While Disney World has been making a lot of changes to return back to “normal,” one major program has yet to return: Fast Pass+.
Oh, the good ol’ days of FastPasses!
FastPass+ has been suspended since the reopening of Disney World in July 2020 in order to maximize queue capacity for social distancing purposes. We’ve talked about why FastPass may not return to Disney World anytime soon, and we decided to ask our readers for your opinion on whether you want the FastPass+ program back at all…or whether you’d be okay paying for it.
We’ve wondered whether Disney might be planning to transition the Disney World FastPass+ program into something like Disneyland’s monetized MaxPass program, which is currently suspended but previously allowed guests to pay $20 as an add-on for daily access to FastPasses combined with the cost of PhotoPass downloads.
Missing FastPass sign
With so many unknowns regarding Disney World’s FastPass+ system right now, we asked our readers on Instagram if they’d rather pay for a FastPass+ program or not have any FastPass+ program at all, and the results were surprising!
The results are in!
It’s a 50/50 split! 50% of you would rather have no FastPasses at all, while the other half is willing to pay for FastPass access!
Missing FastPass Sign
Both Disney World and Disneyland are currently using virtual queues for select rides, so it is possible we may see something like that in a future revision of the Disney World FastPass+ system. With Disney World capacity increasing, we are seeing longer ride waits, which may lead to more of a demand for the return of some form of the FastPass program again, and 50% of our readers are willing to pay for that access.
Slinky Dog Dash
However, there has been some recent movement when it comes to FastPasses, as Disneyland Paris has implemented its own paid program for guests. The brand new Disney Premier Access feature on the Disneyland Paris app allows people to go through a quicker line at select rides for €8 to €15 per person, per attraction (or about $9 to $18). Guests can either purchase them through the app or with the help of a Cast Member, but they must be inside the park to do so.
©Disney
Similar to a Virtual Queue, the Disney Premier Access will give purchasers the opportunity to choose their attraction and time slot, buy the passes, and return to the ride at their designated time with a QR code in the app. Disneyland has stated that guests can purchase “a maximum of 3 Disney Premier Access for each attraction per Guest per day, and up to 12 Disney Premier Access for one attraction and one time slot at a time, depending upon availability.”
©Disney
Since there is a limited availability of these Premier Access passes, the Standby lines are still available through Virtual Queues on the My Disney Experience app.
Find out more details of the Disney Premier Access passes here!
We can continue to theorize about the future of Disney World’s FastPass+ program but we do not yet know how Disney plans to proceed. What are your thoughts? Would you pay? If you would, how much are you willing to spend each day to get on your favorite rides? Stay tuned to DFB for all your Disney World FastPass news and updates!
Read more about why FastPass+ may not return to Disney World anytime soon!
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I pray that a Pay FastPass+ system comes!! I would love to even pay more than Disneyland if it meant some additional perks. Personally I’d add up to an additional $50 per day/person to get 5x Fast Passes of your selection each purchase.
I’d pay $100 per person/per day if PhotoPass and rides like RoTR were included.
Personally, I think they either need to modify the program so it’s similar to the original setup and you get Fastpasses once you arrive on the park but digitally or make it a paid program like Universal where it’s also a free perk for resort guests.
My first time at Universal saw my friend group divided on buying passes, so we split up. Well I was in the group that didn’t spend the extra money and we rode every ride the other group did except 1 and that was a ride we weren’t interested in. So I think the extra fee did a good job of shortening the waits across the board. I never wait as long at Universal (I also never go right after the opening of a new attraction in the Wizarding World) as I do at Disney.
We have been Disney fans since it first opened. Change is a good thing, but I feel the possible new fast pass price is RIDICULOUS. Very sad Disney is nickel and diming all of us. Love Disney and will continue to go, however, some of these new changes make us very sad!!!
Another money grab…. Was ‘free’ before. How much mor greedy can Disney get.
As a family travelling from the UK ,for the past 20 years we have had amazing holidays. However they are also very expensive, when we purchase park tickets as far as we are concerned we have paid for the rides.
We are not paying any more!
I would be okay with the Disneyland system. As an example, I am headed to WDW for Christmas this year with four total in our party. $80-100 per day, all day is one thing, but upwards of $80 per ride is something I can’t do. So many little extras that Disney offered which sets it apart have gone away, not sure if they are coming back either, which I would pay for (e.g. fireworks cruise). Meet us in the middle, will ya??
I am fine with paying but NOT the prices that are being asked in Paris. Ridiculous!!!!!
The ONLY way I would be in favor of paying for FastPass is if they lower the price of admission. Seriously considering selling our DVC – enough is enough.
Have used the MaxPass at Disneyland and it does make a difference for us. We’ll be biding DW soon and if an option we would definitely add it on.
