Disney’s new FastPass+ program is now available to all Walt Disney World guests, so part of planning your itinerary will be planning your FastPasses. Today, I will talk about how to plan these selections at the Animal Kingdom.
But first, some general info: Currently, Disney resort guests can make FastPass+ reservations 60 days ahead of arrival, and off-site guests and Annual Passholders 30 days ahead of arrival. All guests can make 3 FastPass selections per day, per park.
Since guests have a limit of how many FastPasses they can choose, pick rides that deserve a FastPass. The FastPass+ program has given many rides FastPass eligibility that did not have it before, but you will probably not need a FastPass for many of these. At the Animal Kingdom, I believe rides that could deserve a FastPass are: Kilimanjaro Safari, Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids, DINOSAUR, and Primeval Whirl. Note that all of these, except Kilimanjaro Safari, have a height requirement. These rides consistently have the longest lines in the park. If you won’t be riding some of these, you could also choose Adventurer’s Outpost, which can sometimes have long lines, or Finding Nemo: The Musical, so you can choose your seat first. Remember that you have to pick 3 FastPasses when you reserve them, not just 1 or 2.
I think the best strategy is to ride some of these rides first thing at park opening, and use FastPass for the others. You can ride DINOSAUR and Primeval Whirl first thing, since they’re close to each other, and then use FastPass for the other three. Riding Kilimanjaro Safari first thing is also a good idea because, in the cool morning, the animals are more likely to be active. Remember that if you go to a ride and the standby line is short, you can change your FastPass to another time or a different ride using the My Disney Experience app or one of the in-park kiosks.
Since you will be seeing some rides in the morning, don’t make your FastPass reservations too early – save them for late morning or afternoon, when the lines will be longer. It also makes more sense to save Kali River Rapids for the hot afternoon, when everyone will enjoy getting soaked! If you will be staying until the Animal Kingdom closes, you probably won’t need FastPasses during the last couple of hours – many guests at the Animal Kingdom go elsewhere for the late afternoon and evening, so lines for rides like Expedition Everest are often shorter.
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Elizabeth lives in Kansas City with her wonderful parents and sister. She enjoys long walks, happy thoughts, and Disney magic! Elizabeth first visited Disney as a child, and when she prepared to visit Walt Disney World as an adult, she foolishly thought she may have ‘outgrown’ Disney. Happily, Elizabeth was proven wrong. After planning a second trip to Walt Disney World, Elizabeth is now her family’s go-to resource for Disney. She even has her own blog, planningformagic.com, with advice on how to plan your next Disney trip. Someday, she even hopes to be an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. Elizabeth’s Disney wish list is a mile long, so she’s always ready to plan her next Disney adventure.
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