FastPass

The key concern everyone has about going to Disney are waiting in lines. To alleviate some of the stress (and to balance out the distribution of people, all of the four theme parks at WDW, as well as both of the parks at DL, have a free system called FastPass (FP). FP allows you to get a ticket NOW to ride LATER. FP-attractions all have two lines: the FP line and the "standby" line. Standby is the traditional get-in-line-and-wait-your-turn line. FP is basically a quicker line. Usually has VERY little wait. Great for getting to do more attractions.

FP machines (if the ride has FP), will be near, but not necessarily AT the entrance to the ride (with a key exception in 2012 of the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – whose FP machines are near Pinnochio). Simply take your Key to the World (KttW) card (each person will get one at checkin - it's your room key AND your theme park tickets AND a "credit card") to the FP machine and one-at-a-time, insert them (if you’re not staying on property, simply use your park ticket). It will spit out a FP ticket (and return your KttW card or park ticket) for each one you insert. The FP ticket/slip will tell you when you're allowed to return and get into the FP line.

Interestingly enough, the FP ticket will tell you exactly when to return. Historically, you didn’t have to come back at that time. Disney CMs would allow you entrance to the FP line anytime AT or AFTER the time on the ticket. So you could go around and collect them during the morning hours... and use them up in the evening.

In early 2012, Disney started making changes to the FP system. The first is that you no longer can use them anytime after the stated return time. Effective in February, 2012, you MUST return during the stated return time or you will be refused access to the FP line. This change created quite a stir when initially operationalized (we happened to be there that week). But given the vast majority of guests weren’t familiar with the old tricks, it seems to have become a non-issue now.

But remember also that they're only good for THAT DAY. So you can't collect them on Day 1 for use on Day 2+. Remember also that I spoke earlier about EMH's? Well, FPs can be used during EMH's, too... so you can even jump to the head of the line after the usual park hours are over, so long as the return time is within the operating hours of that day’s EMH.

Additionally, each FP ticket will tell you what time you're allowed to get another FP from that or another FP attraction. Typically, the delay is 2 hours. Again, this is to prevent you from gaming the system. But currently, the FP system at each park is independent of each other park. So if you have the PH option on your ticket, you can collect FPs at one park, go do something else in another park (including using FPs there) and then come back to the first park and use your FPs later. This is typically a trick for adults who can move through the parks faster than those with kids, but I figured I'd tell you regardless.

The second change Disney is making is that FPs are going to be part of a new reservation system, called FastPass+. Guests will be able to book their attraction by date/time and get a FP for that date/time upon their arrival at WDW/DL. This hasn’t yet rolled out for all guests, but is being tested now. Visiting virtually any attraction today and you’ll see covered stanchions flanking the entrances to both the stand by line and the FP line.

These are RFID tag readers and are the next evolution of a variety of interaction-governance known at Disney as MyDisney+. Guests will get coded wristbands that control every Park interaction, from room entry at the resorts to your FP use and even will have purchase/charge capabilities. The readers (the stanchions) would, at least, track your movement through the Parks, theoretically allowing Disney to watch your individual Park visit from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.