Both
Disneyland Paris and Disneyland in Anaheim, the only two other resorts that the Disney
company wholly owns, have also begun offering paid FastPass options within the last few years.
The two resorts offer slightly different variations of the paid FastPass program. In Paris, guests can purchase
various FastPass programs that each have a preset list of popular attractions on it. Most of these provide a one-time “Speedy Access” to select rides beginning at €30 per person for three attractions. An unlimited option for all available attractions begins at €120 per person per day. The upgrade options are only available on select days and are limited in number. The price, availability, and other features adjust according to expected crowd size at the park, somewhat similar to Universal Orlando’s Express Pass system.
At Disneyland in California, a paid system was introduced in 2017. The mobile app-based program, known as
MaxPass, allows guests to make FastPass reservations without having to visit the individual FastPass kiosks. It also includes unlimited Disney PhotoPass photo downloads from the day. For $15 per person per day, the service has proven extremely popular with many guests. MaxPass is included with select annual passes and is available as a yearly add-on purchase for $100 for those annual passes which don’t include it.
...
Rumors point to Disney World readying for one of the largest shifts in the FastPass+ program since its debut in 2013. The updated system would be like that of Disneyland Paris, with paid options that don’t require any pre-visit planning. There are already similar offerings available as part of the Enchanting Extras Collection, including the Ultimate
Disney Classics VIP Tour, the Ultimate
Day of Thrills VIP Tour, and the
Star Wars Guided Tour. These tours range in price from $92.95 to $349 and all include group tour guides.
According to multiple insiders, including publicly by Martin on the
WDWMagic forums, the free FastPass+ program used today will still be available after the paid version is introduced, though some rides may see their number of free FastPasses decreased to provide availability for the upcharge options. Disney seems to be hoping that guests will use a mix of both paid FastPasses, likely for more popular attractions, and the three free ones that come with regular admission, though these may have to be used on shows and other large-capacity attractions thanks to availability. Both single park and park hopper options for the paid versions will be eventually available at WDW, with individual park options expected to debut first.
The two-tiered system that some WDW theme parks currently use would officially be scrapped, but the reservation app may ensure that multiple attractions in what is currently Tier One wouldn’t be available at the same time, essentially keeping the tiers in place unofficially. Many of the specifics of the updated program, including those around the current tier system and the possibility of also including snack or meal credits with certain offerings, still seem to be very much in flux. The cost of the new paid system is also unclear but, like the Paris version, it should use crowd calendar-based demand pricing. Discounts with select on-site accommodations may also be used, similar to how Disney World currently uses the credit-based
Disney Dining Plan.
The ultimate goal of the new upcharge system is to provide a single FastPass branded program across all fully owned Disney resorts, with the aim of lessening confusion between the three resorts, though that is still many years away.
The rumored WDW paid FastPass program is expected to debut ahead of the 50th Anniversary celebration that begins in 2021.
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