Ultimate Guide to Disney FastPass & MaxPass: Maximize Your Park Experience

It’s a well-known fact that lines at Disneyland can be long. In fact, the wait for the most popular rides can exceed an hour on busy days. Standing in line can be dull and detracts from the overall experience.

Disney’s solution for long lines at select rides is the Disney FASTPASS. For popular rides offering this service, a FASTPASS can significantly reduce wait times from over an hour to just a few minutes, enhancing your Disneyland experience.

The Disney FASTPASS is a complimentary service included in your ticket, allowing you to electronically hold your place in line. Instead of waiting in a long queue, you can obtain a FASTPASS that lets you return during a designated time slot, where you can access a separate line. MaxPass is a related service that functions similarly, but there is an additional fee to use it.

How to Use FASTPASS

Imagine a busy summer afternoon at Disneyland. When checking the wait time board, you might see that the line for Space Mountain is nearly an hour. For even busier days, wait times can soar to two hours for other attractions. Do you want to spend that much time in line? However, if you prefer to focus on enjoying the park, consider checking the FASTPASS return times.

For example, if you easily secure a FASTPASS, you would return between 5:55 p.m. and 6:55 p.m., head to the FASTPASS return entrance, and enter without delay. Meanwhile, you could have experienced several other attractions, watched a parade, taken a leisurely break, or let the kids play at Goofy’s House instead of waiting in line.

FASTPASS Rides

While the system is advantageous for rides with lengthy wait times, a few beloved attractions do not offer FASTPASS (such as Finding Nemo). You may want to consult an external Disneyland ride list or a California Adventure ride list for detailed information about which rides provide FASTPASS availability.

What You Need to Know About MaxPass

Introduced in 2017, MaxPass enhances the FASTPASS experience. Currently, the paper FASTPASS system remains unchanged. MaxPass follows the same guidelines as the traditional FASTPASS but allows guests to acquire their passes using a mobile device instead of having to visit a machine to collect a physical pass. This service is available for an introductory fee of $10 per ticket per day.

Additionally, MaxPass offers unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads for the day, including ride and character dining photographs. Therefore, one of the primary advantages of using MaxPass is that it minimizes the need to walk to the FASTPASS machines, thus saving time and energy. With visitors tending to walk nearly a mile for every hour spent in the park, this can significantly enhance overall stamina throughout the day.

MaxPass can be purchased along with your tickets or as an add-on through the mobile app once you enter the park. On less crowded days, you may opt to wait before purchasing it, should you decide that it may not be needed.

Frequently Asked Questions About MaxPass

It is important to note that the MaxPass system is valid only for rides and does not apply to shows like World of Color or Fantasmic. Moreover, it is applicable solely for rides included in the FASTPASS system, which comprises only a portion of all available rides.

MaxPass can only be utilized after entering the park for the day. Reservations cannot be made in advance as is possible in Florida. Once you reserve a FASTPASS via your mobile device, you will need to have it ready for scanning at the entrance of the line; alternatively, your ticket can be scanned as well.

Once you begin utilizing MaxPass for the day, you can reserve FASTPASSES for any attraction in either park, regardless of your current location. For instance, you could acquire a Radiator Springs Racers FASTPASS from anywhere within Disneyland.

How to Use MaxPass

To start, scan your tickets into the app. If you are traveling in a group, consider creating a FASTPASS group, which can expedite the process of obtaining passes for everyone simultaneously. Additionally, you can link tickets for group members who are using paper FASTPASS, allowing you to view everyone’s passes concurrently through the app.

Upon entering one of the parks, you can access the FP (FASTPASS) option to reserve your first FASTPASS. Nevertheless, keep in mind that visitors sometimes encounter mobile phone dead spots. To mitigate frustration, take a screenshot of your FASTPASS after creating it and use that for reference instead.

Some guests have learned the hard way that FASTPASSes can be inadvertently deleted from mobile devices while accessing them. Therefore, it is prudent to maintain a screenshot for convenience.

If you choose to stick with the paper FASTPASS system, remember that you cannot use your paper Fastpass to check into the FASTPASS line; instead, you must present your park entry ticket.

Getting Ready to Use MaxPass

Before your trip to Disneyland, ensure you install the Disneyland app on your mobile device. Familiarize yourself with your login credentials to facilitate a smooth purchase process.

If the app is already installed, verify that it’s updated to the latest version.

If you intend to purchase MaxPass after arriving at Disneyland, adding your credit card information to the app will expedite the buying process.

Since MaxPass relies on having a functional phone, charge yours fully before your Disneyland adventure begins. If you plan to capture many photos and videos while using the app, consider bringing a portable charger for convenience.

What You Need to Get Your Disney FASTPASS

When collecting paper FASTPASSes, search for boards near attractions that display the current “standby” wait times and the associated FASTPASS return periods.

Locate the FASTPASS machine next to the ride’s entrance. Typically, it’s conveniently situated—except for Radiator Springs Racers at California Adventure, which is located near the Carthay Circle building.

To maximize efficiency, obtain your FASTPASS as early as possible. Popular rides frequently run out of passes quickly, including Radiator Springs Racers, California Screamin’, Guardians of the Galaxy, Splash Mountain, and Space Mountain. This can happen within just one to two hours after the park opens.

Your Disneyland ticket is essential for acquiring a FASTPASS, as well as for park entry and re-entry if you leave. Failure to retain this ticket means it cannot be replaced. This explains why many visitors opt for lanyards to securely hold their tickets and FASTPASSes.

All members of your group do not necessarily need to visit the FASTPASS machine. However, the individual going must bring all tickets to collect passes. This might lead to the idea of sending someone first thing in the morning to gather FASTPASSes while the rest of the group arrives later. However, if a ticket hasn’t been scanned at the entrance, FASTPASS machines will reject it.

Some parents may worry about their children under three years old not requiring a ticket for a FASTPASS, but there’s no need for concern. Most FASTPASS attractions have height requirements that typically exceed the average height of very young children. In rare cases where the child meets the height limit, simply accompany them and clarify the situation to a Cast Member.

How to Collect the Disney FASTPASS

FASTPASS machines have unique designs at each ride, with themes matching the attraction. Each machine consists of a slot for inserting your ticket and another for dispensing the FASTPASS.

Retrieving a FASTPASS is straightforward. Hold your ticket according to the image displayed on the machine. The ticket should be inserted into the slot labeled “Insert Park Ticket Here.”

Ensure the barcode is facing up and is positioned on the left side. If the machine does not accept your ticket the first time, do not become discouraged as it may simply be an insertion error. Many find themselves thinking the machine is malfunctioning when they have only placed their ticket incorrectly.

When inserted correctly, the FASTPASS will emerge from the slot marked “Receive your FASTPASS here.” Before you leave, double-check to ensure it is a valid FASTPASS.

How to Read a FASTPASS

The FASTPASS displayed is for Space Mountain, obtained at 2:00 p.m. Its designated entry time spans from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. With this pass, the earliest you can enter Space Mountain using the FASTPASS line is 6:00 p.m. A Disney FASTPASS is valid for ride entry only during a one-hour window specified on it and becomes invalid after the end time.

After the indicated period on the FASTPASS has expired, you can collect another pass from a different attraction. However, should the time for that pass be several hours away, obtaining another in the meantime is possible. The FASTPASS shown is not valid because it was attempted while still waiting for a previous ride; it indicates eligibility for another FASTPASS after 4:20 p.m.

To avoid letting your FASTPASS expire unused, consider setting an alarm on your mobile device to remind you when it becomes valid.