Disneyland Paris has announced a paid replacement for FASTPASS. Disney Premier Access will allow guests to pay per ride (that’s per each ride on an attraction, not for unlimited rides on the attraction) on select attractions to skip the line. We’re in the process of updating this post, but this is obviously a huge shift, so we’re leading with it while we do more work on this post.
Premier Access will cost from €8 to €15. At Disneyland Park, Premier Access will be available on:
Big Thunder Mountain
Peter Pan's Flight
Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
Star Tours: The Adventure Continues
Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain
At Walt Disney Studios Park, Premier Access will be available on:
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Ratatouille: The Adventure
Initial Thoughts on Disneyland Paris Premier Access
For the Americans in the audience, €8 to €15 is about $9.50 to $17.75. That’s…a lot to skip a line. A family of four would be spending at least $40 per ride.
What I think this comes down to is how long you’re spending in Disneyland Paris. IF you’ve got more than one day, you probably have no reason to purchase Premier Access.
If you’re visiting the parks as a day trip from Paris, you might find it challenging to fit everything in without using Premier Access once or twice.
In general, there’s going to be two main approaches to using Disneyland Paris Premier Access.
Option 1 — Commit to it. If you were visiting Disneyland Paris (the park) and knew you were going to use Premier Access, you would probably commit yourself to one or two rides (say, Big Thunder Mountain and Peter Pan’s Flight), and then plan your strategy for the day around the assumption that you’ll buy Premier Access later. This allows you to maximize your time in the park. And maybe you get lucky and wind up not even needing Premier Access for one (or both) of the rides you expected to use it for.
Option 2 — Wing it. Alternatively, you could plan a day as if you weren’t going to have Premier Access. This means you’d likely start with a ride that uses Premier Access (usually Big Thunder Mountain or Peter Pan’s Flight), and you’d probably be aiming for all the Premier Access rides pretty early.
The risk with winging it is you wind up spending more time than you planned waiting in line for these rides early in the day, only to be left with a long list of rides without Premier Access that you still have to ride.
Original Post
When planning a trip to Disneyland Paris, one thing you don’t want to skip is putting together your Disneyland Paris Fastpass strategy. Fastpass planning is an essential part of making sure you get to enjoy all the major rides at Disneyland Paris (and at least the best rides at Walt Disney Studios Park).
In this post, we answer some questions about Disneyland Paris Fastpass, from what it is and how to use it to what to do when your plans don’t work out. We put these tips to work in our one-day Disneyland Paris itinerary.
2021 Update: As of yet, we don’t know if / when FASTPASS will return to Disneyland Paris in 2021. It is currently suspended as part of the reopening. Somewhat in its place, Standby Pass is now available at select attractions.
If you have a visit soon, you should check the Disneyland Paris website directly. If your visit is a few months down the road, it might be helpful to brush up on your FASTPASS strategy, but keep in mind it’s always possible it returns with changes (only on a smaller selection of rides, for example).
What is Disneyland Paris Fastpass?
Disneyland Paris Fastpass is a program that allows you to avoid lines at select attractions by getting a ticket that assigns you a 30-minute window to come back and skip the line (or at least most of it).
How much does Disneyland Paris Fastpass cost?
Fastpass at Disneyland Paris is free. While there are some paid options (discussed below) the basic system is free and available to all ticketed guests.
What are the Disneyland Paris Fastpass Rides?
There are a total of eight Disneyland Paris Fastpass rides—SIX rides at Disneyland Park and TWO rides at Walt Disney Studios Park. At Disneyland Park, the Fastpass rides are:
Big Thunder Mountain
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril
Peter Pan's Flight
Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
Star Tours: The Adventure Continues
Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain
At Walt Disney Studios Park, the Fastpass rides are:
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Ratatouille: The Adventure
Flying Carpets Over Agrabah used to offer Fastpass but has not done so recently (there are indications it will rejoin the system, but it’s no big deal either way). Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster formerly offered Fastpass but has now closed.
Read more below for which Disneyland Paris rides to Fastpass (and which rides without Fastpass you'll have to plan for).
How can I get a Fastpass at Disneyland Paris?
