After some minor computer issues, I'm back! :D
Today, I thought I'd talk about something which is second nature to the practiced Disney Parks visitor: "FastPass." But you'd be surprised how many calls I would get regarding this neat feature of the Disney parks!
First of all, it is called "FastPass." Not "Fast Track," or "Hold Your Place in Line Thingie" (even though that's essentially what it does), or "Front of the Line Pass." It's FastPass, as you can read at the top of each FastPass terminal when you get to the parks. The terminals are clearly marked and often right next to the queue for the ride, alongside a BIG clock stating when you come back to the attraction, but I'll get into that in a moment.
You don't have to pay extra for this feature, as you would for Universal's "Front of the Line Pass." (Is it Universal that has the Front of the Line pass? I don't remember... Oh well, we're not talking about Universal here!) FastPass is included in the price of all admission and is distributed using your admission ticket.
A basic lesson on how you use it:
Approach the FastPass terminal area. There may be a small queue, but it generally goes by really quickly.
Pick one of the terminals.
Using the picture of a ticket as a guide for how to insert it, insert your admission ticket/annual pass into the FastPass terminal slot the way you would a gas station ATM: Put it in and take it out directly.
Below the slot, a card will pop out, telling you to come back to the attraction between X:XXtime and X:XXtime. It always lists an hour in-between the two times. KEEP THIS CARD.
When you come back at the appropriate time, you will be led through the shorter queue whereupon you will surrender said card. It does NOT get you to the front of the line, but it DOES cut down wait times, and in some cases, quite considerably. What the FastPass is doing, is essentially "holding" your place in line while you go do something else. It can be a very good way to help manage your time at the park.
Things to know about FastPass (that you may not already know):
You may only hold one FastPass at a time. But this applies PER PARK. In other words, if you have a park hopper, you may hold two FastPasses; one for a ride at Disneyland and one for a ride at DCA.
In order to get ANOTHER FastPass, you must EITHER use the current FastPass you already have, OR three hours must pass from the time you get the first FastPass between getting another one. WHICHEVER comes FIRST. (It was three hours when I worked there, they MAY have changed it since then, ask a Cast Member when you arrive to make sure.)
FastPass is NOT available at every attraction, and some attractions only have FastPass available during certain times of the year (case in point: when the Haunted Mansion is turned into Haunted Mansion Holiday). Check your map or ask a Cast Member if a certain attraction has FastPass or not. But generally, if you look around outside the front of an attraction and you don't see a "FastPass" sign, it doesn't have it. It never hurts to ask, though.
Something to remember: Although the FastPass card will list you as having an hour to come back and ride the attraction, you can actually come back at ANY time after the first time listed. So if you're in the middle of dinner and you're going to miss that hour-long window, don't sweat it. As long as it's AFTER the first time on the card, you can still go through the FastPass queue.
Also remember: you will need your admission ticket/annual pass for the FastPass machine, so hang onto it. And in order to utilize the FastPass queue at the appropriate time, you will need the FastPass card that the machine gives you as you will need to show it/surrender it to the Cast Member stationed at the queue.
IMPORTANT: If you plan on riding any WATER attractions (Splash Mountain, Grizzly River Run, to a lesser degree Pirates of the Caribbean), DO NOT keep this card in your pocket! My friend kept hers in her pocket and it disintegrated into mush. Keep it in your wallet or purse, mom or dad should probably hold onto kids' tickets/cards.
I know it's a lot to remember, but after a few times of using FastPass, it'll be second nature and you'll be flying through the parks at record speed! :D Okay, maybe not QUITE that fast, but you get the idea. ^_^
Next time... Hmm... Should I talk about the attractions that FastPass is most effective on? Yes/No? We'll see, lol...
