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RUMOR: Is a Paid FastPass+ Coming to Disney World?

FastPass+ in Disney World is a free service that helps you to make reservations for your favorite attractions while visiting the theme parks and has become a necessary part of every trip. But is a paid version of FastPass+ coming to Walt Disney World? This rumor has been going around for years now, and we may be closer than you think.

Paid FastPass+ in Disney World

In this post we are going to go over the latest rumors of a paid FastPass service in Disney World, if it’s really possible, how it would work, how much it might cost, and when we might see it.

(UPDATE) – Rumors about a paid FastPass system coming to Walt Disney World have come true and the Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lanes have permanently replaced the old system.

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Paid FastPass+ Rumors

Disney World Paid FastPass+

First of all, rumors of a paid version of FastPass+ in Disney World have been circling for years. In fact, many find it strange that Disney hasn’t yet started offering it since other theme park companies like Universal already have it in their parks.

Up until this point, however, Disney World has continued to offer the FastPass+ service for free. This however might soon be changing due to new paid attraction reservation systems in other Disney Parks worldwide.

Let’s take a look at what we know so far…

New Disneyland Paris Paid Reservation System

Tower of Terror Disneyland Paris

Premier Access at Disneyland Paris is the latest version of a paid attraction reservation service Disney has rolled out. Guests can buy Premier Access using the Disneyland Paris App or at select locations at the parks.

The system allows guests to access a specific attraction at an assigned time slot, allowing them to skip the standby queue and essentially walk on.

This paid form of ride reservations costs between $9 and $17+ per person per ride, depending on the attraction you choose and the day you are booking it. That means for a family of 4 it could cost as much as $36 to $68 per ride, not exactly chump change.

Here are the current prices for Disney Premier Access in Disneyland Paris. These prices are per person, per ride and converted to USD from EUR:

  • Autopia – $9.50
  • Big Thunder Mountain – $14
  • Buzz Lightyear – $18
  • Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure – $14
  • Space Mountain – $11
  • Star Tours – $9.50
  • Peter Pan’s Flight – $18
  • Tower of Terror – $18

These prices are dynamic and can change depending on the day or season. That means going at Christmas will cost you more for each ride than going in the slower season.

Crush's Coaster queue Disneyland Paris

In addition to Premier Access, they are also introducing the Disney Standby Pass which is a mix between the virtual queue and a traditional standby queue. It allows guests to book a spot in line but not have to enter the queue right away, giving them more time for dining, shopping, or other attractions.

Once their position in line is ready they can enter the queue and continue for what should be a reduced amount of time than normal. It won’t always be running, but when it is you can book your spot in line and then return with a QR code when called.

This seems like a much better solution than paying for Premier Access and we’re guessing the vast majority of guests are going to go this route.

Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland FastPass

Disneyland FastPass Indiana Jones

Right now both Disneyland in California and Shanghai Disneyland have paid FastPass systems and free versions.

In Disneyland, their free FastPass system works through the in-park kiosks where guests can go at any time during the day to reserve rides for that day. They are given a return time and come back at that point to experience the ride. This is different than in Walt Disney World and is not available on the Disneyland app, but only at in-park kiosks.

However, back in 2017, Disneyland also launched the “MaxPass” system which has an upcharge to use it. For $15 per person, per day, guests can make FastPass reservations through the Disneyland app. It then eliminates the need to visit in-park kiosks, and saves a lot of time, allowing you to experience more rides than without.

Shanghai Disneyland also has both free and paid versions of FastPass, but theirs is more similar to Disney World in that guests can use the free version on the Shanghai Disneyland app.

Guardians of the Galaxy Mission:BREAKOUT show scene

Their paid FastPass system (Disney Premier Access) opens up an interesting possibility, however, as rides can be booked on a per attraction basis, and additional attractions are available for FastPasses if you use the paid version. This is the same system we now see in Disneyland Paris.

Their free version also has more restrictions and only allows you to book some attractions at certain times of the day, whereas the paid version gives you access all day.

All of these examples show that Disney is already using paid FastPass in other Disney Parks around the world, which makes for perfect testing grounds before bringing a similar system to Walt Disney World.

Other Rumors

Even before the latest updates, rumors have been swirling about making guests pay for attraction reservations. One place we’ve seen these rumors is on the WDWMagic forums.

Back in March 2019, a highly respected poster on those boards “Marni1971,” said the plan is to roll out 2 versions of FastPass in Disney World. The current free version would remain, though the number of free passes given out per day would be greatly reduced from the number there are available today.

Space Mountain Queue in Disney's Magic Kingdom

Disney would also introduce, however, a paid version of FastPass, giving access to some of the harder-to-get attractions, though at a premium price. This paid version of FastPass could have up to 3 packages, each offering different benefits, with more exclusivity the more you pay.

This same user updated his statement recently, saying that Disney is still planning on going forward with this system, though the timeline has been pushed back slightly. He hinted that a paid FastPass system might happen in Disney World as soon as 2020.

Obviously, the pandemic set those plans back a bit, but things could be getting back on track now in 2021 or 2022 with all the parks open and attendance coming back.

