.
  7. The prebooking window for most attractions is 60 days prior to the first day of an onsite stay. For these onsite guests, the 60-day window will not activate until you are at the 60-day mark. Before this point, the booking window will be only 30 days. Certain attractions--namely Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes--do not often appear at the 60-day window and sometimes aren't selectable until just days before the event. The number of days for these attractions do not follow a pattern and are not predictable.
  8. The prebooking window opens at midnight Eastern time*. *There are numerous recent reports of this window not opening until 1:00a ET. No reason or pattern is known. Except for the super-popular Anna & Elsa M&G, there are no indications that FP+s for the other most popular attractions disappear within the first few hours.
  9. Each FP+ return window is 60 minutes long. There is an apparent grace period of 5 minutes before and 15 minutes after the return window, but guests are advised against relying on the grace period. (I have personally used a FP+ 5 minutes early several times and have always been admitted. I have not tested the 15 minutes late window.)
  10. FP+ cannot be scheduled during EMHs.
  11. FP+ cannot be scheduled during hard-ticket party events such as Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, Night of Joy, or Villains Unleashed. However, most guests report success using their party tickets for scheduling FP+ during the typical 3-hour "grace period" from 4:00p to 7:00p associated with these events.
  12. The FP+ return windows cannot overlap.
  13. Once FP+ attractions are selected, they can be edited for each individual to different times and/or attractions.
  14. If a return window has already passed without being used, that return window can be rescheduled to later in the day (subject to availability).
  15. All guests entering an attraction's FP+ queue must have a valid FP+ for that attraction, including all character-based attractions such as Meet and Greets (M&Gs).
  16. Onsite guests, now including those at the Swan and Dolphin, can prebook attractions up to 60 days in advance of the beginning of an onsite stay. In other words, at 60 days before your check-in date you can make FP selections for your entire trip (up to 10 days). This can be done via the MDE/MDX app or website. FP+ can be prebooked for the number of days equal to their linked ticket.
  17. AP holders can prebook attractions up to 60 days in advance of the beginning of an onsite stay, for a maximum of 7 days or the length of the onsite stay--whichever is greater. As with above, FP selections can be made for the entire length of stay.
  18. AP holders without an onsite reservation can book up to 30 days in advance, for a maximum of 7 days. Once one of those 7 days passes or is used, an additional day of FP+ can be prebooked, ad infinitum. This can be done via the MDE/MDX app or website, and can be done with AP vouchers as well.
  19. All other guests can prebook FP+ attractions up to 30 days in advance, for the number of days on their linked ticket in MDE/MDX, and can use either the MDE/MDX app or website to do so. With the exceptions of the Anna & Elsa M&G and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, most people report no trouble getting FP+ for any attractions at this 30-day mark.
  20. All guests may opt to use FP+ kiosks located in each park. The kiosks can be used to schedule FP+ only for attractions in that same park. Return windows can be noted by taking a picture of the selections on the kiosk's screen or making pen-and-ink notes.
  21. Onsite guests are also eligible for the Be Our Guest FastPass+, but it is accessed via a separate URL (https://beourguestlunch.disney.go.com) and does not count against the 3 FP+ per park. As such, I am leaving it out of this discussion for now since prioritizing it against other attractions is not necessary. This FP+ option has so far not been available more than 60 days in advance of an onsite stay.
  22. FP+ works the same way as Legacy FP did with regard to child swap/rider swap/rider switch policies.
  23. Children under 3yo do not get (and do not need) FP+, but if named on an onsite reservation will receive a MagicBand.
  24. As of January 23, 2014, all Legacy FP kiosks in all four WDW parks are covered and FP+ is the only system available.
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FastPass+ Attraction Priorities

My take, for what it's worth, on priorities for those attractions that offer FP+. Generally speaking, it is rare for any FP wait at any normally-operating attraction to exceed 15-20 minutes. This includes the currently super-popular ones such as the Anna & Elsa M&G and the Seven Dwarves Mine Train.

These rankings are based on my experience with all WDW attractions and familiarity with each one's popularity and capacity. These rankings are only meant to be an objective list of which FP+ selections have the potential to save the most guests the most time under most conditions. They do not reflect my own preferences with regard to "favorites", and do not attempt to reconcile all the different preferences any particular guest may have.

How I Recommend Using This List

  1. Determine your own "must-do" and what I call "maybe-do" list of attractions for your group. Prioritize them accordingly.
  2. Take that list and compare it against the one below.
  3. Assuming any "must-do" attractions are in the A (or A+) or B categories below, consider these first in choosing which FP attractions to preselect for each day. Obviously I recommend A attractions over B attractions. Except for shows with fixed times (including especially fireworks and parades), B and C attractions are much more likely to have availability later in the day and beyond your initial 3 preselected FPs.
  4. Where tiering is involved, split any "must-do" attractions in Group 1 across multiple days when preselecting FPs. This works best for longer stays.

