Booking the best FastPass+ reservations is an essential step when planning a visit to Walt Disney World. Not all FastPasses were created equal, however, and it’s important to make the right choices when making your selections. I’ve put together a guide to the most important FastPasses at each Disney park. I factored in the popularity of the ride and the usual standby wait time along with my own personal preferences. Your choices will obviously vary based on your tastes and the people in your travel group, but here are my best recommendations for the best FastPasses to book
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Best Magic Kingdom FastPasses
Courtesy Walt Disney World Resort
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train tops the list of best FastPasses for the Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom’s newest ride routinely draws the longest wait times in the park. It’s a great family-friendly roller coaster – we even got my mom who is terrified of anything wild on it – that also features a unique swaying car system and some top-notch animatronics. On some late nights, the line will dwindle a bit, but if you want to avoid a long wait, you’ll want to Fastpass this one. Mine Train FPs book up quickly, especially during busy seasons, so be sure to grab them as soon as you can.
Your next two FastPass+ selections: Space Mountain and Peter Pan
Your Magic Kingdom FastPass strategy is the most wide-open out of the four parks. With no tiers and the highest number of attractions available, you have tons of options to cater to your group’s interests. I always go with Space Mountain because of it’s usual long lines, though I’ve caught it as a walk-on at closing time a few times. Peter Pan always has an inexplicably long line. It’s my favorite out of the dark rides, but there’s no chance I’d ever stand in line for over an hour for it. While I much prefer the roller coasters to Peter Pan, you can usually get additional FastPasses for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain later on in the day, or hop on them with minimal wait late at night. Peter Pan’s line never dies down.
If thrill rides aren’t your thing, substitute the Jungle Cruise or Buzz Lightyear for Space Mountain. If you’re looking for thrills, swap Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for Peter Pan.
Don’t waste a FastPass on: PhilharMagic
I love this 3D movie as much as the next ’90s kid, but I’ve literally never waited in line for it. Even on the busiest days, you’ll find one of the shortest waits in the park here.
Read more about the Magic Kingdom in my Grown-up’s Guide.
Best Epcot FastPasses
Test Track
With a Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster coming soon, this is sure to change, but at the moment, Test Track should be your top FastPass at Epcot. It’s the rare fast ride that my mom likes, and the outdoor speed run at the end is a blast. While it has a single rider line, even that’s been upwards of 45 minutes the last few times I’ve looked at riding that way, so a FastPass is the way to go. The other two rides in the top tier – Frozen and Soarin’ – provide different experiences, but have been easier to get on without a FastPass lately. Frozen could be a good option if you’re traveling with young kids because it doesn’t have a height requirement.
Your next two FastPass+ selections: Mission: Space and Spaceship Earth
Epcot runs on a two-tiered Fastpass system, so your next two will have to come from the lower tier. The second tier choices are pretty mediocre, unfortunately. I’d typically go with Mission: Space as my first choice and then pick Spaceship Earth since it’s hard to visit Epcot without riding that one. You’ll be able to ride all of the options in Tier 2 without waiting too long on most days, so your choices are less important.
Don’t waste a FastPass on: Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival.
This thoroughly forgettable collection of short films is the kind of thing you do when you get caught in a storm and you’re looking for a way to kill some time while it’s raining. Use your FastPasses on something else.
Read more about Epcot in my Grown-up’s Guide.
Best FastPasses for Hollywood Studios
Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
The newest attraction at Disney World, this replacement for the Great Movie Ride (RIP) has been getting rave reviews from early riders. These passes are going faster than anything else in the app now, and wait times are guaranteed to be long. The main reason I, as a big Star Wars lover, didn’t pick Smuggler’s Run as my top choice is because it has a single rider line which can allow you to ride it with a shorter wait without using a FastPass. And, if you can’t get either of those options, Slinky Dog Dash is a great family coaster, and was my top choice for FastPass at Hollywood Studios until the new rides added theirs. Note that Rise of the Resistance does not offer FastPasses and there is no standby line. The only way to ride it is by getting there at park opening and using the app to get a Rise of the Resistance boarding group. If you’re successful, it does not count as one of your FastPasses, so you’ll still be able to use all 3 of your selections.
