Who here remembers the good old days when you had to insert your park ticket into a kiosk to print out your FastPass? Disneyland folks know what I’m talking about! (They still use this system in the other theme parks.) The original paper FastPass system debuted at Walt Disney World in July of 1999. Easy to use, a guest would visit a station next to a participating attraction. The one hour time block that was currently being printed would be displayed on top of the kiosk station. Instructions from the official Walt Disney World website stated:
Just slide your regular Park ticket through the turnstiles at participating attractions. Your free Disney’s FASTPASS® ticket will be imprinted with a designated ride time. Now you’re free to go enjoy the rest of the Park. When your ride time rolls around, come back to the FASTPASS entrance and hop on board with no further wait. What could be easier?
To read more about the paper FastPass system, visit Yesterland: Paper FASTPASS Distribution at Walt Disney World
Leave it to Disney to make it “easier.” In 2008, over a course of ten days, sixty families were randomly selected to try a new wireless device called Disney Magic Connection. The hand-held device gave the families the current wait times of the attractions and the FastPass times, if still available.
In 2014, Disney began to roll out a new high tech system at the Magic Kingdom called FastPass+. Cause you know, “plussing” means making something better! No more waiting 2 hours to get a new FastPass. No more having to run back and forth across the park. This gave guests the ability to make up to 3 reservations at a time, and for guests staying on property, they had the ability to book their times up to 2 months in advanced.
When guests book a reservation through the official Walt Disney World website, they were sent MagicBands. Using the app, they were able to make their FastPass+ selection for the park they would be visiting. Instead of needing paper tickets, their MagicBand acted as the “ticket”.
The evolution of MagicBands has changed from the basic green, orange, red, blue, and gray. Now there is almost every color and design you can think of, as well as other attachments/accessories!
It is amazing to see how much has changed with the FastPass system in the past seven years. Even though Disney is not using FastPass+ at the moment, they will hopefully bring it back soon.
I can only imagine where it will take us in the future!