A+/A/B/C Ranking System

A+ - Using FP+ here is the closest thing to a "no-brainer" at WDW. Temporary category only until waits for Anna and Elsa normalize.
A - Using FP+ here will usually save the most time as compared to the attraction's average standby wait.
B - Using FP+ here will usually save some time as compared to the attraction's average standby wait.
C - Using FP+ here will usually save little time as compared to the attraction's average standby wait.

Attractions listed within the same priority class are in alphabetical order and not meant to suggest priority within the class.

FastPass+ Attraction List With Suggested Priorities

MAGIC KINGDOM
A+- Meet Anna and Elsa at Princess Fairytale Hall *See special note below
A - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
A - Enchanted Tales With Belle
A - Peter Pan's Flight
A - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
A - Space Mountain
A - Splash Mountain
B - Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
B - Festival of Fantasy Parade *Reserved Area (interior Hub across from Castle) Not always available at 60 days prior
B - Haunted Mansion
B - Jungle Cruise
B - Main Street Electrical Parade *Reserved Area (interior Hub across from Castle) Not always available at 60 days prior
B - Meet Ariel at her Grotto
B - Meet Cinderella and Rapunzel at Princess Fairytale Hall
B - Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater
B - Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater
B - Pirates of the Caribbean
B - The Barnstormer
B - The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh
B - Tomorrowland Speedway
B - Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid
C - Dumbo the Flying Elephant
C - it's a small world
C - Mad Tea Party
C - Mickey's PhilharMagic
C - Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
C - The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
C - Wishes *Reserved Area (Rose Garden, off-center but uncrowded, pics @ Post #2755 Page 184) Not always available at 60 days prior

EPCOT (Tiering)
A - Soarin'
A - Test Track (Single Rider also available)
B - Maelstrom
B - Mission: Space
B - Spaceship Earth
B - Turtle Talk With Crush
C - Captain EO
C - IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth *Reserved Area (World Showcase Plaza)
C - Journey Into Imagination With Figment
C - Living with the Land
C - Meet Disney Pals at the Epcot Character Spot
C - The Seas with Nemo & Friends

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS (Tiering)

A - Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (Single Rider also available)
A - Toy Story Midway Mania
A - Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
B - For the First Time in Forever: A "Frozen" Sing-Along Celebration (available September 2-28 only)
B - Star Tours
B - The Great Movie Ride
C - Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage *Reserved Area
C - Disney Junior - Live on Stage *Reserved Area (center-front section, poor viewing, pic @ Post #459 Page 31)
C - Fantasmic *Reserved Area (left-front section)
C - Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular *Priority Access
C - Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show *Priority Access
C - Muppet Vision 3D
C - Voyage of the Little Mermaid *Priority Access

ANIMAL KINGDOM
A - Expedition Everest (Single Rider also available)
A - Kali River Rapids
A - Kilimanjaro Safaris
B - DINOSAUR
B - Festival of the Lion King *Priority Access
B - Finding Nemo *Priority Access
B - Primeval Whirl
C - It's Tough to be a Bug
C - Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost

Parks With FP+ Tiering

In these parks (currently Epcot and Hollywood Studios), FP+ attractions are divided into two groups. Guests are able to make 1 selection from Group 1, and 2 selections from Group 2. This is ostensibly to spread crowds more evenly among all FP+ attractions. The list above uses the following scheme (applying to the attraction's name) to identify FP+ attractions in Group 1 and Group 2:

Attraction X - indicates a Group 1 attraction.
Attraction Y - indicates a Group 2 attraction.

Attractions With Scheduled Times

Reserved Area - Indicates an exclusive section for use by guests with FP+. This type of FP+ has moderate value in terms of saving time while securing preferred viewing.
Priority Access - Indicates guests with FP+ are allowed into the general show area before or at the same time (via a separate queue) as standby guests. This type of access has little value in terms of saving time or securing preferred viewing.

