Epcot FastPass+ Advice (tips, tricks, and strategies)

Tier	Top priority	Second priority (possible bonus FP+ options)
Tier 1 (you can choose 1 item from this level)	Frozen Ever After Test Track (40″ ht. req.)  Soarin’ (40″ ht. req.)	Epcot Forever
Tier 2 (you can choose 2 from this level)	Spaceship Earth Turtle Talk with Crush	Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival Journey into Imagination with Figment The Seas with Nemo & Friends Mission: Space (Orange ht. req. 44″, Green ht. req. 40″) Living with the Land

Best Tier 1 FastPass+ options for Epcot

Soarin’

Best choice if height restrictions are not a consideration and you are able to utilize the Single Rider Line at Test Track

Location: Future World (The Land Pavilion)
Height Requirement: 40″

Soarin’ is one of the most-beloved attractions in all of Epcot. With majestic images, an inspirational musical score, and scents guaranteed to spark memories, this attraction is a definite must-do.

If you are traveling with people that are able to use the Single Rider line over at Test Track, snagging a Fast Pass here will maximize your touring time.

There is a height requirement here, though, but Rider Switch is available to guests that wish to use it.

Frozen Ever After

Best choice if height restrictions are a consideration. 

Location: World Showcase (Norway Pavilion)
Height Requirement: None

If height restrictions are something you need to consider OR if you are traveling with a huge Frozen fan, a FastPass+ here makes a lot of sense.

This boat ride is in the former home of Maelstrom, and while the track is the same, the entire ride is all things Frozen now.

You’ll see all your favorite characters here, including Anna, Elsa, and Olaf.

There are a couple of little drops, but they are very gentle and most young kids handle them perfectly fine. But, if you have somebody that gets nervous it might be best to give them a heads up.

Test Track

Location: Future World
Height Requirement: 40″

Love fast cars? Then you’ll probably love Test Track.

Here, guests start by designing their very own car before heading out to pit it against an assortment of tests.

It’s a LOT of fun.

There is a Single Rider Line option here, so if you are traveling with people able to use it AND you want to ride all 3 Tier 1 attractions, we usually recommend you skip using a FastPass+ here to maximize your day.

Here’s how that looks: FastPass either Soarin’ or Frozen Ever After, ride whichever one you didn’t get at Rope Drop, and then ride Test Track via the Single Rider Line.

Best Tier 2 FastPass+ options for Epcot

Spaceship Earth

Location: Future World
Height Requirement: none

A classic Epcot attraction, this fun ride is inside the giant geodesic sphere at the front of Epcot.

It’s a family-friend attraction, but it’s location at the entrance to the park means that it isn’t uncommon here for lines to build quickly.

But, since it is a continuous-loader, it also makes it a relatively easy one to snag as a 4th FastPass later in the day.

Turtle Talk with Crush

Location: Future World (The Seas with Nemo and Friends pavilion)
Height Requirement: none

Turtle Talk with Crush is a cute show located in The Seas with Nemo and Friends.

It’s fun, but because it is a show space is limited so having a FastPass+ here means you don’t have to show up as early to wait for a spot.

Honorable mention: Living with the Land

Location: Future World (The Land Pavilion)
Height Requirement: None

Living with the Land is a handy one to pair with a ride on Soarin’ since they are in the same building and located right next to one another.

In fact, it can often make a lot of sense to plan those 2 around lunch so you can dine at Sunshine Seasons or Garden Grill – two of our favorite places to eat in Epcot. 

What about the other parks?

Looking for FastPass strategies for the other parks?

Check out the posts below:

Magic Kingdom FastPass Advice
Animal Kingdom FastPass Advice
Hollywood Studios FastPass Advice

And don’t forget touring plans:

Magic Kingdom touring plans
Epcot touring plans
Hollywood Studios touring plans
Animal Kingdom touring plans

FastPass+ Tips & Tricks

You start with 3, but you can get more

Everybody starts with 3 FastPasses, but you can get additional FastPasses (one-at-a-time)  as soon as you use your 3rd FastPass.

