Disney introduced a new paid FastPass+ system, and things are looking…expensive. What will Disney World’s system look like? Would you pay $15 per person to head to the front of Big Thunder Mountain?
Premier Access
Over in Europe, Disneyland Paris has officially let go of the free FastPass service in favor of a paid option. With “Premier Access”, Guests will use the app to book an assigned time slot for select attractions. Right now, the only attractions included are:
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Hyperspace Mountain
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
- Star Tours
- Autopia
- Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy
The system rolled out today, August 3, and pricing has been revealed. Autopia, for example, is $9.49 USD per person. Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast is $17.80 USD per person to skip the line. You will be paying roughly $14 USD per person to jump ahead to the front for Big Thunder Mountain.
As a reminder, this is on top of regular admission. A 1-day dated ticket is $63.72 which is much cheaper than what Disney World tickets cost. However, it begs the question: Will Disney World try to charge this much for a paid FastPass system?
What will Disney World’s system look like?
If we use the prices above, a family of 4 will pay $254.88 to enter the Disneyland Paris gates and an extra, oh let’s say, $93.96 to skip both Autopia and Big Thunder Mountain lines. That’s almost $350 for admission and 2 line skips.
Compared to Disney World where admission is roughly $140/person on average, that same family of 4 would be looking at almost $660 for admission and 2 line skips.
I cannot imagine the average family paying over $600 for this! For this reason, I don’t think Disney World will be doing an al a carte option for their paid FastPass+ system (if they do one at all…but you know they will).
Either admission or FastPass will have to go to increase the value of a visit to the parks. I don’t think they are going to lower admission to increase FastPass.
I am guessing we will either see a bundle with an attraction or two – one likely a headliner and the other(s) not. By pairing a headliner with a not-so-popular attraction(s), they can charge more for it and it is still seen as a decent value.
Or, maybe it will be a one-time fee and you skip all the lines. We shared a rumor that Disney was possibly considering a fee of anywhere from $100 to $300 per person per day to skip every single line in the parks.
Or, it’s completely possible we will see a combination of the above possibilities to give Guests more options. We are carefully watching for any and all FastPass announcements!
How much are you willing pay to skip the line at Disney? What are your best guesses for Disney World’s paid FastPass system? Share your thoughts with us below or on Facebook.
Does Disney even see these replies? Or do they see them and not give a damn what the public thinks of their money grabbing ideas. I’m sure there are thousands of people that are tired of the
“It’s going to cost a little bit more” BS line we read about daily.
Sadly, we all pretty much know that free FastPasses are not coming back. If Universal can charge $200 pp per day for Express Pass right down the road, Disney knows the market will bear that level of pricing. My best guest is that people at deluxe resorts might get it wrapped into the price of their rooms, like Universal does, and there may be times when “free” lightning pass or whatever they decide to call it are bundled into packages, like the dining plans. The two rides bundle is a possibility – by now they have the data to know which rides are most popular for FP and will price accordingly. Imagine a package of Test Track and Figment for $30 a person. It will increase revenue, distribute Guests around the park because you’ll probably go on Figment if you paid for the FP rather than just spend $30 for a Test Track FP.
Like many others here, if they go to a Daily $100-300 extra it’s out of my league. We are sitting on tickets from a cancelled 2020 trip and are just beginning to think we’ll eat the cost and move on to something else. As a family of 4 , we can’t afford another $1,200/day just for the what we would have gotten for free when we bought the tickets in January 2020.
I think this is ridiculous! Disney cost so much already with hotel, food & parking. Taking away bus and now you will have to pay for that and less service. That’s the thing gouge for money have less services! Disney is only in it for the money!
I think Walt is spinning in his grave. I fear that I won’t be able to take my Granddaughters next summer. Grammy’s pockets just aren’t that deep!
An easy solution? Stop going to Disney World or Disney anything. Just STOP!
I’m thinking I may be finished with Disney for a while! The service, cleanliness, quality of experience has all gone downhill. I will not pay for a fast pass. Disney is catering to the elite. So thankful my kids were little in the early 2000’s and we had the experiences we had. Not happy at all with direction Chapek is taking this beloved company.
I also am very upset at the deluxe resorts being the ones that get extra magic evening hours. Again becoming too elitist!
Let me just say, I’m a huge fan and a TA that specializes in Disney. I have gone to Disney every year since 05 at least once a year. Very disappointed right now!
They don’t. I think they’re hoping for a…particular clientele to take over heading into the parks.
The same morons will pay. The same that pay for Boo Hoo, pay more for less of an experience, are happy to bend over for Chapek and one suspects don’t take a vaccine and quite frankly only care about themselves.
This is going to stink for AP holders who are locals. Like if I want to pop into the parks for the evening and have dinner and ride one or two things I’ll never be able to have a FP for anything again?
Disney already knows people at WDW with pay $50 for a fast pass. Remember their trial program precovid giving extra 3 FPS for people staying level club for an extra $150/day.
When a single parent struggles to save for a Disney vacation and is already spending a LOT of money to do so, an additional $100-$300 per day per person is a HUGE deterrent. I loved Fast Pass as it was and utilized it every day at the park. Disney is already an expensive vacation. I try to go every two years. We won’t have gone last year had it not been for COVID. I was planning a trip for January 2021. For two people, even $100 would be an additional $1,200 for 6 days (which is what I had planned!). Say it was $300 per day, the price would shoot up to $3,600 for just two people!! This is just for ride passes!! It’s CRAZY! Disney is all about the money and I don’t think they give a darn about the people trying to afford it. I guess they don’t realize that times have been tough the past year and a half. I just need to figure out another place to go for vacation because I think I’m DONE with Disney!
I do realize that we don’t know for certain what WDW will do; however, any additional cost is going to hurt ‘regular’ people and likely stop some from going to Disney at all. I just wish we could go back to the way things were before. Unfortunately, I don’t think the powers-that-be even care.
My first thought was “Aren’t I paying enough in admission fees” Then I saw the comment that Disney World may be from $100 to $300 per day to go to the head of the line for all rides. This gave me pause. My feeling is I just to wait and see where the chips fall.