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FastPass+ Kiosk Locations

(From JimmyV's thread Definitive List of FP+ Kiosk Locations:

Magic Kingdom
At Guest Relations at City Hall on Main Street
In the Town Square Theater on Main Street
Near The Diamond Horseshoe Saloon in Liberty Square-reported to be in the breezeway to Adventureland.
A poster reports: the one in Liberty Square is next to Hall of Presidents. It took over Heritage House.
Outside Mickeys PhilharMagic in Fantasyland
At the Storybook Circus FASTPASS machines, across from The Barnstormer in Fantasyland
At Splash Mountain's FASTPASS machines, in Frontierland
In Tomorrowland by Stitch's Great Escape

Epcot
At the Mission: SPACE FASTPASS kiosks
At the Soarin' FASTPASS kiosks, downstairs at The Land pavilion
At Guest Relations in Future World
At the digital "tip board" in the middle of Future World Plaza (behind Spaceship Earth and the Future World fountain)
At the International Gateway entrance to the park
In the Future World West walkway, on the way to The Land pavilion

Hollywood Studios
At the FastPass+ service center, immediately to the left once you get past the entrance turnstiles
At the "wait times" board on the corner of Hollywood and Sunset boulevards
Outside Voyage of The Little Mermaid, in Animation Courtyard
Outside the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, near its FastPass machines
Reported by a poster-near Muppet Vision 3D
At Guest Relations outside the park

Animal Kingdom
Expedition Everest
Kali River Rapids
Primeval Whirl
In front of the Disney Outfitters store on Discovery Island
In front of the FastPass+ Service Center near Creature Comforts on Discovery Island
Dinosaur
Kilimanjaro Safari -according to Kathy Werling's blog
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General Strategies -- Updates

- FP+ will generally save more time when crowds are heavier. Therefore, it makes the most sense to choose FP+ windows in the afternoon and early evening--when crowds are at their daily peak. However, given new rules that additional FP+ can be chosen only once essentially all three existing FP+ windows have passed, this approach will limit the quantity of FP+ that can be acquired on any given day. It is up to each individual which approach fits their touring style best.

- For the same reason, when park-hopping the best strategy is often to make FP+ selections in the second (or third) park each day. However, given new rules that additional FP+ can be chosen only once essentially all three existing FP+ windows have passed, this approach will limit the quantity of FP+ that can be acquired on any given day. It is up to each individual which approach fits their touring style best.

- For obvious reasons, the value of FP+ for nighttime shows such as MSEP, Wishes, IllumiNations, and Fantasmic decreases greatly if more than 3 FP+ are desired on any given day. Other than perhaps MSEP (and Fantasmic in its early implementation), I have not given much value to these types of FP+ anyway.

Special Note for Anna and Elsa M&G Only

I am elevating this M&G to an unprecedented A+ until waits normalize. The enormously popular Frozen duo saw routine standby waits of 240 minutes or more while appearing in Epcot's Norway pavilion. Early reports of standby waits since moving to PFH are improved, but still well beyond all other A-ranked attractions. So for the time being, A&E are getting rarified air as the obvious FP+ choice for those interested in seeing them.

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Special thanks to poster Vertical for the original list this one was based on. This list can be seen here: FP+ Attraction List.
 
Good list mesaboy.

My suggested amendments:
Upgrade Pooh to an "A"
Upgrade VotLM to a "B"
Did you omit the Mexico boat ride on purpose? Won't that have FP+?
Downgrade Splash Mtn and Kali Rapids to a "B" when it's cold outside
 
Good list mesaboy.

My suggested amendments:
1. Upgrade Pooh to an "A"
2. Upgrade VotLM to a "B"
3. Did you omit the Mexico boat ride on purpose? Won't that have FP+?
4. Downgrade Splash Mtn and Kali Rapids to a "B" when it's cold outside

1. It's probably the highest-priority B, but I think it's still a B.
2. Nah, still think it's a C. You have to try harder if you want me to budge.
3. Wasn't on the referenced list. I honestly don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me.
4. Now you're complicating things. ;)
 


Downgrade Splash Mtn and Kali Rapids to a "B" when it's cold outside

I'd agree about Kali, not so for Splash.

Entirely different "wetness levels" and popularity quotients.


But the REAL problem is, knowing the weather/temps 60 days out.
45 days out.
30 days out.
15 days out.
Heck, 2 days out. ;)
 
I'd agree about Kali, not so for Splash.

Entirely different "wetness levels" and popularity quotients.


But the REAL problem is, knowing the weather/temps 60 days out.
45 days out.
30 days out.
15 days out.
Heck, 2 days out. ;)

Nah, Florida weather is entirely on a schedule. :)
 


Up to 3 thunderstorms per day can be pre-booked 60 days in advance (but only in one theme park).

But only one can be a "Category E" storm.

The other two will be lesser squalls.
 
Nice list!

I didn't realise FP+ was available for non FP rides - maybe that will help the FP queues on the headliners? ;)
 
I didn't realise FP+ was available for non FP rides - maybe that will help the FP queues on the headliners? ;)

From the motion picture, "Well, DUH!!" coming soon to theme parks near you.




:goodvibes
 
Excellent list! Thank you so much for typing all that out.

Then, shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three.
 
Awesome list, really great for me, since I have DL down like the back of my hand, but wdw confounds me... 45 minute waits for pooh?!
 
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