(Article last updated: January 12, 2018)
Sometimes even after you've done all of the research for your Disney World trip and you feel super well prepared, you come up empty on a couple of FastPass+ reservations that you had hoped to get.
It often happens to even the best planners. Here are some strategies to help get the most difficult FastPass+ at Disney World.
In this article
Which FastPass+ reservations are hard to get?
Most FastPass+ reservations aren't that hard to get, but you will likely run into the most issues with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom, Frozen Ever After at Epcot, and both of the Pandora attractions (Na'vi River Journey and Flight of Passage) at Animal Kingdom.
Beyond that, you probably won't have any trouble getting any FastPass+ reservations, although you may not end up with your ideal times for a few other FastPass+ reservations.
For more details on which FastPass+ reservations are available and recommended, check out the touring plans and FastPass suggestions for all 4 parks.
Strategies you can try to get difficult FastPass+
Book FastPass+ reservations 60 days beforehand
Since off-site guests book FastPass+ reservations 30 days beforehand, this strategy is just for on-site guests.
Here's what you can do:
- Get online just before 7 a.m. eastern time, log out of your account, and then log in fresh.
- At 7 a.m. eastern time, the FastPass+ reservations for your whole trip will become available to book.
- Do not make your FastPass+ reservations in chronological order; make them in order of difficulty (this is the same suggestion for people making dining reservations). That means you'll likely jump to your difficult FastPass+ reservations first to make those reservations before all others. You can make just 1 FastPass+ reservation at a park and then come back later to book the other 2, less difficult attractions.
- The end of your trip will have better chances of availability than the beginning.
Book FastPass+ reservation for 1 person and then add others
Sometimes when you're searching for FastPass+ availability, the My Disney Experience system will tell you that it can't find something for your whole group but if you just search for 1 person, it will show up, and then you can try to add other people from your group.
You can do this on the phone app or computer. Here's how it works from a computer:
You will begin by going into the FastPass+ screens and make a FastPass+ reservation for 1 person in your group. Then, you need to go back in and try to add more people to it.
Do that by selecting the "Change Party" option on your FastPass+ reservation...
Then choose who you'd like to add to the reservation...
If there is availability, you'll be asked to confirm...
Try to get FastPass+ with overlapping times
Searching for a FastPass+ reservation for your whole group but coming up with no availability? Try searching for 1 person at a time instead. If you're able to get them 1 at a time with overlapping FastPass+ windows, that will allow you to all visit the attraction at the same time.
Here's a video that helps explain this concept.
Check for FastPass+ reservations openings
People cancel FastPass+ reservations all the time, so it's good to check a day or two beforehand to see if anything has become available.
Make use of the My Disney Experience phone app during your trip to check for restaurant reservations or FastPass+ reservations that you weren't able to get beforehand.
Another thing to watch for is park hours being extended, therefore providing new FastPass+ openings. Disney publishes park hours updates all the time. If those park hours are updated so that the parks (happens a lot at Magic Kingdom) are open for more hours, then more FastPass+ reservations will pop up for those dates a few days after the park hours updates are published.
Sign up for alerts on the monthly dashboard for when you'll be traveling and you'll get an email immediately after park hours are updated so you'll know when this happens.
New! Some guests can pay to purchase FastPass+
Starting January 12, 2018, guests staying at some Disney World resorts who have 3+ ticket days (or an Annual Pass) can pay $50 per person per day to book an extra 3 FastPass+ reservations up to 90 days ahead. These FastPass+ can be in any park and include the option to book preferred viewing for nighttime shows.
Guests staying in these rooms are eligible:
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Cabins
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – Club Level
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn – Club Level
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort – Club Level
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – Club Level
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort – Club Level
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Villas & Bungalows – Bungalows
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – Club Level
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort – Club Level
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort – Club Level
- Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels - select suites and premium rooms
What if you never get the difficult FastPass+ reservations?
Sometimes - especially during peak travel times - you'll try all of the strategies above and STILL find yourself empty-handed on a couple of things. Here are some ideas for how to handle that:
- Show up to the park early (30-45 minutes before park opening) which will put you at the front of the line to go into the park and head straight there after the park opens
- Take advantage of a morning Extra Magic Hour and visit that attraction first
- Make an early dining reservation in the park, finish eating before the park opens and make your way there first
- Visit the attractions during a party. Most parties (like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party or Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party) have much shorter lines during the party so you could visit attractions during that time. Notes: 1.) some parties are quite busy and 2.) popular attractions will still have longer lines than less popular attractions but usually shorter than during regular park hours.
- Remember that there's a single rider option available on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Expedition Everest, and Test Track
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Any thoughts on booking difficult FastPass+ reservations? Feel free to share in the comments.
