Are you visiting Epcot? Are you looking forward to riding Soarin & Test Track? Epcot is a massive theme park which can involve a lot of walking. To maximise your day it is essential you develop an Epcot Fastpass Strategy. Our Epcot Fastpass Tips and Tricks will help you plan a great vacation.
The Basics of Fastpass
No matter which theme park you are visiting, if you have not used Fastpass+ before it is essential you understand the basics first. Fastpass+ is Disney’s attraction reservation system & allows you to book attractions in advance. Guests who fail to book in advance face much longer waits & fewer attractions.
To use Fastpass+ before you visit you must have either:
- Valid Ticket or Annual Pass
- Walt Disney World Resort Hotel reservation plus theme park tickets
Guests who are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort(including Swan, Dolphin plus select Disney Springs Resorts) can book 60 days in advance plus the number of days of their stay.Ticket holders not staying in the above resorts have a much shorter 30-day reservation window.
You can book your Fastpass Reservations on the Disney Website or by downloading the My Disney Experience App. You must plan to book Fastpass reservations as soon as they become available.
You can make 3 Fastpass reservations before you arrive in the park. Once these reservations are used, you can book an extra pass. You can make extra Fastpass reservations as soon as you join your 3rd attraction line. You can continue booking one additional selection after each attraction until the end of the day or until no more Fastpass slots are available.
You can learn more about the basics in Our Guide to Fastpass.
Epcot Fastpass Basics
Epcot does not allow equal booking to all Fastpass attractions.
There are 3 big attractions in Epcot:
- Frozen Ever After
- Soarin
- Test Track
Disney only lets you pick one of these Group A(also include IllumiNations and Epcot Character Spot) attractions in your first Fastpass selections. Only being able to pick one, presents a problem to anyone with only 1 day to visit Epcot.
All other attractions are in Group B, and you can book up to 2 attractions. Guests who fail to book a Group A Fastpass can use all 3 Fastpasses at Tier B. Disney’s Character Spot previously was in Group B, but move in 2018.
Are you visiting Epcot on 1 or 2 days?
Epcot is a massive theme park with lots of things to see & do. In our opinion, you should treat the park as 2 separate theme parks i.e. Future World & World Showcase. Epcot is currently undergoing massive renovations, but there is still plenty to do. Attempting it all in 1 day will usually lead to failure, tiredness & grumpy kids. If you have time visit on 2 or even 3 days. This will also make your Fastpass+ strategy easier.
If you only have 1 day consider what are your must-do attractions. For many guests, especially those with small children, Frozen is a must-do. Thrill-seekers are more likely to prioritize Test Track. If time is tight, you might even need to consider skipping some attractions at Epcot.
Are you big enough to ride at Epcot?
Don’t create a strategy that includes all family members riding to realise too late not all of you can. Many of the Walt Disney World attractions do carry restrictions and they are
- Mission Space Orange at least 44 inches tall to ride
- Mission Space Green at least 40 inches to ride
- Test Track at least 40 inches tall to ride
- Soarin at least 40 inches tall to ride
When children are not big enough to ride at Epcot it does not mean
Those Big 3 Epcot Attractions.
There are 3 big attractions in Epcot:
- Frozen Ever After
- Soarin
- Test Track
All 3 of these attractions are in Fastpass Group A along with IllumiNations and the Epcot Character Spot.
Disney only lets you pick one of these selections advance. Unfortunately, you are not guaranteed to obtain another Fastpass later in the day. Frozen remains the most popular of all 3 and is usually the hardest Fastpass to get. However, if you don’t have small children you might consider giving it a miss.
Soarin has recently had a 3rd theatre added which has reduced waits considerably. You will often find Fastpasses available after you have used your first selections.
Test Track has a single rider line. If you are happy not riding together choose this option if you don’t have a Fastpass. You will join a much shorter line and fill in a gap when one becomes available.
We do not think booking IllumiNations is a good use of Fastpass as there are plenty of great viewing slots. However, 2019 will be the final of this show and it is possible crowds might be longer.
Currently Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy meet guests at the Epcot Character Spot. When this attraction was in Group B, it was a must-do Fastpass. However it is difficult to justify in the Group A selections, but there are often very long waits in standby. Whether you book this as a Fastpass depends on whether you plan to meet the characters in other parks and possibly kid demand!
What other Fastpass choices should I make?
You can book another 2 Fastpass selections each day assuming you have secured a Fastpass for one of the big 3. Once you have used your initial selections, you can book more choices, one at a time, depending on availability.
The following 4 attractions never need a Fastpass at Epcot even on the busiest days:
- Disney/Pixar Short Film Festival
- Turtle Talk with Crush
- IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
- Mission Space (Green)
While obtaining a Fastpass for the other selections in Group B is worthwhile, unless the park is very busy they are often not needed. The majority of
Your other selections very much depend on what your must-do attractions are. We would consider Spaceship Earth and Mission Space(Orange) the best choice for most guests.
Help I am only visiting Epcot for 1 day!
It is still possible to do all the main attractions at Epcot even if you are only visiting for 1 day.
We suggest arriving early, but to avoid visiting on Early extra Magic Hours days unless you are staying at Disney. You should prebook Frozen as your 1 Group A Fastpass, and ideally this should be for early afternoon.
On opening join the line for Test Track, and if you are happy riding apart join the single rider line.
Once you have completed your initial Fastpass selections, attempt to get a Fastpass for Soarin. Alternatively, you will often find standby waits shorter during the last hour of park opening, and usually this will be less time than advertised.
Do you have any further tips to create an even better Epcot Fastpass Strategy? Do you think we have made any mistakes? Leave a comment below so we can add to a future edition of this post.
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Are you planning to visit Walt Disney World? Our Guide to walt disney World is a great starting place to plan and Disney World vacation.
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