Three advanced Disney World Fastpass tips & tricks

Knowing the best way to use Fastpass+ can save you a ton of time at Walt Disney World. In this episode of Disney Deciphered, we discussed advanced Fastpass tricks that you must know to maximize your time in the parks! Read on and listen to the podcast for our best Fastpass+ advice.

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Fastpass tips and tricks to save you time

At Walt Disney World, time often feels like money. Time often is money. So it’s important to make sure you’re maximizing your time in the parks and knowing how to best utilize Fastpass+ reservations. The following are some of the most important Fastpass+ tips and tricks you need to put in your arsenal.

For the basics on Fastpass+, check out our first episode and post on the topic.

1. Grab (or move) your next Fastpass+ reservation immediately after you check in for a ride

Mouse Hacking affectionally calls this technique the “tap and grab.” When you check in for a Fastpass+ reservation by tapping your magic band or card to the Mickey head, the system considers that Fastpass+ used.

What that means, practically, is you can move up any future Fastpass+ reservations to an earlier timeslot. Normally you can’t have overlapping Fastpass+ reservations but once you tap in you can move your next reservation as far up as you want.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Fastpass — As soon as you’re past the Fastpass touch point, you can start adjusting your future reservations. (Photo Credit | Matt Stroshane, wdwnews.com

For example, you might have a reservation for 9, 10, and 11. But after you tap in to your 9 o’clock reservation, you can move your 10 o’clock reservation up to say, 9:30. Then after you tap in for that one, you can move your 11 o’clock reservation up as well. This way you don’t have to “wait” to use your initial three Fastpass+ reservations. You can get them done as quickly as possible.

After you finish your first three Fastpass+ reservations, you can start making your rolling fourth reservation. So moving up your Fastpass+ reservation after you check in will really help save you time and increase the number of Fastpass+ reservations you can get in a day. (Remember, after you finish your first three pre-booked fastpasses, you can add one Fastpass+ reservation at a time for the rest of the day).

2. Refresh the app repeatedly to find hard to get Fastpass+ reservations

Our first fastpass tip saves you time, but this tip will get help you get some of those hard to get Fastpass+ reservations. Backside of Magic calls this the Fastpass refresh technique, because it involves you refreshing the My Disney Experience app to get hard to get Fastpass+ reservations.

While the mountains are beautiful to look at, wouldn’t you rather skip the line?

The technique is simple.

1) Download the My Disney Experience app

2) Search for a new Fastpass+ reservation or modify an existing one (while you’re in the parks)

3) If you don’t see the reservation you want, “refresh” the results by clicking a different time slot and searching again

4) Rinse and repeat until the Fastpass+ reservation you want appears

I know this sounds like it wouldn’t work, but it does. In fact, Joe found a Flight of Passage Fastpass+ reservation as we were recording the podcast. It may take 5-10 minutes, but we’d say we’re successful using this technique 90% of the time when we’re in the parks. We’re not sure why it works, but it does!

Fastpass tips and tricks -refresh technique — The Fastpass refresh technique in graphic form

3. Don’t book your first Fastpass+ reservation too early in the day

Our third tip is the simplest – don’t book your first Fastpass+ reservation too early in the day. If you want to maximize the number of attractions you ride in a day, we always recommend “rope drop”. That means getting to the park half an hour to an hour before official park open.

Disney lets people into its parks early and that first hour in the parks you can ride multiple rides with little to no wait. That makes it very inefficient to make a Fastpass+ reservation for the 9 o’clock hour. Start your first Fastpass+ at 10:00 AM or later to make the best use of your time.

Toy Story Land Fastpass — (Photo Credit | David Roark, wdwnews.com)

Final Thoughts

These Fastpass+ tips can help you save a ton of time at the parks. But we’d love to hear if you have any tips for us! E-mail us disneydeciphered AT gmail DOT com with any questions or comments you might have. Happy riding!

Episode Description

Knowing the ins and outs of the Fastpass+ system can really help you save a ton of time at Walt Disney World. In today’s episode, we discuss some of the more advanced Fastpass+ tips and tricks and review how the new digital rider switch works. These tips have saved us hours in the park and can save you time too!

If you like what you hear, please share the podcast with others you think might enjoy it. Also, we’d appreciate if you subscribed on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, PlayerFM, iHeartRadio, or Google Play (please leave a positive review if you’re enjoying the show), liked our Facebook page, or followed us on Twitter!

You can also e-mail us at disneydeciphered AT gmail DOT com. Connect with Leslie @TripswithTykes on social media and Joe @asthejoeflies.