We are going to Disney the first week of February. We have made our dining reservations, but are wondering if we really NEED to use fast pass? We haven't used it before, but I know that they have changed things now - do we HAVE to use it? Or are we still able to walk up and wait? We are going during low season, so I am not overly concerned about line ups
You never HAVE to use it. If you don't mind waiting in lines, you can always choose to do so - the lines tend to be slightly longer even in the slow seasons - mostly gone are the days of walking directly onto a ride car in early February! But generally, waits shouldn't be bad - under 30 minutes likely for most popular rides, and in the 45-55 minute region for the very popular 'fast' rides like Test Track, Space Mountain, Everest, Tower of Terror, etc. And you can still get fast passes while you're there - though it's getting tough in the busier seasons...if you don't have a smart phone or want to book online in advance, get them at the park kiosks or ask guest services when you're there. I never use fast passes...though some rides I don't tend to ride anyway (I don't do Rockn Roller Coaster because I don't like loops, and generally don't bother with Space Mountain, Everest, Test Track, Big Thunder, and such unless I happen to be walking by and see that the line is unusually short). The regular favorite rides for me, like Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Kilimanjaro, Kali, Soarin, etc I can always get through on standby in under an hour, and usually under 30 minutes most times of the year.
There are still some attractions that you'll want to FastPass, such as Toy Story, Soarin', Test Track, Mine Train, Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion and the Anna/Elsa meet & greet. You know, the ones that always have the longest waits. If you're staying on site, you'll be able to make your reservations Real Soon Now. You can always change or cancel reservations any time in advance. The new system has really changed the dynamic on several attractions. With luck, the low crowds during your visit will minimize that impact.
ok things have really changed - when we were there last (4 yrs ago - last week jan) the longest wait we had was 10 minutes. Hubby and I are not hugely into rides or roller coasters so we won't be doing the big ones. I downloaded the app today. I thought about doing a FP for toy story mania (I think the kids would enjoy it). Since we have never used them before, I needed to know how it worked - thanks!