Sound like more than you want to tackle? Booking FastPass+ reservations is 1 of several services provided by Prep School Travel agents. Fill out the fields in the form below to be connected to an agent who will get back with you shortly.
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154 Comments on "How to get difficult FastPass+ reservations"
Hello Shannon, A while ago when I was starting my planning, you mentioned an app that would alert you when a fast pass became available. I lost the information. Can you tell it to me again and let me know if it still works.
Thanks.
Unfortunately that site is no longer available.
Do the fast pass reservations work like the dining one? Meaning I can book actually starting 60 days out but do it for the entire 10 days we are there even though those days that are 68-70 days out? The dining you can post 190 days out if staying on property starting your first day…thanks!
Yep! Works the same, but will be limited to the number of ticket days you have. So if you only have 7-day tickets, you’ll be able to make 7 days worth of FP+ 60 days out.
If you buy the extra fast passes , do you have to do so fir each day of the trip ? Also, can you make a fast pass for a same ride you made one for with your automatic fast passes?
This is great info! We are planning a family trip in April for 19 people. 11 kids (age 1-14) and 8 adults. Trying to keep group together. Had great success with your dining tips and got our reservations. Now planning fast passes.! Any tips for large groups would be appreciated!
Hi, what if people in my party are coming to the parks on different days (i.e. I am going Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri, but relatives are coming Wed, Thur, Fri, etc. )
Hi I’m in the U.K. Just wanted to check when I can book my fast pass is it 12 midnight or 7am? Thank you
7 a.m. eastern time. Good luck getting all of your FastPass+ reservations!
Yeah, what I meant was that when you log on, you can jump to the end of your trip for the best chance at getting difficult reservations. Always good to book in order of difficulty and not chronologically.
I’m so thankful for your post! I was freaking out this morning trying to book FP+ for our party of 6. All the times they gave me were TERRIBLE. Then I Googled how to get difficult FP+ and this post popped up. THANK YOU! You saved me from some broken heart kids.
you did this tip and it worked? good to know thanks! We have 6 going in Sept and I am freaking out about getting them also. So you got it for 1 and then just added on more, right?
We are going to Disneyworld in June with my kids who will be 1 and 6 at the time. If all of us want to ride something that the baby can’t, should we get all 4 of us fast passes and then do the rider swap with the older one?
Hi
If we are booking fast pass from UK do we still have to use 7am eastern time. I think that’s 6hrs behind UK. So will be 1pm our time
Hi Brenden
It will be 12 midday U.K. Time when your FP window opens.
Jane
I’m trying to update/modify our fast passes but I’m not getting the modify option unless I was to delete one of our scheduled passes? I don’t see if on the page at all? Any suggestions?
When making character meet-and-greet FP selections, do both the child and the accompanying adult have to have a FP? Can I just make the FP selection for my 4 year old, freeing up one of mine to use later for a rider switch situation? Or will I have to have a FP as well to be in line with a minor?
Anybody entering the queue will need a FastPass+, so you’ll need one for yourself as well.
I can make fp reservations this Saturday, can I do this at Midnight like others have said or does it have at 7am? I’m making them for my son, husband and myself. Some rides are 2-seater rides, so am I able to make a fp for my husband and son to ride something and one for me to do a meet and greet since we all wont be able to sit together on a ride. If I do this, can my son (3yrs old) accompany me to the meet and greet on my fp?
Yes! You should skip going together as a family and just plan separate FP for you and your husband. Your son will get on 6 rides as compared to 3. And if you have one you really want to do together just explain to the cast member that your reservation didn’t sync to your husband’s or vice versa and they will likely let you on without issue. They’re quite accommodating!
How early time wise can I book fast pass ? Will they allow me at midnight or 1am on my 30 day mark Tonight?
7 a.m. eastern time.
Im wondering the same thing. I have read 12 am but also 7 am. Did you ever find out?
It used to be midnight, but it’s been 7 a.m. for almost a year now.
How can the son get on 6 rides with each parent booking 3 fast Pass rides for themselves?
Hello and thank you for the great information. I am looking to book a trip at the end of next June (2017). I am considering staying off site. The savings if I do that will be between $1500-$2000. Will it be that big of a deal for us to only have the 30 days out for fastpasses instead of the 60 days? We don’t care about meeting characters or dining reservations. We just want the rides. Any information or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
30 day is fine. don’t worry
Thanks for all the info! So am I right in saying that you can longer book your fastpass reservations right at midnight the day you’re allowed to start booking? We now have to wait till 7 am the day of?
Same # of days beforehand as it’s always been, but instead of opening at midnight, it’s 7 a.m.