Disneyland Paris uses a paper-ticket based Fastpass system. While the Disneyland Paris app is pretty useful, it doesn’t have Fastpass capability. This means that in order to get and use a Fastpass for a ride, you’ll need to:
Go to the ride. You can’t get Fastpass tickets through an app or at locations other than the ride. You have to physically go there to retrieve the ticket.
Get in line for the Fastpass machines. This line can get long for some rides (Big Thunder Mountain), but will usually be short or non-existent.
Scan your Disney park admission ticket at the machine and get your Fastpass ticket. The Fastpass is issued for a 30-minute return time window indicated above the machines. The window moves forward in 5-minute increments as tickets are retrieved. You cannot get a specific 30-minute window other than by using the machines when that window is available. This means you may need to wait to get a Fastpass to ensure your ride window doesn't conflict with something else you had scheduled (like a show).
Return to the ride to use your Fastpass. There is a separate Fastpass entrance at each ride with a Cast Member taking tickets. Give the Cast Member your ticket and you'll be sent through the Fastpass queue and onto the ride.
Can You Have More Than One Disneyland paris Fastpass At A Time?
You can have more than one Disneyland Paris Fastpass at a time (despite what the Disneyland Paris website says), but there are significant restrictions. Once you get a Fastpass, you cannot get another one until the earlier of: (A) two hours from when you got the Fastpass or (B) the start of your 30-minute window for your Fastpass.
It really happens, here I have two Disneyland Paris Fastpass tickets at once!
Look at the above picture. I went to Hyperspace Mountain at 10:30 and got a Fastpass for 11:00 to 11:30. At the bottom of that Fastpass ticket it says, “You can get another Fastpass ticket after 11:00.”
When 11:00 rolled around, I went to Buzz Lightyear and grabbed a Fastpass for 13:55 to 14:25 (at 11:05, actually). See the bottom of that ticket? It says, “You can get another Fastpass ticket after 13:05.” This is because 13:05 is two hours after I grabbed that Fastpass ticket and earlier than the start of my Buzz Fastpass window at 13:55.
Confused? Doesn't matter, the Fastpass tickets tell you the next time you can get your next one! Just go grab a new Fastpass when that time rolls around.
What Major Disneyland Paris Rides Don’t Have Fastpass?
In Disneyland Park, Pirates of the Caribbean and Phantom Manor are the most notable attractions with long lines and without Fastpass. In Walt Disney Studios Park, Crush’s Coaster—the best ride in that park—does not have Fastpass.
Pirates of the Caribbean and Phantom Manor can get lengthy waits midday but are often under ten minutes in the first few hours of the day and the last few hours. Our suggestion is always to check the app in the days leading up to your trip to see what the wait times are looking like.
Disneyland Paris Fastpass Strategy
In Walt Disney Studios Park, this is simple. Get a Fastpass for Ratatouille after you’ve rope dropped and ridden Crush Coaster, and then grab one for Tower of Terror. (Our Walt Disney Studios Park itinerary covers the rest of the rides.)
In Disneyland Park, it’s a little trickier. We have a one-day Disneyland Paris itinerary that includes some good uses of Fastpass, but here’s the quick lay of the land:
If you can get to Big Thunder Mountain right at 9:30 to avoid using a Fastpass for it, that’s ideal. If you can’t, know that Big Thunder Mountain sometimes runs out of Fastpass tickets as early as 11AM
It’s generally possible to get Fastpass for two of the Discoveryland rides (Star Tours, Hyperspace Mountain, Buzz Lightyear) and either Peter Pan’s Flight or Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones often is still giving Fastpass tickets into the afternoon, but plan for the other rides to be out by mid-afternoon
Outside of peak season, avoid using a Fastpass on Buzz Lightyear. The Fastpass queue merges with the regular line quite early, so you wind up waiting 15 minutes anyways
What if I don’t get a Fastpass I need?
First, know that Fastpass is not essential at Disneyland Paris. Effective Fastpass planning will make your day easier, but you really can probably ride every ride most days without using Fastpass (it’s free, though, so there’s no reason to do that).
In general, if you have a Fastpass plan and something goes wrong, just go get a different one! You don’t need specific Fastpass tickets, you just need to be sure you’re getting a Fastpass when available.
