Crowd Control
Getting on popular rides
It used to take two days just to get through Magic Kingdom, mostly because each ride meant about an hour's time investment waiting in line. Now Disneyworld has come up with something that may be their most brilliant addition yet. The most popular rides feature FastPass ticket machines. The best way to plan your visit is to get a map (online or on paper) and look for the rides with an FP symbol by them. These are the FastPass rides. When you get to the ride, look for the FastPass Distribution sign. Signs will also let you know what time the FastPasses will allow you to return.
Insert your magnetic-strip ticket into the machine, and it will zip out a pass that specifies what time you should return (usually an hour after you get your ticket). Upon your return during the designated time on your pass, you will then be able to advance to the front of the line. Some waiting may be involved, but nothing like the 1 or 2-hour waits that can plague the best features. If you think it sounds like too much trouble to return later, think again. You will spend half of your time in lines and you will not be able to get to do everything that you would like if you go the old-fashioned route of waiting. If the wait time is 20 minutes or less, FastPass may not be needed. FastPass was ESPECIALLY useful for Splash Mountain and Space Mountain. Test Track in Epcot has an average 90-minute wait time - FastPass may be a necessity here.
Your FastPass return time is an hour-long segment, for instance: return between 1:15 and 2:15. This allows almost 2 hours to go elsewhere. The best way to use FastPass is to stop by and get your pass while on your way to lunch or some other activity. When you're done, it's about time to go back. It works!
NOTE: they do stop distributing FastPasses in early evening, so plan to visit the most popular rides before 4 pm if possible.
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