Your next two FastPass+ choices: Tower of Terror and Rock’n’Roller Coaster
When Smuggler’s Run began offering FastPasses, the previously awful tier 2 selections were reworked to include enough actual attractions that you might want to skip the lines for. The new FastPass tiers at Hollywood Studios include several great attractions, but my choices will always be the thrill rides. If you have younger kids or aren’t into roller coasters and drops, Star Tours and Toy Story Mania are both solid choices in this tier that you won’t regret.
Don’t waste a FastPass on: MuppetVision 3D
MuppetVision 3D. Even on the busiest days, the wait for this show is usually negligible. To be honest, unless you’re going on the busiest of busy days, none of the shows here really need FastPass, but if you really can’t get the rides you want or don’t see anything available until later in the day, you can book an early show and then try to snag extra ones later.
Read more about Hollywood Studios in my Grown-up’s Guide and check out my extensive coverage of all the rides, food, drinks, and more in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Best FastPasses for Animal Kingdom
Courtesy Walt Disney World Resort
Flight of Passage
Since the Pandora area opened, the two rides located there have drawn the biggest wait times. The Animal Kingdom FastPass system has two tiers, with only Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey in the top category. Of those two, Flight of Passage has consistently drawn longer waits with lines still topping 2 hours regularly. Na’vi River Journey is an okay fallback if you can’t get a Flight of Passage FastPass, but to be honest, it was pretty disappointing overall and you’re better off getting up early on your first available booking day to try to snag Flight of Passage as your first Animal Kingdom FastPass.
Your next two FastPass+ choices: Expedition Everest and Kilimanjaro Safaris
The opening of Pandora has thrown the Animal Kingdom wait times off a bit, but you can always count on Everest and the Safaris to draw lines. Everest’s unique backwards track section is one of my favorites, but if you’re not a coaster fan, you can swap this one for Dinosaur. Kilimanjaro Safaris is one of the park’s cornerstone attractions and no visit to Animal Kingdom is complete without a ride.
Don’t waste a FastPass on: It’s Tough to Be a Bug
The last time I was there, on a Saturday in July aka one of the busier times of the year, the Cast Member working the entrance to this show was practically begging people to enter the queue. The theater rarely fills up, and it would be a shame to waste a FP reservation on this.
Read more about Animal Kingdom in my Grown-up’s Guide.
Ready to book? Head here to start claiming your FP+ slots or log in to the WDW App! (You’ll definitely want to download that before visiting to save yourself hours in the parks.) If you don’t have your tickets yet, check out Undercover Tourist where you can save money on legit Disney tickets – they’re one of the few authorized Disney World ticket sellers and in addition to discounts they sometimes offer deals that include a free park day.
Keep in mind that if you book your FastPasses early in the day, you can start booking additional ones after using your first three. Tier one FastPasses are tough to get, but you can usually grab some of the less popular ones later in the day. As soon as I tap my Magic Band to enter the queue for my 3rd FastPass, my phone is out and I’m refreshing the app to see what I can get. I’ve used as many as 6 Tier 1 FastPasses in the same day doing this strategy. When I do this, I take the best option available when it first presents different time slots, and then go back to modify that FastPass and refresh the search several times to see if I can find anything with an earlier time or for a better ride. Of course, if you have multiple days at some of the parks, you can try to get different Tier 1 FastPasses for the 3 parks that have tiers, or go back and ride a favorite.
Agree? Disagree? Let me know which FastPasses are the best in the comments.
For more Disney tips, check out these posts:
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Kris is a girl whose suitcase never rests. Follow her adventures around the United States, abroad, and to her beloved Disney parks. Traveling the world, camera in hand, and sharing all of her best adventures is her ultimate dream.
we’ve just booked our Fastpasses today funnily enough. My choices are almost spot on with yours.
Have fun! I’m a little jealous because I’m dying to go back.
I love the tips! And I sure have to visit Disney once!
This is super useful! Great to know what rides are worth waiting for and which ones aren’t. Have yet to visit Disney but definitely want to one day!
Growning up in orlando and having the perks of going to the parks often i feel that this is perfect!! I wouldnt change a thing! A
I haven’t been to Disney since high school. Would love to go back and see how it’s changed!
