What Happens if You Are Late For Your FastPass? Oh NO!

Fastpass+ is such a massive part of Walt Disney World vacation planning these days. Got are the times when you could show up to the gate and find an attraction poster for inspiration. Fastpass has become more than just a way to skip a line. It’s a part of the Walt Disney World strategy. You need to have these pre-planned blocks of time reserved. It helps to keep crowds distributed evenly around the park, but it also means you might miss out if you are looking for more flexibility or spontaneity. What happens if while making use of your time, you get delayed and arrive too late for Fastpass?

The Fastpass Rules

Fastpass+ allows you to pick your first three Fastpasses in advance of your trip for every day you are using a Disney Park ticket. After that, you can continue selecting Fastpasses one by one. You can not have Fastpasses that are active during the same time frame. They must be apart by a minimum of one hour. You can not select a new FastPass until you redeem the previous Fastpass.

The Window

Fastpass does not require you to show up at a specific time. You have a one hour window. So if you have a Fastpass time of 3:05, you can arrive to use your Fastpass any time between 3:05 and 4:05. This is why the Fastpass+ selections must be an hour apart. The window enables you to do other things and return when it is convenient. That’s the purpose of Fastpass.

The Extended Window

On top of the one hour window, there is also an extended window that is not listed anywhere. This means you don’t have to worry if you are going to be getting to an attraction just after your Fastpass arrival time ends. When time runs out, you still have an additional 5 minutes of wiggle room, only to cover unexpected crowds or other hold-ups.

The Cutoff – Late For Fastpass

If you miss the one hour window and the five-minute window, then you are too late to use your Fastpass. The system will no longer take it, and you will need to select a new Fastpass time for that attraction or another one. If you are at another section of the park, enjoying a table service meal, or stuck in another line, don’t be nervous about making it in time. You can always cancel a Fastpass wherever you are and select a new Fastpass then.

The Game Plan

It’s a good idea to plan your initial Fastpass+ selections very carefully. Try to keep them close together, so you do not wander off too far. If you plan meals between Fastpasses, make them quick service meals so you can control your timing better. If you want to use the Fastpass Window effectively to cover movement from one part of the park to another, make your first, or third Fastpass separate from the other two. Example: Space Mountain, Big Thunder, Lunch at Pecos Bill, Splash Mountain.

There you have it all the skinny on what happens if you indeed miss your FastPass.

Have you ever missed a FastPass?

What did you do?

Now, share with me in the comments.