The Signs of Paid FastPass+ Are Already in Disney World

sign for Slinky Dog Dash FastPass in Toy Story Land

Another sign that paid FastPass is coming to Disney World are the Club Level upcharge packages that are already available now.

Back in 2018 Disney World started a new program for its Club Level hotel guests, giving them the opportunity to purchase additional FastPasses for a charge. For $50 per guest, per day, you can get 3 additional FastPass reservations per day.

Maybe even more importantly, guests who buy this package have an additional 30 days booking advantage over other guests as they can start making reservations in a 90-Day window instead of the normal 60 days.

Not only that, but Disney also already offers VIP Tours can get you onto 6-11 rides of your choice per day. These tours come with a hefty price tag but are worth it to some guests that just don’t want to wait in line.

Lastly, rumors were that Disney toyed with a paid version of FastPass in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge for both Disneyland and Disney World. Though that never came to fruition, it was believed that guests would pay a premium to not have to wait in Disney’s newest theme park land.

Why Would Disney Do a Paid Version of FastPass+ In Disney World?

Riding Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Since the FastPass+ system in Disney World works pretty well, why would Disney want to do a paid version? The answer is easy: money.

Disney has been slowly introducing more and more up-charge services, experiences, and events to the parks every year, as they are concentrated on increasing revenue per guest rather than try to increase the total number of guests by any significant amount.

If there is a market for a paid FastPass service in Orlando, you can be sure Disney will want to cash in on that.

Flight of Passage link chamber

Keeping guests out of a ride queue and giving them more time to eat and shop also is a huge factor and increases the spending per guest, and in the end, Disney’s bottom line.

Like we already pointed out, paid FastPass already exists in Disneyland California, Shanghai Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris, so the company has seen that guests will buy it, and they have experience in how to implement it.

Having super popular attractions in Walt Disney World like Flight of Passage and the new Star Wars Rise of the Resistance would make it very tempting for guests if they didn’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn to get a chance to ride them.

How Would It Work?

Flight of Passage queue Animal Kingdom

This is the most interesting part and depending on how the paid system works, it would have a dramatic effect on the guest experience. Some form of FastPass+ is coming back, so what would it look like?

If the rumors are to be believed, Disney is going to keep a free version of FastPass+ in Disney World even if they roll out a paid one. However, the number of rides available to guests using the free version would likely be significantly reduced with guests using the paid version taking some of those rides.

Let’s say attraction A right now has 5,000 FastPasses available for it per day, that number might be cut in half or more depending on how many people opt for the paid version. This means that it will be even harder to get those highly sought-after attractions like Flight of Passage, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, etc.

Pirates of the Caribbean

It’s also believed that there will be multiple tiers in this new FastPass system, and each level could have a different number of attractions available to them per day, and different booking windows.

One of the options might be like Shanghai which allows you to make a reservation for just one attraction if you desire. Would be worth it to pay the extra money to be guaranteed to ride Rise of the Resistance for example?

It’s believed that the paid FastPass system could be connected to the new Genie Trip Planning App that Disney announced at the D23 Expo. This app is supposed to be intelligence-driven and help you make planning decisions for your Walt Disney World vacation based on your wants and needs.

Many would be most excited for an extended, 90-Day booking window. This would give you a clear advantage over all other guests, making it much easier to get on the most difficult-to-book rides and experiences.

How Much Would It Cost?

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Kylo Ren and General Hux on bridge

The big question is how much will a paid FastPass+ system in Walt Disney World cost?

Again this is going to depend on how many different packages they make and how many options are available for each one. I could see the bottom tier being a charge for individual attractions only. It would likely be in the same price range as Disneyland Paris, somewhere around $10-$20 per guest, per attraction.

For example, Premier Access in Disneyland Paris costs $11 per guest for Space Mountain, $14 for Big Thunder Mountain, $18 for Peter Pan’s Flight, and $18 for the Tower of Terror.

I think you could get a whole lot of guests to pay that or more to not have to wake up early and go through the virtual queue and boarding groups for Rise of the Resistance.

With the new Disney Genie app, the process would be intuitive and you would likely get suggestions depending on your location or your park reservations.

For example, you might walk into Disney’s Magic Kingdom and be advised by the app that Splash Mountain is available at 10:30 am for $15 per person. If the standby line is already 60 minutes long and you don’t feel like waiting, you might be tempted to pay the $15 and skip the line.

Elephant Scene Jungle Cruise ride Magic Kingdom

The next level could be anywhere from $30-50 per day and give you multiple rides over the normal free version and include an upgraded 90-Day booking window. Guests in the Club Level rooms are already paying $50 for this, so it’s not unreasonable to get other guests to do the same.

Perhaps there could be one more tier that gives you, even more, rides per day, maybe up to 10 per day, essentially allowing you to breeze through a park or multiple parks in the same day.

Disney could probably charge $100 per day or more for something that saves you so much time. The After Hours events give you this benefit, but it would be more profitable for Disney because they could keep the parks at full occupancy, and still get some guests to pay for the upcharge.

