Disney World On A Budget - FastPass+

In 1999 Disney created the best system ever and it was called the FastPass! For years,  Disney vacationers could run to a kiosk near an attraction they wanted to ride and get a FastPass that would enable them to jump to the front of a really long line at a scheduled time that day. The best part of it all was that this service was FREE (well, included in the price of admission.) Disney is an ever changing company and in 2013 the FastPass+ system began rolling out.  With this new system Disney vacationers no longer had to wait until they got into the park to make FastPass+ selections.  An entire vacation could be planned from the comfort of home! Oh, and did I mention it's still FREE (with the purchase of a theme park ticket)? Listed below I have information about the system and how it works.

What is the FastPass+
A queuing system  that allows you to schedule ahead of time (up to 60 days before arrival) when you would like to ride up to three of the most popular rides at Disney World. The purpose of FastPass+ is to limit the amount of time you wait in lines for popular attractions thereby making your trip even more magical!

How do I sign up for FastPass+?
In order to sign up for FasttPass+ selections you will need to either go to the My Disney Experience website and/or download the My Disney Experience app to your smart phone/tablet. Make sure your theme park tickets are linked to your My Disney Experience website before you try to make FastPass+ selections.

When can I select my FastPass+ attractions?
FastPass+ attractions can be selected up to 60 days in prior to arrival at Disney World IF you are staying at a Disney resort. FastPass+ attractions can be selected up to 30 days prior to arrival at Disney World for non-Disney resort guests. I recommend you book your FastPass+ selection as early as possible.

What if I tried booking the first day I could book and there are no available times for the day I am visiting the park?  
Apparently this has been a problem for some people. It is suggested that you keep checking back to My Disney Experience because people frequently change selections up to the day of visiting the park.

How does the selection process work?
To make FastPass+ selections you will first need to be within the time frame allowed based on where you are staying.  I made my selections the very first day I was permitted to do so. Even with that some attractions FastPass+ availability was already into the afternoon as the earliest time available - and I was scheduling it 60 days in advance! I digress.. Once you login to My Disney Experience then you will select the theme park and date as well as whom you would like to make FastPass+ selections for. Then you choose the 3 attractions for FastPass+. Once your attractions have been selected for the given day then Disney gives you 4 options from which to choose for those 3 attractions.  I noticed at the time of my selection the options are varied as far as the times available. Disney will not let you overlap any FastPass+ selection with another.  Therefore your times are scattered out over a minimum of 3 hours. NOTE: You do have the option to pick a specific ride at a specific time. However, that option was done after the initial selection of options.  When you log back in to My Disney Experience you will have the option to "Select A New Time".  Once you select this option then you have several choices of times, at least in the beginning you do.  I can see where as the day gets closer to my arrival there will be fewer FastPass+ options available.  My suggestion is to plan which day you would like to be in each park BEFORE scheduling your FastPass+ selection - it makes it much easier. Then again, I am a planner. Either way, book as soon as possible.  You can always go back and change your plans if need be.

Can I change my FastPass+ selections?
Yes! You can change your selections up to and including the day you are visiting Disney. It is common for people to change selections frequently.

What happens when I use all 3 of my FastPass+ selections?
You get to select more! Yes that's right.  You are not limited to only 3 FastPass+ selections. However, in order to get your next FastPass+ you will have to go to the kiosk that is located near the ride/attraction you would like to get a FastPass+ for. See my list below for kiosk locations. 

How many FastPass+ selections can I have at the same time of day?
One. You are only permitted to have 1 FastPass+ selection at a given time of day.

How long do I have to redeem my FastPass+ selection?
Each FastPass+ selection has 1 hour to redeem the selection.  For example: If you have a FastPass+ for Toy Story Mania from 1:30-2:30 PM you have until 2:30 PM to use your selection or you lose it.  Note there is a 15 minute grace period whereby you will still be permitted to use the FastPass+.
How do I select my first 3 FastPass+ attractions?
Selection of attractions for Fastpass+ is based on from which park you are selecting passes. Magic Kingdom & Animal Kingdom have a list of attractions from which to choose in any order.(See my list below of eligible attractions/rides)  Epcot & Hollywood Studios have a tier system when selecting FastPass+. At Epcot & Hollywood Studios, you must select one attraction from Tier 1 category and choose 2 from Tier 2 category. Once those 3 FastPass+ have been redeemed then you can visit the kiosk and make further selections. 

