FastPass
Disney Fastpass Service, FastPass+, and MaxPass are systems created by the Walt Disney Company to speed up customer access to certain attractions and amenities at the Disney resorts and theme parks. First introduced in late 1999 as a virtual queue,[lower-alpha 1][1] The systems all allow guests to avoid long lines at the attractions on which the system is installed, freeing them to partake of other attractions during their wait. There is generally no extra fee for the service.
![]() Legacy Fastpass logo (not Fastpass+); it isn't used in Shanghai Disney Resort | |
Type | Virtual queuing system |
---|---|
Inception | 1999 |
Available | Yes |
The original FastPass system is still featured at all of the parks except Walt Disney World, which uses FastPass+.[2] The system continues to use a virtual queue where guests are given a paper ticket with a designated time, instructing them when they would arrive at the head of the queue. However, each park may have slight variations on the FastPass concept.
Disneyland
Disneyland Resort features the original FastPass system alongside MaxPass. Disney's Fastpass service is available at no additional charge to all park guests, while MaxPass costs US$20 a day.
MaxPass
On August 30, 2007, the Walt Disney Company filed a patent for using SMS as a way to get and use Fastpasses in the park. The patent indicated that guests staying at Disney hotels would be allowed to make early reservations for attractions using their in-room television.[3]
Originally, all the Fastpass tickets are free as long as the guests purchased their park tickets. However, on January 11, 2017, Disney announced Disney's MaxPass for the Disneyland Resort. The new system works in conjunction with the original Fastpass system. It is the first virtual queue system from Disney that is not free, costing US$10/day or $75/year upon launch in 2017. On January 6, 2018, Disney increased the price to US$15/day, and US$100/year.[4] It is included with select Disneyland Annual Passports. The system allows users to receive a Fastpass return time on their smartphone through the Disneyland mobile app when they are inside the parks. Guests who buy the MaxPass system are also able to download their PhotoPass pictures for free.[5][6][7][8]
Also, in March 2017, Shanghai Disneyland introduced Disney Premier Access, a similar system to Disney's MaxPass.[9]
Fastpass promotions
Throughout the annual Disney Soundsational Summer promotions of 2011–2012, guests staying at any of the three hotels of the Disneyland Resort received two complimentary Fastpasses per person. These passes allowed guests to enter the Fastpass line of any Fastpass attraction (plus The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure, which does not otherwise offer Fastpass) at any time they chose, similar to the Dream Fastpass.[10]
Disney FastPass+
![](../I/Fastpass%252B_Logo.svg.png.webp)
FastPass+ allows guests to reserve and plan a visit in advance to parks at Walt Disney World.[11][12] Reservations are available for select attractions, Character Greetings, entertainment, and viewing areas for parades and fireworks.[13] The system allows guests to make reservations up to 60 days in advance, and change at any time. FastPass+ is a reservation and scheduling system, unlike the old paper Fastpass system, which was a virtual queuing concept. Additionally, guests are encouraged to reserve FastPass+ sections with their group and are allowed to change the group's FastPass+ reservation.[14] Currently guests staying at an onsite Disney resort can make reservations up to 60 days in advance while all other guests can schedule reservations up to 30 days in advance, assuming tickets are linked to their account. Annual Passholders can hold Fastpass+ reservations for up to 7 different days in the 30-day window. If a Passholder is staying at a Disney resort onsite, they have 60 days to make reservations for the entire length of the stay.[15]
Guests can make three reservations in advance for each day, and all three must be at the same theme park. Disney's Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney's Hollywood Studios separate the attractions available for reservation into two tiers. Guests are restricted in the combination of attractions they are able to reserve in these parks to ensure better reservation availability for others at the parks' most popular attractions. Guests may make a further reservation via an in-park kiosk or the My Disney Experience app after they have used their initial three selections subject to availability. They may continue to make further reservations after using each reservation, until all reservation slots have been allocated for the day.[16]
Currently, Disney FastPass+ is not operational at Disney World since the parks reopened in June of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is due to the need to create proper social distancing.
Other parks
Shanghai Disneyland is moving towards a digital style much like the one used in California.[17] Under the name "Premier Access," the system is believed to be a response to ticket scalping of the physical paper tickets. [18]
Tokyo Disneyland Resort offers the ability to receive a Fastpass on their mobile phones at no extra charge as an alternative to the more traditional paper Fastpass system. [19]
During the Disney Soundsational Summer promotions of 2011–2012 at Disneyland Resort Paris, guests who stay in the Disneyland Hotel or in club-level accommodations of hotels received an untimed single-use Fastpass voucher for each day of their stays, usable any time except between 13:00 and 16:00. Guests in Castle Club accommodations at the Disneyland Hotel or suites in any hotel instead received a VIP Fastpass, which can be used repeatedly for the full length of stay with no time restrictions. In each case, the Fastpass is usable only on rides with Fastpass facilities.[20]
See also
- Disney's PhotoPass
- E ticket
- Fast Lane, a virtual queue system for the Cedar Fair parks
- Universal Express Pass, a virtual queue system for the Universal parks
- Flash Pass, a virtual queue system for the Six Flags parks
- MyMagic+, the overall system that FastPass+ is a part of
Notes
- However, a ride reservation system was first introduced in world's fairs.
References
- "Themed Attraction; Fastpass".
- "How much does Disney Fastpass cost at every park? (2020)". February 1, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- "Disney Files Patent for Wireless FastPasses". "Netcot.com". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved September 5, 2007.
- "Disneyland Resort increases prices for tickets, parking and more". Attractions Magazine. January 7, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- Glover, Erin. "Additional Disney FASTPASS Locations and New Disney MaxPass Coming to Disneyland Resort". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
- Munarriz, Rick (January 18, 2017). "Will Disney World Start Charging for FastPass? – The Motley Fool". The Motley Fool. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
- Sciretta, Peter (January 11, 2017). "MaxPass Is Disneyland's Premium Paid FastPass Service". Slashfilm. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
- Martin, Hugo. "Disneyland to add $14 digital surchage for Fastpass option". Stuff. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
- "Disney Premier Access Now Available at Shanghai Disneyland". TDR Explorer. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
- "Disneyland Discount Information". "WDW Info".
- Levine, Arthur (2019). "Disney World's FastPass+ vs. FastPass: What is the Difference?". Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- Testa (February 2, 2020). "Disney World FastPass+ FAQ: Overview, Tips, and Advice". Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- "How to use FastPass at Disney World". WDW Prep School. January 26, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
- "Making FastPass+ Selections". Walt Disney World. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
- "Annual Passes – Frequently Asked Questions". disneyworld.com. Walt Disney World-Disney Parks. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
- "What is FastPass+ and How to Use it – FAQ". Walt Disney World Resort. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- Coomer, Shawn (July 17, 2019). "Shanghai Disneyland Fastpass Guide". Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- "Guide to Paid Fastpasses at Shanghai Disneyland". February 26, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- "東京ディズニーリゾート・オフィシャルウェブサイト". www.tokyodisneyresort.jp. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- "Disney's FASTPASS". DLP Guide – Disneyland Paris at the click of a mouse!.
Further reading
- "Disney's Fastpass Service". Disney. Archived from the original on May 20, 2013.
- "Fastpass". AllEarsNet. Retrieved November 17, 2005.
- "Method and system for managing attraction admission – Patent #6,173,209". US Patent & Trademark Office. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2005. – Patent for the Fastpass system
- "Disney MyMagic+ Learn more". Attraction-Tickets.info. Retrieved October 23, 2015.