While some see as nickel and diming, I’d simply say, you don’t have to buy it. Not everyone will benefit from it because it doesn’t fit their wants. For many, single rider lines have been the way to go for the entire stay to the parks.
So, pick what you want but understand it may come with an additional price tag. After all…none of us work for free.
YES! I would definitely pay for Fast Passes. I’ve done it before, every time we are able to get a Club Room reservation, we use the option included there to buy additional Fast Passes.
Might pay for it, but then i would go for less days
We should go back to the days when this was a resort guest only perk. As for paying for it? Disney has taken away all the perks . They should at least give something back to resort guest that are already paying top dollar for their trip
Disneyworld’s money hungry CEO is a major departure from Walt’s dream of a family place for all to enjoy.
While there is a clear need for profit, the recent changes reflect greed over customer satisfaction.
The only beneficiaries are the stockholders and the CEO’ bonus plan.
I can only hope that Walt haunts the CEO in his dreams akin to the haunted mansion.
Please return Disney to the company we all loved, and for many of us DVC members, significantly invested in.
We are coming from uk with family, so 8 of us. Our holidays are for 14 day. So what once was included would at $20 be $2240 extra at the $50 or $100 mentioned above would be $5600 or $ 11200 extra. Impossible
Fast passes were great when you had them, but when you couldn’t get them it was frustrating waiting for those who did pass you by while having to stand and wait. When we were there last month the lines were long but kept moving so it didn’t seem all that bad. I wouldn’t really mind that much if they didn’t bring it back. but depending on crowds would probably pay the extra cost when needed
I personally feel like they need to stop taking away benefits to actually going to Disney. The reason me and my husband have loved WDW so much over universal is that we felt like we were getting so much more for the pricing. Now there’s probably not going to be free fast pass, they are taking away the free bus to/from the airport, only those staying in deluxe+ resorts get extra hours at night (the morning early hours is ok but late night is better IMO), no free magic bands. IMO its’s coming to a point where it’s cheaper for me and my husband (2 people, no kids) to go explore Europe than go to Disney and that to me is very sad. I feel like Disney is soon going to be out of reach for the “average” family.
I’m not really a fan of it, because it feels like they are squeezing out more and more of regular people and only catering to the upper groups of people who can just throw more money like its nothing. Its getting harder and longer to save up for that Disney vacation for the regular middle class family, a vacation that they might be able to go every 5 years. Compared to the rich, would just be pennies for them once a month or more. A family member of mine (large family) went just for two day, no restaurants , one snack each and most food out and away from the park and they stayed at a camp ground 30-40 minutes away. Because that’s all what they could afford.
No, I would not pay extra for FAST PASS. Disney rakes enough money in, fast pass needs to be included in the purchase of a ticket like it was before. Its bad enough the ticket prices have gone up tremendously. This is a rip off, Money hungry, Greed. This is what Islands of Adventure and Universal studios does. Disney is gonna or maybe already making it hard for the average American family to afford going. Then on top of it the merchandise and food are getting so expensive. My family was going to stay at one of the resorts, nearly $5000.00 and that included for a 2 day ticket for 2 people and a 6 day stay. Ridiculous. Disney is not for family, they are for themselves. Money talks.
When fast passes were free they would put a limit on availability per day. Once Disney realizes they can make more money by charging for them, they will do the same thing they are currently doing to the Boo Bash by adding more tickets to sold out nights. This is going to ruin the very expensive Boo Bash and will do the same to the paid fast pass system.
I think paying for the FastPass is frankly ridiculous. When crowd levels rise, as they steadily have been, there needs to be an outlet somewhere, and FastPass satisfies that. The booking in advance system was great (not perfect, but it worked!) and was the right thing to offer. I get it, Disney is a business and they have a right to charge for their business, but lately they’ve been moving further and further away from The Right Thing To Do. Charging a per-ride fee, as in Paris, is nickel and diming your customer base.
Having said that, it would frustrate me, but I would be more likely to pay a per person, per day fee for, say, 10 FastPasses plus PhotoPass and the big draw rides. But it would make me spend fewer days in the parks, and I think if Disney needs to recoup some of what it lost over the past year, it should be more vested in getting people IN PARK.
I already pay more than $400 a year to be a passholder with black out dates. I don’t want to fork over even more money every time I use my pass. They should think about making it a perk for Resort Guests and Passholders (maybe a few per visit and not unlimited) since we already spend a ton at the Parks.
I would like the option to buy a FastPass+/Premiere Access for a nominal fee. My family of 5 visits Disney World nearly every year. We typically stay on property for 7-10 days so the continually increasing cost already is over $15K. Since I have a family of 5 the FastPass system has been invaluable at allowing us to spend more time in the parks, not waiting in a line for an hour or more. I would need to consider the cost if it were $10 per day per person ($50 per day for family) and if we stay 10 days we are now talking another $500 over and above the $15K I am already spending.