Can I park hop and use FastPass+?
Yes. HOWEVER, you must first use up your initial 3 FastPass+ selections from a single park BEFORE you can hop to the next park.  At the new park you can get 1 FastPass+ selection at a time until park closing.

What if I arrive at a FastPass+ reservation and the standby line is less than 10 minutes?
Don't waste a FastPass+ reservation.  Get in the standby line & while you are in line, use your smartphone to change to a different FastPass+ reservation at a later time. 

Kiosk Locations: Note: The kiosks in the front of the park are always the busiest.  Walk to one of the other kiosks to save time.
Magic Kingdom:
  1. At Guest Relations - City Hall on Main Street
  2. In the Town Square Theater - Main Street
  3. The walkway between Adventureland and Liberty Square, near The Diamond Horseshoe Saloon in Liberty Square
  4. In the brick building outside the exit to Hall of Presidents - Liberty Square
  5. Outside Mickey’s PhilharMagic in Fantasyland
  6. At the Storybook Circus FastPass+ area, across from The Barnstormer in Fantasyland
  7. At Splash Mountain's FastPass+ area, just past the entrance, in Frontierland.
Animal Kingdom:
  1. Expedition Everest
  2. Kali River Rapids
  3. Primeval Whirl
  4. In front of the Disney Outfitters store on Discovery Island
  5. In front of the FastPass+ Service Center near Creature Comforts on Discovery Island.
Hollywood Studios:
  1. FastPass+ service center, immediately to the left once you get past the entrance turnstiles
  2. At the "wait times" board on the corner of Hollywood and Sunset boulevards
  3. Outside Voyage of The Little Mermaid, in Animation Courtyard
  4. Outside the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror entrance
  5. At Guest Relations outside the park
Epcot:
  1. Outside the Mission: SPACE entrance
  2. At the Soarin' entrance, downstairs at The Land Pavilion
  3. At Guest Relations in Future World
  4. At the digital "tip board" in the middle of Future World Plaza (behind Spaceship Earth and the Future World fountain)
  5. At the International Gateway entrance to the park
  6. In the Future World West walkway, on the way to The Land pavilion
FastPass+ Available Attractions: (As of January 2015) 
Click the following links to research attractions at each park: Magic Kingdom - Animal Kingdom - Hollywood Studios - Epcot
Click here for an interactive map of Disney World.

Magic
Kingdom
Animal Kingdom
Hollywood Studios
Epcot
  1. It’s a Small World
  2. Big Thunder Mountain
  3. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger
  4. Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade
  5. Dumbo
  6. Enchanted Tales with Belle
  7. Haunted Mansion
  8. Jungle Cruise
  9. Mad Tea Party
  10. Main Street Electrical Parade
  11. Meet Anna & Elsa at Princess Hall
  12. Meet Ariel at Her Grotto
  13. Meet Cinderella & Rapunzel at Princess Hall
  14. Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater
  15. Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater
  16. Mickey’s PhilhaarMagic
  17. Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor
  18. Peter Pan’s Flight
  19. Pirates of the Caribbean
  20. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
  21. Space Mountain
  22. Splash Mountain
  23. The Barnstormer
  24. The Magic Carpets of Alladin
  25. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
  26. Tomorrowland Speedway
  27. Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
  28. Wishes Nighttime Spectacular

  1. DINOSAUR
  2. Expedition Everest
  3. Festival of the Lion King
  4. Finding Nemo – The Musical
  5. It’s Tough to be a Bug!
  6. Kali River Rapids
  7. Kilimanjaro Safaris
  8. Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
  9. Primeval Whirl

Tier 1: (Select 1)
  1. Beauty & The Beast Live on Stage
  2. Fantasmic!
  3. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
  4. The Great Movie Ride
  5. Toy Story Mania


Tier 2: (Select 2)
  1. Disney Jr. Live on Stage
  2. A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
  3. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
  4. Lights, Motor, Action!
  5. MuppetVision 3D
  6. Star Tours
  7. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
  8. Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Tier 1: (Select 1)
  1. Illuminations
  2. Living with the Land
  3. Soarin’
  4. Test Track


Tier 2: (Select 2)
  1. Captain EO
  2. Journey Into Imagination with Figment
  3. Meet Disney Pals at Epcot Character Spot
  4. Mission: Space
  5. Spaceship Earth
  6. The Seas with Nemo & Friends
  7. Turtle Talk with Crush