Here’s how that works:

• As soon as you tap your MagicBand or ticket for your 3rd FastPass, head over to the My Disney Experience app to see what is there. Attraction availability will depend on what time of day your 3rd FastPass is scheduled – the later in the day, the fewer your options will likely be. When you find something you want to ride, snag it.
• Then, as soon as you tap your MagicBand for FastPass #4 you can do it all again: hop into the app, search for available attractions, and snag something else.
• Keep repeating the process until you’re out of options OR you’re done for the day.

Pair FastPass with Rope Drop (and good touring plans)

If you really want to see and do all of the best-of-the-best attractions, you’ll have to pair Rope Drop with solid FastPass+ planning.

That means you’ll need to arrive to the front of the park no later than 45 minutes before opening (and we recommend even earlier during busy times of the year like the holidays).

To get the maximum amount of stuff done, pair early arrival with our Epcot touring plans.

When hours are extended, more FastPasses typically open up

Disney publishes their park hours about 180 days out, but the closer you get to your travel dates the higher the likelihood they’ll tweak those hours by opening earlier or staying open later (or sometimes both!).

When that happens, additional FastPasses open up for those new hours, which means if you missed out on something you really wanted before you may be able to snag it then.

If you don’t get what you want, keep trying

Some FastPasses are just hard-to-get, so you may not be able to get exactly what you want (at the time you want).

If that sounds like your situation make sure you check out our tips for how to get difficult FastPass+ reservations.

Height requirements

When picking your FastPasses, if you have little ones make sure you keep an eye out for height requirements and read up on how Rider Switch works at Epcot.

FAQs

Have Epcot FastPass+ questions? We’ve got answers! Here’s some of the most common questions we hear:

What times should you make reservations?

After the park opens, plan to ride several things in the first couple of hours without FastPass+, make use of FastPass+ for late morning/early afternoon, and then get additional FastPass+ reservations for later in the day, if needed.

We’ve included suggested times for FP+ reservations in the Epcot touring plans.

Does Epcot have FastPass tiers?

Yes. In 3 of the parks (Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom), FastPasses are divided into 2 separate pools, commonly referred to as “tiers.”

Tier 1 attractions are the most popular rides in the park, while Tier 2 attractions are the less popular ones.

When booking your standard FastPass+ reservations, you can have a total of 3 FastPasses at a time. Of those 3, only 1 of your initial 3 can be from the Tier 1 category. 

How much does FastPass+ cost?

FastPasses are free.

There are ways to purchase additional FastPasses, though. But, every ticket is eligible to book (in advance) 3 free FastPasses per ticket day.

Can I use FastPass+ during Extra Magic Hours?

FastPasses are not available during Extra Magic Hours.

How far in advance can I book Fastpasses?

Guests staying at a Walt Disney World resort as well as some select offsite locations can book their FastPasses 60 days in advance.

Everybody else can book FastPasses at 30 days out.

Annual Passholders without a resort reservation can book up to 7 days worth of FastPasses at 30 days out, too.

Do I need a FastPass for everybody in my party?

Every person that plans to enter the FastPass+ line needs to have a FastPass. 

We get this question a lot in regards to FastPasses for characters.

Even if you’re just going along with your child so they can meet Mickey Mouse, you’ll still need to have a FastPass to enter the line with them.

What happens if an attraction breaks down during my FastPass window?

If an attraction breaks down or if weather closes an attraction during your FastPass+ window you’ll receive a push notification in the My Disney Experience App.

Typically you’ll receive another FastPass that you’ll be able to use at any (or nearly any) attraction for the remainder of the day.

You wont have to make a new reservation and there wont be a return window – you just pick an attraction and scan your MagicBand or ticket when you get there.

FastPass+ suggestions to save to your phone

Want to have the FastPass+ suggestions on your camera roll? Press the image below from your phone to save to your camera roll.