This new idea seems very greedy to me. Hope Walt is not turning over in his grave.
If you have to pay for fast pass, th Pen it should still be free to people staying at a Disney hotel, otherwise there is no incentive to stay at expensive Disney hotels if there are no perks.
Another example of Disney getting greedy at the expense of its loyal fans. Hasn’t this year been tough enough on people financially! I would hate to see another perk, on top of the removal of the free Magical Express and Magic Bands, taken away. What is happening to the Most Magical Place on Earth? It seems as if it is becoming the Greediest Place on Earth. So sad! I think Walt Disney would be not be proud of the direction Disney has taken.
If the examples I heard on another blog last night are true, a typical to larger-size family may need to pay $100 extra to go on ONE RIDE. Disney Corporate is out of their collective minds if they think any sane person would pay that. If they do this, Walt will be spinning faster than the Teacups, and I will switch my loyalty to Universal.
Khanna is correct. Fast pass SHOULDN’T be an additional charge!!! At the VERY LEAST they should do it like Universal. I’d be curious to know how Universal’s numbers are increasing because they aren’t being stupid like Disney. Can’t want for Epic Universal to open.
Guests are already paying an outlandish price to ride rides. Why would you want to pay even more?!!! Does not make sense. On top of the exorbitant price of resort stays and meals, this is playing right into Disney’ hands to grab more of your hard earned money! Next, they will be charging you to watch the fireworks and who knows what else!!!
I will be beyond disgusted if Disney implements a paid fast pass program. Everything in this resort is extremely expensive, tickets are very expensive, hotels, food, souvenirs and then they added parking fees which are ridiculous! Even paying to park at your hotel. Now there is no airport to hotel transportation offered. Complimentary wrist bands are gone. Seriously I get it they are in it to make money but they are literally pricing middle and low income families right out of the parks. It’s just shameful!!!! Everyone should have the opportunity to experience the magic without having to mortgage the farm! Walt would agree I dare say…. He was all about premium family vacations and experiences without the greed.
What Bob Chapek and Disney execs are doing is awful. I feel it is very important for all Disney fans to watch Mickey Views – Outrageous Pay-Per-Ride Fastpass Replacement youtube video. He clearly states what’s happening and it’s not pretty. Disney fans should unite to keep Disneyworld magical, the way Walt intended it to be.
I would definitely pay for a fast pass. I love it and I miss it and to me it’s worth every penny. It does not take my magic away . It will be more magical to know ahead what I am doing. I really hope they bring this to Walt Disney World. Oh and before I start seeing this all over Walt definitely would not be rolling over in his grave. He would be proud of how far his dream has come.
I think WDW should let their resort guests get fast passes for all the rides free. And your non Resort guests should have the option to purchase like Universal.
When Universal introduced their paid system (it was originally included, like Disney’s) I was appalled at both the price and the premise: “Buying your way” to the front of the line. And the fact that it didn’t include all attractions was even more insulting. I much preferred the “old” FastPass system that was only available in-park, and in-person. It was fair. It was free. It could still be that way, without the paper of course. as a side note…virtual queues? That’s even worse! The reason to visit a Disney park is for the ENTIRE experience! I have been telling people for 40+ years to always take time to actually LOOK AROUND and appreciate all the effort put in by the Imagineers. DFB has dozens of videos on the subject. forcing guests to stick their noses in their devices all day defeats the purpose of visiting a THEME (NOT AMUSEMENT) park. Yes, I’m old and a luddite!
Disney is getting GREEDY!!.. My wife and I have been pass holders for years. Disney is making that option less attractive. Prices go up, no fast passes, lines get longer, park hours have been reduced which makes park-hopper privileges a joke. You have to ask yourself if it’s worth it to pay premium prices for the privilege of standing in lines in hot humid weather for an hour or more to maybe get on a couple of attractions.
Universal “Fast Pass” system is wonderful. If Disney offered something like that – that would be great. Universals Dining plan is horrible. Disney needs to bring back their Dining Plan. I would be willing to pay one price, per person as long as it’s reasonable for Fast Passes but I do not want to pay per ride – that is unreasonable. I also need them to consider bringing back their dining plans, otherwise without (a reasonable) Fast Pass plan or Dining Plan – there’s no reason for me to stay on Disney Property.
It’s getting really hard to afford a trip to Disney already. If the new system charges per person per ride it will become next to impossible to participate. ☹️
I expect Disney to start charging to use their bathrooms any day now. It’s getting totally unbelievable!!!! Like I said before it’s just like everything else in America, geared to the rich! Walt would be so upset. This is NOT what he invisioned!!