Whatever the different levels end up looking like, you can be sure there will be FastPass+ packages available with your vacation package, offering a specific number of rides that can be upgraded at a premium. These packages could be more cost-effective than buying each ride one at a time.

If You Don’t Want to Pay for FastPass+?

Naturally, there is going to be a huge number of people who will be outraged if Disney decides to bring paid FastPass+ to Walt Disney World. Many guests already complain about the sky-high prices of park tickets, food, and merchandise, adding more costs to ride the attractions will not go over well with many.

What happens if you don’t want to pay for attractions then?

Your choices will likely depend on each individual attraction. Most rides will likely have a stand-by line that you can just wait in like you currently do. Even if you can skip the line for Space Mountain for $10, you can also just wait in line for 60 minutes and ride that way.

However, if the ride is extremely busy like Rise of the Resistance, or if it is a packed day in the parks, it might not even have a stand-by line. Perhaps in that case it will use the Disney Virtual Queue instead for whoever is able to get a boarding pass.

Na'vi River Journey animals on leaves

I want to emphasize that for now these are just rumors and nothing has been announced yet by Disney. However, it does seem we are very close to a Disney World paid FastPass+ system, and we might see it before the end of 2021.

Stay tuned right here at Ziggy Knows Disney as we will be updating you as soon as something becomes official.

Your Thoughts

I want to know what you think about the potential of a paid version of FastPass+ coming to Walt Disney World…

  • Do you think this is a good idea?
  • How much would you pay?

Let us know in the comments section below!

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Pat kinney

Sunday 8th of August 2021

I have been an annual pass holder for many years and have enjoyed my visits to Disneyworld. The free fast pass system at least allowed me assurance I could get 3 rides. I loved it. I am truly saddened to think Disney May now charge for a fast pass. It seems that the extremely high entrance fee should allow you to ride. Charging an additional fee per person per ride would add an additional costs to most visitors, including me. Should that program be implemented then I’ll no longer be a pass holder or visit Disneyworld. I’m a senior and on a fixed income and simply could no longer afford to visit. I strongly encourage Disney to remember that Walt created the park for families to enjoy not just for rich families.

George

Sunday 8th of August 2021

My wife and I visited Disneyland and California Adventure in Sep of 2019 and took advantage of the FastPass program a few times. Being that we were both over 60 at the time it did eliminate some of our waiting. I also used the single rider express line for a couple rides, like the roller coaster, which was convenient. However, I see the Disney parks becoming the playground of the rich, the upper middle class and those with a family willing to take on a three year or longer loan in order to vacation at one of them. Adding an additional charge option to get priority access to the popular attractions just increases the economic divide between people and could be considered the reintroduction of the E ticket for those willing to pay. While the anticipated cost to stay at the Galactic Cruiser for a group of 4 is about $6000 that puts it in line with a premium cruise ship. But that cruise vacation can also be had for under $3000 on an economy ship and yet it will still have most of the same features and experiences. I could see a pay for FastPass system doubling the days admission cost for those willing to pay. I don't think it will have much effect on park attendance but I can see problems between the "have and have not" becoming common.

Let me add that I can see wanting a premium experience. On that same trip we went to Universal Studios with VIP tickets that cost about three times the basic admission fee. But for that we got valet parking, breakfast coffee and pastries, a group guide with early park admission and and extended bus tour including stops at outdoor and indoor sets, prop warehouses and costume shops, the same guide to answer questions as we toured the park, got front of the line attraction admission and a gourmet lunch. I believe in paying for a premium experience but it should not start to become an optional "requirement" for the Disney visitor.

Toni

Friday 6th of August 2021

the ticket is already costing enough don't need to paid more...especially a family on vacation

Susan

Friday 6th of August 2021

I think it is so sad that Disney is catering it's park only to the wealthy. I'm sure this isn't what Walt Disney ever envisioned. Disneyworld should be a park where all families can come and enjoy the experience. Tickets, food, transportation is already so expensive that I think it's despicable that they continue to "upsale" their park so that only the wealthy can go - so sad. Going to Disneyland was a real treat for my family growing up in the early 70's. I remember my dad being so upset as it was costing our family of 5 "$100 a day"!!! We have taken our own children to Disneyworld, but believe me, I did my research and tried to go as inexpensively as possible. I hate to think that my grandchildren will never be able to go. Their selfish greed makes me not want to support the park or their movies, etc. So so sad!

Grumpy

Sunday 8th of August 2021

@Susan,

Amen Susan !

To save money I bought a $16 pizza and fed me and the kids for under $20. Because of that, the corporation made their in house lousy pizza a meal instead of just the pie. Now you have to buy breadsticks and the lowest price in no less than ordering individual meals for everyone.

If they see you saving money, they rework the system, to eliminate your attempt to work around their shyster pricing.

Their ads say it all don't they ? A happy family walking around an empty Disney park, smiling as they enjoy their day, all is well.

Reality is quite another thing, as you soon find out upon arrival !

Janette Roberts

Friday 6th of August 2021

If the fast pass is so much a day that would’ve okay but every ride …. Well that sucks. One of reasons I stay on site is fast pass get rid of that and Disney will only be for the rich again from the British prospective