I haven’t been to Disney in AGES. I’m from Tampa so I used to go to Magic Kingdom at least once a year growing up. Fast Passes were life back then. The Buzz Lightyear ride is my favourite haha and I’ve gotten stuck on Space Mountain more times than I can count. This post brought back so many memories!
Fastpasses are indeed a way of life. Space Mountain is still the only ride I’ve gotten stuck on, but I actually thought it was pretty cool because we got to walk down off of the track. I’d ridden it so many times by then that I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything by not finishing the ride.
Loved this! I tried to get a FastPass for Frozen but it was completely booked (at opening time!). We did manage to ride it during the nighttime laser show, though! Love these Fastpasses & am so glad they don’t charge their guests extra for them like in other parks!
The Frozen ones go ridiculously fast. If you’re not staying on site and booking the second the window opens, your chances are pretty slim. I’m glad you got to ride it in the evening. The last time I was there, it was pulling two-hour waits from open to close so I skipped it.
Great tips! I remember standing in the line for Toy Story Mania and wishing I’d had a Fast Pass!
That one always has a killer wait, but at least the queue is fun.
I’ve gotta share this with all of my Disney-obsessed friends! Great info.
Would you believe that I have never been to Disney World ever? I mean, ever. My kids have though, and that may still be a point of contention for me. LOL! Thanks for such great information about what to use where, and why. It helps when you have a park this large!
I’d be jealous too if my kids had gone without me. Hopefully you’ll get a chance to go with them someday!
This is great!! I’ve never been to Disney (I know, I’m crazy, right??) but when I don I’m using this post as reference.
Thanks! You should definitely make a visit there! It’s loads of fun even as an adult.
While I agree with your other two choice for Magic Kingdom, no way would I have Peter Pan on this list. Better choices are Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain or the classic It’s a Small World. I think I would even choose Space Ranger Spin or Tea Cups before Peter Pan.
I agree that Splash and Thunder are better rides, but they’re also easier to get on with shorter waits later in the day, and you have a better chance of getting one of them as your fourth FP after the initial three are used. Peter Pan always has an obnoxiously long wait, and I’d never be willing to stand in that line for it, so the only way I ever ride it is if I have a FastPass.
I didn’t realize that visiting Disney was so complicated! Thanks for the tips.
Whoa, I had no idea fast passes were so advanced and required so much strategy now! It’s been 20ish years since I’ve been to Disney, and probably 7-8 years since dealing with any sort of fast pass. I’ll definitely be strategizing whenever I finally make it back to Disney – and your guide will help! 🙂
It used to be so much simpler with the paper FastPasses. There’s a lot more planning now, which has pros and cons, but it’s nice to go in knowing that you’re set for a few of your favorites.
This is awesome! Last WDW visit in 2015 the Frozen ride wasnt open yet, but I didnt book Anna and else character greet in time and we waited an hour… at rope drop! I would say if you have a little princess, character meets might be good to fast pass as well.
We’re going in two weeks, and this is very helpful, since we just got the magic bands and plan on getting fast passes before we go to the park! How early can you pick your fast passes, though? Can it be a few days before?
If you’ve already bought your park tickets, you can book them right now. I’d do it as soon as possible so you can make sure you get the rides and times you want. Have fun!
I almost agree with you although I would definitely swap out TEST TRACK with FROZEN EVER AFTER if you have older children, like I do. They prefer Test Track 10 to 1 over Frozen Ever After. Just my two cents! Nice blog you have here!
Great info on which fast passes to get and which ones to not bother with! Saving both time and money is important to me so this is super helpful, thank you! I haven’t been to a Disney park in 7 years now… you’ve got me wanting to go back 🙂
Good call on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom! Our boys LOVE that ride and the lines are always crazy long!
I never was into Disney World Parks but my friend invited us to join him in Hong Kong and we are going there in May! I hope I will not regret is since so many people enjoy it. I will definitely need your guide haha.
I was just at Epcot and Animal Kingdom last Monday. I got media tix and I didnt know what day I was going (my cousin was dinking around) and so we FP like 4 days before going – so slim pickings for sure. Agree 1000% percent with your choices. Although with test track, we went late in the day and the single rider line was okay. Same with Everest, my kids rode 2x bc single rider wasnt too bad about 20 minutes!