Sorry, anyone who supports this is out of their minds. When is enough enough? Where is the line? We all pay big bucks for Disney trips, willingly. But squeezing more money out of us like this is awful and greedy. I’m actually really upset about this blatent ridiculous money grab. And the notion of the standby queue is insane too. Lots of people want some spontaneity and not to be glued to their phones the whole da*m trip.
You didn’t include an option of returning to the previous non additional cost fast pass. That’s my choice. We’ve been Florida annual pass holders over the last 21 years and it worked well for us. Sometimes all passes are taken so being frequent visitors we just skip some attractions some visits. But paying extra per ride is a bit greedy as mentioned in other posts here.
Walt Disney always used to say “It all started with a mouse – and when are we going to start up the paid Fastpass program?”.
Yep – hearing from many people that evaluating their choices. The story about killing the Golden Goose comes to mind. Disney will push until they get to the point that attendance is down because that “haves” will come, but the “have nots” will rethink their visits. Sorry to see that we will got this way. WWWT (What would Walt Think) – he would not be so bad, but would put the attendance above the profits, and then he would be booted from the company – very sad to think this way (reality). Hope that they can be profitable without bleeding us loyal guests dry (especially retired ones that are limited in their income).
This is just getting ridiculous. Parking has brought them more money and then getting rid of the beloved bus rides to and from the MCO with the luggage to magically appear to the rooms. Now squeezing more $ out of us by having us pay even more for tickets and fast passes. Enough is enough. My entire family and their families who make our yearly vacation to WDW are calling it quits. This year we have made reservations to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for a week. Bob Iger shouldn’t have left.
I would pay for the fast pass system if I had to do it. Like Universal, deluxe hotels should come with the express pass. Like in moderates in Universal, you have to buy it. I think this system would work In Disney too. Deluxe free, moderated and value pay for the pass.
Only for top priority attractions such as Flight of Passage, Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train, Slinky Dog Dash and Frozen Ever After if they allowed it.
NO! NO! NO! Unfair to charge MORE once again! How would it work for park-hopping?! Per ride? One flat fee per day? Per park? Multiplied by the number of family members AND the number of days? It’s expensive enough already ! It’s MUCH MORE than Disney nickel-&-dime -ing us. SAD 🙁
I would gladly pay for it if it was like Disneyland where you get fast passes when you get to the park. I hated the system WDW had where you had to get passes months in advance and you had to get three – two of which you would probably never use. I paid for max pass at Disneyland and didn’t mind doing it. I thought it was fair and very easy to use. I agree the very old system of paper passes that you didn’t have to pay for were the best and most fair, but wait times are so terrible on standby that I would like a max pass system for WDW. and I would pay for it. It doesn’t seem there are any real perks for staying on property anymore, maybe giving or reduced price for a max pass would be nice.
I’d consider a plan like at DL or a more expensive one like Universal’s if it’s free for resort guests. But $18 per ride per person per day? No way!
I understand Disney is a business and not a charity. I understand that they lost lots of money. With that being said so did a lot of families. Lets see, now charge 20 dollars a day p/p for fast passes, maybe 3? So 20 dollars x4 , that is a family of four a day is 80 dollars. The family is there for a week 7 days, that is now 560. Lets not forget the Magical Express will now be run by Mears and could cost 60 dollars each way. That is 480 for a family of 4 round trip. Lets add just this up: Comes to $1040. Now the hotels are going up. Have to make a reservation. NO GUARANTEE you will be able to park hop if park fills to capacity if you choose to purchase a park hoping pass but you don’t get your money back. A lot different than if you choose to purchase a park hopper pass and not use it, that is on you. Now only the elite can have EMH, evening magic hours after park close. So if the park closes at 6? Opens at 9? What happened to open at 8 am and closes at 11 for all? Changes that will make it impossible for the average family to go.
Haven’t been in over 18 months and I live less than 10 miles from all four WDW parks, not missing it so NO, won’t be paying for it. Annual passes have more than doubled in 10 years. Family members can’t afford tickets so I gift them when they vacation here. Disney makes a lot of money with Virtual Queues by guests waiting in the shops and restaurants so charging more is pure greed.
It seems to me that Disney is already almost pricing itself out of the market for a majority of people. Some families take years saving up for a trip to WDW, especially if you’re a low to moderate income family. Factor in travel costs (especially if you have to fly), hotels, park tickets, food and now parking, an extra $50/person is a lot of money to add on to an already high cost. Would I pay for it? I guess, but we’re only a family of three and I still wouldn’t be happy about it. But we’re Canadian ( I’m not even going to get into dealing with the exchange rate) and coming all that way, I’d want to make sure we get the most out of our trip, as possible. I realize to some it might seem like a nominal amount, but for others every little add-on makes it that much harder to afford. As someone else mentioned, it’s beginning to seem like Disney is “nickel and diming”. Just my humble opinion… (Love your blog, btw!)