Great post! I am actually getting ready to across this information which I found very interesting to read.
idealcreativitys
Hi there! I have a question for you regarding FastPass+. I am an annual pass holder and have reservations at a Disney Value Resort for May 23. According to your advice and May 2016 calendar, I should be able to book Fast Pass reservations beginning March 24. However when I go to the My Disney Experience site to check the calendar, it is only showing a 30 day reservation window. Is that because I have not paid the full amount for our vacation stay? It isn’t due until we check in.
So you have a room-only reservation and a current AP that’s linked in your account? If so, it should allow you to make your FP+ reservations as soon as you hit the 60 day mark. Has nothing to do with if you’ve paid or not, because as you mentioned, room-only reservations are not due until your check-in day.
Hi, I have the same problem. I have a passholder certificate linked to my Disney account but not an active AP until I arrive but I do have onsite room reservations. It will only show 30 days out. The other two in my party have purchased regular tickets and show the 60 day mark. Does this mean we won’t be able to get the same fastpasses?
Hi! I think I understand everything about the FP except for the part about starting at the end of your trip and working back. Does that mean at 60 days out from my check-in date I can reserve FP for attractions that are actually 64 days away (for a 4 day stay?) I guess I thought I would need to be up at midnight 4 nights in a row to make my picks.
Yep! People staying onsite can make all dining and FastPass+ reservations in 1 sitting, whereas people staying offsite have to log on multiple days in a row.
I am going to Disney in March. Two of the people in the group want to do space mountain while the rest of us do not. Since I am in charge of the planning I was going to do the fast passes. Can I setup 2 then have them 2 do their own for that ride? I saw you said that you have to pick 3. We would like to do the other rides together. Btw I love your site!
hi! I am staying on Disney property and I know can reserve fast passes 60 days in advance. Our friends going with us are staying off property so they can reserve 30 days in advance. My question is….. can i add their park tickets to my my Disney experience and manage their tickets on my account and get them fast passes with ours all at the same time even though they wont be resisted guest at a Disney resort.
Did you ever find the answer? I have the same question.
Yes, I do this all the time. My brother in law lives in FL and they have annual passes. I have them linked in my account so when they meet us at Disney, I am able to make dinner and FP reservations for all of us.
If I can only (for personal reasons) book my Fastpasses at 55 days out instead of 60, how much effect will this have on availability? Will I miss out on 7DMT at MK for example?
Yes, most likely. Everything else should be OK though.
I want to say thank you! I have (in less than an hour) made EVERY reservation for EVERY fastpass that I was hoping to get through your tips for my upcoming March trip. Thank you for all your knowledge and advice! Thank you a million times!
Hi there I have a complicated booking reservation for my upcoming trip in April 2016 . I have a 1 day room only on the 9th a 2 day DVC on the 10 the then a 4 day starting the 12 that my 7 day ticket is attached to. When will my 60 day window start? From the April 9th or April 12 ?
Our FastPass+ booking opportunity opens on Dec. 29. Magic Kingdom is open until 1 am. This will be our first time booking the FastPass+. Does anyone know what time it will begin? Midnight like normal? 1 am when MK closes? 2 am which is 1 hour after MK closes? Thank you!
It’ll be at midnight eastern time. They fixed that glitch that required you to wait until MK had closed.
Sweet! Thank you very much for the quick reply!
HELP!
I just booked a meet and greet with Anna and Elsa on Christmas day at 7pm. Problem is I booked myself first and now when I go to copy the only time available is 11pm. Can I use my fastpass time and my daughter still meet them? I have no idea how this works.
I was just practicing and with the 30 day window and 7DMT was gone when I looked for both my husband and I but was available when I looked for just myself and then I added him on a few seconds later so I’d try that approach. Plus I’d keep checking during the 29th day as well since I’m sure plenty of other people are “practicing” each night as well. (And yes, I already cancelled mine to be nice as my trip isn’t actually until April.)
Good luck!
Thank you for this fabulous information! I just logged on at midnight and came up empty handed for the Elsa/Anna Fastpass. This is a major disappointment since we are only staying at a Disney property for the 60 day access to this Fastpass. 🙁
My question is – if you arrive to MK before the Early Magic Hour and go straight to Fantasyland, how l0ng would you expect to wait? (This is for the first Mon in Nov.) Thanks again!
Hi, We were at the Welcome show and were the first group of people to get into the park behind the rope carriers and we rushed straight into see Anna and Elsa from the second they let us and we didnt have to wait long at all… but you have to be at the gate early to get in front of the people for the show and there will be some fast walking required to stay right behind the rope drop and you may have to deal with pushy people 🙂
Thanks for all the excellent information!!
