Disney’s new FastPass+ program is now available to all Walt Disney World guests, so part of your planning your itinerary will be planning your FastPasses. Today, I will talk about how to plan these selections at the Magic 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 ahead of time per day at one park. Disney recently changed the program so that guests can make additional FastPass selections at in-park kiosks after redeeming their original 3 selections. These additional selections can be made as guests park hop, as well.
As you choose your 3 FastPass selections, 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. The Magic Kingdom can be difficult, though, because it has so many rides that do deserve a FastPass. The park has so many attractions overall that I always recommend guests plan on at least two days for this park to see the majority of what it has to offer.
Here are the rides/attractions that I would consider for FastPass:
- Anna and Elsa at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Space Mountain
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Splash Mountain
For these rides, you should either obtain a FastPass for them, or visit them first thing in the morning. I think the key to using FastPass+ is visiting some high-demand rides first thing in the morning and using FastPass for others later in the day. With the Magic Kingdom you have a lot of options for where you could start, so plan to hit a few popular rides first thing (say, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid) and then use FastPass for other rides (like Peter Pan’s Flight or Enchanted Tales with Belle) later in the morning.
Now that guests are able to make additional FastPass selections in the park, it makes sense to use the pre-selected FastPasses in the morning so that guests can make more FastPass selections for the rest of the day. Since FastPass selection is limited, some rides or attractions may no longer have availability by the time guests are ready to pick new FastPasses at a kiosk. Keep in mind that if you have a pre-selected FastPass for a parade or the fireworks, you will not be able to select new FastPasses until the show time has passed. The Magic Kingdom does have many rides where a FastPass could be useful, particularly in the busy afternoon, but that are less likely to run out of availability. Many rides frequently have waits of 30 minutes or more at peak times of day, but are still less in demand than the rides listed above. If you can’t get any of the above, try these choices:
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Jungle Cruise
- Cinderella and Rapunzel at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- The Barnstormer
- Tomorrowland Speedway
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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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