You might have to change your plans, but that's okay. You can see the major attractions at Disneyland Park in a day (and Walt Disney Studios Park in half of a day), and if you don’t get a specific Fastpass, you’ll still be fine.
Don't sweat it too much, sometimes you'll get lucky and have a short wait!
Ratatouille and Hyperspace Mountain also have Singer Rider lines. These are shorter lines where your party will be broken up one at a time to fill empty seats.
So, for example, a family of three gets seated in a four-person car, and a single rider will be put in the fourth seat. If your party doesn’t mind getting split, these lines are a great alternative to Fastpass.
Is there anything else I can do to get more Fastpass tickets?
Yes, there are some paid FASTPASS enhancements that come at a cost. You have a few options for special Fastpass options.
Disneyland Paris SUPER FASTPASS and ULTIMATE FASTPASS
Super Fastpass and Ultimate Fastpass are two paid Fastpass programs at Disneyland Paris. Basically, these are packages of Fastpasses that range from one-time use on three select rides to unlimited use on all Fastpass attractions.
Prices per person per day range from €36 for low-season/three rides/one-time use to €181 for peak-season/all Fastpass rides/unlimited use. The website covers the full range of options. Notably, some of these options include Phantom Manor, which is not typically a Fastpass attraction.
At these prices, we can’t recommend these services. If you’re coming to the parks for a single day and have to ride the included nine rides, you can do that without paying for Fastpass.
Disneyland Paris Hotel Fastpass Otions
Finally, there are two options for getting more Fastpasses if you book certain room types at Disneyland Paris hotels.
Disneyland Paris Disney Hotel Fastpass
First, the Disney Hotel Fastpass is available to club level “Guests staying at Disney’s Hotel New York (Empire State Club rooms), Disney’s Sequoia Lodge (Golden Forest Club room) and Disney’s Newport Bay Club (Compass Club rooms).” This is a change from the past, when the service was also available to standard room guests at Disneyland Hotel.
Those guests get one bonus Fastpass (per person per day) to be used in any Fastpass queue. Previously, the service limited the hours, but that no longer appears to be the case.
Disneyland Paris VIP Fastpass
Second, the VIP Fastpass is available to Suites guests at Disneyland Hotel, Disney's Hotel New York, Disney's Newport Bay Club and Disney's Sequoia Lodge. Castle Club guests at Disneyland Hotel also get VIP Fastpass (other clubs get Hotel Fastpass, discussed above). This Fastpass provides unlimited access to the Fastpass queues.
Unless you are a ride nut who never wants to do anything else at the park (a huge mistake at Disneyland Paris), these options are not worth the extra cost on their own, but obviously they're nice perks if you get them.
(Expired) Disneyland Paris Disney Access One
Update: Disneyland Paris Disney Access One was around for a short time in 2018. I’m keeping it here in case it ever pops back up as an option.
Disney Access One is a straightforward program for purchasing spots on rides. You can visit the stores nearest the Fastpass rides and purchase a pass to skip the line for 15 Euro per person per ride.
In almost no situation is this going to be a good option. But if your day is running out of time and you absolutely have to get on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or Peter Pan’s Flight, I’ll look the other way if you want to spend the money.
All Your Other Disneyland Paris Planning Questions Answered
Don’t be overwhelmed by Disneyland Paris planning! Take a second to check out our most important content! Just starting out? Check out our Disneyland Paris Trip Planning Guide. Need to know how much this is going to take out of your pocket? We’ve got a post on How Much it Costs to Go to Disneyland Paris.
When it comes to hotels, we’ve reviewed three of them. Check our our Review of Disneyland Hotel (Paris), Review of Disney's Sequoia Lodge, and Review of Disney's Hotel Cheyenne. We also recommend considering an off-site hotel or Airbnb when visiting Disneyland Paris.
Know what to ride with our: Disneyland Paris Rides Guide and Walt Disney Studios Park Rides Guide. And just as important, know how to get on the best rides without the wait with our Guide to Disneyland Paris Fastpass! For the complete guides to a day at the park, we have a One Day Disneyland Paris Itinerary and a Walt Disney Studios Park Itinerary.
Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.