What's the longest you've waited *with* a Fastpass?
Disneyland: How about a 40-minute wait for Space Mountain?
I know we've talked on the board before (many times, actually) about the longest you've ever waited for a theme park attraction.
But what's the longest you've ever waited with a ride reservation (such as Disney's FastPass)?
Yesterday, we visited Disneyland and had 2:30 return times for Space Mountain. When we arrived then, we found the line stretching all the way down the ramp toward Redd Rocket's Pizza Port. But when we got to the top of the ramp, we discovered that wasn't the stand-by line.
That was the FastPass return line.
We waited in the line for about 10 minutes, then heard cast members telling guests that people holding FastPasses were looking at a 30-40 minute wait to get on the ride. The standby wait time was posted as 80 minutes.
I don't know if Space Mountain had had downtime earlier in the day, meaning that a bunch of people with return times earlier in the day were just now trying to get on board. Or if Disney just issued too many FastPasses. (That seems highly doubtful to me.) I couldn't get an answer because the cast members at greeter position were just swamped.
So we bailed on riding Ghost Galaxy. But I did get a discussion topic out of the experience instead.
What's the longest you have waited with a reservation return time?
From Dan S
Posted October 2, 2011 at 4:12 PM
Roughly 45 Minutes at splash mountain at WDW. I think the cast member may have been new, because he felt kind of awkward with choosing with line to let by. He was letting the standby line go by a lot more often then the fast pass line.
I always feel sorry for the castmembers who have to let the fastpass holders go while holding the standby people at bay. Each time I have entered a queue with a fastpass, there is always that family with that one person who is red in the face, suddenly letting go of their temper at having to wait. They yell at said castmember wondering with their "What makes them so special;" mentality.
This would not be a job I would sign up for.
My longest wait time was 25 minutes with a fast pass for Splash Mountain with a standby for 80 minutes. Someone had stood up in their log, thus causing the backup.
From James Rao
Posted October 2, 2011 at 7:04 PM
Waited about 35 minutes for Space Mt. at WDW... but that was cause the ride went down and the lights came up for a short problem. Otherwise, about ten minutes at most, and always on the rides where the FP lines merge with the regular lines a little too far away from the actual loading area IMHO, like at TSMM and Space Mountain..
From AJ Hummel
Posted October 2, 2011 at 7:36 PM
At Disney with the Fastpass, it would probably be 30 minutes for Soarin' Over California (regular line was about an hour or so). However, I did have a 45 minute wait for Ednor-L'Attaque at La Ronde with the Flash Pass this past summer. Not only was the ride running one train, but they were merging in guests from both lines at the same rate. I'm just glad that I rode it early in the day (third ride after opening, and first Flash Pass ride) as the line was reportedly over an hour with Flash Pass (three without) later in the day and it is an SLC, which isn't worth much of a wait in the first place.
From N B
Posted October 3, 2011 at 12:41 AM
I have never used the Fastpass system at Disney, but the longest wait I can remember using Universal Express was on the Simpsons Ride. We were of course in the correct line, but it took around 30 minutes.
I do remember being in the Jaws line for almost the same amount of time. Keep in mind, the regular lines were 90+ minutes for both rides.
Oddly, one of the most popular rides at Universal (Spder-Man) has never taken longer than 5 minutes, even at peak times. The Hulk has changed the way they let you in with Express Pass. They now blend you into the regular line, but it is notfar from the loading queue and you can now opt for row #1 if you like.
I am VERY familar with the red faced angry people in the regular lines and the comments that come your way. I explain to several people on every trip that is complimentary if you stay on-site.
I do think purchasing Express Pass at the parks is VERY expensive, and if you purchase them the first day you are there and are staying for a week, it makes your remaining days at the park seem miserable.
I seem to have been quite lucky with my waits. I would say maybe a 20 minute on Splash one year...but Splash to me that the line is either a dream or in meltdown. Admittedly it usually seems to me like its people standing up etc that causes a meltdown. Amateurs :-))
Had a 15 minute wait for Manta with a quick queue this year but it had just gone down and was coming back 'alive'.
But as I was riding alone it was a good time to make small talk with my fellow riders. (And my quick queue was free from the hotel, so I really didnt mind)
30 minutes for Soarin, the longest Fastpass line ever!
The longest I can ever remember waiting for a Fast Pass line was Toy Story Mania, which was a 100 minute stand-by line and we waited about 20-25 minutes with the Fast Pass. I honestly can't complain, it was much better then waiting threw the line and we still got to look around.