Shannon; When choosing your fast passes are you able to narrow down the times you want or do you have to choose from the options provided and then modify??
Are there established patterns for the Extra Magic Hours? We are just planning our trip for 9 months from now. We want to plan what parks we are going to and then our dining options. It would be helpful to know what days are likely to have Extra Magic Hours at each park. Thank you for any help you can give.
When talking about option #2 above, you say “you’ll hopefully end up here with a successful copy of your FastPass+ reservations”. What determines whether it will successfully copy? How often does it work (and not work)? My 60 window opens next week and I’m planning to start with our last day and try to get A&E, but I don’t want to waste a valuable Fastpass+ selection if only one of us can go to that attraction. I’m new to this process and I have no idea what I’m doing!! Thanks for the great info.
The success in copying depends on availability. If there aren’t any spots open, it can’t copy it.
Can you make fast passes for 2 different parks, but the same day?
We are staying at 2 different properties during our stay. We are staying for 7 nights, 5 at one resort and 2 at another. My question is, will I still be able to book fast passes for the last day of our stay 60 days out from our first day since we will be moving hotels and actually have 2 reservations? Thanks so much for all the helpful info! 🙂
I have a 7 night reservation followed by a 2 night reservation and would also love to know if I can make fastpass+ reservations for my entire 9 days. Does anyone know the answer to this question?
Why wasn’t the Anna & Elsa (or the Mine Train, for that matter) even an option when I scheduled my Fast Pass reservations? It was grayed out with an ‘x’ over the button you click to check yes? I got on at 12:00 am (eastern time) exactly 60 days prior to our trip and I couldn’t even choose it as an option. When I look at other days, it says “fast pass is closed for this date” or something along those lines. Please help! (We will be at WDW Sept 19-26). Thanks!
I just had the same problem. The system needs to be re-evaluated.
I had the same issue last night at midnight…frustrating.
I also had this problem
This is really depressing, it sounds like the average off-property guest stands no chance of getting any good fast passes. Really hating the new system right now! 🙁
You have it right.
Also, you can do the ‘run to meet Anna and Elsa at rope drop’ thing. My kids are slow moving at rope drop and the wait was only about 20 minutes.
Booked Fastpasses this morning at 60 days, but can only book for the first 14 days of our trip. Our trip is for 21 days. When will I be able to book fastpases for the last 7 days of our trip ?
21 days in Disney?! That’s fantastic! You shouldn’t have any issues getting on all of the popular rides during your stay. Are you camping during your visit?
Did you ever find the answer to this? I’m currently having the same issue
I have been on this ride and it isn’t worth waiting more than 20 mins for worth wasting a fastpass on. Sorry to be a downer, but it is the truth.
You mention booking fast-passes for the entire trip and then AFTER copying other members of the party. I thought I read somewhere that you can link your party together BEFORE you make those selections, thus saving a step? Now that I am trying to find that article I cannot. Therefore, must I book for myself and then copy my spouse – or can we link our tickets first and save a step? Thanks for the information.
You can definitely link everybody together beforehand and hopefully book all of the FastPass+ reservations at once. The copying thing is just in case you’re searching for a FastPass+ for your whole group and can’t find any, you can then try to search for just 1 person, and if that works, you can book it and then try to copy it over to the other person/people in your group.
This website updates availability for tough to get fastpasses (based on 4 passes) every 30 minutes or so and I have seen Elsa and Anna as well as 7 Dwarves Mine Train come available within 30 days. Its also nice to see if you are booking 60 days out for your trip that and your trip is 7 days long that you can book Elsa and Anna at 63 days (currently) rather than keep changing date and trying for every day of your trip. Its so hectic once your booking window opens up!
http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/fastpass_plus_availability.php
Shannon…what a great resource you’ve built here. Thank you so much.
I’m curious if anyone has any thoughts, experiences or strategies on obtaining Seven Dwarfs Mine Train FastPasses for a large party. We have 11. I’ve been jumping on them (mostly 1 at a time) when they become available, regardless of time. I’m hoping that when our trip rolls around in 20 days or so I’ll be able to change the times to make them overlap or at least be close. Thoughts?
Hi Shannon! Im just wondering if its possible to add a person to my fp selections at a later date. My mom may not have her ticket at the time I log on to select fp so I didnt know if the copy feature might possible work to add her later if needed.
Thanks
If I search for a different time on a fastpass+ attraction I already have, do I give up that fastpass? Or do I still have it until I press confirm. I just don’t want to lose it if I can’t find a better time.
Did you ever get an answer? I am wondering the same and am sitting by the computer afraid to confirm and lose my fast pass!