After that the longest was a few months after Adventures of Winnie the Pooh opened. Our Fast Pass wait was about 15 minutes, the stand-by line was over an hour long.
Normally we don't bother with Fast Passes, when we're normally at the Florida Parks it's not very busy and lines aren't over 30 minutes expect whatever attraction is new. We've never purchased the Universal Express pass either so I can't comment on that.
Working at Space Mountain, one day we had a Fastpass wait that was one hour. With a queue more than twice the size of Disneyland's (leading to the constant question of the line is actually 1.5 hours with the guest because it was all inside and that means it couldn't be that long, right?). Fastpass queue was entirely full and out the door because we had a down time that morning as well as Splash and Thunder were down for so long that Space was accepting their passes, which in this case was not a good idea. The stand-by line shot up to 3.5 hour wait while the Fastpass line stayed that long for nearly two hours. The large Brazilian tour groups were of no help.
I don't know if this counts, but I waited 30 minutes to GET a FastPass for Toy Story Mania. This was in August this year... at opening time. It was crazy!
I share Anthony's experience. Definitely Soarin'. Can't imagine how long the wait will be when it REALLY catches on. ;)
I'd have to say a few minutes usally lnes aren't that bad for fast pass but once I did kind of squrim my way threw because splash mountain had a line past the stairs.
We were at WDW when Soarin' was only a couple of years old. The FASTPASS wait for us was about an hour. To add salt to the wound, I was in the very last seat on the left on the very bottom row, so I only lifted up a few feet and had to crane neck at the screen. I still HATE that ride. I really do.
Also a half hour at Soarin', never more than 10 minutes anywhere else.
I think Soarin' must just have a very slow throughput ??
30-35 minutes, for Space Mountain at Disneyland. It was late evening, and the AP holders were out in force. It wasn't Ghost Galaxy, but I can verify what Robert is saying above.
30 mins for Toy Story Mania at Hollywood Studios. They were letting parties of two go right to the front...if we'd have known we would have split into two parties of two, as you don't even get to see each other anyway!!!
Also 35 mins for Soarin', but this one worked out well as when we got to the loading area, two CMs arrived with big sports bags and produced special Year of a Million Dreams Mickey Ear hats and gave them to everyone in our group... for the rest of the day, people were coming up to us saying - hey where d'you get your hats... :-)
@ Lauren, that's what happened to my grandson Zachary and I at TSM in August. Except we were the ones who were left into the Fastpass line right where they meet before the steps.
I think the longest wait for us was for Test Track. It was like 20 minutes maybe, but that's even pushing it. We've actually had pretty good success utilizing Fast Pass.
Fastpass is the greatest invention in line-waiting history. I've never waited longer than 20-30 minutes with a fastpass. I've been on Splash and Space Mountain many times and have never waited for more than 10 minutes for them even on the busiest days. Fastpasses are awesome.
Yesterday, the same thing happened with space mountain. It's one of the flaws of disney allowing fastpasses to be used after the return time, a bunch of people come at the end and clog up the line. we only waited about 20 minutes though and the standby was 65.
also, I'm surprised no one mentioned Indiana Jones. the merge point is so soon on that ride that if they let too many people in at once, fast pass could end up waiting about 45 min. of course, usually you walk straight through to what i call the candle wax room, passing a lot of the details in the line. they should find a way to make the fastpass merge point closer to the projection room so the line actually winds through the detailed parts of the queue instead of the stand by holding area outside.
From N B
Posted October 13, 2011 at 12:15 AM
"Fastpass is the greatest invention in line-waiting history" - I may have to disgree. It is the best no cost option. But you still have to use it even staying on-site at Disney.
On-site / hotel room key Express Pass is definitely the best program. Most of the time, you are one or two groups from the front of the loading queue and wait times are essentially a couple of minutes. The pay-per-visit Express Pass is not worth it, however. One ride per attraction and obscenely expensive for multi days and families.
You also have early entry to WWOHP, so the wait for the ride is 5-10 minutes, even if you want to go on twice. To me, Universal got it right with their on-site guests....
Technically, on-site Express is a no-cost option. The hotels are priced the same or lower than Disney's and all they (Disney) give you is free parking if you flash your room key. We paid less to stay at Hard Rock than we did at Port Orleans (years ago) and the hotel had no activities and was very plain and boring IMO. We still had to drive everywhere.
Being able to walk (or water taxi) to either park, catch a movie (HP 7 Part 2) and eat dinner at a dozen restauarants (Margaritaville is my favorite) without ever getting in your car has it's advantages.
I would think a stay at the Grand Floridian or Wilderness Resort would merit free front of the line access, considering the prices.
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